The Queen's Reading Room Festival

The Queen’s Reading Room is delighted to announce the return of its flagship literary festival – designed to celebrate the joy of reading and bringing together some of the greatest literary names of today. Join us on the 19th and 20th September for a weekend of talks with wonderful writers in the stunning grounds of Chatsworth in Derbyshire.

This year, we’ve expanded our programme across two days to bring you as many fantastic speakers as possible. Our star-studded headliners include:

Lee Child · Kate Mosse · Jojo Moyes · Ken Follett · Clare Balding · Harlan Coben · Meg Mason · Elif Shafak · Cecelia Ahern · Louise Penny · Ann Cleeves · Jeffrey Archer · Kate Atkinson · William Boyd · Jessie Burton · Reeta Chakrabarti · Daisy Fancourt · Lucy Foley · Jane Harper · Philippa Perry · Jennifer Saint · Nussaibah Younis · Louisa Young · Louise Kennedy

All of our authors will be hosting book signings after their talks, giving you the chance to meet your heroes, pose any burning questions, and treat yourself to signed copies of the stories you love most.

Festival Passes will grant access to the stunning grounds of Chatsworth – including its 105-acre garden and farmyard – plus a jam-packed programme of free bonus entertainment:

The Writers’ Room

Situated in the gorgeous gardens of Chatsworth, The Writers’ Room is the perfect spot for any aspiring author.

Open throughout Saturday and Sunday, this space offers a rare opportunity to step behind the scenes of the publishing world as industry experts such as authors, literary agents, editors, and publicists share practical advice on how to approach the publishing process with confidence.

Whether you are finally putting pen to paper for your first manuscript, keen to see your finished work in print, or simply fascinated by a novel’s journey from concept to bookshelf, The Writers’ Room promises inspiration, insight and invaluable guidance from some of publishing’s leading figures.

The Poetry Room 

The Poetry Room, kindly supported by the T.S. Eliot Foundation, will be a welcoming space for anyone who loves poetry, whether lifelong readers or recent converts to the joy of verse.

Across the weekend, visitors can take part in four workshops led by the Royal Literary Fund, exploring and discussing selected poems that will also be performed during the sessions. The tent will also host a special one-off event with Larry Lamb, who will offer a reading of some of his favourite poems. On Sunday, audiences can enjoy a lively performance from Dead Poets Live, with actors, authors and artists bringing their favourite poems to life.

Featuring readings from Nussaibah Younis, Cecelia Ahern and Oliver Rowse, The Poetry Room promises to be a warm, engaging and entertaining celebration of the spoken word made accessible to everyone.

The Book Club Room  

The Book Club Room celebrates Her Majesty’s Book Club and the remarkable reading journey it has inspired for so many since its launch. Visitors will be able to look back on each season of the Book Club, explore and discuss the chosen books, watch interviews with featured authors, or settle into a comfortable corner to read for a moment away from the hustle and bustle of the festival. 

Whether you are a devoted follower of The Queen’s Reading Room Book Club or just discovering it for the first time, The Book Club Room offers a space to relax, reflect and learn more about the books and conversations that have brought so many readers together.

The Queen’s Reading Room Festival will once again combine world-class literary programming with grassroots community initiatives to celebrate the transformative power of books. 

An allocation of tickets will be available through Chatsworth’s Universal Credit scheme, helping ensure that cost is not a barrier to attendance. A proportion of festival passes will be available at the reduced rate of £3, along with a selection of individual tickets to specific talks.

The Queen’s Reading Room is also proud to continue its partnership with The Elm Foundation, a Derbyshire based organisation supporting victims of domestic violence. At last year’s festival, Her Majesty joined staff, volunteers, and clients of the Elm Foundation, alongside Professor Sam Wass, to explore the transformative power of shared reading as a tool for processing trauma. During the visit, clients spoke candidly with Her Majesty about their personal experiences and the books that had played a significant role in their healing journeys, highlighting the many ways in which reading has supported the wellbeing, resilience, and recovery of those accessing the Foundation’s services. As part of the festivities, all authors donated signed copies of their books, and many visitors donated a new copy of their favourite novel to a book collection point which was then gifted to the service, restocking their bookshelves for all clients to enjoy.

Through this collaboration, the Elm Foundation has been supported in setting up and running shared reading groups via the ‘Make Room For Reading’ toolkit, book donations and mentorship. The Queen’s Reading Room looks forward to sustaining and developing this partnership further, and to expand their grassroots programming with new charity partners across Derbyshire in collaboration with Chatsworth House Trust.

We hope you’re able to join us at Chatsworth on the 19th and 20th September. Our world-class literary event forms part of our mission to encourage everyone to make room for reading in their lives.

And while you wait, we’ve got a fabulous treat for you. Every week during the month of April, we’ll be releasing one of our brilliant sessions from last year’s festival, featuring some of our favourite authors.

Enjoy!

The Queen’s Reading Room Festival has established itself as one of Britain’s most celebrated literary events, bringing together world-class live programming with grassroots community initiatives to celebrate the transformative power of books.

Since its inception in 2023, the festival has sold over 20,000 tickets and attracted audiences from across the globe, with visitors travelling from the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to experience spell-binding performances set against some of the country’s most breathtaking historic surroundings. Her Majesty The Queen has attended every year, meeting authors, actors and readers alike, and demonstrating her enduring commitment to championing literature and literacy.

The inaugural festival took place at Hampton Court Palace in June 2023, featuring unforgettable performances from Dame Judi Dench and a stellar lineup including Ben Macintyre and Philippa Gregory. The festival returned to Hampton Court in 2024, where Helena Bonham Carter, Miriam Margolyes, Ian Rankin, Lee Child and Ann Cleeves delighted audiences.

In 2025, the festival moved to its stunning new home at Chatsworth in Derbyshire, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. The programme featured Dame Jilly Cooper, Helen Fielding, Richard Osman, Julia Quinn and many more, whilst garden screenings of Pride and Prejudice celebrated the estate’s famous role as Mr Darcy’s Pemberley.

Beyond the headline performances, The Queen’s Reading Room Festival is committed to ensuring books reach those who need them most. In 2025, the charity partnered with local domestic violence charity The Elm Foundation, with Her Majesty joining a discussion on reading and mental health led by Professor Sam Wass. All books donated at the festival were distributed to Elm Foundation service users, demonstrating that great literature belongs to everyone.