24 – 27 September 2026
A book festival in beautiful Wiltshire with events for all.
The 2026 LitFest programme is now available. Tickets will go on sale for Friends of LitFest on Monday 29 June and general booking opens on Friday 10 July.
Our 17th festival will bring four days of inspiring conversations, ideas, storytelling, bestselling authors and family-friendly events to one of Wiltshire’s most picturesque market towns.
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Marlborough LitFest began in 2010 and showcases fiction and non-fiction, including events for children, writing workshops, poetry readings and more.
As a charity we provide free events for young children, local schools and adults every year. This year we reached 1200 primary and secondary school children in Marlborough, Pewsey, Devizes and Calne.
Support the charity and gain access to priority booking and other benefits by becoming a Friend of Marlborough LitFest
Read it. Share it. Talk about it. Join Marlborough’s Big Town Read! This year’s Big Town Read is bestselling novelist Kit de Waal’s latest novel, ‘The Best of Everything’. The Big Town Read invites people across Marlborough and the surrounding area to read the same book, sparking conversations, debates and a shared love of reading. Whether you’re an avid bookworm or an occasional reader, everyone is invited to pick up a copy, dive into the story and join in.
The 17th Marlborough LitFest (24 – 27 September 2026) offers a packed weekend of literary treats for all, including debut and established fiction, non-fiction, poetry, writing workshops, a literary walk, the annual Big Town Read, children’s authors and free events for families, plus LitFest’s annual schools outreach programme.
Our Festival Patron is acclaimed stage and theatre actor, Sir Simon Russell Beale.
The generous support of our sponsors brings wonderful cultural events to Marlborough and allows us to run our free events for schools and others
