Browse beautiful, useful, and handmade things at our Good Stuff market stalls. Here are the wonderful independent stalls that will be appearing at the Idler Festival this year.
WORD ON THE WATER – The London Bookbarge – is a tiny bookshop situated on a 1920s Dutch barge in Kings Cross. They will be the official bookseller at this year’s festival. Find them on the ground floor of the house and running book-signings after events on the Lawn and outside the Dining Room.
Born from a collaboration with Black Cow, Beeble’s Milk & Honey Vodka blends silky whey vodka with raw Wiltshire honey for a smooth, naturally sweet and unique spirit. Crafted from the milk of grass-fed cows and honey, it’s a celebration of British craft and ethical beekeeping — supporting over 8 million bees with every bottle. As Beeble’s motto suggests, Life is Sweet. Beeble will be offering a free taster of their Milk and Honey Vodka to Friday Idler Festival early-birds, and it will be served all weekend at the Orchard Bar.
“Everybody must like something and I like seeing painted pictures,” said Gertrude Stein in her Letters In America. She was a fierce advocate for art that seemed radical, inexplicable and even ugly to her contemporaries. Tim (less fierce but just as excited by the margins of things) is very happy to bring FINDINGS – his gallery of visionary and “outsider” art — to the Idler Festival, with a selection of surprising, intriguing and covetable one-of-a-kind paintings, drawings, prints and unclassifiables for your delight. Ms Stein frequently flexed her idler credentials (once remarking that “it takes a heap of loafing to write a book”) so hopefully might have enjoyed this Findings makeover of her famed salon at 27 rue de Fleurus.
Slow fashion label, SOPHIE DARLING, specialises in hand printed, hand crafted clothing with a bold distinctive aesthetic. With her roots in fine art and a deep appreciation for traditional techniques, Sophie makes all her pieces in Brighton, translating her love of screen printing into a signature style that is instantly recognisable. At the Idler Festival you’ll find Sophie in the Rockingham Room on the first floor of the house.
James Robinson creates handcrafted treasures inspired by his great-great-grandfather, a sailor who was lost to the sea.
Each piece is a love letter to the ocean — swallows for safe return, stars and moons to guide the way, and symbols once worn by sailors as talismans of protection and passage.
Forged in gold and silver and set with precious stones, The Illustrated Jeweller weaves salt-soaked stories into jewellery made to be cherished, worn, and remembered.
GOFF COURTNEY reinvents clothing for 21st century hybrid living, changeable climes – and waistlines (!) – resulting in contemporary layering pieces, age, size and gender- free. Jackets distilled into scarves and aprons; blouses, shirts and dresses into necklaces and neck-ties, capelets, collars, corsages and cuffs. One-off statement throw-ons to zhuzh existing outfits, add a flattering flourish and make your mark! Make a B-line for the Attic at Fenton at the festival and grab a unique new outfit.
ODD makes bespoke garden furniture, fabric & other oddities. The family-run business is known best for their upholstered swinging sofas, ‘Old Rockers’, modelled on an original design from the 1930s. Their collection also features a collection of exquisite outdoor fabrics and rockers by interior decorator, Emma Grant. ODD is committed to local craftsmanship and a bespoke design service with all products handmade in England and designed to last for generations. Make sure you get some loafing time during the weekend in one of Odd’s indulgent rockers.
LONDON DRAWING will take you back in time to discover your Renaissance Self! Anne and Susannah from London Drawing will weave their travel cushion, paper cup, and pillowcase magic to create beautiful, smartphone-based photographic portraits in Renaissance style—with you as the sitter! Join London Drawing in the attic of Fenton House for #RenaissanceSelfie portraits you can share on social media or frame.
With her signature warmth and wicked sense of humour, best-selling author Jojo Moyes will be discussing family, love and starting again.
Jojo Moyes is a novelist and screenwriter. Her 15 books include the bestsellers Me Before You, After You and Still Me, The One Plus One, The Giver of Stars, Someone Else’s Shoes and We All Live Here. Jojo’s novels have been translated into 46 languages, have hit the No 1 spot in twelve countries and have sold over 60 million copies worldwide. Me Before You has been adapted into a major film. In 2023, Jojo joined BBC Maestro’s online platform of world-class experts with her course, Writing Love Stories. Jojo became a novelist after a varied career including stints as a minicab controller, typer of braille bank statements for blind people, brochure writer for Club 18-30 and working as a journalist for ten years.
Tom Hodgkinson
FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY
FRIDAY Tom will kick off the festival on Friday evening talking about How to Live Like a Stoic with Florence Read.
Later on Friday, he’ll be diving into the history of skateboarding in the UK with eminent and lifetime skateboarders Iain Borden and Neil MacDonald.
SATURDAY On Saturday, Tom will be talking to Cory Doctorow about Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What To Do About It
SUNDAY Tom will be with Kojo Koram finding out about his gripping global investigation into how illegal drugs are being rapidly rebranded as commodities in a new, billion-dollar industry – how we got here and what kind of future we are building in a world hooked not only on drugs, but on economic “fixes” of every kind.
And for something completely different… On Sunday evening Tom will lead a jolly festival singalong with the Idler band, the Loafers.
Tom is editor of the Idler. His book How to be Idle was a global best-seller and was followed by How to be Free, The Idle Parent, Brave Old World and most recently How to Live Like a Stoic: A Handbook for Happiness.
Before all that, Tom worked in Slam City Skates in London for a year in 1989/90. Despite being crap at skateboarding, he made lifelong friends here and was inspired by the creativity and entrepreneurialism of the scene.
Zakia Sewell
FRIDAY
Zakia Sewell is on a quest for another Britain. Traversing the length and breadth of our island from Somerset to Scotland, she’s seeking out a different story – one that lies beyond divisive national myths and symbols. In Finding Albion, Zakia uncovers an alternative spirit of Britain that is vividly alive today. It’s found in otherworldly folk songs, ancient legends, Celtic seasonal rites and mystic stone circles that punctuate our landscape.
Zakia Sewell is a writer, DJ and broadcaster. She hosts Dream Time on BBC Radio 6 Music, and used to host the flagship breakfast show on NTS Radio. For the past eight years she’s been producing and presenting radio documentaries and podcasts for BBC Radio 3 and 4, Tate and Camden Arts Centre among others. Her acclaimed four-part Radio 4 series My Albion was an inspiration for her book. Her writing has appeared in publications including Tate Etc., Resident Advisor and Weird Walk as well as in the essay collection This Woman’s Work.
https://www.zakiasewell.co.uk/
Rowan Pelling
Rowan is a regular and well loved Idler Festival interviewer and we’re delighted that she’ll be joining us again this year.
On Friday evening Rowan will be in conversation with Jojo Moyes.
And on Saturday Rowan will be in conversation with Esther Freud.
Rowan Pelling is a writer, broadcaster and editor of Perspective magazine. She was editor of The Erotic Review for eight years and started a new magazine The Amorist (for devotees of love and passion) last year, which ran to seven print editions and now exists as a website. She is a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and recently guest curated Sotheby’s first two sales of erotic art.
Sacha Coward
FRIDAY
The Queerness of Magical Creatures
Through history, queer communities have often sought refuge in the shadows and created safe spaces in underworlds. Author and hidden histories expert Sacha Coward will be discussing these forgotten narratives and the way in which queer realities have shaped mythology and folklore from ancient times to the present day.
