What is the London Literature Festival?
London Literature Festival unites readers of every age to celebrate the written and spoken word. It’s the longest-running celebration of the written and spoken word of its kind in the capital and 2023 marks its 16th edition.
Bringing together prestigious authors and rising literary stars, this year’s festival puts poetry front and centre with a celebration of spoken word led by George the Poet, and gala events to mark 70 years of our National Poetry Library.
Across its 11 days, the London Literature Festival will deliver a procession of household literary names, including Helen Oyeyemi, Bryan Washington, Teju Cole, Sandra Newman, Ian Rankin, Yu Miri and Adam Thirlwell. And they are more than ably flanked by a host of well-known stars swapping screens of various sizes for the page; icons such as Patrick Stewart, Jada Pinkett Smith, Kerry Washington, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg, and Ed Gamble.
“London Literature Festival is a celebratory event for everyone to see shining new talent, hear from their favourite authors and enjoy our spaces with the free events on offer across the site.”
– Ted Hodgkinson, Head of Literature & Spoke Word at the Soutbank Centre
What is Black British Book Festival?
Black British Book Festival is taking place 27th-28th October 2023 and is a national one-day book festival celebrating black British authors across all genres. Now in it’s 3rd year, the BBBF is a showcase for the UK’s best authors and takes itself seriously as an educational platform to readers and writers, as well as searching and growing emerging talent.
As part of this years London Literature Festival celebration, there’s also going to be the Black British Book Festival at the same venue for the first time, featuring appearances from Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Gary Younge, Oti Mabuse, Clive Myhrie and Candice Braithwaite.
When is the London Literature Festival?
The London Literature Festival takes place 18th-29th October 2023.
Where is the London Literature Festival?
The London Literature Festical activities take place in across the Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall, which are both part of the Southbank centre in London.
What Is Happening at London Literature Festival?
There’s 60+ different activities happening for London Literature Festival, with a wide range of talks, workshops, exhibitions and panels across the whole week.
| Event | Date | Time | Section | Activity Type | Location |
| Debut London Literature | Wed 18 Oct | 7:30 PM | Fostering new talent | Literature & Poetry | Level 5 Function Room, Green Side, Royal Festival Hall |
| Stuart Lawrence:Growing up Black in Britain | Thu 19 Oct | 10:45 AM | School Event | Literature & Poetry | Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Jeffrey Boakye: Musical World | Thu 19 Oct | 1:00 PM | School Event | Literature & Poetry | Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Thomas Heatherwick: Humanise | Thu 19 Oct | 7:30 PM | New books and new ideas | Literature & Poetry | Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Open Book | Fri 20 Oct | 1:00 PM | Free events, talks and more | Literature & Poetry | Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Kerry Washington: Thicker than Water | Fri 20 Oct | 7:30 PM | Stars of stage and screen | Literature & Poetry | Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer |
| George the Poet Presents | Fri 20 Oct | 7:30 PM | Spoken Word & Poetry | Literature & Poetry | Royal Festival Hall |
| Creative Future Writers’ Award Showcase – Streamed | Fri 20 Oct | 7:30 PM | Fostering new talent | Literature & Poetry | Live Stream |
| Creative Future Writers’ Award Showcase | Fri 20 Oct | 7:30 PM | Fostering new talent | Literature & Poetry | Level 5 Function Room, Green Side, Royal Festival Hall |
| Bryan Washington: Family Meal | Fri 20 Oct | 7:45 PM | Prestigious prize-winning authors | Literature & Poetry | Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Creative Future Writers’ Day | Sat 21 Oct | 11:00 AM | Fostering new talent | Talks | Live Stream |
| Adam Thirlwell: The Future Future | Sat 21 Oct | 11:00 AM | Prestigious prize-winning authors | Literature & Poetry | Level 5 Function Room, Green Side, Royal Festival Hall |
