Running from 28 February to 26 March, York Literature Festival 2026 will be turning the pages of our city’s rich literary heritage with an impressive array of bookworm-friendly events in established venues across York.
This year’s diverse events programme includes workshops, talks and book launches to suit the tastes of any reader or writer in the making, featuring established poets, novelists and authors including Liz Flanagan, Francis Spufford, Janine Bradbury, Lucy Rose, Rónán Hession, and many more.
To help our readers get ahead of the game and secure tickets in plenty of time, we’ve provided details of every single event in this year’s programme… you’re welcome, Yorkies!
28 FEBRUARY – YOUR LIFE IS MANUFACTURED: TIM MINSHALL IN CONVERSATION, St Peter’s Memorial Hall, YO30 6AB. 7.00pm-8.30pm.
4 MARCH – THE SLEEPWALKERS: SCARLETT THOMAS IN CONVERSATION, Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, YO1 9XD. 7.00pm-9.30pm.
6 MARCH – LET’S GET PHILOSOPHICAL: WRITING PHILOSOPHICAL FICTION, York Medical Society, YO1 8AW. 2.00pm-4.00pm.
6 MARCH – CLIMATE SCI-FI FICTION WITH FLY ON THE WALL PRESS, York Medical Society, YO1 8AW. 6.00pm-9.00pm.
7 MARCH – SMITH & WAUGH’S SATIRICAL VOYAGE: FROM JONATHAN SWIFT TO H.G. WELLS, YSJ Auditorium, YO31 7EX. 2.00pm.
7 MARCH – THE BOOK OF JONAH: LUKE KENNARD IN CONVERSATION WITH CALEB KLACES, YSJ Auditorium, YO31 7EX. 6.00pm.
8 MARCH – POETRY WORKSHOP WITH JANINE BRADBURY, Theatre@41 Monkgate, YO31 7PB. 1.00pm-3.00pm.
8 MARCH – INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY POETRY SHOWCASE, Theatre@41 Monkgate, YO31 7PB. 7.00pm.
9 MARCH – BEYOND THE WALLS, YSJ, DeGreyCourt, YO31 7EX. 7.00pm.
10 MARCH – WRITING THE ENVIRONMENT IN PROSE & POETRY, YSJ Auditorium, YO31 7EX. 6.00pm.
11 MARCH – WRITING WITH WATER: HYDRO-POETICS WORKSHOP, SPARK York, YO1 9PB. 6.00pm-8.00pm.
11 MARCH – BREAKING NOT BROKEN: ABLEISM AND THE CHURCH AFTER CONSTANTINE, York Minster, YO1 7HH. 6.30pm.
12 MARCH – ELLY GRIFFITHS LAUNCHING ‘THE KILLING TIME’, Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, YO1 9XD. 7.00pm-9.00pm.
12 MARCH – THE BLUFFS: THE LITERARY IMPROV SHOW, Bluebird Bakery, YO24 4HD. 7.30pm.
13 MARCH – THE POETS BEHIND THE PRESS, Theatre@41 Monkgate, YO31 7PB. 7.00pm.
13 MARCH – FRANCIS SPUFFORD IN CONVERSATION: CELEBRATING NONESUCH, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, YO31 8TA. 7.00pm-9.00pm.
