Meet our Queer Writing Strand! Our LGBTQ+ Writer in residence Paul Burston will run a queer life writing course & an event on Queering the Memoir with Gordon A. Urquhart, he'll also host the Polari Salon with VG Lee , Rosie Garland & @maxwallis.bsky.social ! 1/2

Stuck for something to do with the kids this half term? We've got a few ideas for you! For more information on how to book, sign up, and submit: geni.us/LFSpring26 The majority of tickets only £3, with some events free! Two events can also be joined online.

Tonight has been our February edition of the Litfest International Fiction Online Book Club, so it's a great time to look ahead to our special festival edition on Monday 16th March at 6:30pm with Vincenzo Latronico and his translator, Sophie Hughes! Book (£4) https://geni.us/LIFBC26

Our final workshop for Litfest 2026, is a FREE Historical Fiction Writing Workshop with Vicky MacKenzie on Sunday 22nd March at 4pm! Apply here: litfest.org/workshop... You can also join us at 2pm when she will be discussing her novel with Alex Wragge-Morley! geni.us/LFSpring26

Our 2nd workshop of Litfest '26 will be a session on Nature & Environment Writing with Karen Lloyd on 21st Mar at 10:30am! In this time of crisis, consider ways that writers can engage in storytelling that places the rights of nature centre stage. Apply (£15): litfest.org/workshop...

Our first Litfest workshop for 2026 will be a Queer Life Writing Course with @paulburston.bsky.social and Gordon A. Urquhart! You can choose to join the first workshop only (£15) or the full course including an additional 5 digital workshops (£60) Apply now: litfest.org/workshops26/

One month today, we'll be launching Litfest 2026...with a book launch! We'll be celebrating our Naturalist in Residence @karenllo.bsky.social's new book - EARTHWORKS - in conversation with Lee Schofield! 13th March, 7pm at Atkinsons Upper Hall, tickets £6 geni.us/LFSpring26

On Tuesday 17th March at 7pm, we'll be welcoming @kitdewaal.com to Lancaster to discuss her latest novel - THE BEST OF EVERYTHING - with @lancasteruni.bsky.social's Zoe Lambert! 'Takes an ordinary life and renders it extraordinary' Monica Ali Tickets £8, book now: geni.us/LFSpring26

We are very excited to be bringing Lancaster University 's Eoghan Walls 's new novel: field notes from an extinction ( Seven Stories Press UK ) to Litfest! Join us at 5pm on Sunday 15th March for a very exciting launch! Tickets £6, book now: geni.us/LFSpring26

On Sunday 22nd March 11am @thedukeslancaster.bsky.social , we'll be welcoming @profannawhitelock.bsky.social to discuss THE SUN RISING! A panoramic history of the arrival of the Stuarts, and how the reign of King James I saw England reach new corners of the globe. Tickets £8: geni.us/LFSpring26

This year is #nationalyearofreading2026! So, it's the perfect time to sign up to our Big read - litfest.org/big-read... - and come along to hear this year's featured author M. G. Leonard exploring her work: geni.us/LFSpring26

We are very excited to be welcoming Blake Morrison back to Litfest! In addition to his poetry double with Fiona Benson at 2pm on Saturday 21st Feb, he will also be treating us to an early preview of his A-Z of Life Writing- ON MEMOIR at 5pm! Book now (£8): geni.us/LFSpring26

@litfest.bsky.social #BigRead is this excellent adventure @mglnrd.bsky.social . Its action packed a real page turner . Please get involved and read with your family and friends . We would love you to share your views with @litfest.bsky.social . 🐦🦉🐦‍⬛ And @mglnrd.bsky.social will be at the #festival.

Dear readers & bird-lovers of Lancaster, I'll be talking about how nature inspired me to write The Twitchers books & giving you an exclusive peak at The Adventures of Portly to Otter on MARCH 14th at @litfest.bsky.social. Tickets are ONLY £3! www.mgleonard.com/events/2026/...

