The University of West London (UWL) played a central role in the third Ealing Book Festival recently, hosting 11 events at its Ealing campus attended by over 1,500 people.
International bestselling authors and leading figures from across literature, politics, music and culture took part in a series of conversations about their books, alongside very popular book signings. The programme also included free daytime events for children from local primary schools, reflecting the festival’s strong community focus.
The festival began with a moving poetry afternoon on Thursday 23 April by children from five schools across the borough. The children confidently performed their own poems to an audience of children and guests. The poems were beautiful and highlighted the wonderful diversity within the borough.
Jung Chang and Anthony Horowitz
The main festival opened on Wednesday 29 April with Chinese-born British author Jung Chang in conversation with Lorraine Heggessey about her new book, ‘Fly, Wild Swans’. She reflected on themes of freedom, family, memory and discussed the enduring legacy of ‘Wild Swans’ – from her mother’s wish that these stories be told, the painful realities of the Cultural Revolution, and the importance of telling women’s stories with honesty and restraint.
This was followed by British novelist Anthony Horowitz in conversation with Mark Lawson about his latest book, ‘A Deadly Episode’. He shared insights into reinvention and storytelling, describing murder mysteries as an ‘intellectual game’ between writer and reader and a way of understanding character.
Inspiring young readers
On Thursday 30 April UWL hosted two free daytime events attended by 350 children and their teachers/carers from local primary schools, aimed at inspiring a love of books and reading. Farhana Islam, a primary school teacher with a passion for telling stories and empowering diverse voices, talked about her book ‘The Misadventures of Mina Mahmood’. Kate Pankhurst, a relative of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, shared stories from ‘Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World’, celebrating influential women from history.
Nature, politics and fiction
That evening, writer and academic Robert Macfarlane discussed his new book ‘Is A River Alive?’ with Ben Morris, a champion of the river Brent. Naz Shah MP spoke about her memoir ‘Honoured: Survival, Strength and My Path to Politics’. The evening also included a lively conversation between Mel Giedroyc and novelist William Boyd about his latest book ‘The Predicament’.
Retail, music and culture
The events at UWL on Friday 1 May focused on retail creativity and the music of Manchester and Oasis. In expertly chaired conversations, speakers explored how shopping, high streets and music shape identity and culture. Mary Portas, author of ‘I Shop Therefore I Am: The 90s, Harvey Nicks and Me’ was in conversation with Lorraine Heggessey, while John Robb discussed ‘Live Forever: The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of Oasis’ with Mark Cooper.
Celebrating local literary talent
The programme at UWL concluded with a packed evening showcase celebrating twenty talented local authors. The event, compered by Jojo Silva, highlighted the wealth of creative writing talent within the local community.
Director of Library Services at UWL Davina Omar said:
“We were delighted to host three days of events as part of Ealing Book Festival 2026!
It was an incredible celebration of storytelling, creativity, and community. Thank you to all the incredible authors and attendees who made it so special!”