Literature lovers get ready – as York’s most bookish festival is returning.
York Literature Festival is back for 2025! The literary celebration will run from Thursday 6 to Saturday 29 March.
More than 30 events will take place throughout the month at venues across the city – including Theatre@41, York St John University, St Peter’s School, Joseph Rowntree School, and York Explore Library and Archive.
We’ve put together a guide of 15 highlighted events happening at this year’s festival, with Countdown word expert Susie Dent, mental health author Matt Haig, and acclaimed fantasy writer Susanna Clarke.
York Literature Festival is sponsored by York St John University.
For more information and to see the full programme of events, visit the York Literature Festival website.
York Literature Festival 2025 highlights
International Women’s Day Poetry Showcase
You are invited to join us for our second annual poetry showcase to celebrate International Women’s Day. The evening will feature performances from a series of female poets including local talent Lillian Akampurira Aujo, celebrated ecopoet Isabel Galleymore, and Forward Prize winner Kim Moore. Headlining this event is the widely acclaimed poet and ally Mary Jean Chan.
- Theatre@41, 41 Monkgate, York, YO31 7PB
- Fri 7 Mar
- 7pm
- £15
- Tickets coming soon
Pity with Andrew McMillan
Pity is the debut novel from award-winning poet Andrew McMillan exploring community, masculinity and postindustrialisation in Northern England. McMillan will be discussing the novel at this event.
Set across three generations of a South Yorkshire mining family, Andrew McMillan’s magnificent debut novel is a lament for a lost way of life as well as a celebration of resilience and the possibility for change.
- The Crescent, 8 The Crescent, York, YO24 1AW
- Tue 11 Mar
- 7pm
- £12
- Tickets
Sophie Hannah—How to Be a Happy and Successful Writer
Join internationally bestselling writer Sophie Hannah, for an inspiring and game-changing masterclass in which you will learn how to massively increase your chances of success, how to change incorrect, unhelpful and limiting beliefs and how to be your own best and most powerful ally and advocate, throughout your writing life.
- St Peter’s School, Clifton, York, YO30 6AB
- Thu 13 Mar
- 5pm
- £10
- Tickets
Atlas, the Story of Pa Salt, with Harry Whittaker
Join local author Harry Whittaker as he discusses his latest work and the completion of a legacy. Described as the epic conclusion to the internationally best-selling series Seven Sisters, Whittaker draws to a close the much-loved series left open-ended after the death of his mother, Lucinda Riley.
- York Explore Library and Archive, Museum St, York YO1 7DS
- Thu 13 Mar
- 6pm
- £8
- Tickets
Howl Owt
For the second year running, two forces of the local poetry scene will collide for the ultimate spoken word showcase! Join Chloe & Steph from Howlers Open Mic and Henry from Say Owt for an evening of performances from local poets and writers with a special guest feature. However, this time their roles will be reversed with the Say Owt crew taking over the open mic, and Chloe & Steph welcoming the guest poet. Sign up for an open mic slot on arrival. There is a 3-minute performance recommendation.
- The Blue Boar, 5 Castlegate, York YO1 9RN
- Thu 13 Mar
- 7:30pm
- Free
- No booking required
David Almond
At this special event for both adults and children, celebrated author David Almond will be talking about his latest books PUPPET, The Falling Boy and Kevin and the Blackbirds, as well as his other work. In what will be an inspirational event, David Almond will talk about his life, his writing career and provide insight into his own creative process. He’ll also be answering questions from the audience.
- Joseph Rowntree School, Haxby Rd, New Earswick, York YO32 4BZ
- Fri 14 Mar
- 6pm
- £10 adult, £5 children (12 years or under)
- Tickets
Guilty by Definition, with Susie Dent
Join Susie Dent – writer, broadcaster and resident word expert on Channel 4’s Countdown and comedy sister show 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown – as she presents her debut novel Guilty by Definition. When an anonymous letter is delivered to the Clarendon English Dictionary, it is rapidly clear that this is not the usual lexicographical enquiry. Instead, the letter hints at secrets and lies, and the complex clues paint a troubling mystery…
- The Citadel, Gillygate, York YO31 7EA
- Sat 15 Mar
- 2pm
- £12
- Tickets
Fantasy Fiction: Susanna Clarke in Conversation
Acclaimed author Susanna Clarke will be in conversation with Rob O’Connor, Chair of York LIterature Festival, at this very special event. Not only will Susanna be discussing her work but also literature and fantasy fiction more widely, especially the genre’s enduring popularity and roots in folklore and mythology.
