Literary Festivals in the UK
There are now literary festivals throughout the year in the UK, and in most areas of the country. The largest ones include:
- The Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival, at the end of March
- The Guardian Hay Festival, in late May
- Edinburgh International Book Festival, in August
- Cheltenham Festival of Literature, in mid October
In addition there are many festivals that concentrate on the work of a single writer, such as the Wordsworth Festival in January or the Dylan Thomas Festival in November.
There are also festivals celebrating a particular genre or type of writing, such as the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival or the Clerkenwell experimental writing festival (both in July).
Below is a selection of the leading literature festivals in the UK, together with links for further details (copy and paste into your browser).
We also list a number of other festivals that may be of interest for combining with a literary tour. These include The Chelsea Flower Show and The Grosvenor House Art and Antiques Fair. For further information or help with any arrangements, please
contact us
JANUARY Wordsworth Trust - Weekend Arts and Book Festival A residential course of lectures, surgeries and workshops at the Thistle Hotel in Grasmere http://www.wordsworth.org.uk MARCH Bath Literature Festival A programme featuring over 100 different literary events from debates and lectures to readers' groups, workshops and films in venues throughout the city. www.bathlitfest.org.uk Oundle Festival of Literature 7th-21st March, 2009 2009 highlights include John Simpson; Sky News Adam Boulton and journalist and broadcaster Simon Hoggart examining The Blair years; Kate Summerscale, author of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher; Patrick Gale, Paul Torday; Clive Aslet; and James Taylor on Darwin www.oundlelitfest.org.uk. King's Sutton Literary Festival A weekend festival in this charming village close to Banbury, Oxfordshire www.kslitfest.co.uk International Festival of Mountaineering Literature Bretton Hall Campus, Wakefield http://www.festivalofmountaineeringliterature.co.uk APRIL The Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival The Festival presents over 200 authors, covering all areas of writing, plus events for children. http://www.sundaytimes-oxfordliteraryfestival.co.uk Cambridge Conference of Contemporary Poetry Trinity College, Cambridge http://www.cccp-online.org.uk Cambridge Wordfest The Festival presents a wide variety of writers over three days in Cambridge towards the end of April each year. http://www.cambridgewordfest.co.uk/ MAY The Asia House Festival of Asian Literature The only Festival in the UK dedicated to writing about Asia, The Asia House Festival of Asian Literature celebrates the newest and best of writing across a broad spectrum of Asian countries in a series of talks, debates and discussions. May 11 - 22 2009 http://www.asiahouse.org/net/SpecialEvents.aspx The Charleston Festival A literary festival at Charleston, country home of Bloomsbury artists Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell http://www.charleston.org.uk Daphne du Maurier Festival of Arts and Literature Fowey, Cornwall http://www.restormel.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=14120 Tennyson Literary Weekend, Haslemere Festival Haslemere is holding a Tennyson literary weekend 22nd - 24th May 2009, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of the poet, as part of the larger bi-ennial Haslemere Arts Festival (14th - 31st May. Dr Brian Hinton will be one of the speakers. www.haslemere.com/tennyson Lincoln Book Festival http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/bookfestival The Guardian Hay Festival One of the largest literary festivals in the UK, in the ‘Book’ town of Hay-on-Wye http://www.hayfestival.co.uk JUNE Word – University of Aberdeen Writers Festival http://www.abdn.ac.uk/word Swaledale Festival http://www.swaledale-festival.org.uk Grassington Festival A general arts and music festival with some literary events http://www.grassington-festival.org.uk JULY Buxton Festival A festival of opera, music and literature http://www.buxtonfestival.co.uk Dartington Hall Festival - Ways With Words A ten-day literary festival set in the medieval courtyard at Dartington Hall, Devon http://www.wayswithwords.co.uk Harrogate Crime Writing Festival The Cedar Court Hotel, Harrogate Presents many leading UK and international writers of crime fiction http://www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/crime John Clare FestivalThe John Clare School, Helpston nr Peterborough The festival is a celebration of the life and works of John Clare http://vzone.virgin.net/linda.curry/jclaresociety.htm Stratford-on-Avon Poetry Festival http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/content/view/414/414/ AUGUST Edinburgh International Book Festival Charlotte Square Gardens, Edinburgh Major festival of literature and the artshttp://www.edbookfest.co.uk SEPTEMBER Bristol Poetry Festival Vibrant celebration of poetry http://www.poetrycan.co.uk Graham Greene Festival http://www.grahamgreenebt.org Wigtown Festival Scotland's national book town http://www.wigtownbookfestival.com/index.asp Bournemouth Literary Festival A world or words in Bournemouth http://www.bournemouthliteraryfestival.co.uk Henley Literary Festival The 4th Henley Literary Festival takes place from September 29 to October 3 2010. Melvyn Bragg, Antonia Fraser and Craig Brown are among the 100 events being held throughout the town, which will also include Alexei Sayle, Max Hastings and Lionel Shriver http://www.henleyliteraryfestival.co.uk OCTOBER Cheltenham Festival of Literature A long-established literary festival with upwards of 400 speakers http://www.cheltenhamfestivals.co.uk Burnham Market Book Festival Takes place on 1-3 October this year (2010) and includes Simon Jenkins, Sara Wheeler, Nicci French,General Sir Richard Dannatt, Ben Macintyre and Jane Fearnley Whittingstall. http://www.whitehousebooks.co.uk Wimbledon Book Festival A festival in early October which offers a diverse range of readings and book events at a selection of venues in Wimbledon http://www.wimbledonbookfest.org Inverness Book Festival http://www.eden-court.co.uk/programme/59/inverness-book-festival.html Poole Literary Festival A new festival with its first major programme in 2010. Takes place from 29th - 31st Oct. Writers appearing include poet laureate Carol Anne Duffy and a varied selection of Dorset writers including Paul Atterbury, Kit Berry, Sarah Challis, Daisy Goodwin and Jason Goodwin http://www.poolelitfest.co.uk Peak Literary Festival Held annually in the spring and autumn (May and October/November) in the Peak District National Park http://www.countrybookshop.co.uk/peakfestival NOVEMBER Aldeburgh International Poetry Festival www.thepoetrytrust.org Dylan Thomas Festival The Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea http://www.dylanthomas.com/index.cfm?articleid=8653 Cambridge Winter Wordfest At the ADC Theatre in Cambridge http://www.cambridgewordfest.co.uk/ Southwold Literature Festival Part of the Ways with Words series of literature festivals, held in the lovely seaside resort of Southwold, Suffolk http://www.wayswithwords.co.uk OTHER FESTIVALS OF INTEREST RHS Chelsea Flower Show Grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London May A showcase for the world’s most talented garden designers http://www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea/2007/index.asp The Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair TBA Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London June Features over 90 of the world’s leading dealers http://www.grosvenorfair.co.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=19&tabindex=18 LAPADA Antiques And Fine Art Fairs May: LAPADA@TheRoyalAcademy, 6 Burlington Gardens http://www.lapada.co.uk Please note: Every effort has been made to ensure information is correct at time of posting, but if you are making your own arrangements to attend please check dates and programme details beforehand with the festival concerned.
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