Paterson Joseph at literary festivals

Last checked: 28 October 2026

Paterson Joseph brings acting and writing together across historical fiction, children’s history and books about theatre. His 2026 festival programme included an introduction to TEN Children Who Changed the World, a conversation about performance careers and a spoken-word gala. Those are different ways to encounter the same writer, each with its own audience and subject.

Quick facts

Best known for: Acting, Sancho and children’s history
Genre or subject: Historical fiction, children’s history and theatre
Latest book: TEN Children Who Changed the World (2025)
2026 festivals: Bath Children's Literature Festival, Hay Festival

About Paterson Joseph

Joseph is an actor and writer whose stage work includes the Royal Shakespeare Company. Screen audiences may recognise him from Peep Show, Vigil, Noughts & Crosses and Wonka. He is also Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University, whose biography describes his interest in encouraging young people through storytelling.

His books give readers three starting points. TEN approaches historical lives for younger readers; The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho uses the form of a novel; Julius Caesar and Me examines the making and performance of theatre. Choosing between them is partly a question of subject and partly a question of how you want a story to be told.

The combination also explains why a festival session might be a reading, an interview about acting or a children’s history conversation. Check the programme before taking one format as a guide to every appearance.

For a child who enjoys historical stories, consider both the age recommendation and the description. An age label gives a starting point, but the subject and length still matter. For a school booking, use the organiser’s education information and its stated year groups. A place in a schools programme should not be assumed to be a general-public ticket.

A book event can concentrate on the people and stories in TEN, while a creative-industries discussion can address the work of a performer. A gala has a shared bill and a programme of readings. Choose the format that fits your interest, then check the participants and audience guidance before planning the rest of your day.

Where to start with their books

TEN Children Who Changed the World

Published in September 2025 and illustrated by Rumbidzai Savanhu, TEN introduces historical Black people through episodes from childhood. The figures lived in circumstances that imposed severe restrictions and went on to achieve things those circumstances did not seem to allow. The book uses several forms of writing, including scripts, poems and prose. It is Joseph’s first book for children and offers a non-fiction route into his work.

The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho

Joseph’s 2022 debut novel imagines the life of the eighteenth-century writer, composer and businessman Charles Ignatius Sancho. The diary form lets a reader follow a historical life through a shaped narrative voice. Choose this for an extended work of historical fiction, with room for character, uncertainty and changing relationships. Its form differs from TEN’s collection of shorter lives for younger readers.

Julius Caesar and Me

Julius Caesar and Me: Exploring Shakespeare’s African Play was first published in 2018. It reflects on Joseph’s experience playing Brutus in Gregory Doran’s 2012 Royal Shakespeare Company production. Rehearsal, casting, collaboration and the relationship between performer and audience are among its subjects. It is a route for readers interested in how theatre is made, and for anyone drawn to the creative-industries conversation.

An audiobook edition appeared in April 2026, written and read by Joseph. That later format does not make it a new 2026 title. Choose the edition that suits how you read or listen, while keeping its original place in his bibliography clear.

Festival appearances

For tickets, use the host festival’s official box office. Confirm the date, venue and access details before paying.

2026

Paterson Joseph: featured events in 2026
Festival	Date	Event and venue	Official source
Hay Festival	29 May 2026	Creative Industry Insights: Paterson Joseph with Cariad Lloyd Spring Stage; ages 14+	Official listing
Hay Festival	29 May 2026	Speaking Up for Success: A Spoken Word Gala Global Stage	Official listing
Hay Festival	30 May 2026	Ten: Children Who Changed the World Exchange Marquee; ages 9+	Official listing
Bath Children's Literature Festival	27 September 2026	Meet Paterson Joseph Guildhall; ages 9+	Official listing

What their events are like

At Hay on Saturday 30 May 2026, Joseph introduced Ten: Children Who Changed the World at 2.30pm in the Exchange Marquee. The organiser gave an age recommendation of nine and over. The session looked at historical Black figures through their childhoods and the lives they went on to lead.

The previous day, he spoke with Cariad Lloyd in Creative Industry Insights at 2.30pm on the Spring Stage. This session drew on his performance career and was recommended for ages 14 and over.

At 5.30pm that Friday, Joseph appeared in Speaking Up for Success: A Spoken Word Gala on the Global Stage. Fellow performers included Miriam Margolyes, Larry Lamb, Cressida Cowell and Joanna Pickering, with Frank Cottrell-Boyce hosting. The programme combined chosen readings with poetry performed by local schoolchildren.

Bath Children’s Literature Festival included Meet Paterson Joseph on Sunday 27 September 2026, from 4pm to 4.45pm at the Guildhall, with guidance of 9+. Edinburgh’s separate schools programme included Don’t Underestimate Me with Paterson Joseph for Monday 24 August, 10.30am to 11.15am in the Courtyard Theatre, for P4–6 pupils. That Edinburgh event was a schools session. All these 2026 events have finished.

Where to see them next

No 2027 appearances announced yet. Check the festival guides for programme dates.

Plan your trip

For a future Hay or Bath visit, place the event venue alongside your accommodation and arrival plans. A family conversation in the afternoon can lead to a different day from an evening performance. Leave room for food, finding the entrance and a break before travelling home.

Read the matching visitor guide for the overall festival, and the stay page if you want more than one day. Decide whether returning to the room between sessions matters to you, then check the actual property address and check-in time. An interval in the programme does not automatically give you enough time for another journey.

If you are arranging a school visit, keep that booking separate from a family festival plan. Confirm eligibility, supervision and any digital access through the festival’s schools team. The earlier Edinburgh session had its own intended audience and requirements.

Bath Children's Literature Festival: festival guide · Where to stay · 2027 programme
Hay Festival: festival guide · Where to stay · 2027 programme

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History festivals · Family festivals

Your questions about Paterson Joseph

Is TEN a novel?

It is a children’s non-fiction book about historical lives. The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho is the novel. They share an interest in Black history but approach it through different forms and audiences.

Can I book the Edinburgh schools session for my family?

Use the festival’s education information for eligibility. The cited 2026 session was for P4–6 pupils in its schools programme. For a family day, look for a public event with suitable guidance.

Will every appearance include a performance?

Read the individual description. The 2026 programme included a gala, a career conversation and a book session. An actor’s presence does not guarantee a reading, signing or performance at another event.

Which book follows his theatre work?

Julius Caesar and Me explores his experience of the RSC production. Choose TEN for children’s history or Sancho for a sustained historical novel instead.