From Poetry to Podcasts: Lincoln Book Festival 2025 Line-up Announced

7th August 2025

Poetry, podcasts, fiction, and family fun all feature in the newly released programme for Lincoln Book Festival 2025, which runs from 2–5 October at venues across the historic city of Lincoln.

With more than 40 events over four days, this year’s festival presents a diverse mix of author talks, performances, workshops, and community activities.

Lincoln Book Festival 2025 is supported by Arts Council England, using money from the National Lottery. A range of local organisations are also supporting the festival and tickets are available now, with many events free to attend (advance booking required).

Highlights include:

• Lemn Sissay OBE, award-winning poet and playwright, performing from his collection Let the Light Pour In.
• Marcia Hutchinson, acclaimed author and activist with her solo literary debut, The Mercy Step.
• Dominic Franks, chef and social media star, launching his new cookbook, Upside Down Cooking.
• Tristan Gooley, bestselling author of Natural Navigation, on finding your way through nature.
• Hannah Gold, bestselling children’s author, returning to her home county of Lincolnshire.

Alongside an eclectic line-up of guest author appearances there are free family events and activities, a literature inspired trail, original performances, music and dance, local history talks, live podcast recordings, food and drink, folklore tales, writers’ workshops, arts and crafts, publishing industry insights, author networking events, and more.

Lincoln Book Festival runs 2-5 October 2025 with the Lincoln Arts Centre at the University of Lincoln serving as festival hub and box office. Book sales are provided by local independent bookshop Lindum Books. Core programme and festival fringe events also take place at venues across the city, including Lincoln Central Library, Lark Books, Usher Gallery, Oxfam Book Shop, and Waterstones Lincoln.

This year’s Lincoln Book Festival honours two milestone anniversaries in 2025; the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth and the 80th anniversary of VE Day.  Academic experts from Lincoln’s universities will jointly host an event exploring Austen’s brilliance and legacy. Historians from local historical societies will showcase original research on Lincolnshire’s past. Winners of the book festival’s ever-popular flash fiction short story competition (on the theme Heroes and Villains) will also be revealed. Deadline for competition entries is 31 August.

Jo Dobbs, Lincoln Book Festival 2025 Programme Manager, said: “We’ve curated this year’s programme to reflect the many ways people connect with stories – whether through reading, writing, performing, or simply listening. It’s a festival that invites curiosity, creativity, and conversation, with opportunities to get involved at every level.

“We especially hope to welcome those who might not usually see themselves in a book festival audience. There are family-friendly events which are completely free to attend, along with inspiring guest author talks and explorations of local history and folklore.”

Lincoln Book Festival 2025 is made possible thanks to the support of the National Lottery through Arts Council England and a network of local businesses and cultural organisations, including Lincoln Arts Centre, as festival co-producer, and the headline festival patron, law firm Shakespeare Martineau. Other patrons and partners include Bishop Grosseteste University, East Lindsey District Council, Lincoln BIG, Troubador Publishing, University of Lincoln, Wright Vigar, Zest Theatre, Poplars B&B (Accommodation Partner), Lindum Books (Bookseller Partner), Lincoln Independent (Media Partner), and Ruddocks (Print Partner).

Peter Knott, Midlands Area Director at Arts Council England said: “We’re proud to be supporting Lincoln Book Festival with more than £25,000 of funding from the National Lottery.

“The festival will bring communities together, through its celebration of creative writing, local heritage and underrepresented voices, to encourage a lifelong love of reading. From free family events, performances, crafts, author talks and more, the festival promises to have something for everyone.”

Michael Squirrell, partner and head of Shakespeare Martineau’s Lincoln office, said: “We believe in championing events in the community that bring people together through creativity and connection. Lincoln Book Festival reflects our values perfectly, offering a platform for bold ideas, diverse voices, and shared stories that inspire and uplift. We’re proud to support a festival that encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to discover the transformative power of words.”

Tickets are available now via the Lincoln Arts Centre Box Office. For the full programme and to book tickets, visit: www.lincolnbookfestival.org or book directly via the LAC at: https://lincolnartscentre.co.uk.