Chaser Shaun Wallace to Headline H&F Writers Festival

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This year's Line-up includes a cross-section of literary talent

L-t-r: Yvvette Edwards, Shaun Wallace, Onyi Nwabineli. Picture: The Writers Festival

June 1, 2026

The H&F Writers Festival returns with one of its most exciting line-ups yet — and a headline appearance from ITV’s Shaun Wallace, the barrister and quiz-show star known to millions as The Dark Destroyer. Wallace will take centre stage at Grove House, Hammersmith, on Saturday 27 June, joining a stellar cast of authors, screenwriters and literary trailblazers for a day celebrating creativity, storytelling and community.

Now in its fifth year, the festival has quickly become a cornerstone of the borough’s cultural calendar, drawing established names and emerging voices together under one roof. More than a dozen writers will take part in panel discussions, readings and Q&A sessions, offering advice and inspiration to aspiring authors.

Wallace, best known for his formidable presence on The Chase, will swap the quiz podium for the festival stage to talk about his own writing journey — from the courtroom to the page — and the role storytelling has played in his life and career.

This year’s programme features an impressive roster of literary figures, including:

• Margaret Busby, Britain’s first Black female publisher and a pioneering force in the industry
• Tina Andrews, the Hollywood screenwriter behind award-winning film and television projects
• Yvvette Edwards, Booker-longlisted novelist and acclaimed author
• Yvonne Bailey-Smith, writer, psychotherapist and mother of Zadie Smith, whose debut novel The Day I Fell Off My Island was shortlisted for four major awards
• Onyi Nwabineli, author of Someday, Maybe, a Good Morning America Book Club pick

Together, they form a vibrant cross-section of contemporary writing — from fiction and memoir to screenwriting, publishing and social commentary.

The H&F Writers Festival was founded in 2021 by Rasheda Malcolm, a Shepherd’s Bush resident, author and long-time writing tutor at the borough’s Macbeth Centre. The idea grew out of her work with the WILDE Foundation, a charity supporting women and girls through creative expression.

“We use creative tools to help women overcome abuse,” Rasheda explains. “They write their traumas down on the page, and they’re free to express themselves.”

Her vision for the festival has always been twofold: to champion underrepresented voices and to nurture local talent. After more than 40 years living in the borough, she sees the festival as a way of giving back — and of putting Hammersmith & Fulham firmly on the literary map.

“I’d like to see H&F have one of the most exciting writers’ festivals in the UK — and eventually the globe,” she says.

Tickets are available now, with the full line-up and booking details online.

Grove House is on Hammersmith Grove (W6 0NE).

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