It’s been years since I’ve been to any kind of literary event, but the ones I’ve attended have been hugely inspirational. There are several in different parts of the world I’d love to attend (or go to again). Below are the highlights of my list, and at the end I’m including some great lists I found that will give you even more to explore!
“This annual festival, which also has international offshoots, takes place in a tented village in Hay- on-Wye, a small town on the border between England and Wales, which is famed for its abundance of bookshops. It is held towards the end of May, and even boasts that there have been 29 weddings of couples who met at the festival.” – Penguin UK’s list
“Priding ourselves as the literary festival where you can let down your hair and enjoy a drink at the bar with your favourite crime writer, we strive to put on entertaining as well as informative events during a weekend in September, covering a range of criminal subjects from fictional forensics, psychological thrillers, tartan noir, cosy crime and many more.” – Bloody Scotland About
“Taking place in New York every autumn, Brooklyn Book Festival is free to the public, with tickets to events allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The festival includes a children’s day and Bookend Events, which take place across the city.” – Penguin UK’s list
“Frankfurter Buchmesse is the world’s most important fair for the print and digital content business, as well as an outstanding social and cultural event. For five days, publishing experts, writers and cultural enthusiasts from all over the world come together at the fair in Frankfurt, where they network, talk, make decisions, get inspired and join together in celebration. This year’s guest of honor happens to be Canada.” – Kotobee Blog’s list
“BookExpo is carefully crafted with content and experiences for all those that play a part in the publishing industry. Its where authors, booksellers, distributors, librarians, literary agents, publishers and more unite to build relationships, learn tactics to bolster business and get the pulse of what’s trending in today’s shifting marketplace.” – BEA site
“The London Book Fair is a massive international affair and, in Europe at least, it’s second only to Frankfurt. It’s a place for authors, booksellers/buyers, distributors, literary agents/scouts, publishers, translators and obviously readers. LBF holds two award ceremonies each year. The International Excellence Awards, celebrating publishing and related activities outside of the UK and The Trailblazers, celebrating those under 30 in the publishing industry. The London Book Fair is delighted to have Sharjah as the Market Focus for 2020.” – Kotobee Blog’s list
“Going beyond the commonplace, Read My World explores the boundaries between literature and journalism, between here and there and draws attention to everything in between. Next year’s edition takes place in October in the Tolhuistuin in Amsterdam North, with a special focus on journalism, literature, and stories from Black USA.” – Kotobee Blog’s list
“The Festival of Women Writers will celebrate its fourth year in the Hobart Book Village, “the reading capital of New York State.” Since its inception, the Festival has created space for established and emerging women writers to share their insights and skills through a variety of writing activities and public readings with audiences throughout Delaware County, the state of New York, and beyond.” – Kotobee Blog’s list
“The Festival of Literary Diversity is Canada’s first festival for diverse authors and storytellers, held in historic downtown Brampton. The FOLD provides one-of-a-kind programs and events that engage readers, inspire writers, and empower educators by highlighting important and underrepresented voices.” – From the official website
Local:
“Our festival was founded to celebrate book lovers of all ages and backgrounds bringing established authors together with readers, and publishers with emerging writers.” From the official website
“Words shape our worlds. They can delight, inspire, provoke, comfort and unite—as do the authors, journalists and poets who wield them. At the Vancouver Writers Fest we encourage readers of all ages to explore the power of storytelling, and books, through our dozens of events with local and international writers.” – From the official website
“Nestled between the towering, white-capped North Shore mountains and the deep blue waters of the Burrard Inlet, the North Shore Writers Festival brings Canadian authors and readers together to celebrate Canadian literature.” – From the official website
Kotobee Blog’s “The Comprehensive List of International Book Fairs in 2020”
Penguin UK’s “17 Literary Festivals in 2019 for Book Lovers”
CBC’s “A Guide to Canadian Literary Festivals”
Read Local BC’s “Literary Festivals and Reading Series in BC”
That’s it for this week! I’d absolutely love to hear from any of you who have been to these or any other literary festivals. Did you love the experience? Meet any of your favourite authors? Find any great books to try out? Which ones do you most want to go to one day?
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly link-up feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Every week TTT has a different topic, and everyone who links up has to create a link of ten items that fit that topic. To see past and upcoming topics, go here.
So many intriguing events/festivals! I keep finding myself in awe over how many there really are! I’ve never been to a single one, but hopefully one day! Great picks.
Me neither! I hope to change that one day!
Yours is perhaps the most interesting list today. So many different ones I haven’t seen elsewhere such as FOLD and the Festival of Woman Writers. Great job!
Thanks! Though credit goes to Google and the lists I linked – I just cherry picked the best sounding ones! I also wanted to find a few that were lesser-known because I figured everyone would have BEA and Hay on theirs!
Great list. The Woman’s Festival sounds fun.
Here is my TTT.
https://dmhoisington.wordpress.com/2020/07/21/top-ten-tuesday-7/
Yes! I’d love to attend one day!
I’m so curious about Bloody Scotland.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
Me too!!! I feel like, based on the witty name, that it’d be full of my kind of people.
Never knew there were than many. I really like Bloody Scotland. http://pmprescott.blogspot.com/2020/07/todays-topic-is-book-eventsfestivals-id.html
There are so many! And so many that sound bloody brilliant! (heehee, sorry had to)
Word Vancouver sounds fun!
Yes!
I’ve never been to the Hay festival, it’s a bit far from where I live in the UK, but I’d love to go one day!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2020/07/21/top-ten-tuesday-273/
It’s a bit far from the west coast of Canada, but I’d also like to make it one day!! (mind you, I’d kill to live anywhere in the UK really)
I’ve love to visit the Hay Festival, too.
My TTT .
Yes!
I really need to look into FOLD since it’s not from me here in Toronto. Great list!
Here’s my Top Ten Tuesday post.
Let me know how it is if you make it!
If you have Bloody Scotland on the list, have you ever considered Noirwich? I want to go just for the punning name!!
This is my TTT
Hahaha! Oh, that made my day. Thanks for that!
I haven’t been to any of these, but I would love to one day!
Likewise!
Great list! I love the Hay Festival and I’ve enjoyed London Book Fair, too. I’d love to go to Frankfurt one day, though!
I’d love to go to London Book Fair!
BEA is my ultimate book pilgrimage, honestly. It’s sad that they’ve been cutting book bloggers out of the event slowly, though.
My TTT
I didn’t know that was happening. That’s a shame!