2025 Programme
In 2025 the continuing theme of our changing landscape and environment is surveyed by a group of writers whose books are animated by the natural world.
The Suffolk coast has always nurtured creativity and innovation. The Leiston Book Festival brings together inspiring writers and enthusiastic readers for a day of exploration, debate and discovery.
The 2025 festival line-up includes six authors who in interviews will share what stimulates their work and how they approach a theme both timely and timeless.
Richard Negus
Richard Negus is a former soldier and professional horseman. He now lays hedges for a living and is an award-winning conservationist. He lives in rural Mid Suffolk with his wife Clare, son Charlie and their gundogs Mabel and Blyth. His writing champions the people, wildlife and landscape of his native Suffolk countryside and his work can be found in publications including Scribehound, Country Life and The Critic.
With over 20 years of experience as a hedge layer, Richard is passionate about the human skill and effort that go into hedgerows, often taken for granted despite being an emblem of the British countryside. His book, Words From the Hedge, elucidates the biodiversity hedges foster, as well as the men and women dealing with the everyday complexities of modern farming, conservation and countryside stewardship.
Melissa Harrison
Melissa Harrison is a novelist, children's author, journalist and nature writer. She contributes a monthly Nature Notebook column to The Times, and also writes regularly for the FT Weekend, the Guardian and the New Statesman.
Her latest book Homecoming has been described as ‘a simple, friendly and - above all - accessible nature journal for anyone who wants to notice more of the world around them’.
Patrick Galbraith
Patrick Galbraith was born in Scotland in 1993. His writing has appeared in The Observer, The Spectator, The Times and The Telegraph. He was editor of Shooting Times for seven years. He is now a columnist for Country Life and The Critic. Currently, he works as a commissioning editor at the independent publisher, Unbound, where he also runs Boundless Publishing Group’s literary magazine, Boundless. His non-fiction debut, In Search of One Last Song, was called the most important book on the countryside in years.
Tom Heap
Tom Heap, known for presenting BBC’s Countryfile, Radio 4’s Rare Earth, and Sky News’ The Climate Show, has dedicated his career to examining the environmental issues facing our world. In his latest book, Land Smart, he turns his attention to a critical question: how can we meet our growing demands while using land more wisely—and without further harming nature?
Our dependence on land—for food, energy, housing, and absorbing carbon—has pushed ecosystems to the brink through overuse and environmental degradation. With no untouched land left, we must now find ways to make smarter, more efficient use of what we have, or face severe consequences.
In Land Smart, Heap journeys through the British countryside, speaking with farmers, researchers, conservationists, and even logistics experts who are developing innovative approaches to land use. Their work offers hope for a future where both people and the planet can flourish.
Join Tom Heap as he shares powerful insights into how sustainable land practices can help build a more balanced and resilient world.
Ian Collins
Author of Blythe Spirit: The Remarkable Life of Ronald Blythe, Ian Collins was a close friend of Blythe’s. Drawing on unparalleled access to letters, notebooks, published works, drafts, and conversations from decades of friendship, he tells the full story of Ronald Blythe for the first time. The result is a sensitive, revelatory portrait which celebrates a fascinating, complex man and casts new light on one of our greatest writers.
