Festival 2023

The Shadow Health Secretary talked about his new book - One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry Up – A Memoir of Growing Up and Getting On.

The Book Festival’s first Poetry Open Mic Lottery night was hosted by Henry Normal.    

An evening showcasing local talent hosted by the legendary VG Lee.    

Tom Crewe - one of the Granta Best of Young British Novelists 2023 - talked to BBC producer Simon Richardson about his historical novel The New Life which has won the 2023 Orwell Prize.

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS: Trix Worrell, creator and writer of television's Desmond's, Patrice Lawrence MBE, award winning writer, and Henry Normal, retired managing director of Baby Cow Productions, talked about the challenges and successes of their careers.

Our immensely impressive Hastings Young Writers took to the stage to read their own works.

The comedian, television presenter and writer talked about her debut novel - Weirdo.  

Celebrated actor and writer NIGEL PLANER, star of The Young Ones, talked about the first book in the Time Shard Chronicles - a new time-travel fantasy trilogy.

Instagram’s fun and famous cook - The School Night Vegan - on his new and beautiful cookery book - Anything You Can Cook, I Can Cook Vegan.

Magicians and Fools - Tarot For Writers, Andrew Wille explored the potential of the tarot in this three hour interactive workshop.  

SUNDAY SHOWCASE: A fast moving morning in which a specially chosen set of local, published non fiction authors, talked about their specialist subjects for just 10 minutes each.      

Author Alex Milway hosted a lively session of stories, music and drawing for children.

We were joined by one of the UK’s foremost poets and writers - Salena Godden - for an explosive evening with an electrifying performance

CHILDREN'S EVENT: Patrice Lawrence at the Hastings Library - A lively, fun and free event for children from 3-7 years old  

Multiple award winning writer, Graham Duff, held a three hour workshop on writing for screen and radio.

Christine Harmar-Brown ran a three-hour workshop for all who wanted to pack a verbal punch, catch the eye and say something pithy and memorable.  

Robyn Drury Editorial Director for Non-Fiction at Ebury, a division of Penguin Random House ran a three-hour interactive exploration into life writing – biography, memoir and all forms of non-fiction writing in the authorial first person ‘I’.  

We offered a limited number of one-to-one sessions with a brilliant literary agent.