Sacha Coward has worked in museums and heritage for over ten years. For the past three years, he has been freelancing as a historian, public speaker, tour guide and researcher. He has run LGBTQ+ focused tours for museums, cemeteries, archives and cities around the world. Sacha is passionate about queer history, mythology, folklore and storytelling in all their many forms. <em>Queer as Folklore</em> is his first book.
Emily Rhodes
FRIDAY
Walking Book Club Join Emily Rhodes for her popular Walking Book Club on Hampstead Heath, discussing Rumber Godden’s classic novel The Greengage Summer. Emily will lead the way along the Heath’s leafy green paths, while guiding a discussion about the book. She’ll ask questions, dive into themes and read out extracts as you go. For the benefit of fellow walkers, please ensure you’ve read the book beforehand!
Emily is founder of Bookbanks – a new charity that brings books to food banks – and Emily’s Walking Book Club: A 4,000-strong community that has been meeting for monthly walks on Hampstead Heath for more than a decade. Emily also writes about books and the arts for various publications, including the Financial Times Weekend, Spectator and the Guardian. She regularly interview authors and hosts literary events.
https://emilyrhodeswriter.com/
John Mitchinson
John will be talking with one of his favourite authors, Zakia Sewell on the Orchard Stage.
John Mitchinson is a writer and broadcaster. He is the co-host of Backlisted, the award-winning books podcast and a regular columnist for Byline Times. He helped create the BBC show QI, co-founded crowd-funding publisher Unbound, held senior publishing roles at Harvill and Cassell and was the original marketing director of Waterstone’s. His most recent writing project is Wonderful Life, a 12-part audio documentary narrated by Stephen Fry which was released by Audible in April 2026. John is also occasional folklore columnist for the Idler.
Neil Macdonald
Eminent and lifetime skateboarders Neil MacDonald and Professor Iain Borden join former skateboard shop worker Tom Hodgkinson for a dive into the history of British skateboarding.
Neil Macdonald has been writing about skateboarding, music, and youth culture since 2007, contributing to publications like Thrasher, Sidewalk, Free and the Quietus. He owns an archive of over 5,000 pieces of skateboard media, apparel and hardware, and runs the popular Instagram account @scienceversuslife, celebrating 1990s skateboarding style.
Neil’s new book, Elsewhere: The Story of UK Skateboarding 1987–2002 (Batsford) is the definitive oral and visual history of British skateboarding. It tells the complete story of what happened, who was there and why it mattered. It details the proliferation of an underground scene of clothes, photography, filmmaking and zine production which, due to the latter mainstream commercialisation, turned DIY industries into global brands that continue to regulate the cultural landscape today.
Iain Borden
FRIDAY
Eminent and lifetime skateboarders Professor Iain Borden and Neil MacDonald join former skateboard shop worker Tom Hodgkinson for a dive into the history of British skateboarding.
Lifelong skateboarder Iain Borden is Professor of Architecture & Urban Culture and Vice-Dean Education at The Bartlett, UCL. Iain’s books include Construct: Large Everyday Architecture (Routledge, 2026) and Drive: Journeys through Film, Cities and Landscapes. (Reaktion, 2013).
Iain Borden’s complete history of skateboarding Skateboarding and the City (Bloomsbury 2019) tells the story of skate culture from the surf-beaches of ’60s California to the latest developments in street-skating today – revealing a vivid understanding of how skateboarders, through their actions, experience the city and its architecture in a unique way.
Florence Read
FRIDAY & SATURDAY
Idler favourite Florence Read will be talking to Tom Hodgkinson about his new book How to Live Like a Stoic. And on Saturday, Flo will be in conversation with Rowan Williams.
Read is a cultural commentator, writer, producer and co-presenter at UnHerd. She has also been Digital Editor for the Idler.
Skateboarding in the UK
Eminent and lifetime skateboarders Professor Iain Borden and Neil MacDonald join former skateboard shop worker Tom Hodgkinson for a dive into the history of British skateboarding.
Neil MacDonald’s definitive oral and visual history Elsewhere – The Story of UK Skateboarding has just been published after 6 years in the making. It explores British skateboarding’s lasting influence on culture and style and the evolution of a DIY industry into global brands – as told by those who pioneered UK skate culture.
Iain Borden’s complete history of skateboarding Skateboarding and the City (2019) tells the story of skate culture from the surf-beaches of ’60s California to the latest developments in street-skating today – revealing a vivid understanding of how skateboarders, through their actions, experience the city and its architecture in a unique way.
Neil Macdonald has been writing about skateboarding, music, and youth culture since 2007, for publications like Thrasher, Sidewalk, Free and the Quietus. He owns an archive of over 5,000 pieces of skateboard media, apparel and hardware, and runs the popular Instagram account @scienceversuslife, celebrating 1990s skateboarding style. Neil’s book, Elsewhere: The Story of UK Skateboarding 1987–2002, is published by Batsford. https://blog.slamcity.com/neil-macdonald-interview/
Lifelong skateboarder Iain Borden is Professor of Architecture & Urban Culture and Vice-Dean Education at The Bartlett, UCL. Iain’s books include Construct: Large Everyday Architecture (Routledge, 2026), Skateboarding and the City: a Complete History (Bloomsbury, 2019) and Drive: Journeys through Film, Cities and Landscapes. (Reaktion, 2013). https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/7991-iain-borden
Tom Hodgkinson worked in Slam City Skates in London for a year in 1989/90. Despite being crap at skateboarding, he made lifelong friends here and was inspired by the creativity and entrepreneurialism of the scene.
Murray Lachlan Young DJ
Murray Lachlan Young’s Psychedelic Folk Sound System – you’ll find Murray spinning tunes in the orchard.
Murray is a British poet, stand-up performer, broadcaster, playwright and screenwriter, and he is also a children’s author who has worked extensively in schools. He came to prominence during the Britpop era of the mid-1990s, when he became the only poet to sign a recording contract worth £1m.
https://www.murraylachlanyoung.co.uk/
For Gods’ Sake! An Immersive Mythical Melodrama
FRIDAY
There’s a storm brewing up on Olympus! The ancient Greek Gods have decided there is space for ONE more deity in their hallowed halls. Sure, there’s already a god of love, war, wisdom and even alcohol, but maybe there’s room for someone else. WHO is missing from the immortal pantheon? YOU decide!
The wannabe gods will be petitioning for your support around Fenton house and gardens. Meet a host of anthropomorphic entities, each will try to persuade you of their importance and why they deserve to sit beside Zeus and Athena. Expect gossip, backstabbing and a fair bit of manipulation. By the end of the evening your votes will be put into action and the winning god will be elevated to eternity.
********************************************************************** Sacha Coward brings his immersive theatrical fun to the Idler Festival. Sacha’s worked in museums and heritage for over 10 years and for the past 3 years he’s freelanced as a historian, public speaker, tour guide and researcher. Sacha also develops, delivers & markets events from family festivals, performances, immersive theatrical experiences, commemoration events, free community takeovers, all the way to sell-out events for LGBT History Month and London Pride. Photo: The New York Public Library
https://www.sachacoward.com/event-production
Renaissance Dancing
With Jeni Melia playing the fiddle and Chris Goodwin teaching, we’ll be stretching our legs and having fun learning some of the easier dances from the Wolf Hall era – of high folk and low folk alike.
