SCOTLAND
Borders Book Festival
Where is it? Harmony House, Melrose, Scotland
When is it? June 19-22
How much are tickets? Events £6-£12 (children £4)
What is it? A literary festival in the Scottish borders with over 40 events
and workshops during which the winner of the Scottish Book of the Year 2008
will be announced
Who’s appearing? Ali Smith, Ian Rankin, Rory Bremner, Charlie Higson, James
Naughtie, Sir Menzies Campbell, Douglas Hurd
Why go? You’ll be tucked away on the banks of the River Tweed in the
picturesque Melrose Valley
WWW: www.bordersbookfestival.org
Tel: 0844 357 1060
Edinburgh International Book Festival
Where: Charlotte Square Gardens, Scotland
When: August 9-25
How much: some events free; others up to £10
What: a grand annual literary festival held alongside the Edinburgh Fringe
festival
Who: it’s a secret
Why: bookworms, bibliophiles and internationally acclaimed authors will
descend on Edinburgh for the 25th anniversary of the largest celebration of
the written word in the world
WWW: www.edbookfest.co.uk
Tel: 0845 373 5888
Wigtown Literary Festival
Where: Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
When: September 26-October 5
How much: events £5-£10
What: a small, friendly festival in Scotland’s official Book Town – which has
about 20 bookshops
Who: James Kelman,. Louis de Bernières, Janice Galloway, Sophie Hannah,
Richard T Kelly, Hardeep Singh Kohli, Michael Morpurgo, Menzies Campbell,
Scottish Opera, Kathleen Jamie, Sandra Howard and Edward Lucas
Why: Wigtown is in rolling countryside by the sea, near salt marshes and
Britain’s largest local RSPB bird reserve. It is also the only book festival
with a local whisky distillery, Bladnoch
WWW: www.wigtownbookfestival.com
Tel/email: 01988 402036; mail@wigtownbookfestival.com
NORTH EAST
Durham Literature Festival
Where: Gala theatre and studio, Durham, County Durham
When: September 17-October 26
How much: some events free; others up to £15
What: an established literature festival that celebrates local writers as well
as those known nationwide
Who: Kate Atkinson, Ian Macmillan, Arnold Wesker
Why: this year is dedicated to celebrating the book in all its shapes and
sizes, from pen to print
WWW: www.literaturefestival.co.uk
Tel: 0191 375 0763
NORTH WEST
First Move.2
Where: Jodrell Bank Observatory, Macclesfield, Cheshire
When: June 13 – 15
How much: £5
What: Authors, astronomers and amateur stargazers come together by the 250ft
Lovell telescope to discuss science theories and fiction and to launch the
Big Science Read.
Who: Brian Aldiss and Piers Bizony
Why: For the budding astronaut, astronomer or sci-fi enthusiast, listen to
writers explore the culture of spaceflight, the future of science and
civilisation and build a spaceship at the Rocket Workshop.
WWW: http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/
Tel: 01477 571 339
Manchester Literature Festival
Where: various locations, Manchester
When: October 16-26
How much: some events free; most £5-£7
What: an eclectic line-up including poetry karaoke, a debate on the place of
romance fiction and Polish poetry read in original and translated forms
Who: Patience Agbabi, John McAuliffe, Carol Ann Duffy, Gillian Clarke, Imtiaz
Dharker, Penny Jordan, Christina Jones, Mavis Cheek, Anne Perry, Andrew
Martin, Lee Jackson, Livi Michael, Liz Kesslar, Philip Caveney, Russell T.
Davies, Jorie Graham
Why: there is something for everyone, including family-friendly stories and a
grand finale literary quiz
WWW: www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
Tel: 0161 236 5725
YORKSHIRE AND HUMBER
Humber Mouth Literature Festival
Where: venues in and around Kingston-upon-Hull.
