Literature Festivals 2026 in Yorkshire

Yorkshire hosts an array of literature festivals, hosting some of the worlds best authors and pulishers and featuring workshops to aid you in becoming a better writer. Many also host fantstic events for children.

Leeds Storytelling Festival

14th February to 8th March 2026
A brand-new family festival to enthral and inspire! The magic of storytelling unites cultures and generations.

Filey Literature Festival

8th to 10th May 2026
Celebrate the magic of words and stories at the Filey Literature Festival, an annual gathering that brings together authors, readers, and literary enthusiasts in the picturesque setting of Filey.

Books By The Beach

5th to 7th June 2026
Books By the Beach brings authors to the readers, with a strong Yorkshire influence. Hosted in Scarborough.

hands holding a piece of white paper with black text stating Words Have Power

Leeds Literature Festival

2026 Dates TBC
With 9 days of events in venues across the city. A collaboration of writers, venues, programmers & poets. A gathering of the homegrown people & guests from afar. Leeds award winning festival of words and thought has something for all, with some great speakers in the lineup & performances planned.

The Big Malarkey Festival

15th to 21st June 2026
The Big Malarkey Festival is Hull’s children’s literature festival, held on a colourful tented site in East Park.

Bradford Literature Festival

3rd to 12th July 2026
BLF 2026 will feature hundreds of unique events for all ages across 10 brilliant days, welcoming some of the most inspirational and creative figures to Bradford.

Crime Writing Festival

23rd to 26th July 2026
The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival offers a line-up of the biggest names and new talent in crime fiction, appearing as part of a programme which features creative workshops, unique author talks and enlightening panels.

Ilkley Literature Festival

2026 Dates TBC
The Festival is held in October in this miniature Victorian spa town at the foot of Ilkley Moor – surrounded by beautiful countryside. The festival all elements of words - written, spoken and performed.

Town Festival

2026 Dates TBC
All new for 2024 a combination of Town grassroots music festival with the old Halifax Festival Of Words to bring our biggest festival yet with more events & new venues too including Halifax Minster & Calderdale Industrial Museum.

Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival

2026 Dates TBC
A stellar line up of bestselling authors and celebrated speakers at The Crown Hotel, Harrogate, with a diverse programme designed to entertain, inspire, educate, challenge and amuse. Includes children’s events.

Off The Shelf Festival

2026 Dates TBC
Off the Shelf Festival of Words is one of the largest literary festivals in the North of England, bringing the best in local, national and international literary talent to Sheffield.

Todmorden Book Festival

2026 Dates TBC (Nov)
New and established writers from across the region and the UK, as well as the work of international authors, with fiction, non-fiction and poetry events for adults and children.

East Riding Festival of Words

2025 Dates TBC
The East Riding Libraries team brings you popular and new authors from near and far, for events and talks that can be thrilling, cosy, and sometimes fantastical!

Yorkshire Festival of Story

3rd to 9th November 2025
YFOS 24 will use epic stories, fairy tales, theatre, and song to explore how we speak truth to power and how we can achieve justice through stories.

Bronte Women's Writing Festival

2026 Dates TBC
Celebrating women writers across fiction, non-fiction and scripts. Inspired by the Brontës’ evocative northern home, this year’s focus is on writers from and based in the North, and on stories that centre around northern landscapes and Brontë influence.

aerial view of a carousel outside York Castle Museum