Genre Literary festival Frequency Annually Country United Kingdom | Date(s) November Location(s) London Inaugurated 2009 | |
The London History Festival was established by Richard Foreman in 2009. It is run in association with Kensington Central Library and is held in November of each year. It is a Literary festival that aims to bring the work of the finest historians to the widest possible audience. The festival consists of a series of talks and discussions followed by book signings.
In 2009, the festival hosted talks on the following themes: Women in history (with Alison Weir, Sarah Gristwood and Clare Mulley), and Greatest battles and war reporting as well as an event on the academic history of the English Civil War by John Adamson, interviewed by the editor of History Today Paul Lay. History Today has supported the Festival since it started and became a sponsor from the second year.
In 2010, the festival hosted talks by Antony Beevor discussing his blockbuster books about World War II and Roger Moorhousewho spoke about how the opening up of East German and Russian archives after the fall of the Soviet Union has changed our view of the period. That year there were also panel events on the Tudors and the Victorian era Victorian era. Tom Holland and Paul Lay also hosted an event on Rome and Carthage. In 2011, the festival hosted talks by Max Hastings, Saul David, Helen Castor, Imogen Robertson, Alex von Tunzelmann, Simon Sebag Montefiore and more.
In 2012, the festival hosted talks by Paul Lay, Kate Williams, Keith Lowe, Leonie Frieda, Tom Holland, Antony Beevor, Paddy Ashdown, Sam Willis, Patrick Bishop and more.
In 2013, the festival hosted talks by Max Hastings, Charles Moore, Dan Snow, Marc Morris, Antonia Fraser, Saul David, and Artemis Cooper, and more.