When: June 16-July 1
How much: some events are free; others up to £5
What: once a poetry fair, it expanded 8 years ago to encompass every type of
literature, making it Hull’s biggest festival
Who: Yasmin Alibi Brown, Janet Street Porter, Sean O’Brien, Lisa Appignanesi
Why: it is the city of Philip Larkin’s Whitsun Weddings and, according to
Australian author Peter Porter, “the most poetic city in England”
WWW: www.humbermouth.org.uk
Tel: 01482 223344
Theakston Old Peculier Harrogate Crime Writing Festival
Where: The Crown Hotel, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
When: July 17-20
How much: events £8-£12 (weekend packages available)
What: the fifth Theakstons Old Peculier crime writing festival, with
competitions, panel discussions, the fourth crime writing award won last
year by Val McDermid and talks by internationally renowned writers in the
genre
Who: Andy McNab, Peter Robinson, Robert Crais, Jeffrey Deaver, Tess Gerritsen
Why: it’s the best celebration of crime writing in Europe
WWW: www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/crime
Tel: 01423 562303
WALES
The Guardian Hay Festival
Where: Hay-on-Wye, Wales
When: May 22-June 1
How much: some events are free; most £5-£8
What: devised by actor and director Peter Florence in 1988, Hay is one of the
largest literary festivals in the world boasting internationally acclaimed
speakers and merging literature with theatre and arts
Who: too many to mention
Why: the world’s Literati come out in force for a festival Bill Clinton dubbed
“the Woodstock of the mind”. Bring your kids along for their own books fest,
“Hay Fever”
WWW: www.hayfestival.co.uk
Tel: 0870 990 1299
The Dylan Thomas Festival
Where: Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea
When: October 25-November 10
How much: some events free; others up to £5
What: readings, talks, theatre performances, music, art, films and celebrity
guests celebrating the life and work of Wales’ most famous writer and poet
Who: Carol Ann Duffy, Tony Conran, Raymond Williams
Why: the second Dylan Thomas Prize for writers under 30 will be awarded and
shortlisted writers will be taking part in events during the festival
WWW: www.dylanthomas.com
Tel/email: 01792 463980; dylanthomas.lit@swansea.gov.uk
EAST
New Writing Worlds 2008
Where: venues in Norwich and Norfolk
When: June 15-20
How much: some events are free; others up to £12
What: an annual new writing festival with talks and creative writing workshops
for budding authors. This year’s theme is Human: Nature
Who: JM Coetzee, CK Williams, Gwenyth Lewis, Jay Griffiths
Why: with nature as your muse, hone your writing skills at workshops in the
tranquil nature reserves of The Royal Society for the Protection for Birds
WWW: www.newwritingpartnership.org.uk
Tel: 01603 877 177
Latitude Festival
Where: Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk
When: July 17-20
How much: weekend ticket £130, day ticket £55
What: a tent inside a large music and arts festival, packed with well-known
wordsmiths speaking from a varied list of literary events
Who: Simon Armitage, Iain Banks, Hanif Kureshi, Dave Gorman, Irvine Welsh, A.
L. Kennedy
Why: to take a break from the booming speakers and muddy fields in the cosy
library tent of literary zen
WWW: www.latitudefestival.co.uk
Tel: 020 7009 3001
WEST MIDLANDS
Stratford-upon-Avon Poetry Festival
Where: Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
When: June 29-July 27
How much: £7-£15
What: the longest running poetry festival in the UK, set in Shakespeare’s
hometown in celebration of the bard himself as well as poetry past and
present
Who: Michael Pennington, Jeffrey Dench, David Morely, Fiona Sampson
Why: a stellar line-up of actors will be performing plays and poetry
WWW: www.shakespeare.org/files/poetry08.pdf
Tel: 01789 201 845
Words in Motion at The Big Chill
Where: Malvern Hills, Herefordshire
When: August 1-3
How much: adult weekend ticket for Big Chill £129 (Words in Motion tickets not
sold separately)
What: a literary event within a music festival, including cutting-edge debates
and poets sampling and mixing their voices to create sound landscapes.
