Matthew Rice to open Burford Lit Fest 2026

We are delighted to welcome artist and illustrator, Matthew Rice, to Burford Literary Festival 2026.

Matthew will open our Festival at 6.30pm on Friday 25th September at Old Baptist Chapel, Witney Street, where he will be talking about his life in art and books with focus on his new book, A Year In The Garden.

Matthew fell in love with watercolours at the age of 14 after a friend of his godmother died, leaving him a ream of finest watercolour paper. He discovered the magical combination of watercolours on best quality paper and has been painting ever since. Recording all that surrounds him, from heritage apples to Venetian rooftops, Matthew has documented a lifetime of memories and moments in watercolour. This trait has led him to illustration, for magazines such as Country Life, as well as for his own much-loved books on architecture, another of Matthew’s great fascinations. He has written and illustrated a number of books on unusual and often overlooked buildings, from Stoke-on-Trent to Norfolk, from Oxford to Rome.

Tickets for this very special event will be £20 and includes refreshments served with wine. Free tickets will be made available to 'A' level students from Burford School.

Tickets will be on our website next week. To check out the rest of our line up click here!

Burford Lit Fest Line-up