The bookshop, the speakers, the atmosphere . . . the event is one of the highlights of my year! A. Marr-Johnson
Saturday 24 October 2026 | 10.30 a.m. – 5 p.m. | £75 per day ticket
Tickets are now on sale for our annual one-day literary festival: The Slightly Foxed Readers’ Day (our 15th!) which this year is on Saturday 24 October at our usual Bloomsbury meeting place, the Art Workers’ Guild in Queen Square.
For those who haven’t yet experienced it, it’s always a jolly occasion, winding up with cake and a convivial glass of Madeira. There’s a goody bag for each guest with literary delights from fellow publishers and friends and our pop-up bookshop too, always well stocked with a tempting range of speakers’ books, newly-released fiction and non-fiction, greetings cards, bags, cloth-bound books and other Slightly Foxed wares.
This year we have a great line-up planned, including:
• Sir Ben Okri, interviewed by Rosie Goldsmith
• Sara Wheeler on Jan Morris: A Life
• Julian Evans on Undefeatable: Odesa in Love & War
• Ben Short – woodsman and charcoal burner – on his memoir Burn, in conversation with Suzi Feay
• Tom Hodgkinson on How to Live Like a Stoic: A Handbook for Happiness
Tickets always go swiftly and we have to operate a waiting list each year so, if you’re interested, please do buy yours as soon as possible.
Please note that tickets are non-refundable, unless we are able to resell them to another reader from our waiting list before 20 October 2026.
Programme
Jan Morris: A Life
Renowned travel writer and biographer Sara Wheeler uncovers the complexity of this twentieth-century icon to reveal a mosaic of contradictions. Morris’s work conjured the spirit of place, yet her masterpiece Trieste celebrates ‘the meaning of nowhere’; she was a Welsh nationalist who wasn’t Welsh; a preacher of kindness with a cruel side. This is a portrait of an astonishing life, and a scintillating story of longing, travel and never reaching home.
The Call of the Furnace
Burn is a story of transformation, a celebration of manual work and craft, and a love letter to the English countryside. Abandoning a successful career in advertising after years of anxiety, Ben Short found solace working with a forester and a woodman. However, it was not until he encountered a glowing charcoal kiln in the Dorset woods that he could re-forge his thoughts and immerse himself in the old ways of woods and fire. Ben is interviewed by the literary journalist Suzi Feay.
Odesa in Love and War
In 1994, Julian Evans discovered the city of Odesa by accident at the end of a ten-day river journey from Kyiv to Crimea. He fell in love with the crumbling, romantic town whose port had been a gateway for smugglers, immigrants, divas and poets for 200 years. Returning five years later, he met an Odesan artist and married her in a monastery opposite the railway station. Profoundly personal, his memoir Undefeatable tells the story of his involvement with the city, and Ukraine, in peacetime and war for over thirty years.
Waking the Warriors
Driven by the loss of loved ones, inspired by old stories and guided by a mysterious star, Mel, Rosa and Apibus set out to save their world by rousing the sleeping warriors – mythical figures. Travelling across a perilous landscape and encountering challenge after challenge, this journey is brilliantly conjured from the unique imagination of the poet, novelist, Booker prize-winner and activist Ben Okri. Ben is interviewed by our podcast host Rosie Goldsmith.
A Handbook for Happiness
Stoicism is an enduring and ancient philosophy that can help you with everything from love and politics to money and spirituality. The Stoics were celebrated by the Romans and influenced Christianity. Today therapists, politicians and even tech bros will profess adherence to the Stoic creed. The Idler magazine editor, Tom Hodgkinson goes back to the original philosophical texts and looks at the greatest Stoics in history to teach us How to Live Like a Stoic.
‘We loved our smart tote bags and also the freebies to read on the train home. So many thanks to everyone for a brilliant day and, perhaps I shouldn’t say this, but it represents extremely good value for the price of the ticket.’ H. Evernden
‘Many thanks for arranging such a wonderful Readers‘ Day a week last Saturday. It was one of the best. The speakers were excellent, Thank you. E. Smith, Gloucestershire’ E. Smith
‘Just want to say a VERY warm ‘thank you’ to Gail, Hazel and the team for such a well-organised, relaxed and inspiring day. It was a treat. ’ S. Rhodes
‘Thank you so much for a thoroughly delightful Readers‘ Day yesterday. We thought all your speakers engaging and interesting in a nice balance of different ways, the venue appropriately interesting, the refreshments delicious and every one of you so welcoming. ’ P. Wood
‘We felt that the day offered excellent value, beautiful venue and great speakers.’ C. Garner
‘I wanted to let you know how much I loved the Readers' Day. It was the first one I'd been to and I very much hope it will be the first of many. You brought together a wonderful collection of speakers, all fascinating, all funny, and all of whom I could have listened to for hours. Thank you!’ L. Berridge
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