Events for all ages and interests

ChipLitFest 2018 runs from Thurs 26 - Sun 29 April. Priority booking for Festival Friends opens on 26 Feb, general sales open on 5 March. Listed below is the full programme of fabulous events. And download a handy at a glance timetable (PDF) for the whole weekend. 

For regular Festival updates, advance news of forthcoming events and opportunities for early booking, please sign up to our newsletter (see below). 

To support ChipLitFest’s education outreach work and to guarantee future priority booking, become a Festival Friend. 

Below are some of our highlighted events, these reflect some of the range of our programme:

Sunday Brunch

Kathy Slack

Sunday 29 April 10:30 – 11:30

Ticket price includes two delicious dishes

adult

workshop

talk

Chipping Norton Lower Town Hall

Sponsor:
The Midcounties Co-operative Website
Becky Buckle

Write a Festival Song

John Dougherty

Saturday 28 April 10:00 – 11:00

Suitable for all the family from 7+

children-and-young-people

workshop

talk

The Theatre

Sponsor:
Archivist Press Website

Four Mums in a Boat

Yorkshire Rows Crew

Sunday 29 April 15:00 – 16:00

adult

talk

Chipping Norton Town Hall

Sponsor:
mark-making Website

Valuing Rare Books

Matthew Haley

Saturday 28 April 13:15 – 13:45

adult

talk

The Methodist Lower Hall

Sponsor:
Oxfam Website

Appointment in Arezzo - a friendship with Muriel Spark

Alan Taylor

Sunday 29 April 15:00 – 16:00

adult

talk

The Methodist Church

Sponsor:
Johnson & Gaunt Solicitors Website

School Shorts #4

Jasmine Richards

Wednesday 17 January 09:00 – 15:30

Event not open to the public

FREE

Chipping Norton Schools Partnership

children-and-young-people

workshop

Sponsor:
The Book Trade Charity Website

Short Story Competition 2018

Rachel Seiffert

Wednesday 07 February 00:00 – 00:00

Entry fee: £5 for stories up to 2,500 words. £8 for stories up to 5,000 words

£8.00 each

adult

Sponsor:
pennyshorts Website

School workshops 2018

John Dougherty Clive Goddard Vashti Hardy Catherine Johnson Bali Rai Jasmine Richards Kristina Stephenson Nadia Shireen Robin Stevens SF Said

Thursday 26 April 09:00 – 15:30

Events not open to the public

FREE

Chipping Norton Schools Partnership

children-and-young-people

workshop

Solitude

Terry Waite CBE

Thursday 26 April 20:00 – 21:00

This event is now SOLD OUT. There is a waiting list for returns, please call 01608 642350

£12.00 each

The Theatre

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Sibford School Website

Trade Secrets 2018

Molly Flatt Jo Unwin Kit de Waal

Friday 27 April 10:00 – 17:30

Ticket price includes lunch with the course leaders and morning and afternoon refreshments

£85.00 each

St Mary's Parish Rooms

adult

workshop

talk

Sponsor:
Cotswolds Distillery Website

Eat My Words

Pen Vogler Kate Young

Friday 27 April 18:00 – 19:00

Ticket price includes a literary biscuit and a glass of Dickensian punch

£8.50 each

Chipping Norton Town Hall

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Sainsbury's Website

Property

Lionel Shriver

Friday 27 April 20:00 – 21:00 £12.00 each

The Theatre

adult

talk

Sponsor:
James Mackintosh Architects Website

21st-Century Yokel

Tom Cox

Friday 27 April 20:00 – 21:00 £8.50 each

Chipping Norton Town Hall

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Walkopedia Website

The Glass Aisle

Paul Henry

Friday 27 April 20:00 – 21:00 £7.00 each

Chipping Norton Lower Town Hall

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Chipping Norton Physio Website

The Last Wolf

Mini Grey

Saturday 28 April 10:00 – 11:00

For ages 4+

£2.00 each

ACE Centre Nursery School

children-and-young-people

workshop

Write a Festival Song

John Dougherty

Saturday 28 April 10:00 – 11:00

Suitable for all the family from 7+

£5.00 each

The Theatre

children-and-young-people

workshop

talk

Sponsor:
Archivist Press Website

Very Short Introduction to Demography

Sarah Harper

Saturday 28 April 11:15 – 11:45

FREE no ticket required

FREE

The Methodist Lower Hall

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Oxford University Press Website

Writers' Workshop: Ghost Writing and Finding Your Voice

Ayisha Malik

Saturday 28 April 10:30 – 12:00 £18.00 each

St Mary's Parish Rooms

adult

workshop

Sponsor:
Bippity Boo Website

Dave Pigeon

Sheena Dempsey and Swapna Haddow

Saturday 28 April 12:00 – 13:00

For ages 6 +

£2.00 each

ACE Centre Nursery School

children-and-young-people

workshop

New Voices 2018

Sarah Franklin Guy Gunaratne Mahsuda Snaith

Saturday 28 April 12:00 – 13:00 £8.50 each

The Methodist Church

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Wise Investment Website

Rise Up Women!

