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Literary Festival
Dates for your diary

UK book festival calendar 2027

Stratford Literary Festival ran from 29 October 2026 to 1 November 2026.

Cambridge Literary Festival runs from 21 November 2026 to 22 November 2026.

Hay Festival Winter Weekend runs from 26 November 2026 to 29 November 2026.

Choose a month for your next book festival trip, from the first talks you want to hear to a whole weekend away. This calendar brings together the festivals in our visitor guides and the wider regional directory.

Published 2027 dates appear where announced. “Usually” gives the festival’s usual timing; use the organiser’s link for the next dates and programme before booking travel. A festival running across two months appears under its main month here. Our visitor guides cover the practical details; other links lead straight to the festival.

January

None of the festivals in our guides usually runs in January. See February.

February

Granite Noir brings crime writing to Aberdeen in February.

Winter Words

18–21 February 2027 · Pitlochry · Scotland

A winter programme of writers and performers at Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

March

March brings Oxford’s spring festival, Aye Write in Glasgow and poetry at StAnza in St Andrews.

StAnza

12–14 March 2027 · St Andrews · Scotland

Scotland’s international poetry festival brings readings and workshops to St Andrews.

Lancaster Litfest

Usually March; autumn events in October and November · Lancaster · North of England

Books and conversation

Words by the Water

10–14 March 2027 · Keswick · North of England

Books and ideas at Theatre by the Lake in Keswick.

April

April’s festivals are the literature festival in Llandeilo and Winchester Books Festival.

May

May includes Bath, Hay and Stratford, alongside festivals in Cumnock, Chester and Derby.

Capital Crime

28–30 May 2027 · London · South East and London

Crime writers and readers meet for a London weekend of conversations, panels and books.

Boswell Book Festival

7–9 May 2027 · Cumnock · Scotland

Biography and memoir conversations at Dumfries House near Cumnock.

Hay Festival

27 May–6 June 2027 · Hay-on-Wye · Wales and the Marches

Families, History, Poetry, Book Towns

2027 line-up

June

June combines history at Chalke with book festivals in Melrose and Montgomery, poetry in Nottingham and literature events in Chichester.

Monty Lit Fest

11–13 June 2027 · Montgomery · Wales and the Marches

Books and conversation

July

July pairs Harrogate’s crime-writing festival with book festivals in Newark and Penzance.

August

Edinburgh International Book Festival takes place in August.

September

September includes crime writing in Stirling, Wigtown’s book festival and events from Dartmouth to Chiswick.

Chiswick Book Festival

8–13 September 2027 · Chiswick, London · South East and London

A community book festival across Chiswick’s church, hall and cultural venues.

Dartmouth Book Festival

Exact dates for the next festival haven’t been announced yet. · Dartmouth · South West

Books, poetry and maritime subjects at the Flavel in Dartmouth.

The Queen’s Reading Room Festival

Exact 2027 dates haven’t been announced yet. · Chatsworth, Derbyshire · Midlands

Reading and conversation at Chatsworth; the latest festival ran on 19–20 September 2026.

October

October’s festivals include Cheltenham, Durham, Henley and Ilkley, alongside Berwick, Manchester, Warwick and Wells.

November

November brings Hay’s Winter Weekend and the book festivals in Todmorden and Bridport.

December

None of the festivals in our guides usually runs in December. See January.

Find your region or reading interest

These quick lists work without JavaScript. Follow a festival name to its guide or official site, or use the month links above to see the full calendar.

Scotland

Wales And The Marches

North Of England

Midlands

South West

South East And London

General

Crime

Families

History

Poetry

City

Book Towns