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
January 2008
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.
http://www.bathlitfest.org.uk
King's Sutton Literary Festival
A weekend festival in this charming village close to Banbury, Oxfordshire
http://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
MAY
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
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 Festival
The 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 arts
http://www.edbookfest.co.uk
SEPTEMBER
Bristol Poetry Festival
Vibrant celebration of poetry
http://www.poetrycan.co.uk
Graham Greene Festival
http://www.grahamgreenebt.org
OCTOBER
Cheltenham Festival of Literature
A long-established literary festival with upwards of 400 speakers
http://www.cheltenhamfestivals.co.uk
Inverness Book Festival
16 authors are appearing over the five days, including Katie Grant, Kenneth White, Tom Devine, A-L Kennedy and Iain Banks
http://www.eden-court.co.uk/programme/59/inverness-book-festival.html
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
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.
Contact us about literary festivals
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