Birmingham Literature Festival is Back

Audience from last year's festival. Photo © Lee Allen Photography.

Birmingham Literature Festival runs from 5 – 8 October 2023.

Tickets are now on sale for the Birmingham Literature Festival which takes place from 5 – 8 October 2023. It's a festival for writers, readers, thinkers and people who want to come together and enjoy books. Enjoy four days packed with book and writing events, talks, panels, interviews, workshops, poetry walks and so much more.

The festival features outstanding books and authors connected to the Midlands. Amongst the many highlights there’s Jonathan Coe’s Bournville, that offers an insight into the social and cultural history of the Midlands through royal weddings, football matches and coronations. Liz Berry’s novel in verse The Home Child is inspired by the story of her great aunt from the Black Country, one of thousands of British children sent to Canada to work as indentured servants. Gary Younge’s Dispatches from the Diaspora shows us that people make change possible, even when our systems are set up to thwart it.

Meeting Michael Rosen. Photo © Lee Allen Photography.

There are books on the natural world, on first loves, loss, hope and belonging. Also, discussions about psychological crime fiction; the climate crisis, the natural world and many other fascinating subjects. Writing workshops will cover topics ranging from short story writing to plotting your novel. You could join a poetry walk through the city centre; attend a poetry filmmaking session on the canal; take part in historic place writing and so much more.

Sir Lenny Henry will be running an event especially for schools and home educated children on Friday 6 October at the Birmingham REP Theatre – Sir Lenny Henry: The Boy With Wings. Sir Lenny will be talking about his latest book for 9-12-year-olds, Clash of the Superkids, part of the bestselling The Boy With Wings series.

The Birmingham REP Theatre will be playing host to most of the events once again as well as The Exchange on Centenary Square and the Roundhouse, run by the National Trust in Birmingham. The full programme with details of times, dates and venues is detailed on the Festival’s website where you can also book your tickets.

Moving ahead, on Saturday 21 October, it’s Readers’ Day. Join fellow readers and enjoy a mini festival in a day. Six brilliant writers will be in panel conversations and smaller discussion groups. This exceptional line up features: Dorothy Koomson, Erin Kelly, Caroline Lea, Liam Brown, Kate Mascarenhas and Rosanna Amake. The venue is the Priory Rooms, 40 Bull Street, Birmingham from 10am -3.30pm. Tickets for Readers’ Day £25.

For full details and to book tickets call 0333 666 3366 or book online: https://www.birminghamliteraturefestival.org/