The Best Literary Festivals To Visit Around The World
If you want to hear talks from your favourite author or maybe find your next reading obsession, there’s no better place than a book festival to fulfil that passion. Fortunately, Service95 Book Club has tracked down the best festivals to visit worldwide…
Hay Festival, Wales ‒ A Service95 favourite and a household name, the Hay Festival in the quiet Welsh town of Hay-On-Wye set a precedent for what a book festival could be. With the likes of Stormzy and our founder Dua Lipa speaking at the festival last year (as well as appearances by literary legends including Margaret Atwood, Max Porter and Douglas Stuart), it’s a book lover’s dream. Events and projects organised by Hay Festival Global take place around the world all year round, encompassing diverse locales such as the historic town of Cartagena in Colombia and urban centres in Peru, Mexico, Spain and the USA. Find out more about festival dates here.
Mark Your Calendar For: 23 May-2 June 2024 for the festival in Wales, and all year round for global events
Pen America World Voices Festival, US – Post-9/11, this festival emerged as a defiant rebellion against what it deemed ‘US Isolationism’, pushing to “broaden the channels of dialogue between the United States and the world” by bringing together writers from across the globe. Established by Salman Rushdie, Michael Roberts and Esther Allen, and hosted in venues across New York City and Los Angeles, the festival unites writers and readers to celebrate storytelling and the freedom to write for all.
Mark Your Calendar For: 8-11 May 2024
Literaturfestival Zürich, Switzerland ‒ If you happen to take a peek through the leaves of the Old Botanical Garden in Zurich on a July day, you might be surprised to discover a paradise for book lovers. This event takes place annually over the course of seven days, and the setting among the leafy trees creates a fitting atmosphere for poetic installations, concerts and performances that combine word, dance and theatre catering to diverse tastes and interests.
Mark Your Calendar For: 10-16 July 2024
ITEF – Istanbul International Literature Festival, Turkey – A journey through Turkish literary history on an international stage, merging both local talent and culture with global voices. Writers, publishers, translators, and literary aficionados converge, weaving connections and forging collaborations against the backdrop of the city’s dynamic cultural scene. A space of inclusivity and a display of the transformative universal language of storytelling, the festival’s many events offer something for any literary buff.
Mark Your Calendar For: 29 May – 2 June 2024.
Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, Indonesia ‒ This popular Ubud festival is a hub for arts and culture, attracting both sightseers and readers. It has featured speakers such as Nick Cave and Hanya Yanagihara, as well as spotlighting Indonesian authors. There are guided tours of famous markets and temples, plus performances and workshops that showcase everything this beautiful part of the world has to offer. The festival collaborates with the nonprofit Mudra Swari Saraswati Foundation, which works to enriching the lives of the Indonesian people by supporting culture and the arts.
Mark Your Calendar For: 23-27 October 2024
Ake Festival, Nigeria ‒ Held in Lagos, Africa’s largest literary festival celebrates creativity across the continent. Founded by the Book Buzz Foundation, which includes writer and poet Lola Shoneyin among its trustees, the festival features panel discussions, book chats, poetry and music. Championing diversity and inclusivity, the festival involves local schools, inspiring young readers while connecting emerging writers with established figures in the literary world.
Mark Your Calendar For: 20 – 23 November, 2024
Singapore Writers Festival – This festival, started in 1986, has welcomed renowned writers such as Margaret Atwood, Zadie Smith, Carol Ann Duffy, Neil Gaiman and Roxane Gay. It is a multi-lingual event, held over 10 days, that showcases the talents of local and Southeast Asian writers, as well as some of the biggest global names in literature.
Mark Your Calendar For: 8-17 November 2024
Jaipur Literature Festival, India – Described by The Guardian as “the greatest literary show on Earth”, the book world is buzzing with excitement for the Jaipur Literature Festival. Not limited to authors, the festival invites humanitarians, politicians and business leaders who champion freedom of expression to speak. The festival also offers music, readings, and so much more.
Mark Your Calendar For: 30 January-3 February 2025