Who: Lemn Sissay, Zena Edwards, D’Archetypes, Paul Kingsnorth, Neil Boorman,
Robin Ince, Ben Goldacre
Why: it’s in an idyllic location by a lake on the Eastnor Castle site and if
it’s cold you can take part in storytelling around a huge bonfire at The Big
Warm
WWW: www.bigchill.net
Tel/email: 020 7749 6850
Warwick Words
Where: various locations, Warwick
When: October 2-5
How much: events from £3.50 upwards
What: a historically rich city hosts a literary celebration with an emphasis
on workshops and storytelling
Who: Felix Dennis, Alexander McCall Smith, Frances Fyfield, Louis de
Berineres, Gerald Scarfe, Celia Rees, Brian Patten, Andrew Davies, Tony de
Saulles, Catherine O'Flynn, Jane Wenham-Jones, Jo Shapcott
Why: interactive events such as the slam competition – competitive poetry
performance where the audience decides who is best
WWW: www.warwickwords.co.uk
Tel/email: 01926 427 056; info@warwickwords.co.uk
Young Readers Birmingham
Where: libraries across Birmingham
When: May 17-31
How much: free
What: storytelling, magic shows and reading events with popular children’s
authors to encourage a love of reading
Who: top children’s authors and the city’s Poet Laureate, Charlie Jordan
Why: there are over a hundred events for families, children and young people,
with the tenth books bash at Cannon Hill Park on Sunday May 25
WWW: www.birmingham.gov.uk/youngreaders
Tel: 0121 303 3368
EAST MIDLANDS
Althorp Literary Festival
Where: Althorp, Northampton
When: June 13-15
How much: events £5 for children and £10 for adults
What: the 5th festival this year celebrating Althorp House’s 500th anniversary
with a stellar line-up of speakers. Children’s events in conjunction with
the Roahld Dahl Museum
Who: John Humphrys, Julian Clary, Andrew Motion, Ben Okri, Penelope Lively,
Tracy Chevalier
Why: you’ll be listening to talks in the exquisite surroundings of the
500-year-old family home of the Spencers while sampling estate game and
local delicacies
WWW: www.althorp.com
Tel: 01604 770107
LONDON
London Literature Festival
Where: Southbank Centre, London
When: July 5-19
How much: £7-£12
What: the second London Literature Festival with international writers,
prize-winning-authors and prize-givings, including the announcement of this
year’s Booker winner
Who: George Monbiot, Simon Armitage, Wendy Cope, Andre Klimowski, Alan Moore
Why: comic books, comedy, music and architecture are just some of the arts
weaving their way into this diverse and edgy literature festival
WWW: www.southbankcentre.co.uk/literature-spoken-word
Tel: 0871 663 2500
Write to Ignite Festival
Where: Hackney, East London
When: September 3-29
How much: many events are free, others from £3 to £115 (for a writing course)
What: edgy, thought-provoking poetry and performance in a brooding urban
setting
Who: John Hegley, Scroobius Pip, Iain Sinclair, Tim Wells, Annie Freud, Simon
Munnery, Gwyneth Herbert, Hugo Williams, Tim Turnbull, Adisa, Stewart Lee
Why: hear Michael Rosen, Hackney’s poet Laureate, perform specially
commissioned poems about Hackney streets
WWW: www.writetoignite.co.uk
Tel/email: 07923 474 196; boxoffice@writetoignite.co.uk
BBC Proms Literary Festival
Where: The Albert Hall, Cadogan Hall or Royal College of Music, London
When: July 19-September 10
How much: free for some Proms ticket holders (see website for details)
What: this year’s BBC Proms will be accompanied with the first Proms Literary
Festival, which will look at the relationship between writers and composers
Who: Stephen Poliakoff, Rowan Williams, Hermione Lee, Ian McMillan, Matthew
Sweet
Why: before your night of classical music, catch authors talking about Russian
fairytales, the connections between folk music, poetry or Rowan Williams
explaining his love of Dostoevsky
WWW: http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2008/whatson/plus.shtml
Tel: 0845 4015040
SOUTH EAST
Charleston Festival
Where: Charleston Farmhouse, Firle, East Sussex
When: May 16-25
How much: events £10 (day passes available)
What: literary festival in its 19th year set in the country home of the
Bloomsbury Group artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant
