23rd–29th June 2025 - Broad Chalke, Salisbury
You are invited to a special event at the Daily Mail Chalke Valley History Festival, on Saturday 28th June at 4pm, when Lady Emma Kitchener will be opening a sealed packing case which has remained untouched since the start of the First World War.
Veteran war correspondent and reporter Kate Adie talks on Day One at CVHF 2014, discussing with Xander Drury her glittering career in journalism as well as her latest book ‘Fighting on the Homefront: The Legacy of Women in World War One’.
Kate Adie at CVHF14
Auschwitz survivor Freddie Knoller shares with Xander Drury his amazing story of survival. Knoller fought in the French Resistance before being betrayed after a failed love affair and was arrested by the Gestapo. Tortured, he was eventually sent to Auschwitz but survived both that and the Death March of January 1945. Here Knoller reveals how it was his optimistic outlook that pulled him through such unprecedented toils.
Freddie Knoller at CVHF
Historians’ Question Time on Sunday
As the action-packed weekend at this year’s festival begins to come into sight, Helen Castor and BBC Radio 4’s Making History are calling on YOU to join in the debate when Historiansʼ Question Time returns to the Chalke Valley History Festival this Sunday.
What would you like to ask the panel?
Send us your questions for David Reynolds, Jon Snow, Andrea Wulf and Suzannah Lipscomb to making.history@bbc.co.uk
Click here for more information on how to secure tickets for this event.
Today it has been announced that British historian and author Antony Beevor is the winner of the prestigious 2014 Pritzker Military Museum & Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing.
The Pritzker Literature Award, which includes a medallion, citation, and $100,000 honorarium, recognizes and honours the contributions of a living author for a body of work dedicated to enriching the understanding of military history.
“Winning this award is, for me, the greatest honor imaginable—partly because of the reputation of the prize, but also because on the panel of judges are some of the historians that I admire most in the world,”
Beevor – one of the patrons at the Chalke Valley History Festival – said.
“It may be for lifetime achievement, which has a retrospective air in some ways, but I think the wonderful idea is that it is the greatest carrot imaginable to push you forward and keep you writing.”
Beevor is speaking at CVHF on Thursday evening about D-Day.
Click here if you want tickets to this event as they are going fast!
Xander Drury interviews leading historian and broadcaster Dan Snow on the opening day of Chalke Valley History Festival 2014, speaking on what makes history such an important and special subject as well as sharing his thoughts on D-Day, the World Cup and Twitter.
Xander Drury in conversation with Dan Snow
The last video exclusive interview with actress Joanna Lumley at CVHF13, talking with Xander Drury about her involvement in this year’s CVHF writing prize whilst also sharing how it was to work alongside Martin Scorcese and Leonardo DiCaprio in her recent film ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’.
Camera: John E Fry
Joanna Lumley and Ian Hislop basking in the sun at CVHF13
Our penultimate video exclusive from this year’s festival as Xander Drury talks to writer Charlie Higson about his latest zombie-packed adventure in The Enemy series, his time on ‘The Fast Show’ and the key to writing thrilling historical fiction.
Camera: John E Fry
Charlie Higson at CVHF13
An exclusive interview with Justin Pollard, historical advisor on everything from ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ to ‘The Tudors’ as he discusses with John Fry his new history panel show ‘Histrionics’ and shares his delight at being involved in this year’s festival.
Camera: John E Fry
Ian Hislop and Neil Oliver getting their teeth into CVHF’s own panel show, ‘Histrionics’
James Heneage, co-founder of the Chalke Valley History Festival, shares with John E Fry his highlights of CVHF13, the secrets behind its unprecedented success and the plans for next year’s festival.
James Heneage speaking at CVHF13
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