September 7, 2025

Saturday Highlights: Words, Film, and a Gala to Remember

The International Churchill Society’s 42nd Annual Conference, October 9–11, 2025, in Washington, D.C., has already drawn enormous interest. With an impressive lineup of scholars, authors, and statesmen across its three days, this year promises to be one of the Society’s most memorable gatherings. Our full program spans Thursday through Saturday.  We have recently announced a new speaker to our Saturday program, this will be a great addition to a compelling day of programming with an exploration of Churchill in literature and film. The conference is capped by a black-tie gala at one of the capital’s most historic and elegant venues.

Churchill the Writer: Jonathan Rose

We are delighted to announce the addition of Jonathan Rose to the Saturday program. Rose, the acclaimed cultural historian and author of The Literary Churchill, will take attendees deep into Churchill’s remarkable literary career.

Churchill remains the only British Prime Minister to have received the Nobel Prize in Literature, and Rose’s scholarship captures how Churchill’s words were as powerful as his policies. From his early journalism to the wartime speeches that steeled a nation, Churchill’s literary output is not merely historical record—it is art.

Rose’s session will highlight how Churchill saw himself as both statesman and storyteller, weaving together biography, history, and narrative to secure his place in the cultural imagination. For those who know Churchill as the bulldog wartime leader, this discussion will reveal the literary craftsman who wrote himself into history.

Churchill on Screen: Malcolm Venville

The afternoon turns from text to film with Malcolm Venville, the award-winning director of the landmark documentary Churchill at War. Venville’s innovative work blends archival footage, sound reconstruction, and visual artistry to present Churchill’s wartime leadership in a new light.

His session at the conference will take audiences behind the scenes of this cinematic journey—how to capture the spirit of Churchill on screen, how to balance authenticity with storytelling, and how to make history come alive for a global audience.

Venville’s work has been praised for its creative techniques in bringing black-and-white footage into vivid color and for re-introducing Churchill’s speeches in a way that feels immediate, urgent, and contemporary. Attendees will gain a filmmaker’s perspective on why Churchill’s story still resonates in our media-saturated world today.

The Gala at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery

Saturday evening brings the conference to a dazzling close with a black-tie reception and gala dinner in the Great Hall of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery. Few spaces in Washington carry such grandeur and historical weight—this was the very hall where President Abraham Lincoln held his second inaugural ball in 1865.

The evening will feature distinguished voices, including General H.R. McMaster, former U.S. National Security Advisor, who will reflect on Churchill’s relevance to today’s global challenges, and Robert Costa, Chief Election & Campaign Correspondent for CBS News and co-author of Peril, who will provide his insights on leadership and political courage in turbulent times.

Together, these perspectives will offer guests a powerful lens through which to view Churchill’s enduring legacy—military strategy, political foresight, and the responsibilities of democratic leadership—all while enjoying one of the most memorable gala settings in Washington. Against the backdrop of American history, attendees will raise a glass to the transatlantic partnership that Churchill so deeply valued.

Why You Should Join Us

Our program provides a multi-dimensional view of Churchill: the man of letters, the subject of film, and the leader whose story continues to inspire. To conclude with a gala in one of Washington’s most storied halls ensures that the day will be as celebratory as it is thought-provoking.

But remember: tickets cover the entire conference, including Thursday’s historic welcome at Anderson House and Friday’s full day of sessions at the Ritz-Carlton. This is your chance to experience the complete program, with Saturday as a fitting crescendo.

Reserve Your Place Today

Tickets are already in high demand, and capacity for the gala is limited. Ensure your place at this unforgettable three-day event by registering now:

 Purchase your tickets here

Join us in Washington, D.C., this October for a conference that blends history, literature, film, and celebration—culminating in a Saturday evening you will never forget.