Bringing you the best in fiction, poetry, history, nature writing, ideas and storytelling, Lancaster’s 43rd Annual Literature Festival returns from the 8th – 20th March 2022 to discover new works and explore topical issues. For the very first time, Litfest will be running as a hybrid event – meaning that we’ll be able to welcome you to attend either in-person at one of our brilliant venues, or online via Crowdcast – whichever suits you!
In the light of COP-26 and the Climate Crisis, our theme this year is ‘This Place, This Planet’. We are delighted to welcome the celebrated environmental campaigner Dr Vandana Shiva to give the very first ‘Lancaster Environment Lecture’, plus we will delve into themes of migration, population change, biodiversity and other global challenges through fiction, poetry, photography and discussion.
After months of staying close to home, the festival will explore our Sense of Place in the world and how we discover it via nature, via our family, and via our history – along the way tackling some challenging subjects such as Lancaster’s prominent role in the Atlantic Slave Trade. Our International Fiction events will span a range of topics from science to the supernatural, whilst our Poetry Day will bring some of the best contemporary poets, culminating with a reading by the acclaimed TS Eliot Prize winner, Roger Robinson.
We’re very excited to be hosting a Children’s Festival of four special events during the day of Saturday 12th March, and we round off the festival with the hugely popular storyteller, Dominic Kelly, who will enthral us with mesmerising myths and fairy tales set in a haunting landscape.
There are chances too for you to get involved once more! Take part in our writing and publishing workshops, enter our Big Read Challenge, or submit your own work – either poetry to Litfest’s ‘This Place, This Planet’ poetry map or photos to our wildlife photography competition.
A fantastic International Women’s Day event on the 8th March, with Rachel Holmes introducing her book Sylvia Pankhurst: Natural Born Rebel, leads us strongly into the main festival. Tickets start from just £5 – for more information about what’s on and how to book, please visit www.litfest.org.
43rd Lancaster Literature Festival
Tuesday 8th – Sunday 20th March 2022
Details of all the events are now available at www.litfest.org.
All Litfest events will be available on YouTube for 30 days after the festival ends.
