Say Henley-on-Thames and you might focus on the Thames part… and you might assume you’re somewhere in London. But you won’t be, because the Thames flows far before it even gets to Londonium. Between Saturday 2 October and Sunday 10 October, the little town in the heart of England presents a literary festival that packs a serious punch. It is – in fact – one of the biggest literary festivals in the UK, and it attracts writers, readers, thinkers and a-listers for an entire week – with plenty for all ages and all areas of interest. Whereas some litfests can get pretty yawny, when you’ve done a few, the Henley one seems to always pull off a serious, action packed lineup. It’s the kind of event that makes you feel that boredom is a sin – Gyles Brandreth, Sebastian Faulks, Simon Mayo, Frank Gardner – and those are just some of the talks, events and workshops that a sample of one might be interested in. It’s between me and London, this weekend, when I happen to be visiting the capital.