The seventh Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival will be held at venues across the town centre from Thursday 9 to Sunday 12 October.
There will be a host of events, talks and discussions from some of the most exciting national and local authors, as well as new creative workshops, film screenings, and special children’s events.
There’s fiction in every genre including bestselling authors Chris Whitaker and Jennifer Saint, who are appearing in the area for the first time, to debut authors and local writers Wendy Holden and Katie Ward. For those who prefer non-fiction there are riveting discussions that cover everything from the enduring spirit of Ukraine to the story of the town’s eponymous Saint (Edmund) by Amy Jeffs and a joyful exploration of the impact reading can have on our happiness.
A highlight will be an evening with British actress Dame Harriet Walter DBE at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds as a pre-event to the festival on Sunday, 5 October. Winner of a Laurence Olivier Award as well as numerous nominations, she will read from her book, She Speaks! What Shakespeare’s Women Might Have Said, intertwined with tales of her stage and screen work. This will be followed by questions from the audience and a book sale and signing.
This year the festival is expanding beyond author events with creative writing workshops, while Abbeygate Cinema is screening films to complement its literary events such as Captain Corelli’s Mandolin as part of an evening with Louis de Bernières.
Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides have curated a special walk taking in sites of literary note across the town and there’s a half-day gardening workshop with author/gardeners Sally Morgan and Becky Searle, providing a practical accompaniment to their talk on gardening for climate change.
Children’s programme
The Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival also includes a children’s programme with a series of special family events. On Thursday morning, 10 October toddlers can join an interactive storytelling session with George Hoyle at Waterstones in the arc shopping centre. There’s also a storytelling event with Liz Fost on Saturday 11
October for children aged 4-8 years in Bury St Edmunds library, while on 12 October those aged 5-12 can hear about funny animal adventures from Serena Patel, author of Pia’s Pet Cub, also in the library. More details and tickets are available at Bury Lit Fest, author events are from £10 with discounts for those attending multiple events. For where to stay and other things to see and do visit Bury St Edmunds and Beyond.
