United Kingdom
UK Writing Festivals
Celebrate the beauty of the written word.
University of Winchester Writers Festival
This annual festival offers three days of talks and workshops for writers at all levels of experience and genres ranging from Fiction to Fantasy. The keynote speaker this year will be Katherine Rundell, prize-winning author of five novels including children's books, her speech will be about how even as adults, we should still be reading children's books. Along with Katherine will be children's literary agents Claire Wallace and Lydia Silver, of Darley Anderson Literary Agency. This festival is also a great networking opportunity for creative writers in all forms and genres. With one-to-one appointments with over 70 literary agents, commissioning editors, authors, poets and publishing experts. This event is perfect for anyone looking to get into the world of books.
When: 14th - 16th June 2019
Queen's Park Book Festival, London
Back by popular demand, this festival will bring together a mix of local, national and international writers and fresh literary talent led by the new Festival Director Thomas du Plessis. With over 40 events across the weekend there is something for everyone, with the programme covering current affairs, politics, fiction, stage screen, sport, music, cookery, poetry and more, as well as free children’s events and family-friendly activities. Literary legends Zadie Smith and Nick Laird will join academic critic John Mullan to talk about life as a writer and their current novels. It's a must event to go to this summer in the heart of one of London's best parks.
When: 29th - 30th June 2019
Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival, Harrogate
If you're into crime novels or wish of being a crime author, this is the festival for you. Europe's largest crime fiction event celebrated over four days featuring a day-long creative writing workshop attended by some big names from the crime literature scene. If the thought of a weekend of crime novels isn't enough of a temptation, the festival is also sponsored by Old Peculiar beer. You're thinking, what does drinking Old Peculiar with reading a crime novel have to do with each other? Well the perfect crime novel does not have the 'whodunit' on page one. After a gripping opening the reader is drawn in, the characters, the plotting, only at the end of the book, the reader will then experience the satisfaction of the mystery solved. The parallels between drinking Old Peculiar and good crime.
When: 18th - 21st July 2019
Edinburgh International Book Festival
Set in the heart of Edinburgh, this festival brings readers and writers together for inspiration, entertainment and discussion. Welcoming around 1000 authors in many different events over the two week period. Including novelists, poets, philosophers, illustrators, comic creators, musicians and Nobel prize winners. The famous festival has been around since 1983 and is now a key event in many writing enthusiasts diary. The festival is now so popular it has grown rapidly in size to become the largest and most dynamic festival of its kind. It's popularity is down to the high profile debates and discussions taken place at the festival in which writers from all over the world gather to debate the world's most pressing issues. A fun family day out and must go to event for any keen writer and book enthusiast of all ages.
When: 10th - 26th August 2019