Who: Marina Lewycka, Kate Mosse, Gore Vidal, Salmun Rushdie, Antonia Fraser
Why: the unique decorative style of the Bloomsbury Group’s country home is in
itself a tribute to their artistic living and creativity
WWW: www.charlestonfestival.org.uk
Tel: 01273 709709
28th Winchester Writers’ Conference Festival and Book Fair
Where: University of Winchester campus, Winchester, Hampshire
When: June 27-July 4
How much: mini-courses are £100; the conference package is £300
What: leading writers, playwrights, poets, editors and literary agents help
aspiring and published writers to improve and market their own work
Who: Colin Dexter, Patrick Gale, Jack Sheffield
Why: Jack Sheffield, author of Teacher, Teacher!, secured a three book deal
after meeting a commissioning editor at the 2005 conference and 76 writers
have had major publishing success. Perhaps it’s your turn?
WWW: www.writersconference.co.uk
Tel: 01962 827 107
Graham Greene Festival
Where: venues in central Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire
When: October 2-5
How much: £7-£9 (discounts for members of the Graham Greene Birthplace Trust)
What: organised by the Graham Greene Birthplace Trust, celebrating the
author’s life and work with films, talks, dinners and discussions
Who: John Snow, Libby Purves, Chris Mullen, Michael Billington
Why: if you like the author, you’ll love the festival
WWW: www.grahamgreenebt.org
Tel: 01442 865158
Cooperative Bank Henley Literature Festival
Where: venues in and around Henley-on-Thames
When: September 19-21
How much: events £3-£9
What: chi-chi literature festival attracting prominent writers and
journalists.
Who: Michael Palin, Craig Brown, Boris Johnson, Jeremy Paxman
Why: forget the boater and doff your thinking cap for a weekend of literary
debates and river readings
WWW: www.henleyliteraryfestival.co.uk
Tel: 01491 414150
SOUTH WEST
Dartington Hall Way with Words Festival
Where: Dartington, Devon
When: July 11-20
How much: events £8 per event; day passes £30
What: a writing festival, with talks, storytelling and workshops, that has
been running for 17 years in Dartington hall
Who: John Snow, Michael Frayn, Sandy Tocsvik, Jonathan Dimbleby
Why: enter a time warp as you mingle with the authors in Dartington’s medieval
courtyard and listen to them speaking in the 14th century Great Hall
WWW: www.wayswithwords.co.uk
Tel: 01803 867373
Wells Festival of Literature
Where: Wells, Somerset
How much: events approx £8
When: October 17-24
What: An intimate festival in England’s smallest city, with talks and readings
held in historic, character-packed settings such as the Bishop’s Palace
Who: Andrew Motion, Clare Morrall, Fay Weldon, Richard van Emden, Sandra
Howard, Michael Alexander, Anna Knowles, Barry Pilton, Philip Marsden,
Malcolm Welshman, Matt Harvey, Kim Hicks
Why: it is a beautiful, ancient city and while small its dedicated committee
ensure a quality event
WWW: www.wlitf.co.uk
Tel/email: 01749 675 492; petercrossley@mbzonline.net
Appledore Book Festival
Where: Appledore, North Devon
When: September 25-October 5
How much: events £4-£30
What: set up in 2006 to save the Appledore Library, the festival has become an
important part of the literary calendar, with all profits going to charity
Who: Penny Vincenzi, Tony Benn, Libby Purves, Jaqueline Wilson, Kate Adie
Why: set in a quaint little fishing village, it has workshops and talks by
authors hoping to promote a love of reading in people of all ages
WWW: www.appledorebookfestival.co.uk
Bath Festival of Children’s Literature
Where: various locations, Bath
When: September 19-28
How much: events £4-£5
What: a Peter Rabbit puppet show, Mister Men characters to meet, a comic book
launch and much more amid Bath’s stately architecture
Who: Jacqueline Wilson, Harry Hill, Ian Beck, Anthony Horowitz, Cathy Cassidy,
Louise Rennison, Lauren Child, Tony Ross, Francesca Simon, Nick Hornby (and
anyone who’s anyone in kid’s lit)
Why: great activities – authors of Port Side Pirates! read, sing and hold a
pirate workshop, and Vivian French, author of The Tiara Club, reads while
tots customise princess accessories.
