The Festivals

Since 2014, Berwick Literary Festival has brought together writers, thinkers, and audiences – from the locality and far beyond – to explore the power of words.

Set in the heart of historic Berwick-upon-Tweed - crowned 'The happiest place to live in the UK' in 2025 by The Guardian - the festival is a place for conversation, creativity, and community.

Literary festivals may include books on mental health and self-development, and wellbeing festivals can feature wellbeing authors alongside workshops and practical experiences.

But until now there hasn’t been a UK literary festival dedicated solely to books focused on personal development, mental health and emotional wellbeing, and their authors.

No workshops, no other genres, purely authors sharing their books, their experience, research and expertise with readers.

These books provide validation, greater self-understanding and practical tools, empowering the reader where they’ve felt lost and alone, in an accessible form and price. Better Read Book Fest provides a unique opportunity to champion and celebrate the transformative power of wellbeing books and to connect their authors and readers, in an inspiring and uplifting event.

Step into a world of wonder as you join us for our annual children’s story festival. Since our first Step Into Stories in April 2024, Bewdley Festival has been sharing the joy of stories with families across the Wyre Forest and beyond, as we bring a host of children’s authors, poets, storytellers, illustrators and more to the town of Bewdley for one day of all out celebration.

Taking place in a variety of venues across Bewdley, including a special Severn Valley Railway event, this festival brings a real sense of fun and community to our town each April. Accessibility for our whole community is one of our key aims, so we host a mixture of paid and free events, with something for all ages - even the young at heart!

As part of the Brighton Fringe, the Beyond the Book Festival aims to connect readers with writers, to enhance the role of reading and writing in Brighton and Hove, and to celebrate the cultural and creative city that we call home. As a team of Brighton based authors we believe in the power of books and storytelling to bring communities together, to foster connections and increase and nurture cultural growth.

Our annual short literary festival - usually in April/May.  Spread over three or four days it presents a wealth of literary themed talks, events, concerts and exhibitions.  Organised by The Bakehouse Community Arts, the main venue is the Mill on the Fleet along with other venues around the town.

https://www.facebook.com/BigLitFestival/

Everything takes place in one space, the Women’s Hall. We have a pop-up book shop courtesty of Petworth Book Shop and book-lovers are encouraged to stay all day on Saturday to enjoy books, cake, authors, chat, and perhaps a glass of wine.

Taking place every Autumn, the Birmingham Literature Festival is a leading festival in the Midlands, showcasing the very best writers, speakers, thinkers, activists and artists from the UK and across the world. We programme and commission a wide range of innovative literature and literature-inspired work, creating unique opportunities for audiences to experience high quality events via our annual festival programmes and associated projects.

We work with a wide range of partners and venues, presenting live events and activities across the city, as well as in digital formats and online.

The Birnam Book Festival showcases literature from Scotland and beyond in our beautiful corner of Perthshire, nestled among hills and woodlands by the great River Tay. From William Shakespeare and John Ruskin to Beatrix Potter, this area features strongly in literary history, and also captivates contemporary authors, poets, songwriters, and artists.
Our book festival is an inclusive event for all ages, with workshops, lively discussions, inspiring authors, and great music. A warm welcome awaits you.

The Black British Book Festival (BBBF) is more than just an event—it’s a movement dedicated to uplifting and celebrating Black British literature. Since its inception, BBBF has become a powerful platform for amplifying the voices and stories of Black British authors, creating spaces where diverse narratives can flourish, and nurturing a vibrant community committed to enhancing visibility and opportunities for Black British writers.

Each year, the festival grows in both scope and impact, drawing thousands of attendees to experience the richness of Black British literature. With our dynamic line-up of events, workshops, and panel discussions, we bring together celebrated authors, emerging talent, and passionate readers, fostering connections and sparking conversations that resonate far beyond the festival itself.

A celebration of the English poet, William Blake.