On 8th March at 7pm, Dr Penny Bradshaw will be celebrating #internationalwomensday by taking us through the A-Z of Beatrix Potter in conversation with Jo Baker! Tickets only £8, book now! geni.us/LFSpring26

As part of our Spring Season, we're delighted to include imitating the dog's retelling of H. G. Wells' classic - WAR OF THE WORLDS! They'll be bringing it to The Dukes from 18th-21st February (tickets £25), with a special after show discussion on the 19th (free!) Book now: geni.us/LFSpring26

I'll be at the excellent Lancaster @litfest.bsky.social talking about 'These Isles: A People's History of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales', Sun March 22nd, 3.30pm. Tickets here: litfest.org/events/brian... Book due out Feb 26, can be preordered from bookshops and websites.

Join us on 26th February, for a fascinating pre-festival event in partnership with our friends Lancaster Arts celebrating the work of Booker Prize-winning author Alan Hollinghurst and delight in dissent! Tickets are £12-£16. Book now www.lancasterarts.org/youre-invite...

It's here! The full programme is now available to browse, and all tickets are available to book! Explore our workshops, sign up to the Big Read, learn about what's on offer from our Writers in Residence and submit to our Rights of Nature Digital Poetry Map! geni.us/LFSpring26

I am thrilled to be speaking about Beatrix Potter as part of @litfest.bsky.social 2026 and to mark International Women’s Day (Sunday 8 March) 📚🍃

It's time to reveal the programme cover for Litfest's 2026 Spring season, including our 47th Litfest (13th-22nd March)! Whilst you'll have to wait a little longer for the full release of our packed programme, you can grab early-bird in-person tickets for a selection of events! geni.us/LF26Spring

Browse our Christmas e-newsletter to learn about our children's book sale, enjoy three pre-festival events, and get those all-important dates for Litfest 2026! Learn More! geni.us/LFDecENews

Help us to make Litfest better than ever! As we take stock of the Autumn Weekend events that we've run so far, and look ahead to the future, we need to know what you thought of our events. Let us know what worked, what didn't and what you'd like to see: geni.us/LFFeedback25AW

Help us to make Litfest better than ever! As we take stock of the Autumn Weekend events that we've run so far, and look ahead to the future, we need to know what you thought of our events. Let us know what worked, what didn't and what you'd like to see: geni.us/LFFeedback25AW

Just finished #LancashireFolktales @storywheel.bsky.social . Definitely tales for #winter evenings and I found a new story about my own local town - Icy Fingers 🥶. So lovely to hear Jacqueline and #MarjanWouda talking @litfest.bsky.social last weekend about how they created the book.

We hope all who joined us at @litfest.bsky.social to hear the fabulous @mkhardywrites.com discussing THE NEEDFIRE & co-writing with @oliverklangmead.bsky.social has a wonderful time! We've spotted a lone copy waiting for a new home on display Lancaster Waterstones. Grab yours before they're gone!

Our final Sunday event of Litfest’s Autumn Weekend is with @malikalnasir.bsky.social telling us his deeply insightful story of SEARCHING FOR MY SLAVE ROOTS! He is in conversation with Rebecca Joy Novell from Lancaster Black History.

We had a great time on our panel talking about liminality and the environment and all things co-writing! So great to see a vibrant programme and lots of keen attendees at @litfest.bsky.social this weekend. Thanks for having us!

Litfest’s event on co-writing novels kicks off with a reading from THE NEEDFIRE by “Mo” (one half of @mkhardywrites.com) exploring the border places, equally linked to @oliverklangmead.bsky.social’s mysterious CITY OF ALL SEASONS which we turn to next…

We’re getting our Litfest Sunday off to a fantastic start with Carol Ann Lee and SOMETHING WICKED! We have two more events to enjoy this afternoon! Tickets will still be available on the door, and you can also buy tickets online here geni.us/LFAW25

Looking forward to listening to this discussion on ‘Searching for My Slave Roots’ with @malikalnasir.bsky.social at @litfest.bsky.social later today

#LucyStrange launched our Saturday programme @litfest.bsky.social with an event full of energy and spookiness in conversation @katherinewoodfine.bsky.social . It was great to hear about the joint relationship with her #illustrator #PamSmy.

Made it to Lancaster for @litfest.bsky.social - looking forward to attending and speaking at some cracking events!

