The Festivals

The third annual Reading Minds weekend of wellbeing through books is organised by Helensburgh Community Hub, Jean’s Bothy mental health hub and Helensburgh and Lomond Carers Centre.

A festival spokesperson said: “This year’s Helensburgh Book Festival features more events and big name authors as we become established on the Scottish book festival calendar, so we are really excited that writers like Chris Brookmyre and Jenny Colgan are coming to our town.

“But at its heart the weekend is about people connecting over books, chatting to each other and eating cake while listening to fascinating discussions on topics as wide as men’s mental health, fantasy fiction, poetry and more.”

Join us in Helmsley for a highly entertaining weekend with writers, theatre and music, finishing with a literary quiz night!

One of the UK's leading literary festivals with pop-up events in addition throughout the year.

Now in it's 7th year, The Hertford Literary Festival is one of Hertford's best kept secrets. Set in the beautiful English country garden of The Hertford Club, our two-day event is an intimate affair, celebrating the art of spoken word, poetry, writing and music.

Over the years we have had some incredible (and some pretty well known) guests join us - each with their own unique story to tell.

The Herts Book Festival is an annual festival for the benefit of the people in Hertfordshire. Our county is home to dozens of authors. Hertford and Ware alone account for more than 22 book clubs, at least 15 booksellers, two amazing libraries and tens of thousands of potential readers.

We are a small committee of volunteer multi-taskers. We believe in the power of strong community spirit. And we love books.

Drawing our inspiration from the number of talented published authors we have on our doorstep, the Herts Book Festival is a free event for people of all reading ages and abilities – because we believe books are for everyone.

We’re currently working on an inspiring and thought-provoking programme and we can’t wait to share it with you!

2026 also marks the twentieth year of the festival, so we hope you’ll join us to mark this milestone.

HuddLitFest is an annual Festival taking place annually in May, with community, accessibility and inclusivity at its heart. Join us in venues and online for a celebration of books and authors, poetry and performance – and much more. Meet your favourite authors, discover new talent and hone your own skills. Many free or low-cost events, including some Hybrid and online events and some with live subtitling by Stagetext.

A regional and national crime writing festival. Monthly crime evenings running at Hull Libraries.

Ilkley Literature Festival has been bringing together the very best writers of contemporary fiction, non-fiction and poetry with book-loving audiences for over 50 years. Every autumn, we are joined by 14,000 readers and 100+ writers in creating conversations, tackling tricky topics and encouraging exploration.

Discover new writers, encounter new ideas and enjoy a very warm Yorkshire welcome!

Celebrate Agatha Christie in the place of her birth on the English Riviera. Step into the area’s outstanding literary and geological heritage. Join us for a week of cultural talks, walks, films, workshops and performances, plus an exciting fringe programme.

To achieve our aims, we work with private, public and third sector partners in Torbay and South Devon and we stage an annual festival for local people and Christie’s legion fans across Britain and around the world to celebrate Christie’s life and legacy. The Festival includes high-profile speakers and performances of her plays and poetry as well as other related arts and literary activities and a Festival Fringe encompassing a whole variety of engaging experiences for all ages.

We strive to maximise the Festival’s contribution to the local economy by sourcing goods and services locally wherever possible and by creating work experience and other opportunities for local young people in relation to Festival publicity, Festival events, and, where possible, Festival projects.

Founded in 2006, Islay Book Festival grew out of a small book club in the village of Port Ellen into the thriving, volunteer-run event we know today. Set against the stunning backdrop of Scotland’s whisky isle, we are now firmly established within Islay’s busy annual events calendar and Argyll’s wider cultural scene.

While many of our main events may include a wee dram or two, it’s not always about the whisky! We offer sessions on crime, historical and contemporary fiction, a range of non-fiction and island themes, new writing, children’s events, school visits, poetry, performances, workshops, and lots more.Providing a platform for Islay’s Gaelic culture is also a key goal of the festival, and every year we send authors to each of the schools across Islay and Jura.

The Isle of Wight Literary Festival, an established event on the UK Arts calendar, held its first festival in 2012. The festival provides a far reaching eclectic programme designed to attract a wide audience and increase the cultural richness of the Isle of Wight.

During Covid restrictions, the festival hosted a free digital festival. This year a combination live and digital festival is being planned. Hosted at Northwood House, Cowes over three days writers and presenters will share their latest works.  Topics includes crime fiction, history, travel, maritime adventure, gardening, medicine, technology and the social and political issues of our time.  From first time novelists to seasoned historians – speakers passionate about their subject will share insights and information.

The Jane Austen Festival in Bath is the largest and longest running Jane Austen Festival in the world. The first Jane Austen Festival in 2001 took place over a weekend at The Jane Austen Centre, Bath, and has since grown into a 10 day programme, drawing over 3500 people from around the world.

The festival begins with our Regency Costumed Promenade, which has been filling the streets of Bath with over 1000 people in Regency dress since 2004 and holds the Guinness World Record for the ‘Largest gathering of people dressed in Regency costumes’. Full of bonnets, soldiers, and drummers the backdrop of Georgian Bath transports visitors back to the time of Jane Austen.

Throughout the 10 day festival, we welcome visitors to enjoy events inspired by the timeless works of Jane Austen including: guided walks, costumed balls, theatrical performances, talks and much more!

The Jersey Festival of Words is the island’s annual celebration of the power of language, literature, and storytelling.

Founded in 2015, the festival brings together a vibrant mix of acclaimed authors, emerging voices, poets, performers, and readers of all ages for a week of inspiring events. With a strong focus on community engagement, education, and accessibility, we aim to spark imagination, foster dialogue, and share the joy of words across Jersey and beyond.

Whether you’re a lifelong book lover or a curious newcomer, the festival offers something for everyone.

Jewish Book Week is London’s longest running literary festival, attracting a pantheon of award-winning authors and thinkers every year for an exciting programme of debates, talks, and performances at Kings Place, London and online.

The weekend will be packed full as we celebrate adventure, nature, the environment and exploration. Expect 200+ live sessions, 300+ speakers, 150+ films and 60+ activities.

Plus, our Basecamp village will host loads of outdoor brands, charities and stages to host over 70 free talks.

The Small Festival with a Big Heart!

We're a very friendly, sociable festival – we will give you a warm welcome!

The Lavenham Literary Festival is an organisation run entirely by volunteers which celebrates the joy of reading and encourages a love of the written and spoken word. It has been running since 2009 and has grown into a highly regarded biennial event, with the popular Lavenham Literary Festival Dinner taking place annually.

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It brings together well regarded authors to introduce their work, in a friendly and relaxed environment in various venues around Lavenham, with the village hall being the main stage.

Ledbury Poetry Festival is an inclusive, international and inspirational celebration of poetry and spoken word over ten fabulously busy days, live in Ledbury and online to the world.

Surrounded by orchards and hills, poets from all over the world gather to read, debate and share their work with readers and curious audiences. Award-winning poets stand alongside upcoming talents in a thrillingly electric mix of events and workshops, music, exhibitions and bike rides. It’s all yours in #ledburypoetrytown. Dig deep into interesting ideas, take in poetry over a pint, craft your own writing style, or showcase your skills in the slam.

Leeds Lit Fest is back! Returning for its seventh year, the city’s award-winning festival of words and thought will take place across a diverse range of the city’s spaces and aims to bring together, and help develop, the city’s literary scene, with writers, poets and performers from the UK and beyond.