PhD student Xiaoge Wang on their experience at the 2026 Cambridge Literary Festival
As a third-year PhD student in English researching contemporary British literature, much of my academic life is shaped by intensive reading and writing under considerable time pressure. It has inevitably narrowed my reading practices, as theoretical and critical materials must take priority over broader literary exploration. Attending the 2026 Cambridge Literary Festival therefore offered a rare and valuable opportunity to reconnect specialised research with living literary culture.
Among the many literary festivals held across the UK, the Cambridge Literary Festival occupies a distinctive position because of its intellectually stimulating atmosphere and its ability to attract internationally respected writers, scholars, critics, and cultural figures. Given my limited time, I carefully selected seven events that were particularly relevant to my research interests and wider intellectual development.
One of the most meaningful experiences was hearing Booker Prize-shortlisted novelist Andrew Miller discuss The Land in Winter.
His warmth and attentiveness helped me appreciate more fully the humane melancholy underlying his depiction of 1960s Britain. I was similarly inspired by Frances Wilson’s discussion of her biography of Muriel Spark. The passionate intellectual commitment demanded by literary biography resonated deeply with my own experience as a literary researcher.
Hearing Margaret Drabble speak challenged some of my previous assumptions about her writing and convinced me that important postwar British authors can still benefit from renewed critical attention. James Geary’s discussion of aphorisms unexpectedly intersected with questions central to one of my thesis chapters and offered valuable conceptual insights. His skill as a public speaker also prompted me to consider how literary scholarship might communicate complex ideas with greater vitality.
The festival revitalised my intellectual curiosity and reduced the isolation that can accompany doctoral research. As a researcher working between British and Chinese literary contexts, I hope to bring what I learned into my academic writing, teaching, reviews, and public-facing criticism. Many contemporary British writers remain relatively unfamiliar to Chinese readers, students, editors, and scholars. By sharing the insights gained from hearing authors discuss their creative processes and historical concerns, I hope to support a broader cross-cultural understanding of contemporary British literature.
I am deeply grateful to the St John’s College Student Opportunities Fund for funding my accommodation during the festival.
