Natalie Haynes, Lemony Snicket and Michael Rosen are among the authors appearing at the North London Book Fest, which features four days of readings, panel discussions, workshops and performances at Alexandra Palace.
Taking place from 21st to 24th March, the festival includes events with guests such as Cecile Pin, Erin Kelly, Leo Vardiashvili and Stuart Turton, connecting readers with established authors and new writers.
“I’m thrilled to be part of this new festival set in, and celebrating north London, where I live as well as write,” said Kelly, author of The Skeleton Key (Hodder Paperbacks) and He Said She Said (Hodder & Stoughton). “In the name of research I’ve walked Highgate Woods, Alexandra Park, Hampstead Heath and the towpaths of the Grand Union Canal and my latest, The House of Mirrors [Hodder & Stoughton], takes in Camden Passage and Holloway Road.”
The festival will be supported by Waterstones, which will run the festival bookshop, with funding provided by Tottenham Grammar School Foundation and Haringey Council. The literature organisation Renaissance One and the digital cookbook subscription service ckbk are also supporting individual events.
The event coincides with the annual Alexandra Palace Children’s Book Award, Biblio-buzz, which ends on Friday 22nd March.
“It’s a really stimulating and diverse programme, with so much on offer. We’ll be asking questions about AI and creativity, about parenting and about identity,” said Kate Ereira, co-director of the festival. “We’re launching eagerly-awaited new titles from bestselling novelists and showcasing some of the year’s most exciting debuts, such as Leo Vardiashvili who is in conversation with Cecile Pin.”
Mark Civil, festival co-director and head of creative learning at Alexandra Palace, added: “We’ve had a long-held ambition to bring a literary festival to Alexandra Palace, building on sold out events hosted here in recent years by the likes of Philip Pullman, Miriam Margolyes, Lucy Worsley, Bob Odenkirk, Quentin Tarantino and Jacqueline Wilson. We’ve also taken inspiration from the success of our Children’s Book Award to broaden our reach, welcoming authors and activities that will delight book lovers of all ages.”
The full festival programme is available to view online.
