BBC Arts today announced a teaser of The Big Book Weekend, a three-day virtual festival that brings together the best of the cancelled UK literary festivals.

o-founded by the authors Kit de Waal and Molly Flatt with support from BBC Arts, the online book festival site MyVLF and Arts Council England; video interviews, panel discussions, and In Conversation sessions will be broadcast across three days over the first bank holiday weekend in May. The festival is part of BBC Art’s Culture In Quarantine initiative, bringing the very best arts and culture to the homes of everyone in the UK at a time of national lockdown.

The three events revealed today are:

Killing Eve: Luke Jennings in conversation with Sarah Hilary. Killing Eve started life as a series of self-published novellas, with an avid audience of devoted fans, before becoming one of the biggest TV hits of the last few years, recently returning to BBC One for a third series. Crime novelist Sarah Hilary quizzes author Luke Jennings on what drove him to create a female-centred thriller that shook up the genre.

Contagion: Adam Kucharski in conversation with Tim Hubbard. Why and how do ideas, false news and diseases spread? And how, in an increasingly small world, can we control them? Adam Kucharski is an associate professor at the London School Of Hygiene And Tropical Medicine, a TED fellow, a Wellcome Trust prize-winner, and has worked on global outbreaks including Ebola and Covid-19. Delving into his new book The Rules Of Contagion, he will talk to Tim Hubbard about what the world is experiencing now, and how new mathematical approaches are transforming what we know about contagion in all its forms.

200th Anniversary Of Anne Brontë’s birth: Adjoa Andoh, Jackie Kay and Isabel Greenberg in conversation with Cathy Newman. To mark the 200th anniversary of Anne Brontë’s birth, this session offers conversation, graphic artworks and live readings from The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall. Join novelist and poet Jackie Kay as she speaks to award-winning British graphic novelist Isabel Greenberg and acclaimed actor and director Adjoa Andoh about the work of this feminist pioneer. Their discussion is interspersed with readings by Adjoa Andoh, complimented by Isabel Greenberg’s artworks inspired by the Brontës, and chaired by journalist and broadcaster Cathy Newman.

Pictured above: Luke Jennings, Molly Flatt and Adam Kucharski

The full line up, to be revealed at the end of the month, offers something for everyone, and is designed to be the perfect way to discover more about books during national lockdown. As well as keeping book lovers in touch with the artists they love during lockdown, the events - which will feature big names alongside unknown debut authors and rising talents - is aimed at readers of all ages who may have previously been unable to attend a literary festival due to geography, access or cost. Archive interviews with authors and film adaptations of books will be broadcast during The Big Book Weekend.

The Big Book Weekend festival begins online from Friday 8 May.

Lamia Dabboussy, Editor of BBC Arts, says: “Through our Culture in Quarantine initiative, we have demonstrated that national lockdown need not be a barrier for people experiencing the very best arts and culture. While a virtual festival can never replace the experience of attending a festival in real life, we are delighted that Kit and Molly brought their idea to us. Their Book Weekend means that we can support festivals that have been cancelled, while bringing the nation together through a shared love of reading.”

Sarah Crown, Director of Literature at Arts Council England, says: “At this extraordinary time, when people are confined to their homes and unable to meet in person, books have become an ever more important source of comfort, companionship, stimulation and escape.

"They say that you’re never alone with a book, but the Big Book Weekend takes this idea one step further, giving people the chance to celebrate the power of reading, together. We’re delighted to be able to join with BBC Arts in supporting it - and in doing so, supporting authors, literary festivals, and of course readers around the country.”

Kit de Waal, author and co-founder of the festival, says: “I’m so excited to reveal this three events coming to The Big Book Weekend during the first Bank Holiday weekend in May. Luke Jennings has created an iconic story in Killing Eve, and one that reaches a broad audience and speaks to younger people too. I can’t wait to hear what he has to say about his novellas.

"We’re celebrating 200 years since the birth of Anne Bronte with a panel of incredible women - Adjoah Andoh, Jackie Kay, Isabel Greenberg and Cathy Newman - talking about her cultural impact. And a very timely discussion with Adam Kucharski and Tim Hubbard on contagion.”

Molly Flatt, author and co-Founder of the festival, says: “It has been an absolute pleasure working with so many of the brilliant book festivals up and down the country, and ensuring at least some of the events they had put together reach an audience. These three events are just a taster of the full line-up to come, and I can’t wait to reveal everything we have in store at the end of the month.”