UK Writing Events

I am in the process of compiling this calendar of writing-related events, not just for/by indie authors (these will be indicated with INDIE), but also for everyone in the industry. Below are UK ones I found while compiling my Writer’s Ideas Diaries so correct at the time of writing. Please do let me know if any of the information is out of date or if you know of others I can add. I will be adding the links to the website in due course. For Overseas Events click here.

JANUARY

  • Burns & Beyond (Edinburgh, Scotland)
  • National Storytelling Week (Jan and/or Feb – UK wide)
  • PBFA January Online Book Fair
  • PBFA Stratford Upon Avon Book Fair
  • PBFA Topsham Book Fair
  • PBFA York New Year Book Fair
  • Rotary Young Writers
  • Rotary Youth Speaks
  • The Yeovil Literary Prize Winners
  • Do you know of any other writing-related events that take place in January? If so, let me know.

FEBRUARY

  • Faversham Literary Festival
  • Granite Noir
  • Gray Day
  • Harry Potter Book Night
  • Imagine Festival of Children’s Literature
  • International Book Giving Day
  • Jewish Book Week
  • Leeds Lit Fest
  • Paisley Book Festival
  • PBFA Cambridge Premier
  • PBFA Edgbaston Book Fair
  • PBFA February Online Book Fair
  • Stepping Into Stories (Herne Hill Kid’s Lit Festival)
  • Verve Poetry Festival
  • Wolverhampton Literature Festival
  • Do you know of any other writing-related events that take place in February? If so, let me know.

MARCH

  • Bay Tales
  • Blue Peter Book Awards
  • Booker Prize International Long-list
  • CLILIP Carnegie Award Shadowing Scheme
  • Deptford Literature Festival
  • Diva Literary Festival
  • Huddersfield Literature Festival
  • Imagine Children’s Festival
  • Jewish Book Week
  • The North London Literary Festival
  • Oxford Literary Festival
  • PBFA Bakewell Book Fair
  • PBFA Edinburgh Premier Fair (with ABA)
  • PBFA Harrogate Book Fair
  • PBFA March Online Book Fair
  • PBFA Wilton Book Fair
  • Shakespeare Week
  • Stanza Poetry Festival
  • Women’s Prize for Fiction Long-list
  • Words by the Water Festival
  • World Book Day
  • World Poetry Day
  • World Storytelling Day
  • Wow Festival
  • York Literary Festival
  • Do you know of any other writing-related events that take place in March? If so, let me know.

APRIL

  • Aye Write! Glasgow’s Book Festival
  • Big Dog Children’s Book Festival
  • Cambridge Wordfest
  • Cardiff Children’s Literature Festival
  • Chipping Norton Literary Festival
  • Colonsay Book Festival
  • Crystal Palace Children’s Book Festival
  • Cúirt International Festival of Literature
  • European Poetry Festival
  • Eype Literary Festivals
  • First Fictions
  • Free the Word!
  • Frodsham Literature Festival
  • Hexham Book Festival
  • Hoo’s Kids Book Fest
  • International Children’s Book Day
  • Laugharne Weekend Festival
  • Leigh and Wigan Words Together Festival
  • London Book Fair
  • London Word Festival
  • MFest
  • Nibfest – Notting Hill International Book Festival
  • PBFA Bury St. Edmunds
  • PBFA Devizes Book Fair
  • PBFA April Online Book Fair
  • PBFA Norwich Book Fair
  • PBFA Oxford Premier Fair
  • PBFA Sherborne Book Fair
  • Redbridge Book and Media Festival
  • Scarborough Literature Festival
  • Sherborne Travel-Writing Festival
  • Stratford Upon Avon Literary Festival
  • Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival
  • Talk Like Shakespeare Day
  • Wise Words Festival
  • World Book Night
  • York Literature Festival
  • Do you know of any other writing-related events that take place in April? If so, let me know.