Lutenist Chris Goodwin and Jeni Melia are a UK-based musical duo specialising in Elizabethan lute songs and traditional early English folk music. The duo performs regularly as part of a collective known as the English Ayres. Their music is known for blending delicate, authentic acoustic arrangements with clear, emotive vocal interpretations.
Prue Leith
Dame Prue Leith will be exploring the trials and taboos of growing older – along with its unexpected joys. In her part memoir/part reflection, Being Old and Learning to Love It nothing is off limits: from love and sex, staying active, and finding fame on The Great British Bake Off, to friendship, family, and the occasional regret. She tackles the big questions we all have about getting older – about senility, time running out, dealing with grief, and her passionate belief in assisted dying. Her new cookery book is Life’s Too Short to Stuff a Mushroom.
Prue Leith has been at the top of the British food scene for nearly sixty years. Founder of the renowned Leith’s School of Food and Wine, and proprietor of the Michelin-starred Leith’s Restaurant, also a caterer, teacher, TV cook, food journalist, novelist, and cookery book author. She’s also been a leading figure in campaigns to improve food in schools, hospitals and in the home. Prue is proving there is still a great deal of life after leaving the Great British Bake Off.
https://prue-leith.com/
Irvine Welsh
The author of Trainspotting will be in conversation with The Times music critic Will Hodgkinson just as “Trainspotting the Musical” opens in the West End. Should books be adapted into different mediums? Should heroin addiction be given the all-singing, all-dancing West End musical theatre treatment?
Irvine Welsh was born and raised in Edinburgh. His first novel, Trainspotting, has sold over one million copies in the UK and was adapted into an era-defining film. He has written thirteen further novels, including the number one bestseller Dead Men’s Trousers, four books of shorter fiction and numerous plays and screenplays. Crime and The Long Knives have been adapted into a television series starring Dougray Scott as Ray Lennox. Irvine’s novel Can Nothing Save Us will be out in August and is set in Las Vegas.
Rowan will be in conversation about his new book about the slippery concept of solidarity, from its use as a rallying cry by the labour movement to its central place in struggles for racial justice.
Rowan Williams is a former Archbishop of Canterbury and was until 2020 Master of Magdalene College at the University of Cambridge. He is the author of many books, including Looking East in Winter; Holy Living; and The Edge of Words, published by Bloomsbury Continuum. He lives in Cardiff and continues to broadcast, preach and lecture internationally. In 2022, he gave the second of the BBC’s centenary Reith Lectures.
Multi-talented comedy star Charlie Higson in conversation with Tom Hodgkinson
Comedian Charlie Higson started writing when he was 10 years old. After university he was a singer and painter & decorator before writing for TV. He went on to create and star in the hugely successful comedy series The Fast Show. He is the author of more than 25 books, including the bestselling Young Bond books and the incredibly successful horror series, The Enemy. Charlie’s TV writing work includes Saturday Live, Harry Enfield’s Television Programme, Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple. He has been show-runner and lead writer on two TV drama series and appeared in many of his own productions along with other major TV acting roles. In 2023 Charlie had a podcast – a history of the British monarchy, which led to his first non-fiction book Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee being published in October 2025. He also conducts interviews for the podcast ’The Spy Who’.
Kevin Rowland
SUNDAY
Dexys Midnight Runners frontman Kevin Rowland is in conversation with Times pop and rock critic Will Hodgkinson.
Singer-songwriter Kevin Rowland is best known as the iconic frontman of Dexys (formerly Dexys Midnight Runners), who rose to fame in the eighties with their first number one ‘Geno’ and later ‘Come On Eileen’, Britain’s bestselling single in 1982. Kevin’s career has spanned 5 decades and 8 albums. With a reputation for reinvention and a relentless pursuit of artistic integrity, Kevin still tours and releases new music.
In his candid memoir, Bless Me Father, the creative maverick and influential songwriter gives a deeply personal account of an extraordinary life. charting his musical highs, drug lows and his complex relationship with his dad.
Jah Wobble
Jah Wobble will be treating us to anecdotes and observations from his fascinating ‘rollercoaster ride’ of a life from Eastend childhood to playing bass in the post-punk band he helped form, Public Image Limited (PiL) and beyond that his thriving solo music career.
Jah Wobble (born John Wardle) is one of the most innovative and influential bassists from the British post-punk era. His hypnotic, groove-heavy style drew from dub reggae, krautrock and global music traditions. In 1978 he was a founder member of Public Image Ltd (PiL) along with ex-Sex Pistol’s John Lydon. After PiL, Wobble formed Jah Wobble and the Invaders of the Heart in the mid 1980s.
Wobble has worked with Brian Eno, Holger Czukay, Bjork, The Edge, Sinead O’Connor, Primal Scream. Wobble and Jon Klein (Siouxie and the Banshees) recently co-produced albums with two reggae legends Horace Andy and Ken Booth. Wobble & Klein have just released Automated Paradise (March 2026).
Wobble’s Chinese Dub album series merged Chinese traditional music with dub reggae aesthetics. His band sometimes includes his family ensemble – his wife, the renowned Chinese harpist Zi Lan Liao & their sons John T (drums) and Charlie (Chinese violin).
Wobble is a book reviewer. He’s also written extensively about his experiences in the music industry and his own philosophical journey in: Dark Luminosity: Memoirs of a Geezer. Following his innovative album based on the Bus Routes of South London, he is releasing a new record inspired by the Old North London Line – now known as the Mildmay Line.
Chris Difford
Chris is a Grammy nominated and double Ivor Novello Award winning lyricist. A founding member of Squeeze, he’s co-written some of the most enduring and best-loved songs of our time like ‘Up The Junction’, ‘Cool For Cats’, ‘Labelled With Love’, ‘Tempted’ and many others. Squeeze are celebrating their 50th anniversary and this March the band released ‘Trixies‘, the first album Chris Difford and Glen Tilbrook wrote as teenagers and now Squeeze’s first new album in nearly a decade.
“..it sits comfortably beside Squeeze’s finest works of the late ’70s. It might even be better.” (Mojo).
Squeeze will be touring the UK, Europe and USA in 2026
Amidst all the Squeeze activity, Chris hosts songwriting retreats in prisons, rehabs & with the Buddy Holly Foundation.
Cory Doctorow
Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What To Do About It
Cory Doctorow is a best-selling science fiction author, activist and journalist. He is the author of dozens of books, most recently Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What To Do About It.
Misogyny, conspiratorialism, surveillance, manipulation, fraud, and AI slop are drowning the internet. For the monopolists who dominate online – X, TikTok, Amazon, Meta, Apple – this is all part of the playbook. The process is what Cory has dubbed ‘enshittification’. First, the platform attracts users with some bait, such as free access; then the activity is monetised, bringing in the business customers and degrading the user experience; then, once everyone is trapped and competitors eradicated, the platform wrings out all the value and transfers it to their executives and shareholders.
Cory’s most recent novel is Picks and Shovels. His next novel The Reverse Centaur’s Guide To Life After AI came out in June.
https://www.theguardian.com/profile/corydoctorow and https://craphound.com/
Margaret Heffernan
Artists live with uncertainty constantly—but instead of waiting for the future, they run towards making it, with agency and freedom.
Entrepreneur, CEO, writer and speaker Dr Margaret Heffernan and award winning activist and founder of the global Craftivist Collective Sarah Corbett will be discussing what we can all learn from applying an artist’s mindset of curiosity and flexibility in these challenging times, to help move from anxiety to action to help our world flourish.
