If somebody invited you to spend the day listening to Nigella Lawson, Simon Schama and Richard Osman before wandering beside the Thames with a glass of English sparkling wine and finishing with dinner in a centuries-old coaching inn, you would probably assume it was an impossibly exclusive private members’ event.
In Britain, we simply call it October.
Every autumn, towns and villages across the country host literary festivals that attract many of the world’s greatest writers, historians, broadcasters, scientists, politicians, gardeners, chefs and adventurers. On paper, it sounds rather understated. People gather to listen to talks about books, history, travel and ideas.
In reality, it is one of the most enjoyable and quintessentially English experiences you can have.
Perhaps the greatest misconception is that literary festivals are only for people who spend their lives reading novels. Nothing could be further from the truth. They are for anyone who is endlessly curious about the world.
One hour you might be transported to Antarctica by an explorer describing life on the ice. The next, a historian reveals the untold story behind a royal scandal. Later in the afternoon, a gardener explains why one particular rose has inspired generations of writers, before an Olympic athlete, a chef or a wildlife presenter takes to the stage.
The subjects change.
The curiosity never does.
There is something wonderfully refreshing about spending a day learning simply because you want to, rather than because you have to. You leave every conversation seeing the world slightly differently, and usually with a notebook full of books, places and people you’ve suddenly become desperate to discover.
The atmosphere is equally delightful.
Unlike many large cultural events, literary festivals remain remarkably relaxed. Nobel Prize winners queue patiently for coffee. Bestselling authors browse the local bookshop. Television presenters wander through the streets unnoticed. It often feels as though you’ve accidentally stumbled into one of those legendary Bloomsbury gatherings where brilliant minds simply happened to be in the same place, exchanging ideas for the sheer pleasure of conversation.
Our own favourite is the Henley Literary Festival, held this year from 2nd to 11th October 2026. We’re fortunate enough to have it on our doorstep, and every year the arrival of the programme causes great excitement in the Humphreys office as we compare wish lists and try to decide which fascinating conversations we simply cannot miss.
Henley itself is the perfect host. Between talks, visitors stroll along the River Thames, browse independent bookshops, linger over long lunches and enjoy the gentle elegance that makes the town such a pleasure to explore. The festival somehow feels less like a formal event and more like spending the weekend with the most interesting dinner guests imaginable.
For visitors to England, a literary festival also provides the perfect centrepiece for a longer countryside journey.
One of our favourite combinations is to spend a day immersed in ideas before travelling the following morning to Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Kent, the extraordinary creation of writer, poet and gardener Vita Sackville-West. Having listened to historians, novelists and poets discussing creativity the day before, wandering through one of England’s most celebrated gardens, created by one of its finest literary figures, feels like stepping inside the pages of a novel.
Britain offers an extraordinary choice of literary festivals, each with its own personality. Cheltenham is the grand old institution, attracting some of the biggest names in publishing. Bath beautifully celebrates Jane Austen in the city she knew so well. Hay-on-Wye has become legendary among book lovers, while Petworth, Marlborough and Budleigh Salterton combine fascinating programmes with beautiful surroundings.
The sheer number of festivals held every year says something rather lovely about Britain. We remain a country that values conversation, celebrates ideas and believes there is genuine pleasure in spending an afternoon listening to someone who knows an extraordinary amount about an extraordinary subject.
Perhaps that is why literary festivals have become such an enduring part of our cultural life.
You arrive expecting to hear someone speak.
You leave feeling inspired, curious and already wondering which conversation you might join next.
And in a world that often seems to move far too quickly, that feels like a wonderfully English way to spend a day.