Tonight’s opening event with #SarahHall was superb. You can still buy copies of #Helm @litfest.bsky.social and support our future festivals and you can buy so many other titles as shown below . Hopefully we will see some of you over the weekend .

Looking forward to listening to the wonderful Yvonne Reddick and @liambatespoet.bsky.social reading at @litfest.bsky.social later today

‘The more local you are, the more global you are’: the ever-brilliant Sarah Hall on her new novel, ‘Helm’, place-writing, and the importance of positivity in environmental fictional writing at @litfest.bsky.social 📚🍃

We are delighted to have #SarahHall kicking off our #AutumnWeekend @litfest.bsky.social talking about her latest book #Helm and there is a full house !

🍁🍂TOMORROW, LITFEST'S AUTUMN WEEKEND BEGINS!📕📙 We can't wait to see you at one (or more!) of the fabulous events we've got for you this weekend. Book your tickets, browse the programme, and buy the books: geni.us/LFAW25

Next week we will be delighted to welcome Xiaolu Guo to deliver the FREE Lancaster International Fiction Lecture on the subject of "Fiction as an Act of Sabotage" on 21st October in partnership with @lancasteruni.bsky.social. Join us in person, or watch online

Our launch event on Friday, celebrating the release of Sarah Hall's stunning novel HELM is now sold out for in-person tickets. However, thanks to the wonderful world of hybrid events, you can still join us online via Crowdcast wherever you are in the world. Tickets only £4: https://geni.us/helm_sh

The perfect event for #BlackHistoryMonth: on Sunday 19th October at 3:30pm, join us at Lancaster Library to hear @malikalnasir.bsky.social in conversation with Rebecca Joy Novell talking about his fascinating exploration of his ancestry in SEARCHING FOR MY SLAVE ROOTS! Book now geni.us/MalikAN

Happy #NationalPoetryDay! You can still snap up tickets to our Poetry Double Bill on Saturday 18th October with Yvonne Reddick and Liam Bates! geni.us/LFAWPDB And, of course, you can grab a whole host of poetry delights from the Litfest Bookshop! litfest.org/shop/

THE NEEDFIRE is coming South of the border - see @mkhardywrites.com @litfest.bsky.social's Autumn Weekend! Join us in Lancaster 19th Oct, 2pm where they will be discussing the process of co-writing with the superb @oliverklangmead.bsky.social! Tickets only £6. Book here:

"Virtuosic, a tough and supple poetry anchored in decades of attention to Cumbrian land and plants and skies." - Guardian We're delighted to be launching our Autumn Weekend with an event celebrating Sarah Hall's spectacular HELM! 17/10, join in-person or online (£6/£4)

Are you ready for some Lancashire Folktales? Beautifully told by Jacqueline Harris, and stunningly illustrated by MarjanWouda, all the tales in the book are rooted in the Lancashire landscape, reflecting the diverse lives lived there. Join us Sat 18th Oct, 5pm, The Storey. Tickets £6 geni.us/LFTLS

We can't wait to welcome you to Litfest's Autumn Weekend 2025! Across 12 events, join us at our in-person partner venues - The Storey, @lancasteruni.bsky.social & Lancaster Central Library - and also join in online via Crowdcast for our launch & our two International Fiction Events! geni.us/LFAW25

🍁📙There's just under a month to go until Litfest's Autumn Weekend 2025! Have you booked your tickets yet? geni.us/LFAW25

This Litfest Festival Bookshop is now....open! Grab all the festival titles in one handy spot (and browse the rest of the bookshop for bargains whilst you're there! @mollieray.bsky.social @oliverklangmead.bsky.social @mkhardywrites.com @malikalnasir.bsky.social & more! Shop here: geni.us/LFAWBK

We're delighted to see that @mollieray.bsky.social is shortlisted for the Young Comics Laureate 2025-6! geni.us/YCLAU Mollie will be appearing at our Autumn Weekend to discuss how the graphic novel format allows her to treat challenging topics with wit and sensitivity. Book now £6: geni.us/LFMBHB

On Saturday 18th October, 5pm at The Storey Lancaster, we'll be exploring the world of Lancashire's Folktales, and launching Jacqueline Harris' new collection, beautifully illustrated by Marjan Wouda! Book tickets: geni.us/LFTLS