MAY

  • Aberdeen Writers Festival
  • Asia House Bagri Foundation Literature Festival
  • Aye Write!
  • Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction Short-list
  • The Bath Festival
  • Booker Prize International Winner
  • Bookfest Shropshire
  • Boswell Book Festival
  • Bournemouth Festival of Words
  • Brighton Festival
  • Burnham Book Festival
  • Chalfont St Giles and Jordans Literary Festival
  • Charleston Literary Festival
  • Chalfont St Giles Literary Festival
  • Children’s Book Week
  • Chipping Camden Literature Festival
  • Cromarty Crime & Thrillers Weekend
  • Cuckfield Book Festival
  • Derby Book Festival
  • Derbyshire Literature Festival
  • Eastbourne Book Fest
  • Festival of Stories, Lytham
  • Fowey Festival of Arts & Literature
  • Fowey Festival of Words and Music
  • Greenacres Writers’ Literary Festival
  • Guernsey Literary Festival
  • Hawkesbury Upton Literary Festival
  • Hay Festival
  • International Literature Festival Dublin
  • Leicester Book Festival
  • Listowel Writers’ Week
  • Middlewich Literary Festival
  • National Share a Story Month
  • Norfolk & Norwich Festival
  • Northern YA Literary Festival
  • PBFA Darlington Book Fair
  • PBFA London International Antiquarian Book Fair
  • PBFA May Online Book Fair
  • PBFA Stamford Book Fair
  • Peak Literary Festival (also October)
  • Prestwich Book Festival
  • Salisbury International Arts Festival
  • Sheffield Lyric Festival
  • Stratford Upon Avon Literary Festival
  • St Ives Literature Festival
  • Swindon Festival of Literature
  • St Ives Literature Festival
  • Stratford Literary Festival
  • Surrey Heath Literary Festival
  • Telegraph Hay Festival
  • Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival
  • Ullapool Book Festival
  • University of Aberdeen Writers’ Festival
  • University of Warwick Book Festival at Warwick Arts Centre (Bookfest)
  • Word on the Street
  • Do you know of any other writing-related events that take place in May? If so, let me know.

JUNE

  • Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction Winner
  • Balham Literary Festival
  • Barnes Children’s Literature Festival
  • Belfast Book Festival
  • Beyond the Border (Wales)
  • Books by the Beach
  • Borders Book Festival
  • Bradford Literature Festival
  • Broadstairs Dickens Festival
  • Brighton Book Festival
  • Buckingham Literary Festival
  • Capital Crime
  • Chalke Valley History Festival
  • Charles Causley Festival of Arts & Literature
  • Chichester Festival
  • Clevedon Literary Festival
  • Cymera Book Festival
  • Dalkey Book Festival
  • Dinefwr Literature Festival
  • Eastbourne Book Fest
  • East Neuk Festival
  • Essex Book Festival
  • Everybody Writes Day
  • Felixstowe Book Festival
  • Garden Museum Literary Festival
  • Glasgow Comic Con
  • Hay Festival Kells
  • Hebden Bridge Festival
  • Independent Bookshop Week
  • Kite Festival
  • Last Word Festival
  • Ledbury Poetry Festival
  • Listowel Writers’ Week, County Kerry
  • Mayfair Times Literary Festival
  • Middlesbrough Literary Festival
  • National Bookstart Week
  • National Writing Day
  • Northwich River Weaver Literary Festival
  • PBFA Abergavenny Book Fair
  • PBFA Edinburgh Book Fair
  • PBFA June Online Book Fair
  • PBFA Lincoln Book Fair
  • PBFA Northampton Book Fair
  • PBFA Scottish Borders
  • Prestwich Book Festival
  • Queen’s Park Book Festival
  • Queen’s Reading Room Festival
  • Reach for Health Literary & Food Festival
  • Shetland Noir
  • Solas Arts Festival
  • Southbank Literature and Spoken Word
  • St Austell Festival of Children’s Literature
  • Stoke Newington Literary Festival
  • Telegraph Hay Festival
  • University of Warwick Book Festival
  • Wealden Literary Festival
  • Wembley Wordfest
  • WhizzFizzFest
  • Wimbledon Book Festival Sunrise
  • Winchester Poetry Festival
  • Winchester Writers’ Conference Festival and Book Fair
  • Women’s Prize for Fiction Winner
  • Worcestershire Literary Festival
  • Worlds Literature Festival (Norwich Writers Centre)
  • World Literature Weekend (London Review of Books)
  • Do you know of any other writing-related events that take place in June? If so, let me know.

