Among the headliners for this year's Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival will be comedy pioneer Lenny Henry, who with his customary warmth and wit, will guide audiences through his career in the 1980s and 90s in the wonderfully immersive memoir Rising to the Surface.

In conversation with Lenny will be the popular newsreader and presenter Clive Myrie.

Book Lenny Henry - Rising to the Surface
Sat 11 May, 7.30pm

Lenny Henry has been a comedian since the age of 16. He has risen from being a cult star on children's television to becoming one of Britain's best known television performers, as well as a writer, philanthropist and award-winning stage actor. Lenny's recent screen credits include The Witcher: Blood Origin, Rings of Power, Broadchurch, The Syndicate and the biographic film Danny and The Human Zoo. In theatre, Lenny has starred in The Comedy of Errors at The National, Fences at the Duchess Theatre and The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui at the Donmar Warehouse.
 
As a co-founder and public face of Comic Relief he has played a central role in the charity raising over £1 billion since 1985. Lenny is a leading advocate for diversity in the arts and has established a centre for Media Diversity at Birmingham City University, written two books on the topic and now has a podcast "Black British Lives Matter". He has been a Trustee of the National Theatre since February 2016 and was awarded a Knighthood in 2015 for services to drama and charity.

Lenny has written two memoirs' with Faber alongside a series of children's books published through Pan Macmillan. Recently Lenny's one man play at The Bush and his new ITV1 drama series Three Little Birds received critical acclaim. 

Lenny is currently setting up his new drama production company Esmerelda with the support of Banijay. 

The Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival is generously supported by Arts Council England (ACE), Royal Tunbridge Wells Together, Maxipay Accounting Services, and Berry and Lamberts Solicitors.