WRITINGFESTIVALS 2020
(^64) WRITING MAGAZINE - FESTIVAL GUIDE 2020
Mole Valley Arts Alive Festival, Surrey
19 September-7 November
Mole Valley, Surrey
A large, long-running arts festival, showcasing
creative writing, music, art, drama, lm,
creative crafting and poetry. Many events give
an opportunity for you to ‘have a go’ or listen
to artists with a real passion for their craft.
Mole Valley District Council, Pippbrook,
Dorking, Surrey RH4 1SJ; 01306 879145
Richmond Walking and Books Festival
19-27 Sept, venues in and around Richmond,
North Yorkshire
Walks each in various locations in the
northern Yorkshire Dales and Richmond;
author events each evening in Richmond itself
Carol Watson, Castle Hill Bookshop, 1b
Castle Hill, Richmond, North Yorkshire
DL10 4DL; 01748 824243
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.booksandboots.org
Jersey Festival of Words
23-27 September, venues in Jersey
A ve day celebration of literature and writing
Manx Litfest
September TBC, various Isle of Man venues
e Isle of Man’s annual literary festival,
a gathering of authors, illustrators, poets,
storytellers and readers
John Quirk, Manx Litfest, 8 Milner Close,
Port Erin, Isle of Man IM9 6BG
Marlborough Literature Festival
24-27 September, various Marlborough venues
A friendly mix of big names, local authors,
community events for people who love books,
performances and workshops
Marlborough Literature Festival c/o e
White Horse Bookshop 136 High Street
Marlborough Wiltshire SN8 1HW
Wigtown Book Festival
24 Sept-4 Oct, various venues in and around
Wigtown, Dumfries and Galloway
A ten day celebration of literature and reading
in Scotland’s National Book Town.
Wigtown Festival, Number 11, North Main
Street, Wigtown, DG8 9HN; 01988 403222
Email: [email protected]
https://wigtownbookfestival.com/
Bath Festival of Children’s Literature
25 Sept-4 Oct, various venues around Bath.
e UK’s largest dedicated children’s literature
festival, which regularly features top writers.
Bath Festivals, ird Floor, Abbey Chambers,
Kingston Buildings, Bath BA1 1NT
01225 463362
King’s Lynn Poetry Festival
25-27 September, King’s Lynn Town Hall
e third annual Kings Lynn festival
dedicated to poets and poetry
Anthony Ellis, c/o Hawkins, 19 Tuesday
Market Place, King’s Lynn PE30 1JW
01553 761919
OCTOBER
Graham Greene International Festival
1-4 October, various Berkhamsted venues
Celebrating Graham Greene’s life and works
in the author’s hometown. An opportunity to
learn more about this highly in uential writer
in a welcoming and convivial atmosphere.
Cheltenham Literature Festival
2-11 October, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
One of the UK’s longest-running and biggest
festivals, always attracts major writers and
thinkers from around the world
Cheltenham Festivals, 109 Bath Road,
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 7LS
01242 850270
Ilkley Literature Festival
2-18 October, venues across Ilkley
Over 200 events including ction, poetry,
history, politics and science, as well as
workshops and masterclasses.
Ilkley Literature Festival, e Manor House,
2 Castle Hill, Ilkley, West Yorkshire LS29
9DT; 01943 816714
Manchester Literature Festival
2-18 October, various Manchester venues
Annual literature festival celebrating poetry,
ction and culture
Manchester Literature Festival, e
Department Store, 5 Oak Street, Manchester
M4 5JD; 0161 832 5502
Birmingham Literature Festival
October, TBC, city centre locations including
Library of Birmingham
Lively, diverse and accessible literary festival
from Writing West Midlands
Writing West Midlands, Unit 204, e
Custard Factory, Gibb Street, Birmingham B9
4AA; 0121 246 2770
Murderous Medway
3 October, Huguenot Muuseum, Rochester
Crime writing festival with panel events with
top crime writers from Rochester Literature
Festival
Rochester Literature Festival, Sun Pier House,
Sun Pier, Medway Street, Chatham, Kent
ME4 4HF; 07904 643770
Guildford Book Festival
4-11 October
Various venues in Guildford
A week-long book festival featuring best-
selling authors, writers’ workshops and
renowned speakers across all main genres
Guildford Book Festival Tourist Information
Centre 155 High Street Guildford GU1 3AJ
01483 444334
Warwick Words History Festival
5-11 October
Various venues in Warwick town centre
Festival with a rm focus on history and
historical writing
Warwick Words, e Court House, Jury
Street, Warwick CV34 4EW; 07944 768607
Isle of Wight Literary Festival
8-11 October
Northwood House and around Cowes
Annual literature festival attracting big names,
including, in 2019, Alexander McCall Smith,
Jo Brand, Michael Morpurgo and Louise
Doughty
Northwood House Ward Avenue Cowes Isle
of Wight PO31 8AZ
Wimbledon BookFest
8-18 October
Big Tent, Wimbledon Common
Festival of arts and literature
e Old Post O ce, 1 Compton Rd,
Wimbledon, SW19 7QA
020 08947 3495
Durham Book Festival
10-18 October
Venues in and around Durham
e festival takes place in and around the
beautiful city of Durham each October.
Events are held in a range of iconic venues
including the historic Durham Town Hall,
Durham Cathedral and the Gala eatre.
Rochdale Festival of Literature and
ideas
October, TBC
Venues around the Lancashire town
Talks, workshops and events
01706 924934
Berwick Literary Festival
15-18 October
Venues in Berwick
‘ e friendly festival in a historic walled
town.’ Literature festival that includes
children’s events.
07936 158405
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://berwickliteraryfestival.com