APRIL

Ink Festival

8-11 April The New Cut Arts Centre and around Halesworth, Suffolk Festival of new short theatre and radio plays 

https://inkfestival.org

Evesham Festival of Words

Year round Online, and Evesham venues Year-round events programme, initially mostly online, with more physical events planned going into summer www.eveshamfestivalofwords.org

Wrexham Carnival of Words

17-24 April Online Live stream and pre-recorded events 

http://wrexhamcarnivalofwords.com/

Cuirt International Festival of Literature

21-25 April Venues in Galway One of Europe’s oldest book festivals, and a leading voice for literature both internationally and across Ireland. All events online this year

  www.cuirt.ie

Words by the Water

22-25 April Theatre by the Lake, Keswick Shorter than usual, socially distanced

literature festival in Cumbria, featuring highprofile author appearances

  www.wayswithwords.co.uk/festivals/wordsby-the-water--the-lake-district-23

Cambridge Literary Festival: Spring Festival Online 

22-30 April Online Programme and details TBC; Also a monthly online book club, with guests including Sebastian Barry, 14 April, and Emma Donoghue, 12 May. www.cambridgeliteraryfestival.com

UEA Spring Literary Festival

Ongoing events with award-winning authors, Marina Warner, 28 April, and Ali Smith, 5

May

  uealive.com

Sea Fever Literary Festival

30 April-1 May Online and The Maltings, Staithe Street, Wells-next-the-Sea, North Norfolk North Norfolk’s festival of poetry and prose, www.seafeverliteraryfestival.com

www.dylanthomas.com

MAY

Brighton Festival 

From 1 May Multiple sites and online Innovative commissioning and producing arts festival with strong literary presence and this year, author and poet Lemn Sissay as guest director

  http://brightonfestival.org/

Swaledale Festival May-October

Various venues around Swaledale, Akengarthdale and Wensleydale, North Yorkshire A six-month series of events this year instead of a short term festival, with socially distanced live events 

www.swalefest.org

Strokestown International Poetry Festival, Ireland

1-2 May Online World-renowned poetry festival featuring leading Irish and international poets, this year online only. 

www.strokestownpoetry.org

Chiddingstone Castle Literary Festival 

TBC, usually May Chiddingstone Castle, Kent West Kent’s Literary Festival for story-lovers of all ages, all details TBC. Guests for 2020’s virtual festival included Joanna Trollope, Michael Morpurgo and Maggie O’Farrell 

www.chiddingstonecastle.org.uk

Swindon Spring festival of Literarure and the Arts

3-9 May, online Authors and talks, discussions, workshops, in a tiered and blended programme of mostly online events. These will include a little live outdoor action; live talks and workshops online; and recorded interviews and discussions online.

  www.swindonfestivalofliterature.co.uk

Boswell Book Festival 

7-9 May Dumfries House, Cumnock, Ayrshire The world’s only festival of biography and memoir, includes Boswell Children’s Festival www.boswellbookfestival.co.uk

Ullapool Book Festival

7-9 May Ullapool Village Hall A literary festival held in the Highlands, with fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Planned as a socially distanced live festival, but with online provision if necessary

  www.ullapoolbookfestival.co.uk

Fowey Festival of Arts and Literature

May TBC Online only this year A ten day literary festival with an eclectic mix of talks by a variety of authors.

  www.foweyfestival.com

Stratford Literary Festival

8-16 May Multiple venues in Stratford-upon-Avon Celebrating its 14th year in 2021, Stratford Literary Festival offers something for everyone, young and old. This year’s spring festival will deliver a fantastic lineup of conversations, talks and debates with leading and upcoming authors, along with fun workshops and activities for kids.