This World Book Day, spark your curiosity and imagination with 15 must-read books ahead of our Well Read Literary Festival, returning to our ancient woodlands at Wasing Estate on 14 June 2026.
Join multi-award-winning headliners Miranda Hart and Prue Leith, alongside a host of inspiring voices, as they explore everything from the environment and mindful living to health, nature and personal growth. This unique celebration of words, wisdom and wellness is designed to inspire every curious mind. Book your tickets here
I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest with You by Miranda Hart
Packed with hard-won wisdom and gentle truths, Miranda’s #1 Sunday Times bestseller is an honest exploration of the lessons she has learned on her journey from illness to recovery.
“Irrepressible and joyous. Taking us affectionately by the hand, Miranda takes us through her ten-year journey to deep self-knowledge.” – Daily Mail
Being Old and Learning to Love It by Prue Leith
Getting older may have its challenges, but it can be a lot of fun.
In this candid, uplifting and thoroughly entertaining book, award-winning restaurateur, writer and former Great British Bake Off star Prue Leith explores the trials and taboos of growing older, along with its unexpected joys. Part memoir and part reflection, Being Old and Learning to Love It is packed with Prue’s trademark wit, wisdom and no-nonsense charm as she takes a spirited canter through the triumphs, trials and tribulations of ageing well.
Mexican Table: 100 Recipes, 12 Everyday Ingredients from the Heart of Mexico by Thomasina Miers
Famous for winning the 2005 MasterChef and co-founding the award-winning Mexican restaurant group Wahaca, Thomasina Miers brings over 100 bold, bright recipes that bring the sunshine to your plate through 12 staple ingredients, straight from the heart of Mexico. Catch Thomasina sharing all she knows about food, deliciousness, and sustainability at Well Read this June.
Floating Home: Lessons from a Life Less Ordinary by Adam Lind
What if the life you’re chasing isn’t the one you truly want?
After losing his father, Adam made a decision that changed everything. He left behind the expected path and spent five years hitchhiking across twenty-six countries. Now, aboard his stubbornly charming narrowboat, The Raman Rose, Adam continues that journey on the UK’s waterways, and invites us to join him.
Natural Connection: What Indigenous Wisdom and Marginalised People Teach Us About Environmental Action by Joycelyn Longdon
Award‑winning environmental justice researcher and educator Joycelyn Longdon uses stories from around the world, from the UK to the US, Iran, Brazil, Ghana and Ethiopia, to highlight themes like rage, innovation, healing and care. She inspires us to view climate action as a shared goal rather than an individual burden.
Peace Is Possible by Satish Kumar
Coming out in May with a foreword by Michael Morpurgo, Peace Is Possible brings together three of internationally renowned speaker, activist and former monk Satish Kumar’s most well-known books. An inspiring and deeply moving call for peace with each other, with nature, and with ourselves, Satish’s words provide wisdom, hope and joy when we need it most.
And Breathe: The Complete Guide to Conscious Breathing by Rebecca Dennis
Breathing is something we all know how to do. And yet, most teenagers and adults lose the natural ability to breathe fully. In this transformational book, Rebecca Dennis, founder of Breathing Tree and advocate for breathwork and mindful living, teaches readers how to harness the power of conscious breathing. Her techniques help alleviate stress, fatigue, and negative emotions such as anger, frustration and depression, leaving readers feeling calm yet energised, focused yet relaxed.
Ghosts of the Farm: Two Women’s Journeys Through Time, Land and Community by Nicola Chester
Discovering the diary of a pioneering woman who bought a derelict farm during wartime, award-winning local author and columnist Nicola Chester recounts a tantalising succession of coincidences with her own farming endeavours.
Bitch: What Does It Mean to Be Female? by Lucy Cooke
Mother, carer, the weaker sex? Think again.
Award-winning television producer and presenter, bestselling author, zoologist, and National Geographic explorer Lucy Cooke introduces us to a riotous cast of animals and the scientists studying them, who are redefining the female of the species.
Manifest Your True Essence: Clear Your Blocks, Find Your Joy, Live Your Truth by Estelle Bingham
Known as ‘The Heart Whisperer’, internationally renowned holistic therapist, healer and metaphysical teacher Estelle Bingham distills over 20 years of experience in her transformational book, guiding readers to reconnect with their own power to heal, manifest and experience joy in their lives.
“This book will open your eyes, touch your heart and change your life forever.” – Fearne Cotton
The Hidden Seasons: A Calendar of Nature’s Clues and Signs by Tristan Gooley
When we know what to look for and what it means, seasonal moments that were once hidden shine brightly.
In The Hidden Seasons, award-winning international bestselling author and natural navigation expert Tristan Gooley shows us how to read the clues that the sun, moon, stars, plants, fungi, animals, water and weather give us, clues we often miss because we don’t know how or where to look.
Love Is a Toad: Exploring Our Relationship with Nature by Lucy Lapwing
Over the course of a year, wildlife campaigner and writer Lucy Lapwing roamed across the UK, traversing meadows, bogs and hedgerows with her fellow nature enthusiasts in order to dig down into our relationship with the natural world.
“Tender, connected and considered.” – Chris Packham
Love, Anger and Betrayal: Just Stop Oil’s Young Climate Campaigners by Jonathon Porritt
In this book, renowned environmentalist Jonathon Porritt collaborates with twenty-six Just Stop Oil activists to give voice to their stories, fears and hopes. Driven by a fierce belief in intergenerational justice, this book confronts the urgent moral questions raised by climate breakdown and civil disobedience.
Barrister for the Earth: Ten Cases of Hope for Our Future by Monica Feria-Tinta
Can a planet have rights? Could it be defended in a court of law? Award-winning barrister Feria-Tinta makes a powerful and well-argued case for acknowledging legal rights to the natural world to protect it and, in so doing, not only protects all of our futures but helps us understand our connection with the world in a new way.
The Big Book of Nature Art by Yuval Zommer
Something for the children… well, okay, and the adults.
The Big Book of Nature Art by award-winning children’s book author and illustrator Yuval Zommer is packed with twenty-two easy art activities inspired by nature. Each of the activities can be achieved in four simple steps using natural materials combined with recycled or found materials from around the home.
Don’t miss Yuval’s workshop at Well Read, where he will invite little ones to explore the natural world through his magical stories and colourful illustrations, sparking curiosity and imagination.
Join Us at Wasing Estate
This World Book Day, whether you’re hoping to be inspired by authors and thinkers or simply to bask in the beauty of Wasing Estate’s woodlands, Well Read is an event not to be missed. Join us for a day that promises to leave you refreshed, uplifted and deeply connected to nature.
Save the date: 14 June 2026
Book your tickets here