The Festivals

The Orcadian Story Trust was formed in 2000, and – after a break of a few years – has been reawakened to promote and encourage storytelling in Orkney.

The aim of the Trust is to preserve, promote and develop the traditional culture of the Orkney islands through stories and storytellers, and to offer events that are underpinned by a strong local representation and enhanced by visiting storytellers. We also try to preserve and record material that may otherwise be lost to future generations.

Although the main focus of the Trust is on storytelling, we also work to draw together traditional strands of Orkney culture such as music, song, art, dance and drama. Furthermore, we aim to nurture global cultural connections, and support and encourage the storytelling activities of indigenous cultures throughout the world, in particular linking to areas such as Scandinavia, Scotland and Ireland.

Oundle Festival of Literature hosts literary events throughout the year, in the picturesque market town of Oundle, Northants. Our annual programme showcases a diverse range of speakers from within the literary arts; from big name authors, to academics, early career and local authors, with speakers from across the fiction and non-fiction spectrum.

During March, we host our annual KidLit Festival around World Book Day. Daily events in local schools, and other venues around the town, feature top children's authors covering every age group from reception to year 6.

Our week-long KidLit Festival in March around World Book Day, has been bringing top children’s authors to entertain primary school children in the town for over a decade. A free-to-enter writing competition runs alongside the festival for those in reception to year 6, providing a creative platform for authors and poets of the future.

Our festival events take place in a variety of venues around our characterful market town, all with disabled access and toilets, and many with free parking on site or within walking distance. 

For 28 years the Oxford Literary Festival has been committed to freedom of speech, debate and diversity, maintaining a tradition of courteous dialogue, allowing for contentious and difficult subjects to be publicly discussed and examined.

The Oxford Literary Festival is a place where intellectual curiosity is nurtured and standards are set. It is conceived as a platform for dialogue, where the big ideas of the world can be freely debated in an intellectual but congenial atmosphere. Attendees are given access to some of the world’s leading thinkers, and the opportunity to question and debate with them. In an era when there is an increasing desire to shut down free speech, the festival is a platform for free expression.

For 28 years the Oxford Literary Festival has been committed to freedom of speech, debate and diversity, maintaining a tradition of courteous dialogue, allowing for contentious and difficult subjects to be publicly discussed and examined.

The Oxford Literary Festival is a place where intellectual curiosity is nurtured and standards are set. It is conceived as a platform for dialogue, where the big ideas of the world can be freely debated in an intellectual but congenial atmosphere. Attendees are given access to some of the world’s leading thinkers, and the opportunity to question and debate with them. In an era when there is an increasing desire to shut down free speech, the festival is a platform for free expression.

Thousands of people enjoyed Paisley Book Festival 2025 – with events including enthralling sessions with top Scottish writers and poets to family fun activities and an entertaining schools programme.

Thanks to all who supported us. It was a fantastic festival – and we’re looking forward to doing it all again in 2026. We can’t wait to see you there!

The Pentlands Book Festival is an annual festival with talks by local authors held in local venues. It runs each autumn and coincides with Book Week Scotland and is organised by local people for the community in conjunction with Currie and Colinton Libraries.

Our mission is to entertain our audiences and nurture a love of reading and books in the local community. Since 2010, Penzance LitFest has delivered a diverse programme of events from music to mystery, humour to history, and poetry to performance art. Famous faces, new local writers, and our renowned writing workshops have all surprised and delighted our audiences.

Covering the widest range of literary genres, the Petworth Literary Festival welcomes some of the biggest names in fiction, politics and current affairs, the natural world, culture and lifestyle

The Phoenix is a weekly magazine for 7–14 year olds that’s packed with incredible comics, drawing guides, and plenty more that inspires kids to get reading, writing, and drawing!

Get ready for a weekend packed with comics, creativity and family fun. Meet the creators of kids’ top comics – including Jamie Smart from the #1 bestselling Bunny vs Monkey series – and enjoy interactive live shows, hands-on workshops and comic signings.

The Winter Words Festival at Pitlochry Festival Theatre is a literary celebration that brings together authors, poets, broadcasters, and chefs from across the UK. The festival is known for its engaging events, including in-conversation talks, poetry and photography, hands-on workshops, and rehearsed readings of new writing. It is set against the stunning backdrop of Highland Perthshire and offers a unique opportunity to experience Scotland's rich artistic, literary, historical, and cultural life. The festival is curated by the Artistic Director Alan Cumming and promises an unforgettable creative experience for audiences of all ages.

