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A look at London Literature Festival 2024
Image: Ghetts by Seye Isikalu
Ready to celebrate the power of the written — and spoken!— word?
London Literature Festival takes over the Southbank Centre from Wednesday 23 October to Sunday 3 November, with a real page-turner of a line-up, featuring talks, book launches, performances and family fun.
This year, London Literature Festival has snagged an especially exciting co-curator: grime legend Ghetts! The London-born rapper shows off his own creative wordplay in a live gig on Saturday 26 October, before bringing together some of the most exciting names in the capital’s poetry and music scenes on Sunday 27 October — AKA, National Poetry Day — to celebrate the links between the two art forms.
Other festival highlights include Susanna Clarke — acclaimed author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell — in conversation with the Reverend Richard Coles, an evening of poetry readings hosted by Lemn Sissay, and the chance to discover a diverse range of debut novels set in London. As the festival coincides with half-term, you can also expect plenty of free and ticketed family fun — from a celebration of the iconic patchwork elephant that is David McKee’s Elmer, to child-friendly comedy courtesy of Russell Kane.
Calling all sci-fi fans and escape room enthusiasts! Unleash your inner Captain Picard at Bridge Command — a starship-set interactive adventure. Blending live theatre and gaming, this is a fully immersive experience (think high production values and talented actors). It caters for up to 14 people at once — perfect for birthdays/team outings!
Roasts, talks, papers, crosswords, walks… Sunday like you’ve never Sunday’ed before at this jam-packed yet oh-so-laid-back event. Sunday Papers Live brings the broadsheets to life at a hygged-up ONE Marylebone — think comfy armchairs and low lighting — next weekend.
You’ve got just a few more weeks left to see The Old Vic’s rave-reviewed production of The Real Thing, starring James McArdle (Mare of Easttown, The Tragedy of Macbeth) and Bel Powley (A Small Light, The Morning Show). Book this comedy about love and infidelity by 3 October to get tickets from £15.
The Trotters will return to London over the festive season for a three week run of Only Fools and Horses The Musical. See this hit homegrown show — starring Paul Whitehouse and Vinny Jones — at the Hammersmith Eventim Apollo, 17 December-5 January. Book via the blue button by 20 October for fee-free tickets.
Alan Partridge himself stars in the first ever stage adaptation of Stanley Kubrick’s political satire par excellence, Dr. Strangelove. Like the iconic Peter Sellers before him, Steve Coogan will play multiple roles, and the whole thing’s brought to life by a killer creative team: Armando Iannucci (The Thick of It) and Sean Foley.
