24 – 27 September 2026
A book festival in beautiful Wiltshire with events for all.
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.
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
The countdown has begun to Marlborough LitFest 2026! The banners are up on Marlborough Town Hall, which transforms into our festival home later this week. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to our 17th LitFest from 24-27 September for a four-day celebration of books, ideas and storytelling for all ages. Please check our website for ticket availability and our full programme.
Join in Marlborough’s biggest book club and read Kit de Waal’s ‘The Best of Everything’ before meeting the author at this year’s Big Town Read event on Sunday 27 September. To help fuel discussion, we have some reading group questions available for you but no peeking until you’ve finished the book!
Our Festival Patron is acclaimed stage and theatre actor, Sir Simon Russell Beale.
Stay up to date – sign up for our monthly email newsletter to find out about LitFest events.
The generous support of our sponsors brings wonderful cultural events to Marlborough and allows us to run our free events for schools and others
