Popular literary festival in Southwold returns this November

By Lucy Neill | 12 October 2026

Southwold Literary Festival will be returning this November at Southwold Arts Centre.

Inspired by the success of the Slaughter in Southwold crime and thriller festival, the Southwold Literary Festival was first launched in November 2023 as a partnership between Southwold Library, Southwold Arts Centre and Southwold Books.

Now in its fourth year, the 2026 festival boasts 13 talks with 16 guest speakers over the weekend of 13-15 November.

Charlotte Clark is the Manager of Southwold Library and is one of the organisers of the festival. Charlotte said:

“We are very excited this year by the breadth and interest of the authors we have attending the festival this year.
 
“Local interest, like Louis de Bernieres memoir of Norfolk, Stewart White the legend of Look East and Erika Clegg with her celebration of Southwold. Fascinating historical figures with books on Cleopatra, George Orwell and Anthony Blunt. Writers of the natural world with Robert Ashton about soil, Matt Gaw about the weather and wildlife cameraman James Aldred on his New Forest childhood.
 
“Plus amazing fiction with Scarlett Thomas and poetry with the legendary Kevin Crossley-Holland. And that’s not even all of them!”

Tickets can be booked at Southwold Library, either in-person or by calling 01502 442817. Tickets can also be booked online on TicketSource.

All events take place at Southwold Arts Centre in St Edmund’s Hall. The full line up of authors is as follows:

• Former journalist and freelance foreign correspondent Felicity Goodall – Friday 13 November at 14:00
• Author of Southwold 365 celebrating local gems Erika Clegg – Friday 13 November at 15:30
• Celebrated poet inspired by Britain’s landscapes, myths and folklore Kevin Crossley-Holland – Friday 13 November at 17:00
• Storyteller of the vanished rural traditions Robert Ashton in conversation with award-winning nature writer Matt Gaw – Saturday 14 November at 10:00
• George Orwell biographer duo Robert Colls in conversation with Ronald Binns – Saturday 14 November at 11:30
• Expert on writing about cinema Alexander Ballinger – Saturday 14 November at 14:00
• Emmy winning natural history cameraman James Aldred in conversation with explorer and artist Alistair Carr – Saturday 14 November at 15:30
• Legendary BBC Look East presenter Stewart White – Saturday 14 November at 17:00
• Regency-period historical biographer Geraldine Roberts – Sunday 15 November at 10:00
• Literary agent and columnist Piers Blofeld – Sunday 15 November at 11:30
• Biographer, cultural historian and novelist Lucy Hughes-Hallett – Sunday 15 November at 14:00
• Award-winning fiction writer of The Sleepwalkers e The End of Mr. Y Scarlett Thomas – Sunday 15 November at 15:30
• Award-winning and best-selling writer, poet and musician Louis de Bernieres – Sunday 15 November at 17:00.

Southwold Books is kindly providing all books for sale and there will be an opportunity for buying books and having them signed by the authors.

Find out more about Southwold Literary Festival.