Helen Lederer to headline Isle of Wight Literary Festival 2025

Emma Trehane

May 30, 2025
4 min read

Helen Lederer to headline Isle of Wight Literary Festival 2025

Helen Lederer will be centre stage at this year’s Isle of Wight Literary Festival, joining a line-up of well-known names for what promises to be a standout four-day event this October. Known for her sharp humour, memorable comic roles and recent success as a memoirist, Lederer brings a personal and intelligent presence to the 2025 programme and she’s likely to be one of the most talked-about speakers.

Now in its 14th year, the Isle of Wight Literary Festival has quietly built a reputation for attracting high-profile talent without losing its community roots. This year’s event runs from Thursday 9th to Sunday 12th October, with the historic Northwood House in Cowes serving as the main venue. Several others, including local schools, churches and sailing clubs, will also open their doors as part of the expanded programme.

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Alongside Helen Lederer, festival attendees can expect appearances from a diverse range of voices. These include former British tennis number one and long-time television presenter Sue Barker, Great British Bake Off judge Dame Prue Leith, designer Cath Kidston, and political figures, broadcasters and authors including Gyles Brandreth, John Suchet and Sir Graham Brady.

As a speaker, Helen Lederer offers a mix of wit, cultural commentary and frank reflection, qualities that have made her both a trailblazer in British comedy and an advocate for women in the arts. Her recent turn as a writer has only strengthened her voice, and the festival’s organisers are clearly aware of the draw she brings.

However, this isn’t just a weekend of big names. The Literary Festival continues to develop its education and outreach work, particularly through its Schools’ Programme, which reached 28 schools across the island last year. Authors will once again visit local classrooms to run workshops and assemblies, free of charge to schools.

Local writers are also being given more space. The Write on Wight initiative, launched last year, will return, with submissions opening at the end of May for authors hoping to take part in this year’s event. And for those with a taste for food alongside fiction, the festival’s LitFeast segment will return for a third year, blending talks, tastings and culinary storytelling.

Tickets for the Isle of Wight Literary Festival 2025 will be available from August, with a full schedule expected in the weeks leading up to the event. In the meantime, readers can find more detail and opportunities to get involved via the festival website.

For more literary festivals, cultural highlights, and voices shaping the UK’s creative scene, from book tours to comedy gigs and everything in between, visit EyeOnLondon. Whether you’re planning a weekend away or just looking for something inspiring to read, we’ve got you covered. We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments – are you heading to the Isle of Wight this year?

[image Credit: The Guardian]

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About Author

Emma Trehane

Emma Trehane is what happens when academia meets adrenaline. She’s run surf hostels, taught Sports and the Humanities, earned a PhD in English Literature, lectured on Romantic poetry, and somehow still found time to found EyeOnLondon - a multimedia platform telling the stories others miss. Her career spans broadsheet editing, media consultancy in the City, and producing reels on everything from Lucian Freud to the Silk Roads. Emma’s equally at home in the British Library or behind the camera, usually balancing a tripod, a script, and a strong opinion. A Freeman of the City of London and a member of the Chelsea Arts Club, she now channels her experience into journalism, storytelling, and the occasional martial arts session to clear her head.