Excellent Women Festival 2026

This is your opporthunity to celebrate women in books and reading with an eclectic mix of events, talks and activities inspired by one of Oswestry's very own literary legends, Barbara Pym.

Supported by Booka Bookshop and co-founded and organised by Carrie Morris and Caroline Lang, our festival takes place this year on International Women's Day

PROGRAMME OF EVENTS

11.00am BRUNCH WITH NAZ SHAH MP

Our festival opens with a unique opportunity to hear from Britain’s first Muslim MP, Naz Shah. In conversation with Excellent Women co-founder Caroline Lang , Naz will talk about her new book, ‘Honoured’: Strength, Survival and My Path to Politics.

In Honoured, Naz Shah reveals how growing up against almost impossible odds lit the fire that still drives her today. This is the unflinching account of a young British Muslim woman coming of age and discovering the power of her own voice. An inspiring story of survival, faith and political awakening, it charts the making of an activist determined to speak out, stand up and claim space in a world that rarely offers it.

Ticket: £12

12.30pm MOTHER COURAGE WITH ROSIE KELLY-SMITH, ELINOR CLEGHORN & NICOLA SLAWSON

A diverse panel of writers reflect on the challenges of combining motherhood and the world of work, in the past and now, not least as authors.

● Rosie Kelly-Smith: as a new mum, Rosie's Mother/daughter conversations, including with her own mum, Lorraine, considers the universal truths that still make sense today, alongside the pieces of advice you can definitely ignore.

● Elinor Cleghorn: explores the story of motherhood, showcasing the mothers, othermothers, midwives, activists, and community leaders who have shaped the course of history

● Nicola Slawson: in ‘Single’, Nicola explored the joys and challenges of choosing to be un-partnered in a world designed for couples. It’s a world in which she is now also a mum with fascinating reflections to share with the panel

The Mother Courage panel will be chaired by journalist and author of ‘After Birth: How to Recover Body and Mind’, Jessica Hatcher-Moore.

This will be a lively and vibrant discussion on how modern day mothering has evolved and the challenges still to overcome.

Ticket: £10

2.00pm EXCELLENT WOMEN LECTURE - DR PAULA BYRNE

Academic, best-selling literary biographer and novelist Dr Paula Byrne, will deliver the inaugural, Excellent Women Lecture, focusing on Oswestry’s very own literary hero, Barbara Pym.

Born in Oswestry, in 1913, Barbara Pym lived through extraordinary times. She attended Oxford in the thirties when women were the minority. She spent time in Nazi Germany, falling for a man who was close to Hitler and she made a career on the Home Front as a single working girl in London. In her ground-breaking biography, ‘The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym’, Dr Paula Byrne explored Pym’s extraordinary life as revealed by her extensive archive of diaries, letters, notes and stories. Her Excellent Women lecture places Barbara Pym centre stage as one of the great English novelists: a generous, shrewdly perceptive writer and a brave woman, who only in the last years of her life (she died in 1980) was suddenly, resoundingly recognised for her geniu

Ticket: £10

3.30pm WHAT WOMEN WANT WITH HARRIET TYCE, PAULA SUTTON & KAREN SWAN

Join us for a fun, interactive session exploring what women want when it comes to reading fiction. We will hear from an eclectic panel of female authors, writing in a variety of genres and chaired by award winning publicist and soon to be debut novelist, Alison Barrow.

Former barrister turned crime fiction writer Harriet Tyce is the best-selling author of ‘Blood Orange’, ‘The Lies You Told’ and the soon to be published, ‘Witch Trial’.

Cosy crime murder mystery writer, digital creator, stylist and Country Living columnist Paula Sutton’s titles include, ‘The Potting Shed Murders’ and ‘The Body in the Kitchen Garden’ – a completely addictive and charming cosy crime mystery.

Our third panellist is international best-selling romantic fiction author and former fashion journalist, Karen Swan, whose books include, The Midnight Secret and soon to be published, Three Summers.

Guided by Alison Barrow’s experience as PR Director with Penguin Books, the discussion will take a deep dive into what motivates the female of the species to pick a particular book – evocative setting, charismatic characters, gripping plot or love and lust.

Don’t miss what is sure to be a fun, lively session.

Ticket £10

4.30pm EXCELLENT WOMEN BOOKSWAP

Share the love of books and reading with your fellow festival goers by bringing along a book to swap

Free Event

5.00pm Festival Close

BOOK SIGNINGS & FESTIVAL BOOKSHOP

Book signing sessions will take place following each event. The Festival Bookshop will be open throughout the day.

TICKETS

Tickets are available to purchase for each individual event. Alternatively, if you are interested in attending more than one session, then why not save and purchase a Day Pass for £38, giving access to all four events.

VENUE

The Holroyd Community Theatre is accessed off the Gledrid junction of the A5 north of Oswestry and is sign posted off Station Road (left turn before railway crossing). On-site parking is available.

Seating is unallocated

Refreshments will be available to purchase

Please let us know if you have an accessibility/mobility requirements.