The Chiswick Book Festival wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of our chairs, who’ve taken time out from their busy lives to read the books and prepare questions for authors that will get the best out of each session. Here are the faces you’ll see on stage along with links to details about their sessions.
Alex Gerlis
Thriller writer Alex Gerlis chairs the session for Giles Milton's The Stalin Affair his book about the unlikely collaboration between Britain and Russia to defeat Hitler in 1941. Recently serialised on BBC Radio4.
Alice Clark-Platts
Three writers of psychological thrillers, Emma Curtis (The Commuter), Susie Lynes (The Split) & Emily Freud (Her Last Summer) discuss novels which touch on the darker side of domestic life. Chaired by Alice Clark-Platts, author of The Cove.
Amelia Fairney
The Communications Director of Penguin Group UK talks to Subhadra Das (Uncivilised: Ten Lies That Made the West) & Michael Peel (What Everyone Knows About Britain Except the British) about their books which question our own society’s values and beliefs in Home Truths.
Antony Garvey
Television news producer Antony Garvey talks to Ed Conway about his book Material World, a history of the modern world told through the raw materials we couldn't do without and to Dharshini David about her exploration of green economic changes in Environomics.
Caroline Frost
Top entertainment journalist chairs Russell Watson: Encore and The Curious Columns of Adrian Chiles
Caroline Raphael
Caroline Raphael joins Amanda Brookfield, author of The Split; Boldwood Publishing, Editorial Director Francesca Best; and publisher Rupert Wallis for an audience Q&A on New Ways to Get Published
Clare Clark
The award-winning novelist talks to Harriet Wistrich about Fighting for Justice for Women; to James O'Brien on How They Broke Britain; and to Robert Hardman about his new biography of Charles III.
Emma Curtis
Novelist Jessica Moor is in conversation with author Emma Curtis about her moving novel Hold Back the Night, which addresses the horrors of conversion therapy of the 1950s and the AIDS crisis of the 1980s.
Fee Mak
TV & radio presenter Fee Mak talks on Saturday to Alan Edwards about his memoir Dispatches from a Life in Rock and Roll and on Sunday to Krystle Zara Appiah about her debut novel Rootless. She also appears on the panel Books for the 20 Somethings.
Fr Kevin Morris
Fr Morris talks to travel writers Ash Bhardwaj and Phoebe Smith about Why We Travel and to Michael Taylor about his book in Impossible Monsters which addresses the clash between laboratory and church.
Hashi Mohamed
Barrister and author Hashi Mohamed talks to Clare Mulley about Agent Zo and with Simon Hudson, author of the two-volume History Through the Black Experience.
Janet Ellis
Janet Ellis talks to Helen Lederer about her revealing memoir Not That I'm Bitter… and to Jessica Hepburn about her inspirational book book Save Me From the Waves
Jo Coburn
Jo Coburn chairs the Middle East Panel with Peter Oborne, (The Fate of Abraham), Eugene Rogan (The Damascus Events: The 1860 Massacre) and Yemeni-British broadcast journalist Nawal Al-Maghafi.
Jo James
Our programme director Jo James is the host of our Local Authors' Showcase the fun, fascinating and fast-moving evening that features the wealth of local writing talent that Chiswick has to offer.
Jo Pratt
Cook and presenter Jo Pratt discusses A Whisper of Cardammon with Eleanor Ford and John and Lisa’s Kitchen: Everyday Recipes from a Professional Chef and a Home Cook with John Torode & Lisa Faulkner.
Jojo Silva
DJ Jojo Silva chairs My Writing Journey with young writers Martina Lima Barbata & Esther Rawlinson as well as Cunning Folk, a history of magic with Tabitha Stanmore. She also appears on the panel discussion Books for the 20 Somethings.
Jonathan Legard
The sports broadcaster talks to Matt Tiller about The Life of Jack Leslie, the First Black Footballer to be Selected for England and to the Laurence Booth & Nick Hoult the authors of Bazball: Cricket’s Villain or Saviour?
Julia Wheeler
Julia is in the chair for Retelling the Classics with Jennifer Saint & Daisy Dunn; Deterring Armageddon: The History of NATO by Peter Apps; and Polly Toynbee on her memoir An Uneasy Inheritance
Julian Worricker
Julian Worricker in conversation about the timeless appeal of the spy thriller with Alex Gerlis (Every Spy a Traitor) and Merle Nygate (Honour Among Spies).
Kavita Puri
Filmmaker Asad Qureshi was kidnapped in 2010 in a dangerous region between Pakistan and Afghanistan and spent 165 Days as a Hostage of the Taliban. He talks about it with journalist and broadcaster Kavita Puri.
Madeleine Feeny
Journalist and critic Madeleine Feeny talks fiction with Rebecca Frayn & Scarlett Thomas and then to Jacqueline Crooks & Diana Evans about different aspects of London life as experienced by black women.
Maureen Freely
Novelist and professor of English and comparative literature Maureen Freely talks to Andrew Finkel about his debut novel about Sherlock Holmes The Adventure of the Second Wife.
Rebecca Jones
Broadcaster Rebecca Jones talks to Daisy Goodwin about her new novel Diva, in which the glamorous and dramatic life of iconic soprano Maria Callas is reimagined her new novel Diva.
Rory Cellan-Jones
Rory Cellan-Jones chairs a panel on Artificial Intelligence with AI entrepreneur Nigel Toon (How AI Thinks) and Madhumita Murgia (Code Dependent), the first AI editor of the Financial Times.
Rosie Fyles
Chiswick House Head of Gardens Rosie Fyles discusses the joys of owning and caring for an allotment with Sarah Rigby author of This Allotment and allotment historian JC Niala.
Rosie Wilby
Rosie Wilby is an award-winning comedian, podcaster and author of narrative nonfiction books The Breakup Monologues and Is Monogamy Dead? She talks to three authors of fantasy fiction, Georgia Summers, Alwyn Hamilton & Laura Sebastian.
Saul David
Sky Warriors author and historian Saul David talks to comedian and WW2 historian author Al Murray about his latest book Arnhem, Black Tuesday.
Tony Palmer
The award-winning film director in conversation with Rolling Stones bass player Bill Wyman about his less well-known work as the author of 13 books, most recently the illustrated memoir Billy in the Wars.
Torin Douglas
Our festival director introduces sessions featuring Clare Balding, Rebecca & Michael Frayn, Adam Smyth, and David Moore as well as the Young Poets Competition prizegiving with Joshua Seigal and the Local Authors Showcase.
Tracey Scoffield
Tracey Scoffield is an Emmy and Golden Globe-winning drama and film producer and chairs Latymer 400: 1624-2024 which tells the four hundred year story of the Foundation which supports Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith.