Literature Festival at Sea
In partnership with Cheltenham Literature Festival.
Find yourself delighted by guests from the world of the written word as you glide across the mighty Atlantic on this special Event Voyage from New York to Southampton.
Literature Festival at Sea 2026 and 2027
28 November - 5 December 2026, Queen Mary 2 | 2 - 9 December 2027, Queen Mary 2
Literature Festival at Sea
Cross the Atlantic with Literature Festival at Sea
During Literature Festival at Sea, experience an ocean journey unlike any other. Your home from home at sea, Queen Mary 2 is equipped with all the amenities you need to unwind and escape from reality as you sail from New York to Southampton.
Enrich your time on board
From sports and rejuvenating wellness experiences to classes, an enriching Insights programme, and a range of entertainment options, every day on board Queen Mary 2 could bring something new.
Sample something new
The extraordinary culinary experiences that await you on our flagship are guaranteed to leave you wanting more. Enjoy a regular reservation at your stateroom’s restaurant, indulge in world flavours at Kings Court or, for an additional supplement, savour a prime cut at Steakhouse at The Verandah.
World class comfort
Queen Mary 2’s Queens Grill Suites are her most prestigious accommodation, designed to provide guests with elevated comfort with the largest allocation of private living space on board.
An oasis of calm
A world of wellness and rejuvenation awaits you on board Queen Mary 2. Let tensions slip away with a relaxing spa treatment or stretch into the day with a morning yoga class. Feeling and looking your best is effortless when you holiday on our flagship.
Moments worth savouring
Signature cocktails and craft beers. Vintage wines and our Cunard Four Queens Gins. Whether you’re seeking a quiet drink after a day of exploring or the buzz of live entertainment, you’re sure to find the perfect venue among the bars and lounges of our legendary flagship.
Literature Festival at Sea 2026
Special guests on board
Celia Imrie
Olivier Award-winning and Screen Actors Guild-nominated actress.
Fern Britton
Sunday Times bestselling author.
Alexander McCall Smith
Author and former professor.
Julia Wheeler
Author, journalist and former BBC Gulf Correspondent.
David McCloskey
Former CIA analyst and former consultant at McKinsey & Company.
Charlotte Ivers
The Sunday Times’s restaurant critic.
Fidelis Morgan
Non-fiction author and lecturer.
Layla McCay
Award-winning LGBTQ author.
Josh Glancy
Associate editor of The Sunday Times.
Jason Crampton
The Times’s cryptic crossword cruciverbalist.
Susie Goldsbrough
Deputy literary editor at The Times.
Pam Ayres
Sunday Times bestselling writer, broadcaster, and entertainer.
Linwood Barclay
International bestselling crime and thriller author.
Jenny Colgan
Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author.
Peter Frankopan
Professor of Global History at Oxford University.
Natalie Haynes
Sunday Times bestselling author and broadcaster.
Bettany Hughes
Award-winning historian, author, and broadcaster.
Colin Grant
Award-winning author, historian and critic.
Philippa Perry
British integrative psychotherapist and bestselling author.
Sophie Raworth
BBC News presenter.
Philippe Sands
Professor and practising barrister.
Andrew Lownie
Sunday Times bestselling author.
Literature Festival at Sea 2027
Special guests on board
Paddy O'Connell
BBC radio and TV presenter.
Mark Billingham
Award‑winning crime writer.
Jeremy Griffin
Executive Editor at The Times and Times Radio.
Dr Sian Williams
Award-winning BBC presenter, bestselling author and NHS chartered psychologist.
Louise Welsh
Award‑winning novelist and Professor of Creative Writing at University of Glasgow.
Laura Hackett
Deputy Literary Editor at The Times and Sunday Times.
Geoff Dyer
Award‑winning author.
Zoë Strachan
Award‑winning novelist and broadcaster.
Roger McGough
Renowned poet, performer, and broadcaster.
Peter Hain
Former UK minister, activist, and author.
Julia Wheeler
Award‑winning author and former BBC Gulf Correspondent.
*The workshops are bookable on board with a small additional charge.
Guest speakers and on board activities are subject to change.
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