What is Cambridge Literary Festival?

Cambridge Literary Festival is a biannual event held in April and November of every year in Cambridgeshire. The festival is meant to help facilitate the promotion and growth of literature, language and the arts. Established in 2004, the festival is primarily hosted at the Old Divinity School in St John's College in the University of Cambridge.

Although it is nowhere near in size and appeal to other behemoths like the Glastonbury or Boomtown music festivals, the Cambridge Literary Festival more that hold its own weight in the literary sphere. In 2018, over 8,000 people paid for the privilege to attend the winter festival – a hugely impressive figure. In fact, the event, which was originally known as Cambridge’s Wordfest, is considered one of the must-go literary-linked festivals in the country.

English actor and author Alexei David Sayle at a signing event for his book, Thatcher Stole My Trousers, during the 2016 Cambridge Literary Festival. Image courtesy of Chris Boland

Alexei-David-Sayle

Cambridge’s Literary Festival offers a busy weekend filled with seminars, talks, panels, workshops, readings and a few other ad hoc events (like live training on how to promote your content online from the UK's leading SEO company!). It bears reminding that the focus of the festival goes beyond just classical literature and poetry – they also extend to science fiction, politics, lifestyle, and much more. Over the last 15 years, the festival has been graced by many well-known speakers and panel members, including prize-winning novelists, politicians, and award-winning thespians.

In 2017, the event enlarged its roster by launching the Wimpole History Festival. The festival, held at the mature woodlands of the nearby Wimpole Estate, play hosts to a line-up of historians and academics to discuss about various historical events.

For more information about the dates, schedule and participants of the festival, please get in touch with the festival office at +44 (0)1223 515 335 or visit the official website at www.cambridgeliteraryfestival.com.