Lichfield Festival has announced the full programme for its annual Literature Festival, which returns from 27 - 30 March 2025.

The packed four-day event includes broadcasting legend Simon Mayo who talks about his spellbinding new thriller ‘Black Tag’, Helen Lederer on being one of the few women at the heart of the 1980s alternative comedy scene, and art expert and BBC’s ‘Fake or Fortune’ presenter Bendor Grosvenor on the ‘Invention of British Art’. 

Gardeners’ World presenter and journalist Mark Lane imagines our gardens of the future and Sunday Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen also appears, bringing her latest thriller ‘The Summer Guests’.

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Former Spectator and Telegraph editor Charles Moore discusses the final days of Margaret Thatcher’s political career on the 100th anniversary of her birth.  ‘Queen Victoria and her Prime Ministers’ is the subject of Anne Somerset’s book, and a host of authors discuss influential, if less well known, female figures in history from Catherine de’Medici (Mary Hollingsworth), to ‘The Lost Queen: The Surprising Life of Catherine of Braganza’ (Sophie Shorland) and ‘Kingmaker’ – Pamela Churchill Harriman’s astonishing life of seduction, power and intrigue (Sonia Purnell). 

And in ‘Secret Voices: A Year of Women’s Diaries’, Sarah Gristwood brings together a treasury of over a hundred diarists through the centuries.

Throughout the weekend a wide variety of topics take in history, nature and mathematics, shipwreck discoveries, witch trials and the life and loves of James I. 

On the opening day, Mike Berners-Lee explores climate change in ‘A Climate of Truth’, and on the final afternoon, David Spiegelhalter considers how the principles of probability can help us navigate modern life in ‘The Art of Uncertainty’.

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Damian Thantrey, Director of Lichfield Festival says, “Lichfield is a city with a proud history of writers and great minds – each year, we hope that the Literature Festival pays tribute to this.  Our audience for these four days is growing year on year, and we have an incredibly exciting line-up for this coming March.  As always, we can’t do this without support and we’re incredibly grateful to our wonderful Principal Partner and Literature Festival sponsor, McArthurGlen West Midlands.”

Events take place at The George Hotel, Hub at St Mary’s, Minster Hall and Wade Street Church.

Lichfield Literature Festival runs from 27-30 March. Tickets and details can be found at lichfieldfestival.org.