Lincoln Book Festival – September 26-29

BRINGING people together through a shared love of reading, writing and the arts is the aim of Lincoln Book Festival 2024.

Many events and activities are designed to bridge generational divides and bring people of different ages together - whether that’s exploring little-known stories of local history or storytelling through new creative writing. 

There’s a new festival hub at Lincoln Arts Centre on the campus of the University of Lincoln and this will also be the venue for the majority of the events.

“It’s the most eclectic programme in the festival’s 20-year history featuring plenty of options for audiences of all ages to come together and connect through all aspects of the written word, packed into four days,” said Ian Richards from Lincoln Book Festival organising committee,

“The 2024 line-up for Lincoln Book Festival is our most varied yet, with more opportunities than ever before for people to get involved, whether that’s picking up a pen in a writing workshop, getting creative in arts and crafts, learning more about local history, talking fiction in our live interactive podcast, or grabbing the microphone to perform their own creative work on stage.”

Highlights of this year’s festival include:

• Chef Rick Stein signing his new book;
• Musical stories from Britpop pioneers Audrey Golden and Jane Savidge;
• Skeptical tales of the paranormal and a ghost writing workshop;
• Family free events and activities with children’s favourites Jarvis and panto dame Mama G;
• History afternoon with the city’s heritage organisations and learning about Lincolnshire’s famous women in history;
• Tips on how to get published for creative writers - an interactive workshop with Writing East Midlands.

“As always, the festival is also a great chance to meet some wonderful guest authors and contributors, ranging from podcast stars, YouTube influencers, activists, historians, conservationists, music industry insiders, chefs and food writers, to children’s book writers, illustrators, and storytellers,” said Ian.

An Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grant of £22,048 helped expand the reach of the festival so that more people from all backgrounds can benefit. This will include young people from less affluent backgrounds, elderly people in the county’s coastal or rural areas, and under-represented groups such as Lincoln’s LGBTQ+ community.

Ian explained: “Lincoln Book Festival has been a fixture of the city’s cultural calendar for more than 20 years but, since the COVID pandemic, has been aiming to establish a new footing as an annual event that appeals to a broader range of audiences. Key organisations including Destination Lincolnshire have expressed their support amid ambitions to diversify and grow the festival into a major celebration of reading, writing, scholarship and creativity that engages local communities and brings visitors to the city.”

Click on the QR code for full details of the festival programme