JULY

  • Ashbourne Festival (Ashbourne)
  • BBC Proms Literary Stream
  • BeaconLit Festival
  • Beyond the Border – Wales International Storytelling Festival (biennial even years)
  • BIG LIT The Stewartry Book Festival
  • Booker Prize Long-list
  • BookTastic Book Festival
  • Buxton Festival (Derbyshire)
  • Chichester Festival
  • Dartington Hall Way with Words Festival
  • Ealing Literary Festival
  • Frome Festival – Writers and Publishers Day
  • Glasgow Zine Fest
  • Govanhill International Festival and Carnival
  • Harrogate International Festivals’ Raworths Literature and Lecture Series
  • Hay Festival Kells
  • Ipswich Arts Festival (Suffolk)
  • John Clare Festival
  • Kid’s Lit Quiz World Finals
  • Latitude Festival
  • Ledbury Poetry Festival
  • Leeds Poetry Festival
  • Literary Footsteps in the Forest at Epping Forest
  • Ludlow Festival
  • Manchester Children’s Book Festival (biennial)
  • Newark Book Festival
  • PBFA Ballater Book Fair
  • PBFA Brockholes Preston Premier
  • PBFA Hay-on-Wye
  • PBFA Ilkley Book Fair
  • PBFA Topsham Book Fair
  • Penzance Literary Festival
  • Port Eliot Lit Festival
  • Primadonna
  • Rochdale Children’s Literature Festival
  • Shoreditch Festival
  • Stratford-upon-Avon Poetry Festival
  • Summer Reading Challenge
  • Teachers’ Reading Challenge
  • Theakston Old Peculier Harrogate Crime Writing Festival
  • TS Eliot Festival
  • UKLA Annual Conference
  • West Cork Literary Festival (Ireland)
  • West Meon Festival of Books
  • Wonderland Book & Story Festival
  • Young Adult Literature Convention
  • Do you know of any other writing-related events that take place in July? If so, let me know.

AUGUST

  • Beyond Borders Int’l Festival of Literature and Thought
  • Bute Noir
  • Drumshanbo Written Word Weekend (Ireland)
  • Durham Children’s Book Festival
  • Edinburgh Book Festival
  • Evesham Festival of Words
  • Four Brits Book Festival
  • Fringe by the Sea
  • Inverness Book Festival
  • Llangwm Literary Festival
  • McLellan Arts Festival Poetry Fringe
  • Nairn Book & Arts Festival
  • Omagh Literary Festival (Ireland)
  • PBFA Bakewell Book Fair
  • PBFA Stratford upon Avon
  • PBFA Wilton Book Fair
  • Sacred Arts Festival
  • Spike Island Literary Festival (Ireland)
  • Tidelines Book Festival
  • Voewood Festival
  • Do you know of any other writing-related events that take place in August? If so, let me know.

