John Boyne, Ann Cleeves, Si King, Joanne Harris, Mark Billingham, Greta Scacchi, Corinne Bailey Rae and Dr Sian Williams are heading to Whitby
The town that inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula and has fired the imaginations of generations of writers is preparing to welcome some of the biggest names in books for the 2026 Whitby Lit Fest.
Over 50 author events are scheduled across four days from 19–22 November, featuring bestselling authors, broadcasters, actors, historians, poets and performers.
Headliners include one of the most celebrated and internationally acclaimed novelists of our time, John Boyne, whose The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide. He’ll be discussing his new novel, The Weight of Angels, with broadcaster and novelist, Steph McGovern.
Hairy Biker Si King cooks up a storm with his first solo cookbook, Proper Home Cooking, while discussing his remarkable career taking food and friendship on the road.
A press gang descends, as former BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin teases her upcoming thriller, and BBC news anchor turned psychologist Dr Sian Williams discusses her book, The Power of Anxiety. Channel 4 news presenter and award-winning foreign correspondent Alex Thomson puts political commentator Peter Oborne in the spotlight, with his latest book, Complicit.
A crime wave hits the coast led by one of the world’s most successful crime writers, the Vera and Shetlands creator – Ann Cleeves. Also, this year’s Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Diamond Dagger winner Mark Billingham features, as does the award-winning Elly Griffiths, who’ll discuss her novella, The Case of the Christmas Card. The festival also welcomes the criminally good Jo Murray, Martin Edwards, and Sarah Hilary.
The novelist, former BBC radio producer and Whitby resident, Kate Fenton, is Patron of Whitby Lit Fest. Kate said:
“We always suspected the quirky, gothic charms of Whitby would attract bookworms. Even so, no-one could have predicted the instant, sell-out success of our very first Lit Fest last year. And this November’s line-up is, if anything, even more exciting. Four days crammed with gripping stories, sparky conversations and revealing interviews. Entertainment, inspiration, wit, wisdom – and fish and chips. What more could any book lover want?”
Matt Baker explores the journey from page to screen with Emmy-award winning David Quantick. Baker is behind as string of hit TV shows including Channel 4’s Patience, and ITV’s A Taste for Murder – also his debut novel. The novelist David Quantick’s screen credits include Veep, The Thick of It and the feature film, The Book of Love.
Actor Greta Scacchi will share the books behind her screen career, alongside a discussion with arts journalist Jasper Rees, exploring his new official memoir of Michael Gambon, who she shared the stage and screen with.
Topics range from the dramatic fall of the former Prince Andrew, with royal biographer Andrew Lownie, to the revival of a literary legacy – the much-loved Cazalet Chronicles – with author Louisa Young, and how to look bolder, not older, with TV’s Ten-Years Younger presenter Nicky Hambleton-Jones. Helen Bain brings her lauded debut, Daffodil Days, which reimagines the lives of poets Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath.
The Earl of Harewood, David Lascelles, shares his father’s remarkable story as a Nazi prisoner at Colditz. Travel writers Ben Aitken and Tom Sykes show us the road less travelled, and we hop aboard with the star of Channel 4’s Steam Train Diaries Paul ‘Piglet’ Middleton.
No other literary festival in Britain is quite so deeply rooted in gothic storytelling.
Against the backdrop of the ruined abbey, the narrow-cobbled streets and the dramatic Yorkshire coastline, the festival welcomes leading writers of gothic fiction, ghost stories and folk horror, including Joanne Harris, Laura Purcell, Jess Kidd, Amanda Mason, Lucie McKnight Hardy and Essie Fox.
The coast too takes a starring role as historian Alistair Moffat presents his pilgrimage of the North Sea, Jess Kidd introduces her seaside sleuth series, Sally Coulthard presents a Brief History of the Coast in 100 Objects, and metal detectorists Eleanor Bruce and Lucilla Gray share their finds.
Dominic Gregory also brings his gripping, moving memoir, Lifeboat at the End of the World. Whitby’s much-loved Heritage Sculpture Trail, the Wirefolk of Whitby, features with sculptor Emma Stothard and writer Tim Kelly.
For children, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae, appears in a special family event showcasing winners of the Whitby Lit Fest children’s writing competition, in partnership with the National Literacy Trust.
They’ll also be an exploration of Yorkshire’s Amazing Dinosaur Coast with geologist Roger Osborne and dinosaur-artist James McKay, spine-tingling horror from Jack Mackay, and Young Adult authors, Naomi Kelsey and Heather Askwith.
Theatre comes in the form of Flight, a performance from The Hull to Scarborough Line theatre company, and a ‘Patron Spotlight’ curated by the festival’s Honorary Patron Sir Alan Ayckbourn on the writer, Robert Shearman, playwright at Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre.
Lois Kirtlan, Chair of Whitby Lit Fest, said: “Following the huge success of our inaugural Lit Fest last year, I’m delighted that the team has once again pulled together such a fabulous and diverse line-up for this year’s festival. We’re also incredibly proud to have been awarded charitable status, which gives Whitby Lit Fest a strong foundation for the future.
“We want the festival to continue to become an important part of Whitby’s cultural calendar for many years to come. We’re encouraging local businesses and individuals to get behind us and help make that possible. There are a range of sponsorship opportunities available, and donations can also be made through our website. Every contribution, large or small, will help us build on the success of the festival and secure its future.”
Visitors can also enjoy a rich strand of poetry performances, live music, creative writing workshops, and for emerging and aspiring writers there are publishing panels and masterclasses with HarperNorth, Salt Publishing and Valley Press.
Running across venues throughout the town, Whitby Lit Fest continues its ambition to become one of the UK’s leading literary festivals, combining world-class authors with the unique atmosphere of Britain’s most famous gothic seaside town.
The full programme and tickets, which go on sale on 31 August, will be on the website from 31st. Whitby Lit Fest – Inspired by and Celebrating Whitby.