Diane Atkinson

Saturday 28 April 12:00 – 13:00 £8.50 each

Chipping Norton Town Hall

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Pulham & Sons Coaches Website

Richard Osman's Mystery Book Club

Richard Osman

Saturday 28 April 12:00 – 13:00

This event is now SOLD OUT. There is a waiting list for returns, please call 01608 642350

£12.00 each

The Theatre

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Shaw Gibbs Website

The Little Viet Kitchen

Thuy Pham

Saturday 28 April 13:00 – 14:00

This event is now SOLD OUT. There is a waiting list for returns, please call 01608 642350

Ticket price includes a taster of spring rolls and a bottle of Thuy’s pineapple salad dressing to take home

£15.00 each

Chipping Norton Lower Town Hall

adult

workshop

Sponsor:
Delicacy Website

Valuing Rare Books

Matthew Haley

Saturday 28 April 13:15 – 13:45 £5.00 each

The Methodist Lower Hall

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Oxfam Website

Writers' Workshop: Journalism

Dan Lee

Saturday 28 April 13:30 – 15:00 £18.00 each

St Mary's Parish Rooms

adult

workshop

Sponsor:
Twelve PR Website

This is Going to Hurt

Adam Kay

Saturday 28 April 14:00 – 15:00 £10.00 each

Chipping Norton Town Hall

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Cotswolds Distillery Website

The Seabird's Cry

Adam Nicolson

Saturday 28 April 14:00 – 15:00 £12.00 each

The Theatre

adult

talk

Sponsor:
The Real Wood Furniture Company Website

The Story of a Book: Dear Mrs Bird

AJ Pearce Jo Unwin Camilla Elworthy

Saturday 28 April 14:00 – 15:00 £8.50 each

The Methodist Church

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Sally Logan

The Adventures Behind the Books

Abi Elphinstone

Saturday 28 April 14:00 – 15:00

For ages 8 +

£2.00 each

ACE Centre Nursery School

children-and-young-people

workshop

talk

Live Window Drawing

Nadia Shireen

Saturday 28 April 15:00 – 16:30

For ages 4+

FREE no ticket required

FREE

Jaffé & Neale

children-and-young-people

adult

workshop

Very Short Introduction to The English Language

Prof Simon Horobin

Saturday 28 April 15:15 – 15:45

FREE no ticket required

FREE

The Methodist Lower Hall

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Oxford University Press Website

Afternoon Tea with Lucy Mangan and Laura Freeman

Lucy Mangan Laura Freeman

Saturday 28 April 16:00 – 17:00

Tickets for this event that include tea & cakes have SOLD OUT. 

Tickets are now available in the balcony, they do not include tea & cakes and cost a reduced rate of £8.50

£8.50 each

Chipping Norton Town Hall

adult

talk

Sponsor:
The Chipping Norton Tea-Set Website

Second Time Around

Joseph Knox Kit de Waal

Saturday 28 April 16:00 – 17:00 £8.50 each

The Methodist Church

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Wise Investment Website

Fragile Lives

Prof Stephen Westaby

Saturday 28 April 16:00 – 17:00 £12.00 each

The Theatre

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Owen Mumford Website

Meet and Draw King Coo

Adam Stower

Saturday 28 April 16:00 – 17:00

For ages 7 +

£2.00 each

The Library

children-and-young-people

workshop

talk

Writers' Workshop: Poetry, from page to stage

Tina Sederholm Paula Varjack

Saturday 28 April 15:30 – 17:00 £18.00 each

St Mary's Parish Rooms

adult

workshop

Sponsor:
Positive Reflexions Website

The Cogheart Adventures

Peter Bunzl

Saturday 28 April 16:00 – 17:00

For ages 8 +

£2.00 each

ACE Centre Nursery School

children-and-young-people

workshop

talk

Unseen: My Journey

Reggie Yates

Saturday 28 April 18:00 – 19:00

Special ticket price of £7.50 for the under 26s

£12.00 each

The Theatre

children-and-young-people

adult

talk

Sponsor:
The Phone Co-op Website

BARBARA PYM'S EXCELLENT WOMEN

Andrew Male

Saturday 28 April 18:00 – 19:00

Ticket price includes copy of Excellent Women, sent out in advance.