Play on Words celebrates everything to do with the spoken and written word. Join us for poetry & jazz, ghost stories, spoken word, creative walks, a sci-fi fantasy quiz night, comic creating, writer development and much, much more in New Milton, Lymington and across the Forest.

Celebrate stories, spark creativity, and meet inspiring authors at our vibrant literary festival—where every page turns into an adventure!
Step into a world where stories come alive and creativity knows no bounds at our annual Literary Festival. Whether you're a passionate reader, an aspiring writer, or simply curious, this vibrant celebration offers something for everyone. From thrilling author talks and immersive workshops to engaging panels and open mic sessions, the festival invites you to explore diverse voices and genres, spark your imagination, and connect with fellow book

Portobello Book Festival was started by a group of local people who are interested in books and wanted to share their enthusiasm. It takes place each year over the first full weekend in October.

Our festival is based on the principle that everything is free and nobody is paid. That has been possible, partly, because of our fruitful collaboration with the local library, where many of the events are held. Events usually take place in various venues, and we try to make sure there is something for everyone.

Portsmouth BookFest 2026 returns from 16th February to 8th March, celebrating the power of stories and the joy of reading across the city. This year’s festival promises an exciting mix of author talks, workshops, performances, and community events. 

We'll be marking the centenary of Portsmouth born comedian Peter Sellers, celebrating 50 years of punk, and presenting a range of events from politics to sports heroes to events for children. Whether you're a lifelong book lover or a curious newcomer, BookFest offers something for everyone—uniting readers, writers, and thinkers in a vibrant celebration of books and ideas.

This year, we’re turning a page on history as part of Portsmouth 100, marking a century since Portsmouth became a city. And that’s not all – we are celebrating the National Year of Reading, Portsmouth’s own In Our Words festival and our beloved Central Library hits the big 5-0, so expect extra sparkle in the celebrations!

Get ready for puppet theatre, hands-on workshops, and the return of everyone’s favourite woodland friend – The Gruffalo!

Our female-led literary festival is for the curious and the open-minded. We are writers and readers, rebels and restless, feminists, thinkers and dreamers. Our empowered community is for people of all genders and backgrounds and people with both seen and unseen disabilities. Primadonna’s packed festival programme promotes inclusivity and our stellar line-up proudly demonstrates diversity.

Proms at St Jude’s is a world class festival of music and culture taking place each June in Hampstead Garden Suburb, London NW11.

We offer evening concerts with top national and international artists; lunchtime free of charge music recitals; a LitFest weekend with best-selling authors; an extensive programme of children and family oriented musical events and activities, a wide selection of Heritage Walks; a stand-up comedy night; a buzzing licensed refreshment marquee; and a LitFest café with delicious home-made cakes.

Push the Boat Out is an award-winning arts festival with a focus on poetry, which forms a unique and vital part of Scotland’s arts ecology. Fresh, vibrant and innovative, it strives to increase the diversity of poetry – in form, cross-artform pollination, voices platformed and who feels welcome as audiences and participants. Its mission is to bring artists, audiences and participants together to access, create, celebrate and make meaning through vibrant contemporary poetry and related artforms, both at an annual festival and via a year-round programme, with a strong community engagement element.

As one of only two poetry festivals in Scotland, we are inspired by the vibrancy of contemporary poetry, lyrics and spoken word from Scotland, the UK, and beyond. We aim to give poetry a new platform, creating an environment where all variations of this vital art form can grow, evolve and collide. We explore inventive ways to bring poetry and audiences together, challenging perceptions of what poetry is, how it can be enjoyed and who it is for.

Join us for the Pushkin House Book Prize 2026! This year we are  organising an interdisciplinary festival to delve deeper into the  shortlist. The programme, over three days, includes panel discussions,  film screenings and social events, and will culminate in the Book Prize  Award Ceremony: an evening of food, drink, music, the opportunity to  meet this year’s distinguished authors and judges, and the announcement  of this year’s Book Prize winner from the setting of our newly unveiled  Pushkin House Bookshop.

The Pushkin House Book Prize, created in 2013, showcases high  quality new non-fiction books published in English that examine Russian  culture, history, politics and more. It looks beyond the borders of  modern Russia, to include countries, nations and communities which have  been affected by the Russian Empire, Soviet Union or Russian Federation.  It rewards books that are well-written, well-researched and accessible  to the non-specialist reader.