Category: top 10

Hello dear readers, we are back for another Top 10 Tuesday Post. This week’s theme is 10 Book Events/Festivals I’d Love to Go to Someday (Real or Fictional).

As always, thank you to That Artsy Reader Girl for hosting!

If you have any book festivals/events you think I’d enjoy or ones that I missed, let me know in the comments or on social media!
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 Miami Book Fair

Palm trees, ocean spray and hot and humid weather – even in the late month of November – offer a tantalising backdrop for the annual Book Fair in Miami. Highlights of the eight-day itinerary include the Street Fair, with more than 350 authors reading and discussing their work, and the popular Evenings With Series, which features nighttime readings and discussions with noted authors from the United States and around the world. Last year’s attendees included Bridget Jones author Helen Fielding and Dan Brown of The Da Vinci Code fame.

 International Literature Festival Berlin

Arabic poets and American short story writers, South Korean poets and their Russian colleagues, South African novelists and Albanian novices – each year in September, the International Literature Festival Berlin presents a celebration of worldwide literature across 180 individual events.

Brooklyn Book Festival

The sort of hip, smart gathering of literary minded folks that could only be found in Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Book Festival is the largest free literary event in New York City and presents an array of literary stars as well as emerging authors. Expect film screenings, parties and bookish games galore.

 FLIP

The pretty coastal town of Paraty in Brazil (named for its frequent pirate visitors of long ago) draws thousands of visitors for FLIP, its annual literary festival founded by publishing powerhouse Liz Calder – who also co-founded Bloomsbury. There’s an emphasis on cultural exchange and guests can be found sitting in the charming, old-fashioned squares until the early hours of the morning discussing literature and the arts long after the scheduled programme of events concludes for the day.

Letterature

Held in the beautiful, historic setting of Basilica di Massenzio within Rome’s ancient Forum, meanwhile, is Letterature. Though more low profile than most, this festival attracts big-name authors who give smaller, more intimate lectures across a five-day period. They often share the stage with local bands and musicians in what is, truly, a celebration of literature in the most atmospheric of locations.

Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts

The pretty market town of Hay-on-Wye – on the English-Welsh border – has been nicknamed the ‘town of books’ and famously plays host to the Hay Festival of Literature and Arts in May. While this little community usually has a population of just 1500, it explodes in size during the event, with over 250,000 readers and writers descending for its lineup of bestselling author talks, workshops and book signings. Hay-on-Wye also boasts an absolutely brilliant selection of bookshops. Always a bonus.

Istanbul Book Fair

Bookworms who would like to combine their love of literature with the chance to visit one of the world’s most iconic ancient cities should make a point of visiting Istanbul in November, when the city hosts its annual International Book Fair. The fair draws book- lovers, intellectuals, authors, poets and publishers from all over the world to meet and exchange ideas over a period of seven days. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet authors, have their books signed, participate in an extensive list of workshops and debates and find many precious literary masterpieces to take home with them. The fair is easy to access from central Istanbul using the Metrobus.

Kerala Literature Festival

The Kerala Literature Festival is a relatively new-comer to the long list of literary festival hosts worldwide. The festival was first held in 2016 where it endeavored to provide a platform for discussion and debate for authors, artists, playwrights and poets. Here visitors have the chance to meet and discuss all manner of literary and other issues with both local and international professionals in the literature business. Discussions cover a wide variety of important topics including freedom of speech, the place of literature in modern education, languages in the digital age and much more. The festival is held annually in January or February at Kozhikode Beach.

Sydney Writer’s Festival

In May each year Sydney hosts the perennially popular Sydney Writer’s Festival, where people from all walks of life are invited to immerse themselves in the world of literature. The festival brings together some of the best literary minds in Australia and beyond, offering visitors an annual dose of inspirational events, most of which are presented at no cost. The guests are not restricted to authors and you will be able to meet and listen to representatives of a wide variety of literary genres including screenwriting, fiction and non-fiction, poetry, performing arts, biographies and children’s literature. The festival also presents an annual Children’s Festival of Moving Stories each year in November. Sydney Writer’s Festival is held at various venues throughout Sydney. 

ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival

Often referred to as the “Greatest literary show on Earth”, ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival has an impressive reputation to maintain. During its lifetime, the festival has hosted over 2,000 speakers who have come to educate and inspire more than one million avid readers. The five-day festival is held against the backdrop of the amazing Diggi Palace in Jaipur and includes many extension events. Although the festival is free for anyone to attend you can enhance your experience by signing up for a Delegate Package which will offer you access to the Delegate Lounge and several private events where you can rub shoulders with many of the prominent invited speakers. Aspiring writers have the chance to compete in essay writing and blogging competitions as well as to attend workshops to hone your writing skills. 

What literary festivals would you like to go to, whether they are real or one you’ve made up in your mind? Let’s talk about it in the comments, and make sure to follow me on social media!
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