SAVE THE DATE
9th - 12th October 2025

Northwood House in Cowes is our primary festival venue supported in addition by St.Mary's Church on the edge of the Northwood estate.

Additional venues support and host events for us including, The Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes Enterprise College and The Island Sailing Club. For details on all our venues, head to our ABOUT PAGE.

The Isle of Wight Literary Festival has been honoured with The King’s Award for Voluntary Service; this is the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK and is the equivalent of an individual being awarded an MBE. The Festival has been recognised for its contribution to the education, cultural life and wellbeing of the community. In addition to the four-day event, the Festival also supports a Schools’ Programme, which takes authors, illustrators, poets and story tellers into schools to educate, entertain and inspire pupils.

Well done to all our volunteers for their efforts and dedication. This award is richly deserved.

KING'S AWARD FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE

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“They were a lovely on the ball audience who asked some brilliant questions and said some lovely things. It was just such a pleasure.”

Jo Brand

Comic, Actress and Author

of Born Lippy (2019 Festival Feedback)

“There is something really special about the Isle of Wight Festival, this was my second appearance there and I’ve thought so both times. It has such a lovely atmosphere – the weather just couldn’t make a dint in that!!”

Kate Hamer

Author of Crushed (2019 Festival feedback)

“This is a super, super literary festival. There are 350 literary festivals in this country. I feel like I’ve been to almost all of them! I’ve certainly been to over a hundred of them and this is right at the top. Because it’s the trifecta as far as every writer is concerned. They laugh at the jokes, they ask intelligent questions, penetrating intelligent questions, and they also bought the book. So you put those three things together and any writer is going to be happy to come.“

Andrew Roberts

Author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny

(2019 Festival feedback)

“A great treat for authors every year. Delightful surroundings and very efficient organisation. A thoroughly worthy cause!”

Peter Snow

(2018 Festival feedback)

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LITFEAST SPONSORS

SCHOOLS SPONSORS

We can accommodate all physical and hidden disabilities. The volunteers manage the venues and access to them, so will be able to prepare any requirements you may need.

All venues have disabled access. For our St Mary's venue and those unable to walk very far we have a golf buggy on hand to transport visitors.

We suggest that when booking your tickets please contact our volunteers at

volunteer@isleofwightliteraryfestival.com if you require assistance or please visit the volunteers desk on arrival at the festival.

DISABILITY ASSISTANCE

Creativity Rewarded

The object of the Awards is to encourage the writing, reading and publishing of books about the Isle of Wight; to draw attention to the beauty and glories and heritage of the Isle of Wight; to reward and praise authors, many of whom will perhaps never have produced a book before.

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