Chiswick Book Festival: Extra tickets for St Michael's and George IV; Palace of Palms tomorrow; Local Authors on Tuesday, Alvin Rakoff on Friday.

Latest news from this year's Chiswick Book Festival

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We have released more tickets for events in St Michael & All Angels Church & Parish Hall, while keeping to half the full capacity. We have also released more tickets for the George IV and Chiswick House, which will also be kept below full capacity. The only event still sold out is Hogarth - see our TicketSource page - but that could change! Our COVID-19 Guidance will be updated next week.

Don't forget our great pre-Festival events. This Saturday at the George IV, to mark the first birthday of Chiswick Flower Market, Kate Teltscher will discuss her book Palace of Palms - and the Making of Kew. And we'll soon reveal more names for our Local Authors Party on Tuesday September 7th.

Another local author, 94-year-old film director Alvin Rakoff, launched his memoirs this week to a star-studded audience that included George Clooney! You can hear him on Radio 4's The Film Programme (above) and speaking to Festival director Torin Douglas at ArtsEd at 6.30pm on Friday September 10th.

We'd still like more help please. Scroll down to find out (a) how you, and any students you know, can volunteer (and get a free ticket and a reference) and
(b) how to help us deliver leaflets to roads which haven't yet had them.

There are still tickets for our new Chiswick literary walks, featuring several of the novelists, poets and playwrights on the Festival’s Writers Trail (above). And Anna Eavis of English Heritage is joining John Walsh on our panel discussing blue plaques (and the lack of a plaque for Anthony Burgess!).

Tickets are also on sale for our workshops, including Brush Pen Calligraphy with Laura Edralin; writing characters we care about with Elise Valmorbida; successful thrillers with Peter Hanington; audio drama with Caroline Raphael; and writing a memoir with Cathy Rentzenbrink. See Workshops and Walks.

A reminder that we have the memoirs of Gyles Brandreth and Ed Balls; 20th Century history from Andrew Lownie, Roger Hermiston and Anne Sebba; + Rob Biddulph's very first talk about his new children's series.

We have stories of prejudice; of life on the NHS front line; of global and UK politics and how to save the planet - from Mary Ann Sieghart, Tim Marshall, Sarfraz Manzoor, Parm Sandhu, Stuart Prebble, Dr Amir Khan, Dr Jim Down, Suzanne Packer, Andrew Mitchell and Rowan Hooper.

We have former Home Secretary Alan Johnson's first novel, plus fiction from
Jane Thynne (writing as CJ Carey), Jessica Fellowes, Charles Cumming, Nancy Tucker, Susan Spindler, Luan Goldie, Cathy Rentzenbrink, Peter Hanington, Elizabeth Buchan and more. We’ll focus on Chiswick authors
Nancy Mitford and Anthony Burgess and a biography of William Hogarth.

The prizes for the Festival's 2021 Young People’s Poetry Competition will be presented by Clare Balding, on the afternoon of Friday September 10th and she'll then talk about her new book Fall Off, Get Back On, Keeping Going.

Other children’s authors will include Chitra Soundar, Josie Dom (on the timely Animalympics), Kim Ansell, Lisa Read, Zoe Antoniades, Dianne Hofmeyr, Joshua Seigal and Neil Zetter plus The Really Big Pants Theatre Company and a 75th birthday tribute to Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking.

Last but not least it's 'The Ealing Sessions' at the University of West London (UWL): BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones + our Ealing Fiction Panel - Nicola Rayner, Robin Duval and Saz Vora, with Lisa Evans (above).

Thanks to those who have been delivering Festival leaflets. To pick up and deliver copies for your road, please email admin@chiswickbookfestival.net or simply pick up a bundle (and sign for it) in St Michael & All Angels Church.

We still have gaps for stewards and other volunteering roles. Find out more and choose your slots on our Volunteer SignUp app on this page. We welcome students who would like to volunteer (and receive a reference): please email.

And please follow the Festival - and share - on our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages. We look forward to seeing you!