FESTIVAL GUIDE 2020

FEBRUARY

Hearth micro-festival

1 Feb

Gladstone’s Library, Hawarden, Flintshire Micro-festival that features relaxed opportunities to learn from and talk to writers Gladstone’s Library, Church Lane, Hawarden, Flintshire CH5 3DF; 01244 532350

Imagine Children’s Festival

12-23 Feb

Southbank Centre, London SE1

Dedicated to families experiencing and enjoying all kinds of art and culture together, it features performance, music, literature, comedy, creativity, parties, participation and free fun for children aged 0-11 and their grown-ups.

Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX; 020 3879 9555

UEA Spring Literary Festival

12 Feb onwards

Lecture Theatre 1, University of East Anglia The UEA Spring Literary Festival welcomes award-winning authors to its campus, starting this year with Isabel Allende in conversation. University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ; 01603 593412

Winter Words Book Festival

13-16 Feb

Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Perthshire

Literary and Writers Festival celebrating Stories, Scotland and the Great Outdoors. Port Na Craig, Pitlochry PH16 5DR

01796 484 626

Portsmouth Bookfest

17 February-7 March, Portsmouth Includes a Writers’ Day, 29 Feb, and Mystery Day, 7 March

Audacious Women Festival

20-23 February, venues in Edinburgh Female-focused (but inclusive) festival of music, dance, art and books, all giving you an opportunity to Do What You Always Wish You Dared.

Granite Noir

20-23 Feb, various Aberdeen venues Aberdeen’s international crime writing festival, with author conversations, talks, walks, workshops, music and exhibitions

01224 641122

Essex Book Festival

28 Feb-31 March, venues across Essex From trees, bees and wild seas to climate change, protest and utopia there will be something for everyone. There will be author talks, writing workshops, challenging panel discussions, crafting and story-telling Mercury Theatre, Balkerne Gate, Colchester CO1 1PT; 07913 061949

Email: ros@essexbookfestival.org.uk

Website: www.essexbookfestival.org.uk

Jewish Book Week

29 Feb-8 March

Kings Place, Kings Cross, London

Nine days of discussion, debate, live performances, and a spectacular grand finale. Jewish Book Week, ORT House, 26 Albert Street, London NW1 7NE; 020 7446 8771

MARCH

Leeds Lit Fest

4-8 March

Various venues in Leeds

After the success of its inaugural year, Leeds LitFest returns with author talks, workshops, debates, discussions and readings with a bias towards Leeds writers.

0113 237 9900

Aldeburgh Literary Festival

5-8 March

The Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh

Wide range of talks over three and a half days The Aldeburgh Bookshop, 42 High Street, Aldeburgh, Suffolk IP15 5AB

01728 452587

Words by the Water

6-15 March

Theatre by the Lake, Keswick

10-day literature festival in Cumbria, featuring high-profile author appearances Philip John, Ways With Words, Droridge Farm, Droridge Lane, Dartington, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6JG; 01803 867373

London Book and Screen Week

9-15 March

Groucho Club and the Good Housekeeping Institute, London

A week of events celebrating books, film, television and the worlds in between, with guests