- St Peter’s School, Clifton, York, YO30 6AB
- Sat 15 Mar
- 7pm
- £12, £7 student (ID needed to access event)
- Tickets
Ukrainian Poetry in the North
Forward Prize nominee, and author of Food for the Dead (Cape, 2024), Charlotte Shevchenko Knight joins artist and author of Skin of Nocturnal Apple (Pilot Press, 2022), Misha Honcharenko, for an evening of poetry and discussion in celebration of their Ukrainian heritage. As York-based writers, the poets will engage in a discussion on poetic craft, relocating to the North of England, and the success of their latest works.
- Theatre@41, 41 Monkgate, York, YO31 7PB
- Tue 18 Mar
- 7pm
- £12
- Tickets coming soon
How to Build a Superhero: A Workshop with Helen Comerford
Join Marvel-nut Helen Comerford for an interactive session where participants will write their own superhero. The workshop will include; research, analysis, creative writing, and even some drawing. Helen will break down her process for creating characters, share a sneak peek of her new novel, and give participants the tools to create characters in any genre.
- Joseph Rowntree School, Haxby Rd, New Earswick, York YO32 4BZ
- Thu 20 Mar
- 4:30pm
- Free (Booking required)
- Tickets
raw content: Book Launch with Naomi Booth
Join author Naomi Booth for the launch of her latest novel, raw content. Naomi will be in conversation with Professor Abi Curtis about the book. Set during an atmospheric Yorkshire winter, raw content is the dark, tender, and troubled story of a young mother afflicted by compulsive thoughts, whose past has taught her that love and fear are two sides of the same coin.
- York St. John University, Creative Centre, Lord Mayors Walk, York YO31 7EX
- Thu 20 Mar
- 7pm
- Free (Booking required)
- Tickets
Abdulrazak Gurnah in Conversation: Theft
Abdulrazak Gurnah, the winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature, will be in conversation with Professor Sarah Lawson Welsh from York St John University at this very special event. They will be talking about Gurnah’s latest novel Theft, in which he explores the intertwined lives of three young people—Karim, Gauzia, and Badar—as they come of age in postcolonial East Africa.
- St Peter’s School, Clifton, York, YO30 6AB
- Fri 21 Mar
- 7pm
- £12
- Tickets
The Wheel of Nouns
The Wheel of Nouns is a queer, cabaret comedy, exploring gender identity in a light-hearted and mischievous way through audience interaction and cabaret-style games.
- Theatre@41, 41 Monkgate, York, YO31 7PB
- Sat 22 Mar
- 7pm
- TBC
- Tickets coming soon
Reasons to Stay Alive and The Life Impossible: Matt Haig in Conversation
Celebrated author Matt Haig will be in conversation with Rob O’Connor, Chair of the York Literature Festival, at this very special event celebrating the 10th anniversary revised edition of Reasons to Stay Alive. Matt will also be discussing the connections between Reasons to Stay Alive and his latest novel, The Life Impossible.
- St Peter’s School, Clifton, York, YO30 6AB
- Sat 22 Mar
- 7pm
- £12
- Tickets
The Three Dads
In memory of their young daughters—Sophie, Beth, and Emily—who took their own lives, three dads set out on a 300-mile journey across Britain, from the windswept Lakeland fells and Peak District dales to the open plains of the Eastern fens. Putting one foot in front of the other, they captured the hearts of the nation. Join Mike Palmer, Andy Airey, and Tim Owen for this very special event. They will be in conversation in the Lady Chapel of York Minster with Canon Tim Goode, as they talk about the power of speaking out, of friendship, hope, and blisters.
- Lady Chapel, York Minster, Deangate, York YO1 7HH
- Tue 29 Apr
- 6:30pm
- Free (Booking required)
- Tickets