Susie Dent is a writer for people who stop at a word and wonder where it came from. Her books move from everyday language to children’s reading and crime fiction. A festival conversation can make a shared pleasure of that curiosity, with a phrase to think about long after you leave the tent.
Quick facts
Best known for
Books about words and language, and linguistic crime fiction
Dent writes and broadcasts about language. Many readers know her from Dictionary Corner on Countdown, but her working life also includes writing for the Radio Times and The Week Junior. Her books give a word’s story more room, following how it acquired its meaning and the human experience behind it.
Words for Life was first published in 2025, with a paperback edition in October 2026. Her children’s book The Roots We Share turns to the words and phrases that connect people. Those books reach different readers, while keeping the pleasure of language at their centre.
She also writes linguistic mysteries. Her debut novel, Guilty by Definition, brought dictionary-making into a crime story. Bonnier’s catalogue gave August 2026 as the publication month for Death Writ Large, an Oxford-set mystery with a lexicographer at its centre. For a reader who likes language and puzzles, the move into crime is another way to follow the writer beyond her familiar television role.
Where to start with their books
Word Perfect
This linguistic almanac connects word stories and etymologies with days of the year. It is a book to dip into when you want a small discovery, and a starting point for readers who enjoy the history behind a familiar phrase as much as learning an unfamiliar term.
Words from the Heart
A collection of 1,001 terms seeks names for feelings that can be difficult to describe. Choose it if your interest in language begins with recognising an experience: the pleasure of someone else’s happiness, for example, or a feeling for which everyday vocabulary seems too small.
Dent’s Modern Tribes
Interviews with professionals, hobbyists and enthusiasts open up the language of different groups. From work to shared interests, the phrases people use reveal a community’s habits and jokes. This is the route in if you enjoy hearing how language sounds inside another person’s daily life.
Festival appearances
For tickets, use the host festival’s official box office. Confirm the date, venue and access details before paying.
At Hay on 24 May 2026, Dent talked with Alex Jones on the Global Stage about her collection of words and expressions. On the same day, she joined M. G. Leonard on the Spring Stage for a conversation about the children’s book.
Where to see them next
No 2027 appearances announced yet. Check the festival guides for programme dates.
Plan your trip
For a family outing, let your child’s interest in words and the age guidance shape the choice. For an adult visit, keep a favourite expression in mind and see whether the conversation changes how you hear it. A quiet meal or journey home can become a chance to swap words with whoever came with you.
Use the festival links on Susie Dent’s profile for the event’s own ticket and audience guidance.
Can I see her if I only know Countdown?
Use the festival links on Susie Dent’s profile for the event’s own ticket and audience guidance.
How do I buy tickets to hear Susie Dent?
Use the festival links on Susie Dent’s profile for the event’s own ticket and audience guidance.
What should I read before going?
One of the word books below can be enjoyed in small pieces before your trip. Pick a story about a phrase or a term you like, then listen with that curiosity; you do not need to learn a whole dictionary first.
