Charlie Higson returns to UEA for Norwich History Festival headline event
The comedian, author and UEA graduate will join leading historians and broadcasters at this year’s festival exploring why history matters
Charlie Higson is returning to UEA this summer as one of the headline speakers at the Norwich History Festival.
The Fast Show co-creator, author and actor will be back on campus on campus this morning for an event exploring Britain’s monarchs, his lifelong passion for history and his connection to Norwich.
His talk, Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee, is based on his popular history podcast and bestselling book about the country’s kings and queens.
Higson said: "It's great to have an excuse to come back and visit Norwich again and to do an event at UEA where I spent some very happy student years in the late 70s.
"I've returned a few times since then in different guises - as a comedy writer and performer, as a novelist, and this time I'm coming back as a historian - my new side hustle. I believe Gen Z call this polyworking, income stacking or Overemployment…"
Now in its second year, the Norwich History Festival will run from 14-24 July, bringing together some of the UK’s leading historians, authors and broadcasters.
The festival’s 2026 programme includes military historian Antony Beevor, historian and broadcaster Kate Williams, and writer and explorer Nicholas Crane.
UEA will also host Beevor, who will discuss his latest work on Grigori Rasputin, while Professor Claire Jowitt will share new research from The Gloucester Project examining the historic 1682 shipwreck discovered off the Norfolk coast.
Professor Jowitt said: "I am thrilled to share UEA's new research about the Gloucester shipwreck, a Norfolk story of national and international significance."
The festival will feature more than 60 events across Norwich, including talks, walks, exhibitions and performances under the theme Why History Matters.
Festival Director Stuart Hobday said: "We have 11 days of talks, walks, theatre, music, and film on Why History Matters and UEA are providing several speakers as well as a number of event facilitators."
The event programme aims to show how stories from the past continue to shape the way we understand the present.