- Events
- Whitby Lit Fest 2026
Whitby Lit Fest 2026
About Whitby Lit Fest 2026
Whitby’s Literature Festival is a celebration of writing and authors, past and present, in many genres, including novels, short stories, plays and poetry, some of which have been inspired by Whitby along the way.
We’ll be back in 2026 for our second edition!
Some of the Headline Guests from our inaugural festival in 2025:
Lee Child: Discussed his 30th Jack Reacher novel Exit Strategy and memoir Reacher: The Stories Behind the Stories, in conversation with Rob Rinder.
Miriam Margolyes: Promoted The Little Book of Miriam, joined by Lucinda Hawksley — Charles Dickens’ great-great-great-granddaughter.
Sir Alan Ayckbourn: Offered insights into his legendary playwriting career.
Steph McGovern: Debuted her crime thriller Deadline with author Anna Mazzola.
Yvette Fielding: Hosted a children’s event around her spooky new book The Vampire of Whitby.
As well as: Gothic events, Live music, Podcasts recorded live, Workshops and readings
More like this
Expect a range of performances and activities across the afternoon from… Expect a range of performances and activities across the afternoon from some of the UK’s best touring companies, alongside good food, opportunities…
Celebrate 20 years since Doug Johnstone’s debut and the release of his… Celebrate 20 years since Doug Johnstone’s debut and the release of his 20th book. Interviewed by Chris Brookmyre, Doug reflects on two decades of…
Join us for a lively and entertaining evening with the UK's best loved… Join us for a lively and entertaining evening with the UK's best loved wine expert Olly Smith (BBC One's Saturday Kitchen ) in conversation withAlex…
Acclaimed author Rachel Hewitt (author of 4 non-fiction books, including… Acclaimed author Rachel Hewitt (author of 4 non-fiction books, including the best-selling Map of a Nation: A Biography of the Ordnance Survey, and In…