In her acclaimed book Embracing Uncertainty – How writers, musicians and artists thrive in an unpredictable world Margaret Heffernan makes a compelling argument for the vital integration of art into all aspects of our lives and for artists to guide us with their stamina, freedom and endurance.
Heffernan was a radio and TV drama and documentary producer for 13 years. She then spent eight years in the US running media technology companies and was named one of the Internet’s Top 100 by Silicon Alley Reporter and one of the Top 100 Media Executives by The Hollywood Reporter.
She’s written six books and her TED talks have been seen by over 15 million people. Heffernan often appears on BBC Radio 4 and has written many plays and programmes. In 2023, she was inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame. She is a Professor of Practice at the University of Bath and mentors CEOs and senior executives of major global organizations. She chairs the board of DACS and is a parish councillor.
https://mheffernan.com/
Sarah Corbett is an award-winning activist and author as well as an Ashoka Fellow. She founded the Craftivist Collective in 2009 to engage non-activists and influential target audiences globally to deliver ‘Gentle Protest’ tactics. Corbett works with national charities including Save the Children, Mind and The Climate Coalition. Corbett’s craftivism (craft + activism) has helped to change hearts, minds, policies and laws around the world and her most recent book The Craftivist Collective Handbook was awarded best mixed media book of 2025 by The Creative Book Awards. https://www.craftivist-collective.com/our-story/
Georgia Mann
The marvellous Georgia Mann returns to the Idler Festival with her Classical DJ Set
Georgia Mann presents BBC Radio 3’s mid-morning show Essential Classics. She also introduces and produces the station’s poetry and music strand Words and Music. Starting out as a reporter on local radio, Georgia went on to producing Radio 4’s Front Row before taking up her current role. Every summer she presents the BBC Proms live at the Royal Albert Hall.
https://www.georgiamann.co.uk/about
Esther Freud
Esther will be in conversation about using her own family members – including father Lucian Freud and sister Bella Freud – as characters in her fiction.
Esther Freud is the author of nine previous novels, and her work has been translated into thirteen languages. Her first novel, the autobiographical Hideous Kinky, was made into a film starring Kate Winslet. Freud was selected as one of Granta’s Best Young British Novelists in 1993. Her other novels include The Sea House, Mr Mac and Me and I Couldn’t Love You More. Her first full-length play, Stitchers, was produced in London in 2018; her first book for children, Enchanted Beach, was published in the summer of 2025. Also Esther’s coming-of-age novel ‘My Sister and Other Lovers’, moving on with the characters from Hideous Kinky, “I have always been interested in female relationships. Mothers, daughters, sisters, friends”.
https://www.estherfreud.com/
Lissa Evans
Multi-award winning comedy Father Ted was unforgettable to watch and unforgettable to work on, we’ll hear all about the creative chaos from its Bafta winning producer and acclaimed author Lissa, who’s written Picnic on Craggy Island about those crazy times.
Lissa Evans was a producer for 3 years on the 2nd & 3rd series of Father Ted. Her book about her experiences, Picnic on Craggy Island is a hugely affectionate and anecdotal account of what lay behind some of those moments of comic genius.
Lissa has also produced and/or directed many UK comedy shows, including Room 101 and Have I Got News For You, but for the last 25 years she has written novels including the bestselling Old Baggage and Their Finest Hour and a Half – longlisted for the Orange Prize and made into a successful film starring Gemma Arterton and Bill Nighy – along with writing four children’s books.
Cathi Unsworth
Cathi will be talking about the origins of Goth – the youth culture that refused to die – both in the Thatcher era of 1979-91 and backwards to its roots in Jazz, Folk, Roots and Blues, DaDa, The Decadents and Romantics of the Industrial Revolution.
Cathi (with Mick Patrick) has just released a new compilation double album/CD Dressed In Black, soundtracking Goth’s greatest Divas from Billie Holiday in 1941 to M U M M Y in 2026 and with everyone from Diamanda Galas, Siouxise & The Banshees, Nico, Cocteau Twins and Julie Driscoll in between.
Cathi will give Dressed In Black its debut outing in a special Idler Goth Disco in the Orchard, closing the festival’s Saturday evening in style.
Author Cathi Unsworth was a ‘teenage weirdo’ who got to write about her favourite bands at Sounds and then Melody Maker from the age of 19 onwards. Forty years in the making, her Waterstones/Times/MOJO 2023 Best Music Book of the Year Season of the Witch: The Book of Goth was described as “a freaking masterpiece” by Lydia lunch, “a wonderful book” by Mark Ellen and “the Bible of Goth” by Spain’s Mondo Sonoro, who made it their International Book of The Year in 2024.
http://www.cathiunsworth.co.uk/about.html
Matthew Stadlen
..is in Conversation with Prue Leith
Matthew Stadlen is a TV and radio presenter, political commentator, photographer and author.
Kojo Koram
SATURDAY
Award winning author and academic Professor Kojo Koram will be in conversation with prominent British-Egyptian academic, writer and lecturer Dalia Gebrial. They’ll reveal how Dark Money took control of British politics and how secret offshore billions are ruining Britain.
Koram’s recent investigative 4 part podcast Death In Westminster is a story about secrecy, stolen wealth, and how Britain’s imperial afterlife has turned its capital into a global money laundering machine.
Kojo Koram is Professor in Law and Political Economy at Loughborough University and an expert in law, policy and historical inequalities. Alongside his academic work, Kojo has written for the Guardian, the New Statesman, the Washington Post, the Nation, Tribune and Dissent.
He is author of Uncommon Wealth: Britain And The Aftermath Of Empire and The Next Fix.
Dalia Gebrial is a Lecturer in Geography and Social Justice. Her research focuses on empire, race, labour, digital economies, globalisation and political economy. She’s also a sought-after political and cultural commentator and has worked as an organiser and consultant for a number of anti-racism, anti-imperialism and workers’ rights initiatives.
Dalia Gebrial
SATURDAY
Prominent academic and author Dalia Gebrial will be talking with Professor Kojo Koram about how Dark Money took control of British politics and how secret offshore billions are ruining Britain.
Britain has turned its capital into a global money laundering machine. The pavements of central London are home to a soaring number of rough sleepers, yet its streets are lined with empty mansions. Who owns these houses? Often, no one knows – because the wealthiest people in the world have built the perfect system to hide their assets.
Dr Dalia Gebrial is a Lecturer in Geography and Social Justice. Her research focuses on empire, race, labour, digital economies, globalisation and political economy. She’s also a sought-after political and cultural commentator and has worked as an organiser and consultant for a number of anti-racism, anti-imperialism and workers’ rights initiatives.
Peter Jones
Peter Jones explores how the Middle Ages understood the Seven Deadly Sins not as a list of vices, but as a map of the mind — a practical guide to living well. The result is Self Help for the Middle Ages – a history that offers new insight into modern struggles with depression, narcissism, rage, addiction, grief and obsession. With his blend of scholarship and storytelling, Jones shows how this medieval framework can still guide us toward happier and healthier lives today.
