Durham Book Festival

What’s on

What it was like in 2026

These events took place in 2026. Explore the conversations, books and ideas that shaped the festival.

Explore the full official 2026 programme.

Authors who appeared

• Susanna Clarke
• Lucy Foley
• Hollie McNish
• Michael Pedersen
• Edith Hall
• Louise Doughty
• Hannah Kaner
• Neil Tennant
• Amy Jeffs
• Sophie Irwin
• Jill Dawson
• Helen Mort
• Lucy Rose
• Sarah Maria Griffin
• Dan Jackson
• Anna Hedworth
• Kit Fan
• Natasha Walter
• Clare McGlynn
• Rowan McCabe
• Holly Sterling
• Nick East
• Padraig Regan
• Clementine Ewokolo Burnley
• Louise Powell
• Sufiyaan Salam
• Shaun Wilson
• Nicola Wilding
• Morvern Graham
• Aimee MacDonald

About Durham Book Festival

Durham Book Festival is a Durham County Council event produced by New Writing North, with university and Arts Council support. It began in 1990 and brings writers, thinkers and performers into the city each October. The organiser also commissions writing, giving the festival a life beyond the live interview. These are useful reasons to look beyond familiar names when choosing your events.

For a first visit, start with the subjects rather than trying to recognise every author. A conversation about a place you know, a poetry event or a discussion of an unfamiliar book can give you a satisfying day without a long reading list beforehand. Read whether the session is a talk, performance or workshop, because those formats ask different things of an audience.

Durham works as both an event visit and a city break. The important decision is how much you want to combine. Someone attending a single afternoon conversation can leave room for the cathedral; someone booking a writing workshop may prefer a quiet morning and an uncomplicated journey home. Build your visit around the event you want rather than treating every space in the diary as something to fill.

When it runs

The festival usually takes place in October. Use the official festival page for the next dates and programme announcement. Check the full dates before buying fixed travel.

Once the programme is available, compare the whole day. Write down the venue, start time and any stated duration for your essential event. Then decide whether to add a second session or leave time for exploring. If a stay is booked before tickets are released, choose cancellation conditions you understand and keep the deadline somewhere visible. Do not assume that a change to your event booking changes the room or train reservation too.

Venues and finding your way

The organiser’s visitor information places Gala Durham and Clayport Library in Millennium Place, opposite one another. It also identifies Collected Books on Riverwalk, The Light at Aykley Heads and Palace Green Library as additional event locations. Check the building and room on your ticket before planning the route.

The practical difference is between events around Millennium Place and an event somewhere else in Durham. Two listings carrying the same festival name can involve a different approach, entrance or amount of walking. Check the full address before choosing consecutive sessions. No unsupported walking time between those other buildings is offered here.

For a group, agree where you will meet if people attend different events. Use a named building or entrance rather than simply saying “outside the festival”. Save the venue information on your phone and carry a printed version if that makes the day easier. If an accessible entrance differs from the route suggested by your mapping app, follow the venue’s advice instead.

Visitor map

Tickets and the official box office

Begin at the official festival programme, open the session you want and follow its booking instructions. Check the venue as carefully as the title. Do not assume that a ticket for one discussion is a pass for the whole weekend, or that a streamed event and an in-person seat have the same booking conditions.

Read the current ticket terms before payment. If a session sells out, ask the official seller about the process for that event and choose another session you would enjoy. Avoid making a non-refundable journey that depends on a ticket being returned.

Keep the order confirmation and the admission document together. If tickets are shared across a group, decide who holds them before you separate for lunch or sightseeing. For workshops, read any instructions about materials, preparation or arrival. For book signings, check the particular event information rather than treating the talk ticket as a guarantee of a signature or a personal conversation.

Official box office ↗

Getting there

By train

Durham station is on North Road. The festival visitor information gives a ten-minute walk to Gala Durham. Allow extra time for luggage, your own pace and any access needs. Include the final approach in the journey plan rather than arriving at the station just before the event begins.

Check your operator’s planner for the actual date, including the return connection and engineering work. If you require assistance, arrange it through the railway’s current process and look again at station access information shortly before travel. The station page can contain temporary notices; read their dates carefully. An old disruption notice should not determine a future trip.

By bus and coach

The organiser directs visitors to Traveline North East for local journey planning. Enter the precise venue or your accommodation as the destination and check the return as a separate journey. If you are using a coach to Durham, check the stop on your own ticket rather than assuming it is beside Gala Durham. Allow room for luggage and finding the onward route.

By car

The festival identifies Walkergate, Prince Bishops and The Sands as parking options. Compare the current tariff, closing arrangements and maximum stay on the relevant operator or council information before choosing. A car park close to a venue is useful only if its conditions suit the length of your visit. Do not plan to move the car during a gap that also has to include lunch.

The official tourism information points to Durham’s park-and-ride service. Check operating days and the final return before selecting it for an evening event. A daytime service can be useful for an afternoon plan but should not be assumed to cover a late finish.

By bike

Cycle parking is opposite Gala Durham, outside Clayport Library. Bring a lock and check where you are allowed to leave the bike. Keep entrances and access routes clear. Plan lighting and weather protection for the return, and do not let a tight event connection become a reason to rush through an unfamiliar part of the city.

Where to stay

See all places to stay for Durham Book Festival

Eating and drinking between events

For food, use the city visit as a chance to choose a place that fits your interval, not as a challenge to find the fastest possible meal. Millennium Place and Riverwalk are useful location names to compare with the venues in the programme. Check the food provider’s current information and book independently if you need a sit-down meal at a particular time.

