The Stratford-upon-Avon Literary Festival was established 16 years ago and is now one of the most respected literary festivals in the UK. It runs two festivals a year – over 5 days in May and a long weekend in the Autumn, and is an important part of the regional cultural calendar attracting well over 10,000 ticket sales a year. Events feature celebrities, bestselling authors, emerging writers, leading opinion formers and thinkers, and events for families.
A charity since 2015, the Festival has an innovative approach to promoting reading and writing to support well-being and life skills.
The Festival runs year-round projects in primary and secondary schools to encourage reading and support literacy, a monthly book group in Stratford that particularly welcomes those who find themselves socially isolated, and workshops in prisons across the UK helping prisoners write bedtime stories for their children. We are the only festival in the country running a programme of projects like this, and are always forward looking in seeking original and innovative ways to engage people in the benefits of books and writing.