WWW: www.bathkidslitfest.co.uk
Tel/email: 01225 463362; info@bathkidslitfest.co.uk
The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival
Where: various locations, Cheltenham
When: October 10-19
How much: tickets for individual events cost from £4 upwards.
What: the famous festival is 59-years-old this year and the theme is family
and how it shapes who we are.
Who: Richard Attenborough, Louis de Bernieres, Charley Boorman, William Boyd,
Menzies Campbell, Dan Cruickshank, Jonathan Dimbleby, Monty Don, Michael
Frayn, Susan Greenfield, David Guterson, Michael Holroyd, Jeremy Isaacs,
James Kelman, David Lodge, Ben Macintyre, Alexander McCall Smith, Roger
Moore, Kate Muir, Julia Neuberger, Chris Patten, Tom Paulin, John Prescott,
Ruth Rendell, Simon Schama, Asne Seierstad, Anita Shreve, Rick Stein, Eoin
Colfer, Julia Donaldson, Charlie Higson, Michael Morpurgo and Jacqueline
Wilson.
Why: this hugely popular event attracts the most prestigious and interesting
performers.
WWW: www.cheltenhamfestivals.com
Tel/email: 01242 227979
NORTHERN IRELAND
Aspects: A celebration of Irish Writing
Where: North Down Museum, Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland
When: September 24-28
How much: £6-10
What: a festival to celebrate the cream of Irish writing with talks from
eminent Irish authors.
Who: Michel Longley, Mary Kenny, Claire Keegan, David Park
Why: the charming seaside town pays tribute to Irish writing at its best.
WWW: www.northdown.gov.uk
Tel: 028 9127 8032
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Dublin Writers Festival
Where: various locations, Dublin
When: June 11-15
How much: individual events cost from €8-€14
What: Irish and international writers and poets explore themes including war,
loss, national identity and modern Irish values.
Who: Tom Stoppard, J. P. Donleavy, Ivana Bacik, Roy Foster, Alan Gilsenan and
David McWilliams, Catherine McCartney, Carlo Gébler, Susan McKay and Patrick
Maguire, David Grossman, Kathy Lette, Marian Keyes, Ian Rankin, Colin
Bateman,
Why: a fabulous line-up take on weighty issues in a beautiful Irish city.
WWW: www.dublinwritersfestival.com
Tel/email: 00 353 1 222 5455
To F Arnott: it's already happened this year at some point in the easter holidays. I'd assume it was pre-May.
AP, Oxford,
What happened to the Oxford Literature Festival?
Held every year and partly supported by your paper "The Sunday Times"
F Arnott, Abingdon,
Frinton on Sea Seventh Literary Festival
Oct.10th-Oct12th
John Hegley,Germaine Greer Simon Hoggart
Edward Max & stars of Frinton Summer Theatre
Tickets from £10
Tickets: 01255 851505
Info: 01255 851436
(Please note above)
Philomena Dwyer, Frinton, UK