Brighton Book Festival returns for its fifth year this June, opening its 2026 programme with a landmark event celebrating an acclaimed literary voice.
Director Carolynn Bain said, “We are pinching ourselves to believe this is really happening. Zadie is an absolute giant in the literary world and a woman of great influence, and to have her open the festival as we celebrate five years is an absolute dream”.
Zadie Smith
The incredible literary talent Zadie Smith, author of the critically acclaimed White Teeth and her awaited new essay collection Dead and Alive, will be opening the Brighton Book Festival on June 17th at the Brighthelm Centre. Hosted by Kuba Shand-Baptiste award-winning journalist and author, this event will not be one to miss.
Zadie’s 2025 sold out book tour was loved by audiences. She will talk about her work and her new book Dead and Alive, where she takes an exhilaratingly close look at artists Toyin Ojih Odutola, Kara Walker and Celia Paul. She invites us along to the movies, to see and to think about Tár and to Glastonbury to witness the ascendance of Stormzy. She takes us on a walk down Kilburn High Road in her beloved North West London and invites us to mourn with her the passing of writers Joan Didion, Martin Amis, Hilary Mantel, Philip Roth and Toni Morrison. She considers changes of government on both sides of the Atlantic – and the meaning of ‘the commons’ in all our lives.
Over 50% of the tickets are already sold, so grab yours now! Tickets are £15 for general admission, with a book and ticket option for £20 that includes a copy of Zadie Smith’s latest release Dead and Alive. Following her conversation with Kuba Shand-Baptiste, Zadie Smith will be signing books, offering audiences the chance to meet her. Brighton Book Festival’s opening night event is definitely one not to be missed for all literary lovers.
