Literary Leicester 2025

Select tickets – Judging Major Book Prizes – Attenborough Arts Centre Judging Major Book Prizes – Attenborough Arts Centre, Thu 19 Mar 2026 - What's it like to judge a major book prize? Surrounded by a group of serious-minded fellow judges with strong opinions of their…

Grab your free ticket here: www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

@uniofleicester #LitLeics26

Join us Thurs 19 March, 5.00pm-6.00pm, when our esteemed panel of book prize judges - author of My Name is Leon Kit de Waal, former Sunday Times Lit Editor Andrew Holgate, former Booker judge Elleke Boehmer, & Leic Institute for Advanced Studies Director Clare Anderson – will pull back the curtain!

🏆️📚️ Judging Major Book Prizes📚️🏆️

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes when it comes to judging major book prizes?

(Kit de Waal photo by Sarah M. Lee)

#WorldBookDay #GoAllIn #LitLeics26

Image credit: Aidan Rhode, courtesy of First Story (@firststory_uk)

Select tickets – Maths With a Story: A Letterbox Club Kids' Event – Beaumont Hall Botanical Gardens Maths With a Story: A Letterbox Club Kids' Event – Beaumont Hall Botanical Gardens, Sat 21 Mar 2026 - PLEASE ONLY BOOK ONE TICKET FOR EACH CHILD. Adults do NOT need their own ticket. One adult must…

Plus, on Saturday 21 March, 10.30am-12.00pm, ‘Maths With A Story: A Letterbox Club Kids’ Event’ is taking place at the Botanic Gardens in Oadby! www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

You can also join the waiting list to see Dame Jacqueline Wilson on 30 April: www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

✨️🍎 Hurrah for World Book Day! 🐛✨️

Why not celebrate by booking tickets for one of our free, fabulous events aimed at kids and families?!

On Friday 20 March, 1.30pm-2.30pm, we’ll be inspired by the First Story Young Writers’ Showcase featuring local schools: www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

Select tickets – Write Leicester – Attenborough Arts Centre Write Leicester – Attenborough Arts Centre, Fri 20 Mar 2026 - Join Leicester's own Manish Chauhan, author of Belgrave Road: A Love Story, and the city's first poet laureate Mr Shay in conversation…

Farhana, Manish, and Mr Shay will be in conversation at #LitLeics26, exploring place, identity, and what it means to write the city of Leicester.

🗓️ Fri 20 March 2026 ⏰️ 3.00pm-4.00pm📍Attenborough Arts Centre

Book your FREE tickets: www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

Flying the Flag for Underrepresented Writers - Leicester | Pukaar Magazine | Celebrating The Diversity Of Leicester It’s fair to say that books and writing have always played a huge part in the life of Leicester’s Farhana Shaikh - a multi-talented author, publisher and literary activist, who has devoted herself to…

Farhana Shaikh is a writer and publisher born in Leicester, devoted to championing regional and diverse voices through her work as editor of The Asian Writer, manager of indie press, Dahlia Books, and host of Leicester-based writing competitions. Find out more: pukaarmagazine.com/flying-the-f...

Mr Shay, Leicester’s first Poet Laureate, has also celebrated Leicester’s famous Belgrave Road in his poem ‘Golden Mile’, capturing the vibrancy of the city. Hear him perform ‘Golden Mile’ here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCMZ....

Golden Mile x Mr Shay Mr Shay performs his National Poetry Day poem titled, 'Golden Mile' as Leicester City's Resident Poet 2016. Commissioned by BBC Radio Leicester. Written, performed and directed by Mr Shay Instagram…

He recently published his debut novel, Belgrave Road, a coming-of-age story set against the background of the city’s Golden Mile, dubbed ‘a powerful portrait of the lived realities of immigrants in Britain, and of love as home, hope and destiny.’ (Guardian)

✏️ Write Leicester 🎆

We’re thrilled to welcome 3 fantastic Leicester authors for our Write Leicester panel at Literary Leicester 26! Originally from Leicester, Manish Chauhan is a finance lawyer & acclaimed short fiction writer

Image: Matt Preston, Flickr, Diwali Leicester (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Her murder mystery musical movie, The Mystery of Mr E, is available on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.

Grab your FREE ticket and join us on 18 March, 6:30-7:30PM: www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

#LitLeics26

Sophie Hannah's books have sold more than five million copies in 51 countries. She's the author of the new series of Hercule Poirot mystery novels, and winner of the UK National Book Awards Crime Novel of the Year prize in 2013, and the Dagger in the Library Award for her body of work in 2023.

