Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival 2025 programme revealed at packed launch event at The Apex

A packed programme of events for the seventh annual Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival was unveiled at the event launch on Wednesday.

The festival, from October 9-12, will be the ‘biggest and boldest yet’, according to organisers.

Tickets for the four day programme of author events, creative writing workshops, walks and film screenings go on sale today.

Bury-based author and programme curator Kate Sawyer said: “I’m so delighted with the line-up for this year's festival.

“Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, sponsors and partners we have been able to almost double our events, spread our presence across new venues in the town and widen our offering to include workshops, walks and film screenings.”

At the heart of the festival are author events, with fiction in every genre from fêted authors (including Sarah Perry, Louis de Bernieres, Ferdia Lennon, Louise Doughty, Laura Shepherd Robinson, Emma Healey), debut authors (including Ferdia Lennon, Emily Buchanan, Marie O’Hare), local authors (including Wendy Holden and Katie Ward) and best-selling authors (including Chris Whitaker and Jennifer Saint).

Non-fiction fans are well catered for, with author discussions covering subjects including the enduring spirit of Ukraine, the story of Bury’s eponymous saint and an exploration of the impact reading can have on happiness.

Sessions aimed at children include sensory storyelling for babies and preschoolers, interactive storytelling workshops and an exploration of expression through poetry, rap and verse for young people, alongside an expanded programme for schools including all key stages, with author-led events as part of the festival’s creative writing competition.

New this year are workshops and events, including creative writing workshops, film screenings to complement literary events, and gardening workshop and a special guided walk with Bury Tour Guides, taking in sites of literary note across Bury.

Julia Wakelam, festival chair and founder, said: “I am so looking forward to this year’s festival. Kate has put together a cornucopia of incredible authors, known and to be discovered, for us to enjoy.

“This festival would not be possible without the hard work and support of many people and organisations, not least our audience, for supporting this festival and helping us spread the love of books and writing in East Anglia.”

Book online at https://www.burylitfest.co.uk/ with a discount on all tickets booked before July 31.