Jewish Book Week 2016, Kings Place and JW3

Jewish Book Week is one of the capital’s foremost literary gatherings. The 2016 programme is remarkable in its diversity and scope, with events stretching beyond the titular week. Subjects are to range from Einstein’s life and theories to a global history of porcelain, from Judaism in the classical world to the life of novelist Saul Bellow; from the general to the specific, from universal concerns and culture to those that are intrinsically Jewish. With such a broad selection of events, there's something to suit all interests. Here are our highlights.

For fans of fiction, there’s plenty on offer. On the 21^st, audiences have a chance to hear from Benjamin Markovits whose You Don’t Have to Live Like This is one of the finest novels of 2015. Following the fortunes of an urban redevelopment project in Detroit, it is an urgent and insightful portrait of post-recession America. Meanwhile, if you can’t get enough of historical fiction, then make sure not miss literary titans Tracey Chevalier and Esther Freud discuss their creative processes on the 24^th.

One of the most widely loved children’s writers and illustrators of all time, Judith Kerr speaks on the 21^st. The author of enduring classics The Tiger Who Came To Tea and When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, 2015 saw her publish Mr. Cleghorn’s Seal, her first book in thirty seven years. In conversation with broadcaster Nicolette Jones, she will look back on a life of storytelling.

Equally impressive is the range of historical talks. The 21st sees Simon Schama present The Jewish Face of Britain, an extension of his recent project and television series The Face of Britain, which looks at the lives of such luminaries as Frank Auerbach, David Bomberg and Leon Kossoff. On the 23rd, Professor Nikolaus Wachsman discusses his momentous publication KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps, an integrated account of these far-reaching horrors, which is considered among the most significant history books of our time.

Rounding off the festival is the Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks whose new book Not in God’s Name: Confronting Religious Violence faces up to the dangers of religious extremism. In conversation with Daniel Finkelstein, he will ask how we might build a better future.