Mary Beard at UK literary festivals
Last checked: 28 October 2026
Mary Beard writes about antiquity for readers who want to ask questions, not recite names and dates. You may know her through a book, broadcasting or a podcast. A festival conversation gives you time to follow that curiosity with a writer who moves between the ancient world and the way we see it today.
Quick facts
- Best known for
- SPQR, Pompeii and writing about the ancient world
- Genre or subject
- Classics, ancient history and public discussion of the past
- Latest book
- Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old (2026), Profile Books
- 2026 festivals
- Cheltenham Literature Festival
About Mary Beard
Beard is Professor Emerita of Classics at Cambridge and Classics editor of the TLS. Her work combines scholarship, books, editing and public conversation. It ranges from the long history of Rome to individual places, objects and arguments, giving a reader several ways into classical history without needing to begin with a specialist course.
Her book about Pompeii won the Wolfson Prize, and her work has been translated into more than thirty-five languages. She also co-hosts the podcast Instant Classics with Charlotte Higgins. A listener who first met her through that exchange has another route into her books and into hearing her speak at a festival.
Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old, published by Profile Books in April 2026, asks why ancient Greece and Rome still invite attention. It connects the ancient world and the present through curiosity and the experience of seeing a familiar question differently. If a conversation makes you want to return to an object in a museum or a passage in a book, that is a good reason to keep following the subject.
Where to start with their books
SPQR
This history follows Rome’s growth from a village to an imperial power and considers how Romans understood their own society. Citizenship, slavery, migration and everyday infrastructure all enter the account. Choose it if you want the broad framework within which a smaller classical subject can sit.
Emperor of Rome
The emperors become the focus here, from Julius Caesar to Alexander Severus. If the people at the top of Roman society interest you more than a chronological survey of the whole state, this offers a way into how power was held and how rulers have been remembered.
Women & Power
Beard moves between ancient examples and modern public life to ask who is heard and how women are treated when they exercise authority. This is a shorter route into the connection between classical stories and present-day arguments, especially for a reader interested in voice and power.
Festival appearances
For tickets, use the host festival’s official box office. Confirm the date, venue and access details before paying.
2026
| Festival | Date | Event and venue | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheltenham Literature Festival | Mary Beard The Times and Sunday Times Forum | Official programme |
What their events are like
Beard appeared at Cheltenham on 9 October 2026 in The Times and Sunday Times Forum. The session brought readers of her books and listeners to her wider work into the same audience for a conversation about the ancient world.
Her recent writing gave that audience questions about why Greece and Rome matter to modern readers. A visitor could approach through a broad history, the remains of a city, or an interest sparked by an artwork. You could listen as a curious reader without needing to have studied Latin or completed a classical reading list.
Where to see them next
No 2027 appearances announced yet. Check the festival guides for programme dates.
Plan your trip
Take one question or object that has stayed with you from a book and keep it in mind while listening. You do not have to ask it aloud to enjoy following it through the talk. Leave some space in the day for a conversation afterwards with your companion, especially if you arrived through different parts of her work.
- Cheltenham Literature Festival: festival guide · Where to stay · 2027 programme
Read more
Explore Mary Beard’s writing through the official author page and the publisher’s biography.
Authors you might also like
Tom Holland
Offers another festival profile for readers who enjoy history reaching back into the ancient world.
Dan Jones
Is another historian to explore if a writer’s way of telling a large historical story draws you to a talk.
Lucy Worsley
Offers another route into approachable historical conversations for a general audience.
Your questions about Mary Beard
Do I need a background in classics?
You can come as an interested general reader. Beard writes for audiences beyond a specialist classroom, and the books below offer several ways in. Start with a subject that makes you curious and let the conversation develop from there.
What can I read before seeing Mary Beard?
A broad history is one choice, but a shorter book about public speech and power may suit you just as well. Pick something you want to think about instead of trying to learn every emperor before the event.
How do I book a Mary Beard festival ticket?
Use the official box office of the festival hosting the talk, reached through its guide. Choose your session and ask about access support before buying. Any opportunity to ask a question or get a book signed should be checked separately.
Can podcast listeners enjoy an author event?
Yes. Hearing a familiar voice in a room with other readers can be part of the pleasure. You may find that a question from the discussion sends you towards a book you have not yet tried.