SEPTEMBER

  • Agatha Christie Festival
  • Alderley Edge Community Book Festival
  • Appledore Book Festival
  • ASEAN Literary Festival
  • Banned Books Week
  • Bath Children’s Literature Festival
  • Bloody Scotland
  • Booker Prize Short-list
  • Boston Book Festival
  • Braemar Literary Festival
  • Bristol Poetry Festival
  • Brontë Festival of Women’s Writing
  • Budleigh Salterton Literature Festival
  • Burford Literary Festival
  • Capital Crime (June in 2026)
  • Chartwell Literature Festival
  • Chiswick Book Festival
  • Chorlton Book Festival
  • Cliveden Literary Festival
  • Early Years Book Awards
  • European Day of Languages
  • Findhorn Bay Festival
  • Gladfest (Wales)
  • Graham Greene International Festival
  • Hampstead and Highgate Literary Festival
  • Hastings Book Festival
  • Henley Literary Festival
  • Humber Mouth Literature Festival
  • Innsmouth Literary Festival
  • International Literacy Day
  • International Dublin Writers’ Festival (Ireland)
  • Islay Book Festival
  • Jesmond Library Book Festival
  • Kings Lynn Poetry Festival
  • Manchester Literature Festival (main festival October)
  • Marlborough Literature Festival
  • Marlow’s Indie Book Fair
  • Ness Book Fest
  • Noirwich Crime Writing Festival
  • North Cornwall Book Festival
  • Outwith Festival
  • PBFA Stamford Book Fair
  • PBFA St Ives
  • Queen’s Park Book Festival
  • Roald Dahl Day
  • Rye Arts Festival
  • Saudha International Literature Festival
  • Southlands Literary Festival
  • South Warwickshire Literary Festival
  • St Duthac Book & Arts Festival
  • St Ives September Festival
  • Tetbury Book Festival
  • Tidelines
  • Wanstead Book Festival
  • WayWORD Festival
  • Wednesbury Literature Festival
  • Wigtown Book Festival
  • Wild Wonder at Westonburt
  • Wimbledon Book Festival Sunset
  • World Kid Lit Month
  • York Book National Fair
  • Do you know of any other writing-related events that take place in September? If so, let me know.

OCTOBER

  • Althorp Literary Festival
  • Athlone Literary Festival (Ireland)
  • Barnet Libraries Black Literary Festival
  • Belfast Festival at Queens (Ireland)
  • Berwick Literary Festival
  • Beverley Literature Festival
  • Bewdley Festival
  • Birmingham Literature Festival
  • Black British Book Festival
  • Black History Month
  • Booker Prize Winner
  • Bookmark Book Festival
  • Boswell Book Festival
  • Bournemouth Festival of Words
  • Bradford Radical Book Fair
  • Bram Stoker Festival (Ireland)
  • Brighton and Hove City Reads
  • Burnham Market Book Festival
  • Canterbury Festival
  • Chapter and Verse Festival
  • Cheltenham Festival of Literature
  • Chester Literature Festival
  • Children’s Book Week
  • Chiltern Kills
  • The Coast is Queer;
  • Crystal Palace Children’s Book Festival;
  • Cranbrook Literature Festival
  • Derby Book Festival
  • DESIblitz Literature Festival
  • DSC South Asian Literature Festival
  • Durham Book Festival
  • Dylan Thomas Festival (Wales)
  • Essex Poetry Festival
  • Exeter Poetry Festival
  • Falmouth Book Festival
  • Frinton Library Festival
  • Guildford Book Festival
  • Havant Literary Festival
  • Hillingdon Festival of History and Literature
  • Hampshire Young Poets Celebration
  • Harrogate History Festival
  • Henley Children’s Literary Festival
  • Ilkley Literature Festival
  • International School Library Month
  • Isle of Wight Literary Festival
  • Knutsford Literary Festival
  • Lancaster Lit Fest
  • Lewes Live Literature
  • Libraries Week
  • Lincoln Book Festival
  • Literary Dundee (Scotland)
  • Liverpool Irish Festival
  • London Literature Festival
  • Manchester Literature Festival
  • Mannington Book Bash
  • The Margate Bookie
  • Mere Literary Festival
  • Milton Keynes Literary Festival
  • Morley Literature Festival
  • Murder One – Ireland’s International Crime Writing Festival
  • National Libraries Week
  • National Poetry Day
  • New Writers UK
  • Nobel Prize for Literature
  • North Pennines Story Telling Festival
  • Orkney Storytelling Festival
  • PBFA Brighton Book Fair
  • PBFA Bury St Edmunds
  • PBFA Dublin Book Fair
  • PBFA Oxford
  • PBFA Sherborne Book Fair
  • Peak Literary Festival (also May)
  • Petworth Festival
  • Poole Literary Festival
  • Portobello Book Festival
  • Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival
  • Red Line Book Festival (Ireland)
  • Rostrevor Literary Festival (Ireland)
  • Saffron Walden Literary Festival
  • Scottish International Storytelling Festival
  • Sentinel Literature Festival
  • Sevenoaks Literary Celebration
  • Small Publishers Fair
  • Thame Arts & Literature Festival
  • Times Literature Cheltenham Festival
  • Tobermory Book Festival
  • Torbay Poetry Festival
  • UEA Live
  • Wantage Literary Festival
  • Warwick Words
  • Wellington Literary Festival
  • Wells Festival of Literature
  • Wigtown Book Festival (Scotland)
  • Wild Atlantic Words Festival (Ireland)
  • Winchester Poetry Festival
  • Wirral Bookfest
  • Wokingham Children’s Book Festival
  • Wolds Word
  • Wonderful Words
  • Woodstock Celebrates Books
  • Wordsworth Trust
  • Word Up
  • The Words of War Book Festival
  • Yeovil Literary Festival
  • Do you know of any writing-related events that take place in October? If so, let me know.

