Books, words, writers and ideas! MK Literary Festival returns, 9 – 12 April 2025.
MK Lit Fest returns with an exciting and wide-ranging Spring Festival 2025 celebrating everything bookish or wordy, with a wealth of author events, writing workshops and fabulous children’s sessions. Join us in MK Central Library, Waterstones Midsummer Place, and The Parks Trust Pavilion in Campbell Park to discover new favourite authors, get books signed – or develop your writing skills. We kick off Lit Fest’s Spring Festival (www.mklitfest.org) with a celebrated journalist and broadcaster who draws on four decades spent on the front lines both of reporting and of war. Edward Stourton comes to Waterstones on Wed 9 April to talk about his memoir with StonyWords’ Rob Gifford. We will explore one of today’s ‘hot topics’ – free speech – as an Open University-sponsored panel with Aki Schilz, Henry Porter and Sabrina Mahfouz discussing with Dónall Mac Cathmhaoill its complex relationship with literature and writing. And our vital relationship with the environment doesn’t escape our attention, or that of visiting award-winning ecopoets, Will Burns and Hannah Copley.
We’re proudly presenting local voices too: awarding the prizes and launching the fifth anthology in our MinK Creative Writing Competition – and a second event to celebrate eight years of encouraging and developing local talents with Raising Voices: A Chorus of Local Writers. Erstwhile MK resident Anna February brings us The Hive, her debut YA Fantasy novel, and Stony Stratford’s Sarah Pinborough will be in conversation with fellow international multi-bestselling crime writer Mark Billingham. And there’s also thought for food amidst the food for thought as Sanjana Modha presents her dazzling cookbook – and ticket holders get a tasting plate too!
Fans of less easily categorised fiction should book a seat to hear Kaliane Bradley talk to Eley Williams about her time travel romcom spy thriller (yes, really), The Ministry of Time. Meanwhile, those who also like to unravel real life can hear Lubaaba Al-Azami exploring the English in 16th century India and their encounters with the Mughal dynasty through an Asian lens, while Hallie Rubenhold talks to Imogen Roberston about her new book looking at the true crime story of infamous murderer, Dr Crippen.
For writers looking to develop their skills, we have three exclusive two-hour workshops: Michael Stewart will help you find your writer’s voice, Aki Schilz will help you understand what editing is (and what editors really do), while Zoe Gilbert will guide you through Spinning Tales from Myth and Folklore. Only limited number of workshop places are available, so don’t delay
Our Children’s Lit Fest this spring features interactive events for all ages. Laura Henry-Allain MBE, creator of CBeebies’ JoJo and Gran Gran, brings all the fun of Maya & Marley and the Great Big Tidy Up; Jack Noel brings us a brand new superhero with the dynamic Dadbot, and Onjali Q. Raúf introduces us to the heartwarming tale of The Letter with the Golden Stamp.
MK Lit Fest: there’s a title for everyone, and they’re all page-turners!
To book tickets for any of the Festival’s events for 2025– including the Online Programme and Bookshop Series events– visit the Festival website. You can also follow the Festival as @MKLitFest on Facebook, X, Threads, Bluesky or Instagram, or sign up for their email newsletter.
