Clare Balding, Harlan Coben, Lee Child, Jeffrey Archer and Kate Atkinson among line-up of authors for The Queen’s Reading Room Festival returning to Chatsworth
Queen Camilla’s charity, The Queen’s Reading Room has announced the return of its flagship festival to Chatsworth for the second year running.
Celebrated authors will be supporting The Queen’s Reading Room Festival, which will be held on September 19 and 20, 2026. They include: Clare Balding, on place and the stories we tell; Harlan Coben, on creating work for Netflix; Lee Child and special guests, on rehabilitation in writing and reading; Louise Penny, on building a beloved crime series; Ann Cleeves, on murder locations, from village noir to coastal crime; Cecelia Ahern, on hope, heartbreak and happy endings; Meg Mason, on the modern anti-heroine; and Elif Shafak, on fiction that defies borders.
Jeffrey Archer will be talking about the art of the bestseller; Kate Atkinson, on sharp wit and sharp crime; William Boyd, on building a literary thriller; Jessie Burton, on writing for young readers; Reeta Chakrabarti, on the art of bearing witness; Daisy Fancourt, on art in the age of everything; Jane Harper, on our love of crime stories; Louise Kennedy, on tales of love and conflict; Philippa Perry, on whether a therapist can catch a killer; Jennifer Saint, on ancient stories with modern fire; Louisa Young on continuing the Cazalet Chronicles; Lucy Foley on her new Miss Marple; and Nussaibah Younis, on policy, power and personal consequence.
The 2026 festival coincides with the charity's fifth anniversary, celebrating five years since Queen Camilla launched an Instagram book club during lockdown that has since grown into a global charity reaching audiences in more than 180 countries.
The festival will once again inspire budding authors with the return of The Writers’ Room, an open-access drop-in hub, free to all festival pass holders. Throughout the day, a rolling programme of lively 20-minute interviews will lift the curtain on the publishing world, featuring an author, publicist, publisher, editor and literary agent, each sharing practical insight into their role in bringing a book to life. From shaping a manuscript and finding representation, to navigating submissions, marketing and publication, these candid conversations will demystify the journey from desk to bookshelf.
New this year is The Poetry Room supported by the TS Eliot Foundation. This feel-good space celebrates poetry in a fresh and engaging way for aficionados and novices alike, offering a rolling line-up of brilliant live readings from some exciting voices, alongside relaxed and engaging conversations with special guests. Speakers will share the poems they love, how they’ve influenced them and then bring them to life on stage.
Festival passes also include entry to Chatsworth House, and its new exhibition, House of Stories: Tales from the Chatsworth Library, which brings together some of the most significant works of literature from the Chatsworth Library and Archives for the first time. Passes also include access to Chatsworth's 105-acre garden and farmyard.
From inception, The Queen's Reading Room has believed that books belong to everyone. The 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 Chesterfield based organisation supporting victims of domestic violence. At last year’s festival, The Queen joined discussions on reading and mental health. As part of the festivities, visitors were invited to donate books to a mobile donation station which were later distributed to Elm Foundation service users, demonstrating that great literature belongs to everyone, regardless of circumstance. Through this collaboration, The Queen’s Reading Room has supported shared reading groups with training, mentorship and book donations, offering connection and recovery through reading.
Since beginning its grassroots outreach in 2024, The Queen’s Reading Room has brought literature directly to those who need it most, serving 12 grassroots locations and donating more than 2,300 books. The charity has also delivered a comprehensive shared reading project supporting 10 reading groups across St Mungo's homeless shelters.
Vicki Perrin, Chief Executive of The Queen’s Reading Room said: “As we celebrate the fifth anniversary of The Queen’s Reading Room, it is a joy to announce the return of our festival to Chatsworth. Bringing so many remarkable authors, thinkers and storytellers to one place is a true privilege.
“As ever, we are committed to making reading accessible for all, and will be continuing our partnership with local charity, The Elm Foundation, which supports victims of domestic violence. We’ll also be supporting lower income visitors by offering an allocation of tickets through the Chatsworth ’s Universal Credit Scheme.
“From intimate conversations with some of today’s most compelling voices to the return of The Writers’ Room and the launch of our new Poetry Canopy, this year’s festival offers something for every kind of reader. Whether you come seeking inspiration, discovery or simply the joy of being surrounded by books and ideas, we cannot wait to welcome you to Chatsworth in September.”
Tickets will be released for sale on April 15 at 10am via this online link: www.chatsworth.org/events/the-queens-reading-room-festival