NOVEMBER

  • Aldeburgh Poetry Festival
  • Baillie Gifford Prize Winner
  • Bard of Armagh Festival of Humorous Verse
  • Belfast Festival at Queens (Ireland)
  • Book Week Scotland
  • Bridport Literary Festival
  • Britannica Magazine Online School’s Non-fiction Challenge
  • Cambridge Literary Festival
  • Chelsea Rare Book Fair
  • Chorleywood Literature Festival
  • Cove and Kilcreggan Book Festival
  • Creative Folkestone Book Festival
  • Dingle Literary Festival (Ireland)
  • Dublin Book Festival (Ireland)
  • Dulverton Exmoor Literary Festival
  • Dylan Thomas Festival (Wales)
  • Faclan The Hebridean Book Festival
  • Folkestone Literary Festival
  • Hay Festival Winter Weekend
  • Kendal Mountain Book Festival
  • Lavenham Literary Festival
  • Lennoxlove Book Festival
  • Linlithgow Book Festival
  • Literary Leicester Festival
  • The London History Festival
  • Looe Literary Festival
  • Louder than Words Festival
  • Mallaig Book Festival
  • National Non-fiction Day
  • Northern Children’s Book Festival
  • PBFA Devizes Book Fair
  • PBFA Edgbaston Book Fair
  • PBFA Edinburgh Book Fair
  • PBFA London Autumn Book Fair
  • PBFA Northern Illustrated, Children’s & Detective Fiction Book Fair
  • PBFA Topsham Book Fair
  • Petworth Literary Weekend
  • Push The Boat Out
  • Richmond Upon Thames Literature Festival
  • Robert Louis Stevenson Day
  • Small Publishers Fair
  • Southwold Literature Festival
  • Stroud Book Festival
  • Tidelines Book Festival (Scotland)
  • Tottenham Literature Festival
  • Wordpool
  • Wordplay; A Write Highland Hoolie!
  • Do you know of any writing-related events that take place in November? If so, let me know.

DECEMBER

  • PBFA London Christmas Book Fair
  • Porter Press Motoring Literary & Art Festival
  • Do you know of any writing-related events that take place in December? If so, let me know.

TIMING VARIES

  • The Children’s Bookshow (autumn)
  • Do you know of any writing-related events that take place in December? If so, let me know.