PETER JONES is a writer and historian who first fell under the spell of the Middle Ages at the age of 9, while visiting the National Portrait Gallery in London. After growing up in the circle of towns around Heathrow Airport he moved to New York in his early twenties and received a PhD in Medieval History from NYU. Over his career he has taught at the University of Toronto, University College London, and Complutense University of Madrid. Peter also spent several years working at the School of Advanced Studies in Tyumen, Siberia, and his experiences there — especially the class he taught on the Seven Deadly Sins — inspired this book.
An original member of the Comedy Store and Comic Strip groups at the centre of ‘Alternative Comedy’ in the 1980s, Nigel Planer starred in The Young Ones and The Comic Strip Presents. He won a BRIT award in 1984 and has been nominated for Olivier, TMA, What’s on Stage, and BAFTA awards. Nigel’s memoir Young Once is out in paperback in June 2026 and this year also sees the paperback and audio book release of Nigel’s comedy time-travel novel, Jeremiah Bourne in Time. He is currently touring his latest collection of poetry (2026) ‘Travelling Light’ after the success of his first collection ‘Making Other Plans’ in 2023 Planer created the TV/radio actor character ‘Nicholas Craig’ and the best-selling spoof autobiography, ‘I, An Actor’. He voiced the first 15 of Terry Pratchett’s ‘Discworld’ books. He has written plays for the theatre, TV & radio, 3 novels, and the best-selling ‘A Good Enough Dad’ about becoming a father, as well as over one hundred episodes of ‘The Magic Roundabout’ for Channel 4.
https://nigelplaner.co.uk/
Guy Standing
Economist Guy Standing will be discussing the concluding book from his brilliant series on the commons. Human Capital: The Tragedy of the Education Commons shows how education – intrinsically a common public good – has been enclosed, privatised, financialised and corrupted, turned into an instrument of societal control, not human emancipation. Instead of serving teachers and students, the education industry serves commercial interests but Guy has solutions for reviving its lost values and saving society for the common good.
Guy was a programme director in the UN’s International Labour Organisation and has advised many international bodies and governments on social and economic policies. He is Professorial Research Associate, SOAS University of London & has been a Professor at SOAS and at the Universities of Bath and Monash. He is a founder and now co-president of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN), an international NGO promoting basic income as a right, and has designed and conducted several basic income pilots.
https://www.guystanding.com/
Ben Moor
Ben will be performing his acclaimed one man show: Not Everything is Significant
Writer and actor Ben Moor has been described as “An English Wes Anderson… his dulcet tones are a paintbrush, filling his world with a bright pastel colour palette.” (Broadway World). His screen credits include The Queen’s Gambit and The Capture, and his books include More Trees to Climb and Who Here’s Lost?
https://www.spesh.com/ben/
Amy Matthews
Amy will be performing her brilliant comedy set + later on hosting the ever popular ‘Comedians Do Poems’ in the Orchard with Ben Pope and other special guests
Amy has toured several critically acclaimed stand up shows, including I Feel Like I’m Made of Spiders (2023) (now a special on ITVx) and Commute With The Foxes (2024). She runs Comedians Do Poems with Ben Pope. She has also supported Ed Byrne, Tom Davis, Suzy Ruffell, Sarah Keyworth & Tom Allen. The List have named Amy in their “Hot 100” contributors to culture three times. Amy is the host of the official English Heritage podcast and previously hosted the BBC podcast, SNOOKERED. Amy is a regular panelist and lead writer on BBC Radio’s Breaking the News, as well as appearing as several characters in the 2026 Radio 4 sitcom, DAN DOES DATING. She played Annie in BAFTA award winning Scot Squad and stars as Cassandra in the BBC’s GIFTED. She has written for Have I Got News for You.
https://www.amymatthewscomedy.com/
Sarah Corbett
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
Artists live constantly with uncertainty — but instead of waiting for the future, they run towards making it, with agency and freedom. Founder of the global Craftivist Collective and award winning activist Sarah Corbett and entrepreneur, CEO, writer and speaker Dr Margaret Heffernan will be discussing what we can all learn from applying an artist’s mindset of curiosity and flexibility in these challenging times, to help move from anxiety to action and help our world flourish.
On Saturday Sarah will be running a craftivism workshop (pre-book): Become a gentle craftivist by taking part in some slow, mindful and quiet craftivism (craft + activism) using hand-embroidery. Choose one of 4 Craftivist Collective A5 letterpress printed cards with a dot-to-dot design of a renowned changemaker to stitch and reflect on how they can inspire you as a gentle changemaker. Take home as an object of encouragement.No craft skills needed. Just an open heart and open mind. Suitable for adults and 13+
On Sunday you’ll be able to find her in the orchard for a ten minute drop in session (£2 donation): Become a gentle craftivist by taking part in some slow, mindful and quiet craftivism (craft + activism) using hand-embroidery. Choose one of five messages on woven labels to sew somewhere on your clothes or accessories to help keep your conscience sharp and your spirit strong in these uncertain times. No craft skills needed. Just an open heart and open mind. Suitable for adults and 13+
Sarah Corbett is an award-winning activist and author. Her craftivism (craft + activism) has helped to change hearts, minds, policies and laws around the world. Corbett founded the Craftivist Collective in 2009 to engage non-activists and influential target audiences globally, to deliver what she coined ‘Gentle Protest’ tactics. Corbett works with national charities including Mind and The Climate Coalition, she also creates bespoke events for museums and and galleries. Her craftivism campaign with ShareAction directly led to Marks and Spencer paying the real Living Wage to 50,000 staff – as a result, Corbett was awarded The Economic Justice Campaigner of the Year from the Sheila McKechnie Foundation. She was included in the Crafts Council 2018 ‘Power List’ and her TEDx speech ‘Activism Needs Introverts’ was a TED Talk Of The Day with over a 1.2million views so far. University of London granted Corbett an Honorary Fellowship in July 2022.
https://www.craftivist-collective.com/our-story/
Verity Babbs
What are we missing out on when we take art too seriously? Some brilliant stories. Join us as art historian & comedian Verity Babbs leads us through some of art history’s funniest bits: artists stabbing, shagging, and slagging each other off included. Sharing stories from her recent book The History of Art in One Sentence, Verity takes us on a journey of 500 years of artists behaving badly, jaw-dropping artworks, and manifestos that’ll make you say “oh my!”. Come and celebrate the power of laughing at art, and leave seeing some of your favourite artists in a whole new light.
Verity Babbs is an art historian, presenter, and comedian. She is the author of The History of Art in One Sentence (October 2025), and has written for the Guardian, RA Magazine, and Artnet News. She’s worked on filmed projects for BBC 2, Tate, London Art Fair, HistoryHit, and the British Museum, and is the host of art-themed comedy nights ‘Art Laughs’ which regularly perform at the National Gallery. She was named one of BBC HistoryExtra’s ’30 Under 30′ in 2024.
https://www.veritybabbs.com/
Luke Wright
Celebrated poet and performer Luke Wright talks about family, adoption, and ultimately, love. All subjects of his latest book and poetry memoir Later Life Letter
Luke has been writing and performing poetry for over 25 years, at theatres, festivals, and pubs all over the world. He often tours with John Cooper Clarke and sometimes MCs for The Libertines.
He’s created fifteen solo shows, three plays, published five collections and six pamphlets — the latest is called Later Life Letter.