🔍️ Sophie Hannah: Poirot and Me🕵️‍♂️

We’re excited to welcome Sophie Hannah to the University of Leicester as part of Literary Leicester 2026!

Select tickets – Despite It All: a Handbook for Climate Hopefuls with Fred Pearce – Attenborough Arts Centre Despite It All: a Handbook for Climate Hopefuls with Fred Pearce – Attenborough Arts Centre, Thu 19 Mar 2026 - Fred Pearce has been reporting from the frontline of climate change and environmental…

Grab your FREE ticket and join us on 19 March, 2.00-3.00PM: www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

#ClimateChange #LitLeics26

Pearce has written fourteen books on a wide-range of environmental issues, including A Trillion Trees in 2021, Fallout, and When the Rivers Run Dry. He has just published Despite it All: A Handbook for Climate Hopefuls, which explores how nature is finding ways to thrive in unexpected places.

🌸 Despite it All: A Handbook for Climate Hopefuls with Fred Pearce🌳

On 19 March, we’re welcoming award-winning journalist Fred Pearce to the University of Leicester for Literary Leicester 2026!

Select tickets – Louise Doughty: A Life in Writing – Sir Bob Burgess Building, Welford Road, University of Leicester Louise Doughty: A Life in Writing – Sir Bob Burgess Building, Welford Road, University of Leicester, Wed 18 Mar 2026 - Ahead of the publication of her memoir later this year, Louise Doughty joins us …

Ahead of the release of her new memoir, Doughty will be in conversation with our own Kit de Waal, reflecting on her life in writing.

Grab your FREE ticket and join us on 18 March, 8.00-9.00PM:
www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

#LitLeics26

Doughty has published ten other novels, including 2019’s ‘utterly mesmerizing’ Platform Seven and 2023’s ‘intriguing… slow burning thriller’ (Sunday Express), A Bird in Winter. She is also a noted screenwriter and cultural critic.

✒️ Louise Doughty: A Life in Writing 🍎

We’re thrilled to welcome Louise Doughty to the University of Leicester as part of Literary Leicester 2026! Born in Melton Mowbray Leicestershire, Doughty is best-known for her number one bestselling novel, Apple Tree Yard, adapted into a major BBC mini-series

🐞🐴 CLASSICS FROM MY CHILDHOOD🐴 🐞

Join the Special Collections team for an enchanting journey through rare books , featuring beloved classics such as Black Beauty

🗓️ Sat 21 March ⏰️ 13.00–14.00 & 14.30–15.30 📍 David Wilson Library
🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

#GoAllIn2026

🚲️ RIDE LEICESTER 🚲️

This bike tour will take you to the homes and local haunts of five major writers who lived in the city.

🗓️ Sat 21 March ⏰️ 11.00–13.00
🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

#GoAllIn2026 #NationalYearofReading2026

➗️🌟 MATHS WITH A STORY🌟➗️

Come and join us for a wonderful workshop with children’s author Professor Rose Griffiths. Play our games and change the rules or design your own game.

🗓️ Sat 21 March ⏰️ 10.30–12.00📍Beaumont Hall Botanic Gardens, Oadby
🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

#GoAllIn2026

🌎️ LIAS PRESENTS: 10 PEOPLE WHO CHANGED THE WORLD 🌎️

10 university lecturers pitch the person they think changed the world and the audience judge the winner!

🗓️ Fri 20 March ⏰️ 16.30–17.45 📍 Att Arts
🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

#GoAllIn2026 #NationalYearofReading2026

#GoAllIn2026 #NationalYearofReading2026

✍️WRITE LEICESTER✍️

Join Leicester-born author Manish Chauhan, our own poet laureate Mr Shay, & writer & publisher Farhana Shaikh as they explore place, identity & what it means to write our wonderful city of Leicester.

🗓️ Fri 20 March ⏰️ 15.00–16.00 📍 Att Arts
🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

#GoAllIn2026 #NationalYearofReading2026

📚️ ✏️ FIRST STORY YOUNG WRITERS’ SHOWCASE✏️ 📚️

Writers from First Story Creative Writing Programme perform with poets Andy Craven-Griffiths & John Berkavitch. Expect silly sonnets, angsty acrostics, romantic rapping & more

🗓️ Fri 20 March ⏰️ 13.30–14.30 📍Att Arts
🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

#GoAllIn2026 #NationalYearofReading2026

🖌️ THE ART OF THE PAGE: A VISUAL POETRY WORKSHOP WITH KARENJIT SANDHU🖌️

Through guided experiments you’ll be introduced to visual poetry with simple instructions and creative layouts.

🗓️ Fri 20 March ⏰️ 12.30–13.30📍Central Library
🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...