14 MARCH – FAMILY-FRIENDLY POETRY WORKSHOP (AGES 4-10), York Explore Marriott Room, YO1 7DS. 9.30am-10.30am.
14 MARCH – THE WILDSMITH WORKSHOP WITH LIZ FLANAGAN, York Explore Marriott Room, YO1 7DS. 11.00am-12.00pm.
14 MARCH – ‘WHEN WE WERE DIVIDED’ WITH LIZ FLANAGAN, York Explore Marriott Room, YO1 7DS. 2.00pm-4.00pm.
14 MARCH – COLETTE SNOWDEN: CELESTE, YSJ Auditorium, YO31 7EX. 2.00pm-4.00pm.
14 MARCH – RÓNÁN HESSION IN CONVERSATION, St Peter’s, YO30 6AB. 7.00pm.
15 MARCH – GHOST CHILI, York Explore, YO1 7DS. 1.00pm-3.00pm.
15 MARCH – WRITING CRIME: CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP, SPARK York, YO1 9PB. 3.00pm-5.00pm.
16 MARCH – CAN YOU SOLVE THE MURDER?, The Crescent, YO24 1AW. 7.00pm-10.00pm.
17 MARCH – AN EVENING WITH JASPER FFORDE, Tang Hall Explore, YO31 0HA. 6.00pm-8.00pm.
17 MARCH – I’M WITH PULP, ARE YOU?, The Crescent, YO24 1AW. 7.00pm.
18 MARCH – WRITING CHILDREN’S FICTION WORKSHOP, SPARK York, YO1 9PB. 6.00pm.
18 MARCH – THESE ISLES: A PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF ENGLAND, IRELAND, SCOTLAND & WALES, York Explore, YO1 7DS. 6.00pm.
18 MARCH – THE NEW AGE OF SEXISM: HOW THE AI REVOLUTION IS REINVENTING MISOGYNY, St Peter’s, YO30 6AB. 6.30pm.
19 MARCH – INTER-UNI POETRY SLAM, Theatre@41 Monkgate, YO31 7PB. 7.00pm.
20 MARCH – FANTASY FICTION: SUSANNA CLARKE IN CONVERSATION, St Peter’s, YO30 6AB. 6.30pm.
20 MARCH – STU FREESTONE: ‘THE LIGHTS THAT BLUR BETWEEN’ BOOK LAUNCH, The Crescent, YO24 1AW. 7.00pm-10.00pm.
21 MARCH – LITERARY WALK OF YORK, Museum Gardens, YO1 7FR. 11.00am.
21 MARCH – FOLK HORROR AND THE URBAN WYRD, YSJ, DeGreyCourt, YO31 7EX. 10.00am-11.00am.
21 MARCH – LUCY ROSE – ‘THE LAMB’, YSJ, DeGreyCourt, YO31 7EX. 11.30am-1.00pm.
21 MARCH – LUCY MCKNIGHT HARDY – ‘NIGHT BABIES’, YSJ, DeGreyCourt, YO31 7EX. 2.00pm-3.30pm.
21 MARCH – ANDREW MICHAEL HURLEY – ‘SALTWASH’, YSJ, DeGreyCourt, YO31 7EX. 4.00pm-5.30pm.
21 MARCH – AN EVENING WITH RAMSEY CAMPBELL, YSJ, DeGreyCourt, YO31 7EX. 7.00pm-8.30pm.
21 MARCH – YORK EXPLORE ONLINE POETRY SHOWCASE, Online, 12.00pm.
22 MARCH – SPECTRAL YORK, YSJ Creative Centre, YO31 7EX. 11.30am-12.30pm.
22 MARCH – COME SING FOR THE HARROWING, YSJ Creative Centre, YO31 7EX. 1.30pm-3.00pm.
22 MARCH – HEX HOUSE, YSJ Creative Centre, YO31 7EX. 3.00pm-4.30pm.
22 MARCH – PEN TO PAPER, SPARK York, YO1 9PB. 6.00pm-8.00pm.
22 MARCH – I DON’T THINK I’M STRAIGHT: QUEER POEMS TO CELEBRATE YOU, SPARK York, YO1 9PB. 6.00pm.
23 MARCH – SUPER NINTENDO: WHY DO WE GAME?, The Crescent, YO24 1AW. 7.00pm.
24 MARCH – THE LITTLE APPLE BOOKSHOP QUIZ, The Black Swan, YO1 7DE. 7.00pm.
24 MARCH – LAUNCH: ’A VERY VEXING MURDER’, York Explore, YO1 7DS. 6.00pm.
24 MARCH – WILSON, BLAIR & STARMER: LEADING LABOUR INTO GOVERNMENT, St Peter’s, YO30 6AB. 7.00pm.
25 MARCH – STU HENNIGAN BOOK LAUNCH: ‘KESHED’, SPARK York, YO1 9PB. 6.00pm.
26 MARCH – MANISH CHAUHAN DEBUTS ‘BELGRAVE ROAD’, SPARK York, YO1 9PB. 6.00pm-8.00pm.
Visit www.yorkliteraturefestival.co.uk to find further details, get in touch with the team, or book tickets for listed events. We’ll see you at York Literature Festival 2026!
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