A Later Life Letter is written by a child’s social worker detailing their journey from birth to adoption. When Luke Wright received his letter as a teenager, he didn’t think much of it. But now, married to a social worker and seeing the care she takes with these letters, he re-examines his own past – and the life he might have had. “Witty, imaginative, beautiful” (B24/7). “A streetwise panache and a sardonic comic verve to rival Stewart Lee.” (Telegraph). “Witty observation and rollicking acuity” (Guardian). “A sharpness and wisdom that lifts the soul and soothes the battered heart”. (Scotsman)
https://www.lukewright.co.uk/later-life-letter
Clare Pollard
Clare Pollard’s Poetry Salon.
Catch up on new poetry with the Idler’s Poetry Editor, who’ll read from her latest collection and introduce two of her favourite contemporary poets to the festival: Keith Jarrett and Imogen Wade
Clare Pollard has published five collections of poetry, most recently Incarnation (Bloodaxe), and is the Idler’s Poetry Editor. She has been involved in numerous translation projects – including Ovid’s Heroines, which she toured as a one-woman show – and is author of the non-fiction title Fierce Bad Rabbits: The Tales Behind Children’s Picture Books. In 2024 Clare published her first children’s novel, The Untameables (The Emma Press), and her second adult novel, The Modern Fairies (Fig Tree).
https://clarespoetrycircle.substack.com/ and previous website: https://clarepollard.wordpress.com/
Miranda Sawyer
Award-winning & influential music journalist Miranda Sawyer is in conversation with the mighty Chris Difford from Squeeze.
Miranda Sawyer is an award-winning broadcaster, journalist and author, who’s been a feature writer for The Observer for over 30 years. She was made a member of the Radio Academy in 2021 and has written and presented several TV and radio documentaries. Miranda Sawyer started at Smash Hits in the era of Kylie, Jason, Bros and Brother Beyond. She spent the 1990s hanging out with bands and wrote about it in her book Uncommon People, Britpop and Beyond in 20 Songs.
Ed Hopwood
Ed is bringing his One Man Band to the festival and teaching two harmonica workshops over the weekend
Multi-instrumental Ed Hopwood forges a sound grounded in roots music with a style all his own; taking elements of Blues, Zydeco & Bluegrass and effortlessly weaving them into a highly original live show. His trademark suitcase drum, guitar and breathtaking harmonica playing have taken him to festivals such as Celtic Connections & Shambala and London venues including The Union Chapel & The Green Note as well as several European tours.
Ed also leads his distinctive blues trio, The Rigmarollers, who recently released their 2nd album. BBC Radio 2’s Cerys Matthews counts herself among their supporters. longside his performing career, Ed is the founder of The Harmonica Barge, one of the world’s leading YouTube channels and online schools for blues and roots harmonica.
Bill Anderson
Get Started in Beekeeping with the brilliant Idler Beekeeper Bill Anderson
Bill Anderson is a writer, TV drama director and author of The Idle Beekeeper: The Low Effort, Natural Way to Raise Bees. After installing some purchased bees in a Warré hive on the tiny sliver of horizontal roof atop his west London home, over the last three years Bill has enticed four wild swarms to move into Warré hives. This hive system strives to emulate the bees’ natural habitat in the wild – a cavity in a tree – while also making some accommodation for human sweet teeth. Bill prefers to think of himself as more of a hive-keeper than a beekeeper – the bees are always free to leave whenever they feel like it – just like an inn-keeper’s customers.
Tim Richardson
The Landscape of Man From small gardens to complete cities, humans have always moulded their environment to express or symbolise ideas power, order, comfort, harmony, pleasure, mystery. One of the 20th century’s leading landscape architects Geoffrey Jellico and photographer Susan Jellicoe linked these ideas together, showing they are manifestations of a single process: humankind’s instinct to shape its surroundings. Garden critic and landscape historian Tim Richardson discusses the ideas in their seminal book The Landscape of Man.
Tim Richardson is the Editor of the newly released edition of The Landscape of Man. He is a long-time Idler contributor specialising in gardens and art, and the point where they intersect. Tim is the founder and director of the Chelsea Fringe Festival, former landscape editor at Wallpaper, gardens editor at Country Life and founding editor of New Eden. He is the author of numerous books on garden and landscape design, as well as a volume of poetry and a world history of sweets and confectionery. He writes about art for Country Life, the Daily Telegraph and Apollo.
Award winning author and academic Professor Kojo Koram will be discussing how illegal drugs are being rapidly rebranded as commodities in a new, billion-dollar industry. His new book The Next Fix: The Winners and Losers in the Future of Drugs is a gripping global investigation into how we got here—and what kind of future we are building in a world hooked not only on drugs, but on economic “fixes” of every kind.
Kojo Koram is Professor in Law and Political Economy at Loughborough University and an expert in law, policy and historical inequalities. Alongside his academic work, Kojo has written for the Guardian, the New Statesman, the Washington Post, the Nation, Tribune and Dissent. Dr Koram also served for 11 years as a legal advisor at Release, the UK’s centre on drugs, law and human rights. His expertise in law, policy and historical inequalities makes him a leading voice in drug policy reform and social justice.
He is author of <em>Uncommon Wealth: Britain And The Aftermath Of Empire</em> and <em>The Next Fix</em>
Ed is bringing his One Man Band to the festival and teaching two harmonica workshops over the weekend
Multi-instrumental Ed Hopwood forges a sound grounded in roots music with a style all his own; taking elements of Blues, Zydeco & Bluegrass and effortlessly weaving them into a highly original live show. His trademark suitcase drum, guitar and breathtaking harmonica playing have taken him to festivals such as Celtic Connections & Shambala and London venues including The Union Chapel & The Green Note as well as several European tours. Ed has shared stages with Jarvis Cocker and John Cooper Clarke.
Mark Vernon
Join the Idler’s Head of Philosophy Mark Vernon for a thoughtful Philosophy Walk on Psychotherapy – memories, dreams, reflections.
Mark Vernon is a psychotherapist and writer, with a keen interest in ancient philosophy, and particularly the illumination of inner life. His writing covers subjects from friendship and beliefs, to wellbeing and living in the modern world. His most recent books are on William Blake, spiritual intelligence, Dante’s Divine Comedy and Christianity, as understood by the Oxford Inkling and friend of C.S. Lewis, Owen Barfield.
Harry Mount
Join Oldie Editor and architectural historian Harry Mount for an insightful, educational and amusing walk learning about Hampstead’s hidden gems and finishing at one of the best of them, Fenton House.
Harry Mount, Oldie Editor, Author, Journalist.. Harry Mount is the editor of The Oldie magazine. A former New York correspondent and leader-writer for the Daily Telegraph, he is the author of Amo, Amas, Amat and All That, a top 10 bestseller. He has also written A Lust for Window Sills – a guide to British buildings, and How England Made the English. He has a degree in ancient and modern history from Oxford (First Class Honours) and an MA in architectural history from the Courtauld Institute.
Suzi Feay
Suzi will be in conversation with some of the festival’s most literary of writers including Esther Freud and Lissa Evans.
Suzi Feay reviews books for the FT, Guardian and Spectator and interviews authors on her YouTube channel, Suzi’s Book Bag.
Danny Wootton
SATURDAY
We at the Idler we are huge fans of the ukulele. This unassuming little instrument puts the power of music-making into the hands of the people. Hundreds have benefited from Danny Wootton’s real-life ukulele course at the Idler Academy and our various pop-up uke lessons at festivals and parties. Now you can too. This class is suitable for people with no musical experience whatsoever. As Danny says: “We are all musical.” Let him show you how to release your inner musician.
