# Event Details - **Event Name**: A HISTORY OF THE NOVEL IN BRITAIN: Philip Hensher with Sam Leith - **Event Start and End Date**: Mon, 14 Sep, 2026 at 07:00 pm – Mon, 14 Sep, 2026 at 08:30 pm (+01:00) - **Event Description**: Philip Hensher visits Foyles to discuss his new publication 'A History of the Novel in Britain' with editor and author Sam Leith.About this EventThe story of the novel in Britain is a good story. It begins in the eighteenth century, when people from outside the regular circles of power and authority began to read in ever greater numbers, seeking words that helped explain their multifarious hopes and desires. A new kind of literature was needed for this growing market of readers, one that reflected as many different lives in its pages as there were people to buy them, that could change with the times and do something new: something novel.In this illuminating new history of both an art and an industry, Philip Hensher describes how the evolutionary scramble by writers and publishers to get attention drove constant innovation in writing techniques, and produced new ways of printing, distributing, and selling books. Over the course of three hundred years, these forces shaped the novel’s form and its future, from Daniel Defoe to Zadie Smith. Reading widely across the famous, the once famous and the utterly (if unfairly) forgotten, Hensher’s account is a book of investigative verve that makes a serious case for widening the canon.A History of the Novel in Britain is not only a study of this endlessly entertaining and inspiring literature: it is a hoard of treasure waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.Philip Hensher is the editor of The Penguin Book of the British Short Story (in two volumes) and of The Penguin Book of the Contemporary British Short Story. His most recent novel is A Small Revolution in Germany.Sam Leith is literary editor of the Spectator and the author of The Haunted Wood: A History of Childhood Reading.The discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A and book signing.Tickets: £10 General Admission, £8 Foyalty Member / £30 Book and Ticket, inc. a copy of A History of the Novel in Britain (RRP £25)Venue: The Auditorium (Level 6) at Foyles, 107 Charing Cross Road**Please note that the Auditorium at Foyles is fully accessible from the Ground floor lifts. - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/london/a-history-of-the-novel-in-britain-philip-hensher-with-sam-leith/100001994687682554 - **Event Categories**: art, literary-art, workshops - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 - **Event Highlights**: - Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes - Location: Foyles - Languages: English ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 8, max: 30, currency: GBP ## Event venue details - **city**: London - **state**: EN - **country**: United Kingdom - **location**: Foyles - **lat**: 51.5143097 - **long**: -0.1298993 - **full address**: Foyles, 107 Charing Cross Road, London, United Kingdom ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: A HISTORY OF THE NOVEL IN BRITAIN: Philip Hensher with Sam Leith - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events2/banners/aebcbaf998ffa6d833455a0a0b401492f4477c54b22534cf8b2204785bd3415e-rimg-w1200-h629-dcf8f8f8-gmir.jpg?v=1787094070 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is A HISTORY OF THE NOVEL IN BRITAIN: Philip Hensher with Sam Leith being held? - **A:** A HISTORY OF THE NOVEL IN BRITAIN: Philip Hensher with Sam Leith takes place on Mon, 14 Sep, 2026 at 07:00 pm to Mon, 14 Sep, 2026 at 08:30 pm at Foyles, 107 Charing Cross Road, London, United Kingdom. - **Q**: Who is organizing A HISTORY OF THE NOVEL IN BRITAIN: Philip Hensher with Sam Leith? - **A:** A HISTORY OF THE NOVEL IN BRITAIN: Philip Hensher with Sam Leith is organized by Foyles Bookshop, 107 Charing Cross Road. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** A HISTORY OF THE NOVEL IN BRITAIN: Philip Hensher with Sam Leith is ideal for art lovers, collectors, creatives, and anyone inspired by visual arts, installations, and exhibitions. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in London, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If A HISTORY OF THE NOVEL IN BRITAIN: Philip Hensher with Sam Leith sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "A HISTORY OF THE NOVEL IN BRITAIN: Philip Hensher with Sam Leith", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events2/banners/aebcbaf998ffa6d833455a0a0b401492f4477c54b22534cf8b2204785bd3415e-rimg-w1200-h629-dcf8f8f8-gmir.jpg?v=1787094070", "startDate": "2026-09-14T19:00:00+01:00", "endDate": "2026-09-14T20:30:00+01:00", "url": "https://allevents.in/london/a-history-of-the-novel-in-britain-philip-hensher-with-sam-leith/100001994687682554", "eventStatus": "https://schema.org/EventScheduled", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "Foyles", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "107 Charing Cross Road", "postalCode": "WC2H 0EB", "addressLocality": "London", "addressRegion": "EN", "addressCountry": "GB" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "51.5143097", "longitude": "-0.1298993" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "Philip Hensher visits Foyles to discuss his new publication 'A History of the Novel in Britain' with editor and author Sam Leith.", "offers": [ { "@type": "AggregateOffer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-08-18", "availabilityEnds": "2026-09-14T20:30:00+01:00", "validFrom": "2026-08-18", "lowPrice": "8.00", "highPrice": "30.00", "price": "8.00", "url": "https://allevents.in/london/a-history-of-the-novel-in-britain-philip-hensher-with-sam-leith/100001994687682554" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-08-18", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-08-18", "url": "https://allevents.in/london/a-history-of-the-novel-in-britain-philip-hensher-with-sam-leith/100001994687682554", "price": "10.00", "name": "General Admission" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-08-18", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-08-18", "url": "https://allevents.in/london/a-history-of-the-novel-in-britain-philip-hensher-with-sam-leith/100001994687682554", "price": "30.00", "name": "Book and Ticket" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-08-18", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-08-18", "url": "https://allevents.in/london/a-history-of-the-novel-in-britain-philip-hensher-with-sam-leith/100001994687682554", "price": "8.00", "name": "Foyalty Member" } ], "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Foyles Bookshop 107 Charing Cross Road", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/foyles-bookshop-107-charing-cross-road/22530794", "description": "The flagship shop of the UK's largest independent bookseller.We have four London bookstores as well as shops in Birmingham, Bristol and Chelmsford. You can also find us online offering home delivery on thousands of titles with aClick & Collectservice to reserve items in-store." } ] } ] ```