Stroud Book Festival has announced several events for November, including an evening with author Sathnam Sanghera focused on George Michael’s music, career and legacy.
Sanghera will appear at 6pm on Saturday 7 November to discuss his book Tonight the Music Seems So Loud: The Meaning of George Michael. The festival says the evening will include music, laughter and discussion of celebrity, songwriting, philanthropy and the personal cost of fame.
The book was initially planned as a celebration of the singer’s music. During the writing process, however, it developed into a broader examination of celebrity and the “strange and turbulent” period of British history represented by the 1980s and 1990s. Sanghera is best known for his bestselling books about the British Empire and has been a George Michael fan since childhood.
Laurie Prize ceremony at Lansdown Hall
The festival has also published the shortlists for the 2026 Laurie Prize for Writing. This year’s entrants were asked to write on the theme of Beginnings, with 16 writers selected for the two shortlists.
The categories are for writers aged 16 to 20 and those aged over 21. The winners will be revealed at a special Stroud Book Festival event at Lansdown Hall on Sunday 8 November.
Attendance at the prize event will be free, but the festival says people must register in advance. It has directed readers to the full shortlists for further details.
Stroud Short Stories returns
Lansdown Hall will host another event that evening when Stroud Short Stories returns to the festival. The Heat is On will feature authors reading their winning stories on the subject of Heat/Hot. Tickets are on sale through the Lansdown Hall website.
Tickets for the wider 2026 Stroud Book Festival programme are available online through thesubrooms.co.uk, by telephone via the Sub Rooms Box Office on 01453 796880, or in person at the box office.
The Sub Rooms Box Office is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 10am and 4pm. The festival warns that tickets for some events are being sold through other providers, so anyone planning to attend should check the information for the individual event before booking.
Maggie O’Farrell event planned for October
A separate festival event with Maggie O’Farrell is due to take place on Saturday 10 October. O’Farrell is scheduled to discuss her latest novel, Land.
The organisers say they are sorry that not everyone who wanted to attend managed to get a ticket. They also say the event will not be filmed, although a report is planned for the festival’s next newsletter.
The announcement was published on 9 October 2026. Event dates, ticket availability and booking arrangements should therefore be checked with the festival before making plans.