The Festivals

Our biennial Literary Festivals have been held in Chalfont St Giles since 2006 and we look forward to welcoming you to The Chilterns for the next festival. Events take place in some of our oldest and most interesting buildings. You are welcome to visit for a few days. We have a choice of top-class restaurants and inns, as well as a varied selection of everyday and gift shops, right here in our picturesque village!

Set in the heart of the stunning Wiltshire countryside, the Chalke History Festival – the UK’s leading celebration of history – will return from 22nd to 28th June 2026 to bring the past vividly to life through a rich programme of top-class talks, wide-ranging discussions, striking performances and dynamic living history experiences.

A hugely popular annual event, attracting large numbers of visitors from home and abroad, Chalke is a celebration of curiosity, critical thinking and the power of storytelling, bringing together many of the world’s most respected historians, authors and thinkers to explore the people, events and ideas that have shaped our world. 

From ancient civilisations to modern global history, the festival offers audiences of all ages the chance to engage directly with history’s biggest stories, the debates they continue to inspire today, and an opportunity to meet expert historians face-to-face in an informal, festival atmosphere. All the time experiencing the very best local food, drink, live music and the chance to camp under the stars or chat with fellow history buffs around an open fire.

Bold voices and brilliant minds share stories, spark ideas and make sense of our ever-changing world over two weeks at Charleston Farmhouse, home of the Bloomsbury set.

Cheltenham Literature Festival is the world’s longest-running literature Festival, leading the way in celebrating the written and spoken word, presenting the best new voices in fiction and poetry alongside literary greats and high-profile speakers.

Established in 2023, the Chesham Literary Festival is a vibrant celebration of writers and poets from the local area and beyond.  Each year, 'ChesLitFest' organises a variety of creative workshops, readings, writing competitions and performances, designed to inspire and entertain. It also has a regular podcast.

We are delighted to announce the first ever Cheshire Crime Writers Festival!

The two day festival will bring you all things literary crime, murder mystery, police procedural, cozy crime and more. 38 authors over two days with talks, book signing and a chance to socialise with hundreds of atedees at the festival.

The festival includes best-selling authors, broadcasters, poets, performers and more, alongside workshops, performances lectures and storytelling throughout the festival.

The festival invites audiences to explore the power and joy of reading and libraries.

Chiltern Kills is the single most intense one day of crime & thriller writing entertainment, with many of the biggest names in crime writing & celeb moderators, all together with @centrepointuk to help young people escape and avoid homelessness.

Chipping Campden Literature Festival was founded in 2010 by Vicky Bennett, and since that time has become renowned for presenting a series of thought provoking, original, and wide-ranging events featuring some of the world's greatest writers.

Our 2026 programme featuring events, many moderated by experienced journalists and practitioners, on the written and spoken word: play script; memoir; biography; fiction; non-fiction; poetry; and translation.

Ever since the first Chiswick Book Festival in 2009, we’ve been bringing together top authors and their readers for a week of history, poetry, biography, creative writing, fiction, thrillers, food, wine, politics and children’s books.

Chorlton’s annual celebration of all the best reading and writing. There’ll be the usual mix of fiction, fact, history, poetry, family fun and er…. cake!

This year's 10th Anniversary edition of the Clapham Book Festival will take place at the Omnibus Theatre Clapham.

Organised by Clapham Writers, a registered charitable organisation., the festival brings books and writing to Clapham through an annual festival and online Zoom talks, as well as raising income from local sponsors and public donations to present free events at Clapham Library and elsewhere.

The LitFest will be a destination for quality cultural offerings for everyone here in Clevedon, for our visitors, and for the residents of North Somerset and Bristol.

Enhancing and enriching our community, bringing a greater sense of connection and belonging, as well as individual wellbeing.

Clifton LitFest - a weekend of discussion, ideas and stories in the heart of Bristol, presented by Friends of Clifton Centre and Library (FoCCaL)

Hosted at the iconic Cliveden House in Berkshire. With the Festival, which gathers together writers and intellectuals from around the world for a weekend every year, the spirit of Cliveden is renewed. Renowned as a forum for lively discussion, innovative ideas, and political debate, Cliveden Literary Festival has been described as ‘a perfection of a literary festival’ by Her Majesty The Queen’

Coastal Crime is led by Festival Director Alex Stone, bestselling psychological thriller author and founder of Author Events.

With a proven track record of organising author talks, literary festivals, and book tours across the South, Alex is known for creating unforgettable bookish experiences for readers and writers alike.

Bringing that same passion and expertise to Coastal Crime, Alex ensures there’s something for everyone. Even if you’re not a crime writer, you’ll find plenty to inspire you — from the Industry Hub, offering sessions and networking opportunities for writers of all genres, to a programme designed to connect, support, and celebrate the wider writing community.

The people of Colonsay, like many communities large and small, have always shared a love of books and literature, joining in book groups and participating in fringe poetry sessions at the music festival. At a community meeting in June 2011, the idea of a book festival for the island was tentatively mooted, and ten months later, at the end of April 2012, we were welcoming our first six authors and an eager audience.

The island of Colonsay, one of the most remote and most beautiful in the Southern Hebrides, is a 2 hours, 20 minutes sail from Oban, on the west coast of Scotland. South of Mull and west of Jura and Islay, the island is about 8 miles long and 2 wide. Famous for its golden beaches, such as Kiloran and Balnahard, it is home to a wealth of bird, animal and plant life, and has a fascinating history and archaeology. Whatever your interest – walking, swimming, fishing, golf, painting or photography – you will be able to enjoy it here.

Just an hour from Glasgow, Cove & Kilcreggan Book Festival is held on the last weekend of November over the Saturday and Sunday. Held in the magnificent Cove Burgh Hall on the Rosneath Peninsula and overlooking Loch Long. 

We have a volunteer run and managed cafe, selling excellent homemade soups, cakes and sandwiches, our library where you can buy the book and meet the author, a green room for authors and chairs and our large hall where all events take place. 

8 author events are held over the weekend. All proceeds made during the Book Festival weekend are passed to Cove Burgh Hall for the continued upkeep of this Victorian Building.  All events are filmed for viewing on YouTube after the event and all events are accessible. 

Cranbrook Literature Festival, established in 2016, is a two-day, biennial event to promote the joy of the written word to children and adults across the Weald of Kent. We are a not-for-profit organisation run totally by volunteers. Our Festival programme offers a great mix of authors and poets, both well known and up-and-coming, plus writing competitions, creative writing workshops and a well-stocked pop-up bookshop.

They also have one off author events throughout the year.

WORDfest is an arts organisation that celebrates words, reading and writing in their many forms over a month long series of events. At the heart of our prgramme is our author panels, but there are also many workshops for you to unleash your own creativity.