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

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/

Stratford Upon Avon Literary Festival
The fourth Stratford upon Avon Literary Festival takes place between 25th April and 2nd May 2011. Working with The Week magazine as media partner, the festival programme includes author events, workshops, performance poetry and lively panel discussions.
www.stratfordliteraryfestival.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

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

Worcestershire Literary Festival
17 - 27 June 2011This is the first year for Worcestershire, and offers an array of spoken word events, seminars, theatre performances, and more, to inspire, entertain, and educate.
See the programme at http://www.worcslitfest.com

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

Hampstead and Highgate Literary Festival
Takes place at Ivy House, former home of prima ballerina Anna Pavlova.
2011 dates: 11-13th September
www.hamhighlitfest.com

Chiswick Book Festival
http://www.chiswickbookfestival.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
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

Guildford Book Festival
A wide-ranging festival featuring a broad range of fiction writers, journalists, biographers and personalities
13th to 22nd October 2011
http://www.guildfordbookfestival.co.uk

Burnham Market Book Festival
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

Wirral Bookfest
11-17 October 2010 - 21 events run by Wirral Libraries in Merseyside including Carol Ann Duffy, Gervaise Phinn, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Ramsay Campbell, emerging fantasy and sci-fi authors, and writing and publishing workshops
http://www.wirral.gov.uk/bookfest

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.
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

Bridport Literary Festival
19th November to 26th November 2011
Includes Carol Ann Duffy, A L Kennedy doing stand-up, Elvis McGonagall and Roger McGough. More details at Bridport Literary Festival

London History Festival
14th to 24th November 2011 at Kensington Central Library and Waterstone's Kensington
Sponsored by History Today and featuring many leading historians and writers in the field
www.londonhistoryfestival.com

Dylan Thomas Festival
The Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea
http://www.dylanthomas.com/index.cfm?articleid=8653

Richmond Upon Thames Literature Festival
2010 will see the 19th Richmond literary festival. Running throughout November, the line up for 2010 features high-profile authors, TV personalities, journalists, poets, politicians, as well as some newer voices, at various venues throughout the borough
http://www.richmond.gov.uk/home/leisure_and_culture/arts/literature_festival.htm

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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