Danny Wootton is a musician and artist who plays in the Sometimes and Forever Band. In the past he has played with Razorlight and Jesus Licks among others. He has been running the Idler Academy’s ukulele programme since March 2011.
Craftivism
SATURDAY GENTLE CRAFTIVISM (craft + activism) WORKSHOP Choose one of 4 Craftivist Collective A5 letterpress printed cards with a dot-to-dot design of a renowned changemaker to stitch and reflect on how they can inspire you as a gentle changemaker. Take home as an object of encouragement. Led by the founder of the global Craftivist Collective Sarah P Corbett. No craft skills needed. Just an open heart and open mind. Suitable for adults and 13+
SUNDAY CRAFTIVISM DROP IN Become a gentle craftivist by taking part in some slow, mindful and quiet craftivism (craft + activism) using hand-embroidery. Choose one of five messages on woven labels to sew somewhere on your clothes or accessories to help keep your conscience sharp and your spirit strong in these uncertain times. Led by the founder of the global Craftivist Collective Sarah P Corbett. No craft skills needed. Just an open heart and open mind. Suitable for adults and 13+
Sarah Corbett is an award-winning activist and author as well as an Ashoka Fellow. Her craftivism (craft + activism) has helped to change hearts, minds, policies and laws around the world.
Corbett founded the Craftivist Collective in 2009 to engage non-activists and influential target audiences globally to deliver what she coined ‘Gentle Protest’ tactics. Corbett works with national charities including Save the Children, Mind and The Climate Coalition, she also creates bespoke events for museums and and galleries.
Her craftivism campaign with ShareAction directly led to Marks and Spencer paying the real Living Wage to 50,000 staff – Corbett received The Economic Justice Campaigner of the Year Award for this from the Sheila McKechnie Foundation. Sarah was in the Crafts Council 2018 ‘Power List’ and her TEDx speech ‘Activism Needs Introverts’ was a TED Talk Of The Day with over a 1.2million views so far. University of London granted Corbett an Honorary Fellowship in July 2022.
She became a Brother at the Art Workers Guild in 2023 and a member of Brian Eno’s Hard Art Collective in 2025. https://www.craftivist-collective.com/our-story/
Ben Pope
Ben will be performing with Amy Matthews and special guests in Comedians Do Poems in the Orchard
Ben is a bookseller, writer and stand-up comedian. He’s taken multiple critically-acclaimed stand-up shows to the Edinburgh Fringe and on tour around the UK – including The Cut (2025) which received rave reviews from The Scotsman, The Telegraph and the Evening Standard (“Pope is superb comedy” ****), was nominated for NextUp Biggest Award in Comedy and transferred to London’s Soho Theatre.
His YouTube specials Mr Big Stuff and Holy Cow have 54k+ views between them and he’s supported some of alternative comedy’s biggest names on tour including Simon Amstell, Nick Mohammed (Mr Swallow), Max & Ivan, Kieran Hodgson, Jazz Emu and David Elms. Ben has written for The News Quiz and DMs Are Open (BBC Radio 4) and has appeared on Achievement Unlocked (Comedy Central), Comedy Guide to Life (Dave) and BBC New Comedy Award on Radio 4 Extra.
In his spare time (!) Ben manages Review, an independent bookshop in Peckham. He co-runs the sell-out comedy-literary nights Comedians Do Poetry and Ben’s Book Club.
Keith Jarrett
It’ll be a treat to hear Poetry Slam Champion Keith Jarrett perform in Clare Pollard’s Poetry Salon.
Keith Jarrett’s poetry, fiction and essays have been widely anthologised. A multiple slam champion, he was selected for the International Literary Showcase as an outstanding LGBT writer. Keith teaches Creative Writing at NYU London and holds a PhD from Birkbeck. His poetry collection Hide Me Under the Blood and I Shall Be Satisfied was published by Bad Betty in March and is a PBS Spring recommendation.
Catch National Poetry Competition winner Imogen, performing in Clare Pollard’s much-loved Poetry Salon
Imogen Wade is a writer and mental health practitioner. She won the National Poetry Competition 2023 with The Time I Was Mugged in New York City and the Troubadour International Poetry Competition 2024 with Poem About Love. Her poetry has received further acclaim in The Moth Poetry Prize, the Montreal International Poetry Prize, the New Poets Prize, and the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award. Her work has been published by The Poetry Review, PN Review, Poetry Wales, Poetry London, Perverse, and The London Magazine. Her debut poetry collection Girl, Swooning (Corsair, 2026) is available now. She can be found online @imogen_wade_poetry
Hampstead Literary Walk Follow in the footsteps of John Keats, Charles Dickens, George Orwell, William Blake and Katherine Mansfield on Henry’s bookish and entertaining jaunt.
Henry is the author of five books, including The Penguin Classics Book. He hosts a bestselling classics book club, Read the Classics, both online through Substack and in person at Hatchards bookshop in London. He has worked as a classics editor at Bloomsbury, Faber and Faber and Penguin Random House, where he created and hosted the podcast On the Road with Penguin Classics. He has spoken about classic literature on the London Eye, up Scafell Pike in the Lake District, at a literary festival in Mumbai, outside a villa in Umbria and inside a haunted mansion in Vermont.
Robert Rowland Smith
Join Robert Rowland Smith and Mark Vernon for an Idler Festival favourite: Philosophy Slam in the Orchard
Robert Rowland Smith is a British author and philosopher. His books include Derrida and Autobiography; Breakfast with Socrates; and AutoBioPhilosophy. He is a regular speaker at public and private events, addressing a wide range of topics including philosophy, psychology, politics and art. Robert was a Prize Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford and a member of the English Faculty. Robert has sat on the board of the Tavistock Institute of Medical Psychology and of the Institute of Art and Ideas. Robert is a leading practitioner of Systemic Constellations – an interactive group practice that reveals hidden dynamics in family, social and business systems.
Will Hodgkinson
Author and rock critic Will Hodgkinson is ‘In Conversation’ with Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh and Dexys Midnight Runner’s iconic frontman Kevin Rowland
Will Hodgkinson is the author of the music books Guitar Man, Song Man, The Ballad of Britain and In Perfect Harmony, and the childhood memoir The House Is Full of Yogis. He has contributed to the Guardian, Mojo and Vogue and presented the Sky Arts television series Songbook. Since 2010, he has been chief rock and pop critic for the Times.
http://www.willhodgkinsonwriter.com/
Danny Wootton
SATURDAY SUNDAY
We at the Idler we are huge fans of the ukulele. This unassuming little instrument puts the power of music-making into the hands of the people. Hundreds have benefited from Danny Wootton’s real-life ukulele course at the Idler Academy and our various pop-up uke lessons at festivals and parties. Now you can too. This class is suitable for people with no musical experience whatsoever. As Danny says: “We are all musical.” Let him show you how to release your inner musician.
Danny Wootton is a musician and artist who plays in the Sometimes and Forever Band. In the past he has played with Razorlight and Jesus Licks among others. He has been running the Idler Academy’s ukulele programme since March 2011.