A thriving and inclusive literary community that celebrates diverse voices, fostering a love of reading for all ages, and promoting social good through the power of words.  As a Community Interest Company, we are committed to reinvesting profits to enrich our community and support literacy initiatives.

We use various venues across the town to enhance the experience for authors, speakers, performers and audience.

Come and join us in the new home of crime at a festival to die for!

Bloody Barnes is the new kid on the block when it comes to crime festivals, but it brings you the best and finest writers of this most popular of genres. Welcome crime writing fans.

Bloody Scotland established itself as the leading Scottish International Crime Writing Festival in 2012 with acclaimed writers Lin Anderson and Alex Gray at the helm, then joined by Craig Robertson and Gordon Brown. Based in Stirling, Bloody Scotland has brought hundreds of crime writers new and established to the stage with always enthusiastic attendees who make the festival every bit as much as the writers do.

An online literary festival focusing on LGBTQ+ fiction. Connect with your favorite authors as they read from their latest books and delve into all things literary. 

There's an exciting programme of live author events in Scarborough during the long weekend of Friday 5 – Sunday 7 June!

We open with an Emily Bronte bonanza and close with the world’s leading classicist, Mary Beard. Come listen to musical musings, nature writing, history, politics and poetry. Let’s share tales of happy holidays and daring RNLI sea rescue. 

We welcome master storyteller Alexander McCall Smith, Harriet Tyce, a top thriller writer who became a Traitors star. Tom Bradby, ITV’s News at Ten Anchor is a headliner plus the legendary Mary Portas OBE. 

And so much more ... Check out our Authors page to see who's appearing and grab tickets!

Borderlines is a not-for-profit event, now in its 9th year, run by volunteers who believe in community – and the joy of words. We deliver a Festival that balances bringing major national and international names to Carlisle with celebrating and showcasing fantastic local talent. We also run events and activities that encourage and inspire individual creativity.

Welcome to one of the UK’s friendliest festivals!

Borders Book Festival hosts more than 100 events in June each year. With the latest fiction, current affairs, history, and politics, along with personalities from sport, music and entertainment, there is something for every age and interest. We also host a range of health and wellbeing sessions to take part in during the festival.

Our family-friendly site is free for all to explore, where you can enjoy local artisan food and drink, browse the bookshop and marketplace, and be entertained by local artists and musicians, all in the beautiful surroundings of the Scottish Borders.

Boston Book Festival was established in 2021 as a weekend event in September. It has now expanded to 2 weekend festivals a year – June with a dedicated theme (History or Crime) and September, a range of genre.

Our aim is to champion diverse authors from across the community, raise the profile of Boston nationally and create new opportunities for all ages to access and enjoy literature. 

We have heard nationally acclaimed authors such as Michael Morpurgo, Benjamin Zephaniah and Tracy Borman, we have held children’s events with internationally acclaimed authors such as Hannah Gold, had visits from the elderly residents of Care Homes and every year we provide a free event for local authors to showcase their work as well as putting on a range of other sessions.

The world’s only festival of biography and memoir, normally set in the spectacular grounds of Dumfries House, draws an enthusiastic audience attracted by its unique theme.

Inspired by the great Ayrshire biographer James Boswell of Auchinleck, at the heart of the Festival is a programme of stories taken from the inspirational lives of people past and present - told through talks, drama, art and music.

Guaranteed to appeal to the creative and curious, the annual Boswell Children’s Festival brings a weekend of exciting events and hands-on activities to young readers of all ages in Ayrshire.

A sparkling programme of storytelling talks and interactive workshops - including free activities - is led by an amazing array of well-loved children’s authors and popular illustrators. Previous festival years have featured Vivien French, Justin Davies, Nick Sharratt, Kate Leiper, Christopher Lloyd, Macastory, Edward Ross and The Happiness Collectors.

The Boswell Children’s Festival takes place each May in the gorgeous grounds of Dumfries House Estate. With an adventure playground, iconic maze, café and acres of grounds for picnicking, it makes for a wonderful, affordable day out for all the family.