This event is now SOLD OUT. There is a waiting list for returns, please call 01608 642350.

£10.00 each

St Mary's Parish Rooms

adult

workshop

talk

Sponsor:
Virago Modern Classics Website

Very Short Introduction to Perception

Brian J. Rogers

Saturday 28 April 17:15 – 17:45

FREE no ticket required

FREE

The Methodist Lower Hall

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Oxford University Press Website

You Sad Feminist

Megan Beech

Saturday 28 April 18:00 – 19:00 £7.00 each

Chipping Norton Lower Town Hall

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Heath Farm Holiday Cottages Website

ChipLit Quiz 2018

Mark Billingham

Saturday 28 April 19:45 – 20:45 £10.00 each

Chipping Norton Town Hall

adult

Sponsor:
Hook Norton Brewery Website

Read and Draw with Korky and Winnie

Korky Paul

Sunday 29 April 10:00 – 11:00

For ages 5 +

This event is now SOLD OUT

£2.00 each

ACE Centre Nursery School

children-and-young-people

workshop

talk

Sunday Brunch

Kathy Slack

Sunday 29 April 10:30 – 11:30

Ticket price includes two delicious dishes

£15.00 each

Chipping Norton Lower Town Hall

adult

workshop

talk

Sponsor:
The Midcounties Co-operative Website

A New Map of Wonders

Caspar Henderson

Sunday 29 April 11:00 – 12:00

Suitable for all the family from 8+

£7.50 each

Chipping Norton Town Hall

children-and-young-people

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Kingham Hill School Website

I An Distracted By Everything

Liza Tarbuck

Sunday 29 April 11:00 – 12:00 £12.00 each

The Theatre

adult

talk

Sponsor:
CETA Insurance Website

Dylan the Dog

Guy Parker-Rees

Sunday 29 April 12:00 – 13:00

For ages 5 +

Ticket price includes a slice of Dylan's Best Ever Choccy-Banana Cake

£2.00 each

The Library

children-and-young-people

workshop

In Pursuit of Memory

Joseph Jebelli

Sunday 29 April 13:00 – 14:00 £8.50 each

Chipping Norton Town Hall

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Digital Workplace Group Website

Words about Music

Rachel Joyce Pete Paphides Lee Stuart Evans

Sunday 29 April 13:00 – 14:00 £8.50 each

The Methodist Church

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Cotswold Lettings and Sales Website

What I Learnt

Jeremy Vine

Sunday 29 April 13:00 – 14:00 £12.00 each

The Theatre

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Bronsens Website

King Flashypants

Andy Riley

Sunday 29 April 12:00 – 13:00

For ages 6+

£2.00 each

ACE Centre Nursery School

children-and-young-people

workshop

talk

Writers' Workshop: People, Places, Things

Rachel Seiffert

Sunday 29 April 13:00 – 14:30 £18.00 each

St Mary's Parish Rooms

adult

workshop

Sponsor:
The Fox Website

WTF

Robert Peston

Sunday 29 April 15:00 – 16:00

This event is now SOLD OUT. There is a waiting list for returns, please call 01608 642350

£12.00 each

The Theatre

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Savills Website

How to Write Poems

Joseph Coelho

Sunday 29 April 14:00 – 15:00

For ages 7+

£2.00 each

The Library

children-and-young-people

workshop

Draw Your Own Comic

Zak Simmonds-Hurn

Sunday 29 April 14:00 – 15:00

For ages 6 - 11

£2.00 each

ACE Centre Nursery School

children-and-young-people

workshop

talk

Appointment in Arezzo - a friendship with Muriel Spark

Alan Taylor

Sunday 29 April 15:00 – 16:00 £8.50 each

The Methodist Church

adult

talk

Sponsor:
Johnson & Gaunt Solicitors Website

Short Story Awards

Rachel Seiffert

Sunday 29 April 15:00 – 16:00

FREE no ticket required

FREE

Chipping Norton Lower Town Hall

adult

talk

Sponsor:
pennyshorts Website

Four Mums in a Boat

Yorkshire Rows Crew

Sunday 29 April 15:00 – 16:00 £8.50 each

Chipping Norton Town Hall

adult

talk

Sponsor:
mark-making Website

Writers' Workshop: Nature and Travel Writing

Isabella Tree

Sunday 29 April 15:00 – 16:30 £18.00 each

St Mary's Parish Rooms

adult

workshop

Sponsor:
Applegarth Nurseries Website