| Telling Your Story | Sat 21 Oct | 12:00 PM | Family & Young People | Performance & Dance | The Clore Ballroom, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall |
| Writing for the People: Black Joy Revisited | Sat 21 Oct | 12:00 PM | Black British Book Festival | Literature & Poetry | Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Sandra Newman: Julia | Sat 21 Oct | 1:00 PM | New books and new ideas | Literature & Poetry | Level 5 Function Room, Green Side, Royal Festival Hall |
| London Living | Sat 21 Oct | 3:00 PM | New books and new ideas | Talks | Level 5 Function Room, Green Side, Royal Festival Hall |
| Poety London Autumn Readings | Sat 21 Oct | 7:15 PM | Spoken Word & Poetry | Literature & Poetry | Level 5 Function Room, Green Side, Royal Festival Hall |
| Patrick Stewart: Making it So | Sat 21 Oct | 7:30 PM | Stars of stage and screen | Literature & Poetry | Royal Festival Hall |
| Stress Test | Sat 21 Oct | 7:45 PM | Free events, talks and more | Literature & Poetry | Blue Room, Level 1, Royal Festival Hall |
| New Poets Collective Showcase | Sat 21 Oct | 7:45 PM | Fostering new talent | Literature & Poetry | Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Douglas Adams: 42 | Sat 21 Oct | 8:00 PM | Revisiting visionary writers | Literature & Poetry | Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Fred and the Fantastic Tub-Tub | Sun 22 Oct | 12:00 PM | Family friendly fiction and fun | Classical Music | Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Yu Miri: The End of August | Sun 22 Oct | 12:00 PM | Prestigious prize-winning authors | Literature & Poetry | Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Oliver Jeffers: Begin Again | Sun 22 Oct | 3:00 PM | New books and new ideas | Talks | Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Poetry and Paint | Sun 22 Oct | 4:30 PM | Black British Book Festival | Literature & Poetry | The Clore Ballroom, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall |
| Apple and Snakes: Nylon | Sun 22 Oct | 7:30 PM | Spoken Word & Poetry | Literature & Poetry | Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Nick Frost & Simon Pegg: A Slice of Fried Gold | Sun 22 Oct | 7:30 PM | Stars of stage and screen | Literature & Poetry | Royal Festival Hall |
| Helen Oyeyemi: Trying – Streamed | Sun 22 Oct | 7:45 PM | Prestigious prize-winning authors | Talks | Live Stream |
| Helen Oyeyemi: Trying | Sun 22 Oct | 7:45 PM | Prestigious prize-winning authors | Talks | Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Wordriver: Celebrating Ursula Le Guin | Wed 25 Oct | 7:45 PM | Revisiting visionary writers | Talks | Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Jacqueline Wilson: The Best Sleepover in the World | Thu 26 Oct | 11:00 AM | Family friendly fiction and fun | Literature & Poetry | Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Ed Gamble: Glutton | Thu 26 Oct | 7:30 PM | Stars of stage and screen | Literature & Poetry | Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Out-Spoken: October | Thu 26 Oct | 7:45 PM | Spoken Word & Poetry | Gigs | Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Jeffrey Boakye: Kofi and the Rap Battle Summer | Fri 27 Oct | 2:00 PM | Family friendly fiction and fun | Literature & Poetry | Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Ian Rankin: The Rise | Fri 27 Oct | 7:30 PM | Prestigious prize-winning authors | Literature & Poetry | Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Leigh-Anne Pinnock: Believe | Fri 27 Oct | 7:30 PM | Stars of stage and screen | Literature & Poetry | Royal Festival Hall |
| Stress Test | Fri 27 Oct | 7:45 PM | Free events, talks and more | Literature & Poetry | Blue Room, Level 1, Royal Festival Hall |
| Eliza Clark & Ayelet Gundar-Goshen: True Stories | Fri 27 Oct | 7:45 PM | New books and new ideas | Literature & Poetry | Level 5 Function Room, Green Side, Royal Festival Hall |
| Crack the Code of Publishing Success | Sat 28 Oct | 10:00 AM | Free events, talks and more | Workshop | Level 5 Function Room, Green Side, Royal Festival Hall |
| Literature Powerhouses: Shaping the Future | Sat 28 Oct | 10:30 AM | Black British Book Festival | Literature & Poetry | Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Black Book Marketplace | Sat 28 Oct | 11:00 AM | Black British Book Festival | Marketplace | The Clore Ballroom, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall |
