2025 Festival Highlights

Thank you for joining us in 2025, it was an amazing festival and we had a wonderful time with all of our authors, interviewers and audiences. 

Save the dates now for Barnes BookFest 2026: 25–27 September and register below for updates and early booking.  We look forward to seeing you next year!

Fri, 25 Sept
Sat, 26 Sept
Sun, 27 Sept
all events
  • 25/09/2026
  • 4:00 pm
  • St Mary’s Barnes

Thomas More -

A Life and Death in Tudor England

more info & tickets
  • 25/09/2026
  • 6:00 pm
  • St Mary’s Barnes

Gyles Brandreth -

The Candlelight Murders

more info & tickets
  • 25/09/2026
  • 7:30 pm
  • St Mary’s Barnes

William Boyd -

Cold Sunset

more info & tickets
  • 26/09/2026
  • 10:00 am
  • Barnes Green Centre

The Aristocrat & The Able Seaman

more info & tickets
  • 26/09/2026
  • 12:00 pm
  • St Mary’s Barnes

Orator

more info & tickets
  • 26/09/2026
  • 12:00 pm
  • Barnes Green Centre

Rory Carroll -

A Rebel and A Traitor

more info & tickets
  • 26/09/2026
  • 2:00 pm
  • St Mary’s Barnes

Peter Chappell -

What If Reform Wins – A Scenario

more info & tickets
  • 26/09/2026
  • 2:00 pm
  • Barnes Green Centre

Jane Rogoyska -

Hotel Exile, Paris in the Shadow of War

more info & tickets
  • 26/09/2026
  • 4:00 pm
  • St Mary’s Barnes

Sajid Javid -

The Colour of Home – Growing up in 1970s Britian

more info & tickets
  • 26/09/2026
  • 4:00 pm
  • Barnes Green Centre

Louisa Treger -

A Fatal Love

more info & tickets
  • 26/09/2026
  • 6:00 pm
  • St Mary’s Barnes

Sebastian Faulks -

Farewell to Eden

more info & tickets
  • 26/09/2026
  • 8:00 pm
  • St Mary’s Barnes

Andrew Graham-Dixon -

Vermeer: A Life Lost and Found

more info & tickets
  • 27/09/2026
  • 10:00 am
  • Barnes Green Centre

Adam Hart -

Operation Pimento

more info & tickets
  • 27/09/2026
  • 10:00 am
  • Olympic Studios

Alexander Ballinger -

A Career in Costume Lawrence of Arabia to The Princess Bride

more info & tickets
  • 27/09/2026
  • 12:00 pm
  • Barnes Green Centre

Alex Edmans -

The Madness of Markets

more info & tickets
  • 27/09/2026
  • 2:00 pm
  • St Mary’s Barnes

Antony Beevor -

Rasputin and the Downfall of The Romanovs

more info & tickets
  • 27/09/2026
  • 2:00 pm
  • Barnes Green Centre

Wendy Hitchmough -

Vanessa Bell – The Life and Art of a Bloomsbury Radical

more info & tickets
  • 27/09/2026
  • 4:00 pm
  • Barnes Green Centre

Vince Cable -

Eclipsing the West – China, India and the forging of a new world

more info & tickets
  • 27/09/2026
  • 4:00 pm
  • Barnes Green Centre

Imani Thompson / Leodora Darlington -

Honey, The Exes

more info & tickets
  • 27/09/2026
  • 6:00 pm
  • Barnes Green Centre

Emily Howes -

Mrs Dickens

more info & tickets

2025 Festival Schedule

FRI - 25 SEPT 2026

4pm

6pm

7.30pm

ST MARY’S BARNES

Joanne Paul Thomas More I – Lucy Wooding?

Gyles Brandreth Rupert Everett? The Candlelight Murders

William Boyd Cold Sunset I – Harriett Gilbert (tbc)

SAT – 26 SEPT 2026

10am

12n

2pm

4pm

6pm

8pm

ST MARY’S BARNES

Catharine Edwards Orator I – Peter Stothard

Peter Chappell What If Reform Wins I – Michael Crick? (tbc)

Sajid Javid The Colour of Home I – Libby Spurrier

Sebastian Faulks Farewell to Eden I – Simon Heffer

Andrew G-Dixon Vermeer

BARNES GREEN CENTRE

Angela Young The Aristocrat + The Able Seaman

Rory Carroll A Rebel + A Traitor I – Maurice Walsh

Jane Rogoyska Hotel Exile I – James McConnachie

Louisa Treger A Fatal Love I – Wendy Joseph

SUN – 27 SEPT 2026

10am

12n

2pm

4pm

6pm

8pm

ST MARY’S BARNES

Antony Beevor Rasputin I – Frances Welch

Vince Cable Eclipsing the West

Lady Hale?

BARNES GREEN CENTRE

Adam Hart? Operation Pimento I – Jackson van Uden

Alex Edmans The Madness of Markets

Wendy Hitchmough Vanessa Bell I – Thomas Kennedy

Imani Thompson Honey Leodora Darlington The Exes I – Meena Alexander

Emily Howes Mrs Dickens I – Anne Mullins

OLYMPIC STUDIOS

Alexander Ballinger Phyllis Dalton I – Rita Tushingham

A printed festival programme is available at the Barnes Bookshop, 98 Church Road.