Ask directly about dietary requirements and tell the provider when you need to leave. Do not assume an event venue’s refreshments will meet every need or remain available throughout your visit. Leave room for water, toilets and a rest as well as eating. A properly protected meal break is more useful than another session booked on the assumption that everything will run to the minute.

Accessibility

The organiser’s access information describes lifts and accessible toilets at Gala Durham, wheelchair spaces arranged through booking, and personal assistant tickets for disabled customers needing support. It also describes amplification equipment at Gala and lifts, accessible toilets and a loop at Clayport Library. Contact the team about support at other named venues.

Check the specific event format and discuss your needs before choosing a seat. A room being accessible does not answer every question about the route from your accommodation, a queue, a workshop table or where you can take a break. Tell the box office the practical arrangement that would make the visit workable, then keep its reply with the ticket.

The organiser gives information about streamed and captioned Gala events and asks for advance contact for BSL support. Read the live details rather than assuming every venue offers the same provision. If a city outing is part of the same day, check its access information separately. The festival team’s assistance does not automatically extend to another attraction or transport booking.

Plan your days

A one-day visit

Choose one main festival event, then leave an interval before a second booking. If your day includes the cathedral, use Durham Cathedral’s visitor information to check arrangements for the date. It is a place of worship as well as a visitor destination, so plan around the published visitor guidance rather than expecting unrestricted access at any time.

Keep the last part of the day flexible until the journey home is settled. You may prefer supper and a conversation about the books to an extra event followed by a hurried departure. This is a suggested shape for the day, not a timed route or a claim that particular sessions will be scheduled together.

A weekend visit

Use one day for your essential events and give the other a quieter rhythm. Choose a cathedral visit, a library session or an additional conversation that you would enjoy without needing to cross the city repeatedly. Check opening and admission arrangements directly for anything outside the festival programme.

A weekend also gives space to return to the accommodation between activities. If that matters to you, compare properties by the real route to your booked venue rather than by a photograph or a short location label. Keep a wet-weather option and avoid making sightseeing dependent on catching a particular signing or a hoped-for return ticket.

Eight first-timer tips

1. ✓Start with the official programme and confirm the room on every booking.
2. ✓Keep Millennium Place and the other city venues distinct in your plan.
3. ✓Save tickets and travel details for offline use.
4. ✓Treat the station walking estimate as a guide for planning, with extra time for your needs.
5. ✓Arrange seating and access support before buying unsuitable tickets.
6. ✓Ask about signing arrangements for the particular session.
7. ✓Check parking closure or the last return bus before an evening event.
8. ✓Leave time to eat and explore without squeezing the day between ticketed sessions.

Other reading and cultural events

New Writing North publishes events and projects for readers and writers beyond Durham Book Festival. Browse the current programme if a writing workshop or another reading would suit an extended visit. Keep its location and booking terms separate from the festival; an organisation’s wider work is not automatically included in your Durham event ticket.

Frequently asked questions

When is Durham Book Festival?

The organiser describes an annual October festival. Use the official festival page for the next dates and programme. Confirm dates before buying fixed rail travel or accommodation with restrictive cancellation conditions.

Where are the main events?

The organiser’s visitor page identifies Gala Durham and Clayport Library in Millennium Place, with other events at Collected Books, The Light and Palace Green Library. Use the venue printed on your own ticket and check the current programme. A list from a recent edition helps a sense of the layout but does not guarantee the next programme’s venues.

Which station should I use?

Durham station is a ten-minute walk from Gala Durham, according to the festival’s visitor page. Check the rail operator’s current journey and station information, then allow more time for luggage or access needs. Include the journey back to the station when deciding which final event you can comfortably attend.

How do I book tickets?

Go through the official New Writing North festival programme and follow the booking link for the event. Read its venue, admission format and ticket conditions before paying. Keep the admission document as well as the confirmation message. Contact the official box office about access or sold-out sessions rather than assuming a policy from another festival applies.

Can I combine the festival with Durham Cathedral?

You can plan a separate cathedral visit around your festival bookings, using the cathedral’s own visitor information for the date and access arrangements. Leave sufficient space between activities and check any restrictions linked to worship or events. A festival ticket does not include admission arrangements at a separate attraction or guarantee its availability.

Where can I park?

The festival visitor information names Walkergate, Prince Bishops and The Sands as options, and official tourism information links to park and ride. Compare current opening, maximum stay and payment rules before selecting a car park. If choosing park and ride, make the final return service part of your evening plan rather than checking it afterwards.

Can you go to Durham Book Festival without a ticket?

Tickets are needed for events; check the official box office for the session you want.

How far ahead should I book a room for Durham Book Festival?

Consider Elvet or another Durham address if you would like the stay to include separate sightseeing. Check your specific property’s location against the festival programme and ask directly about any essential access feature. Book early for festival dates and keep cancellation terms with the reservation. Compare the stay advice.

Sources

• New Writing North: festival and programme
• New Writing North: about, venues, travel and access
• LNER: Durham station
• This is Durham: park and ride
• Durham Cathedral: plan a visit

Official source links

• newwritingnorth.com
• newwritingnorth.com
• www.lner.co.uk
• www.thisisdurham.com
• www.durhamcathedral.co.uk
• galadurham.co.uk

Sources checked 21 October 2026. Check the organiser and operators again before booking.

Plan your trip · Where to stay