| Craft, Create, Cash In! | Sat 28 Oct | 11:30 AM | Free events, talks and more | Workshop | Level 5 Function Room, Green Side, Royal Festival Hall |
| Literary Salon: Crafting a Gem | Sat 28 Oct | 12:30 PM | Free events, talks and more | Talks | Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Marvyn Harrison: I Love Me! | Sat 28 Oct | 12:30 PM | Black British Book Festival | Literature & Poetry | The Clore Ballroom, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall |
| The Art of Writing Engaging Dialogue | Sat 28 Oct | 1:00 PM | Free events, talks and more | Workshop | Level 5 Function Room, Green Side, Royal Festival Hall |
| Unmasking Brilliance: Black British Voices in Media | Sat 28 Oct | 1:00 PM | Black British Book Festival | Literature & Poetry | Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Annemarie Anang: I Am Nefertiti | Sat 28 Oct | 1:30 PM | Black British Book Festival | Literature & Poetry | The Clore Ballroom, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall |
| A Quick Ting On: Exploring Black British Culture | Sat 28 Oct | 2:30 PM | Black British Book Festival | Literature & Poetry | Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| How to Secure a Literary Agent | Sat 28 Oct | 2:30 PM | Black British Book Festival | Literature & Poetry | Level 5 Function Room, Green Side, Royal Festival Hall |
| What’s Love Got To Do With It? | Sat 28 Oct | 3:00 PM | Black British Book Festival | Literature & Poetry | Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Trish Cooke & Ken Wilson-Max: Catch! | Sat 28 Oct | 3:30 PM | Black British Book Festival | Literature & Poetry | The Clore Ballroom, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall |
| Weaving Magic Into Your Children’s Book | Sat 28 Oct | 4:00 PM | Black British Book Festival | Workshop | Level 5 Function Room, Green Side, Royal Festival Hall |
| A #BlackBookTok Masterclass with Fats Timbo | Sat 28 Oct | 4:30 PM | Black British Book Festival | Talks | Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Tolá Okogwu: Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels! | Sat 28 Oct | 5:30 PM | Black British Book Festival | Literature & Poetry | The Clore Ballroom, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall |
| The Thrilling World of Crime Writing Explored | Sat 28 Oct | 5:30 PM | Black British Book Festival | Literature & Poetry | Level 5 Function Room, Green Side, Royal Festival Hall |
| Young, Black and Unstoppable | Sat 28 Oct | 6:30 PM | Black British Book Festival | Literature & Poetry | Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Good Vibes Only | Sat 28 Oct | 7:00 PM | Black British Book Festival | Literature & Poetry | Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Stocked & Sought After | Sat 28 Oct | 7:30 PM | Black British Book Festival | Literature & Poetry | Level 5 Function Room, Green Side, Royal Festival Hall |
| Capturing the Essence | Sat 28 Oct | 7:30 PM | Black British Book Festival | Literature & Poetry | The Clore Ballroom, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall |
| Never Too Black: Authentic Representation in Writing | Sat 28 Oct | 8:30 PM | Black British Book Festival | Literature & Poetry | Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Oti Mabuse: A Dance Class Extravaganza | Sat 28 Oct | 2:30 PM | Stars of stage and screen | Workshop | The Clore Ballroom, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall |
| National Poetry Library Open Day | Sun 29 Oct | 11:00 AM | Free events, talks and more | Activities | Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer |
| Seamus Heaney: A Life in Letters | Sun 29 Oct | 2:15 PM | Revisiting visionary writers | Literature & Poetry | Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Teju Cole: Tremor | Sun 29 Oct | 2:30 PM | Prestigious prize-winning authors | Literature & Poetry | Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| National Poetry Library at 70 Celebration | Sun 29 Oct | 7:00 PM | Spoken Word & Poetry | Literature & Poetry | Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| Jada Pinkett Smith: Worthy | Sun 29 Oct | 7:30 PM | Stars of stage and screen | Literature & Poetry | Queen Elizabeth Hall |
| A Birthday Garland | 20 Oct 2023 – 11 Feb 2024 | 12:00 PM | Spoken Word & Poetry | Art & Exhibitions | National Poetry Library, Level 5, Blue Side, Royal Festival Hall |
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