Philosophy Slam
Join Robert Rowland Smith and Mark Vernon for an Idler Festival favourite: Philosophy Slam in the Orchard
Robert Rowland Smith is a British author and philosopher. His books include Derrida and Autobiography; Breakfast with Socrates; and AutoBioPhilosophy. He is a regular speaker at public and private events, addressing a wide range of topics including philosophy, psychology, politics and art. Robert was a Prize Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford and a member of the English Faculty. Robert has sat on the board of the Tavistock Institute of Medical Psychology and of the Institute of Art and Ideas. Robert is a leading practitioner of Systemic Constellations – an interactive group practice that reveals hidden dynamics in family, social and business systems. https://www.robertrowlandsmith.com/
Mark Vernon is a psychotherapist and writer, with a keen interest in ancient philosophy, and particularly the illumination of inner life. His writing covers subjects from friendship and beliefs, to wellbeing and living in the modern world. His most recent books are on William Blake, spiritual intelligence, Dante’s Divine Comedy and Christianity, as understood by the Oxford Inkling and friend of C.S. Lewis, Owen Barfield.
Pranayama
SATURDAY SUNDAY
Join Tessa for a rejuvenating breathwork (pranayama) journey rooted in ancient yogic practices from India. This session blends grounding, activation, and cooling techniques to awaken vitality, calm the mind, and deepen awareness. Through rhythmic breath patterns, gentle abdominal work, and sound vibration, you’ll clear stagnant energy and reconnect with yourself. Whether you’re looking to slow down, gain some energy, or are simply curious about traditional pranayama techniques, join us for a powerful pause in your festival flow. All levels welcome!
Tessa is a yoga teacher, journal editor, and passionate world traveler. Back in London, she is looking to ground and reconnect after completing a 500-hour RYT training in India. She continues to explore yoga’s deeper dimensions, with a particular interest in breathwork (pranayama) and its immense capacity to control the nervous system. Tessa believes in yoga’s power to transform not just the body and mind but also the way we connect—to ourselves, to others, and to the communities around us. Fascinated by how yoga weaves into everyday life, she hopes to guide others toward a practice that extends far beyond asana.
https://www.breathewithtess.com/
Waning Moon Tea Ceremony
Miri O’Connor will lead a small group ceremony, following the natural rhythm of the waning moon, the phase traditionally associated with release, completion, and clearing space for what comes next.
Participants will be introduced to a herbal tea blended during the waning moon phase. These teas are created at specific lunar moments so the character of the herbs corresponds to the quality of the sky as they are prepared.
The session includes a guided meditation, a blessing of the tea, and a shared mindful tea drinking. Together we will reflect on what can be let go of — habits, thoughts, worries, or expectations — so that we are ready to enter the new moon with clarity and intention.
Miri O’Connor is the founder of Rootlight Rituals, creator of the world’s first Selenodynamic™ herbal teas — blends created in rhythm with the phases of the moon. She also co-created the Simple Truths® card deck inspired by systemic and family constellations work. Through tea ceremonies, readings, and group experiences, she invites people to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with natural cycles in a practical and grounded way.
https://www.rootlightrituals.com/
Renaissance Dancing
With Jeni Melia playing the fiddle and Chris Goodwin teaching, we’ll be stretching our legs and having fun learning some of the easier dances from the Wolf Hall era – of high folk and low folk alike.
Lutenist Chris Goodwin and Jeni Melia are a UK-based musical duo specialising in Elizabethan lute songs and traditional early English folk music. The duo performs regularly as part of a collective known as the English Ayres. Their music is known for blending delicate, authentic acoustic arrangements with clear, emotive vocal interpretations.
The Loafers
SUNDAY
Join our wonderful Idler house band who’ll close the festival with protest, pop and Stoic singalongs.
Starring Tom Hodgkinson, Diana de Cabarrus and Phil Danter.
Renaissance Dancing
With Jeni Melia playing the fiddle and Chris Goodwin teaching, we’ll be stretching our legs and having fun learning some of the easier dances from the Wolf Hall era – of high folk and low folk alike.
Lutenist Chris Goodwin and Jeni Melia are a UK-based musical duo specialising in Elizabethan lute songs and traditional early English folk music. The duo performs regularly as part of a collective known as the English Ayres. Their music is known for blending delicate, authentic acoustic arrangements with clear, emotive vocal interpretations.
Ged Wells
SATURDAY SUNDAY
Strawberry Nemesis: Two unusual samurai taking time out to contemplate their irrational grudges. As a part of their agreed therapy roadmap, these living sculptures will distribute illustrated booklets to Idler festivalists
Ged Wells began channeling art through his Insane skateboard clothing brand while working as an archaeological illustrator in 1984. Proactive in 1980s UK skateboarding DIY culture, Wells began competing internationally, creating ramps and zines with friends, and later became an illustrator and features writer for R.A.D skateboard magazine.
His art and his Insane brand grew, gaining profile through skate publications, as well as The Face, iD, Blitz, The Guardian and other style media. Wells has exhibited paintings, drawings, collage and character sculptures since the early 1990s. His works are laced with surreal narrative and anthropomorphic illusion. He’s designed/created for Wolff Olins, Playstation, Louis Vuitton and most importantly, The Idler!
https://www.gedwells.co.uk/
Fanzine Workshop
Iona’s popular Fanzine workshop is back in the Orchard this year. In this gentle, hands-on workshop, you’ll explore DIY publishing as a way of gathering thoughts, feelings and fragments of every day life – and giving them shape on paper. Through collage, drawing and simple folds you’ll create your own handmade zine: a small publication that holds a piece of you.
This is an invitation to work intuitively, to let go of perfection and to trust what wants to be expressed.
Ioana Simion (Artizine) is a London-based artist, zine-maker, and facilitator who uses DIY publishing as a way to bring people together through storytelling, play, and shared making. Her socially engaged practice explores zines as tools for self-expression, community, and personal archiving — inviting people to experiment, dissolve perfection, and turn their ideas into handmade publications. She runs workshops and the Artizine Club, creating spaces where anyone can explore their voice through analogue making.
Strawberry Nemesis: Two unusual samurai taking time out to contemplate their irrational grudges. As a part of their agreed therapy roadmap, these living sculptures will distribute illustrated booklets to Idler festivalists
Ged Wells began channeling art through his Insane skateboard clothing brand while working as an archaeological illustrator in 1984. Proactive in 1980s UK skateboarding DIY culture, Wells began competing internationally, creating ramps and zines with friends, and later became an illustrator and features writer for R.A.D skateboard magazine.
His art and his Insane brand grew, gaining profile through skate publications, as well as The Face, iD, Blitz, The Guardian and other style media. Wells has exhibited paintings, drawings, collage and character sculptures since the early 1990s. His works are laced with surreal narrative and anthropomorphic illusion. He’s designed/created for Wolff Olins, Playstation, Louis Vuitton and most importantly, The Idler!
https://www.gedwells.co.uk/
Renaissance Selfies
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
Join London Drawing for trip back in time to discover your Renaissance Self! Anne and Susannah from London Drawing will be weaving their travel pillow, paper cup and pillow case magic to create beautiful smart phone based photographic portraits Renaissance style – with you as the sitter! Join in the attic of Fenton House for #RenaissanceSelfie portraits that you can share on social media and frame.
Join London Drawing for trip back in time to discover your Renaissance Self! Anne and Susannah from London Drawing will be weaving their travel pillow, paper cup and pillow case magic to create beautiful smart phone based photographic portraits Renaissance style – with you as the sitter! Join in the attic of Fenton House for #RenaissanceSelfie portraits that you can share on social media and frame.
