March 30, 2021 3.57 pm This story is over 51 months old

Lincoln Book Festival to make comeback this autumn

The flash fiction competition will return too
The Lincoln Book Festival will make a comeback in October 2021.  | Photo: Phil Crow

Lincoln Book Festival will make a comeback in October with plans already underway for a week-long programme of guest author talks at cultural venues in the city.

The Lincoln Book Festival Trust intends to offer in-person events once again with the festival returning for the week commencing October 11, 2021, depending on government guidance.

The festival has been based mainly at The Collection for many years and the festival intends to run events there again, as well as exploring other options for venues.

Last year’s festival, which was originally planned to take place in May 2020, was postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Instead, the scheduled guest authors recorded a series of video talks, which were released on the festival’s website last autumn. The 2020 line-up included best-selling historian Alison Weir, children’s fiction writer, Sophie Cleverly, and food writer and critic William Sitwell.

Charlie Partridge (left), formerly of BBC Radio Lincolnshire, with author Michael Morpurgo (right) at Lincoln Book Festival in 2018. | Photo: Phil Crow

The 2021 Lincoln Book Festival will have a similarly diverse line-up and the popular flash fiction competition will return this year. The competition challenges authors of all ages to write ultra short stories of exactly 50 words on a designated theme.

In recent years the programme has expanded to feature a wider array of genres, formats and styles, including children’s and young adults’ fiction, poetry, thrillers, and food writing. Previous guest authors have also included Michael Morpurgo, Tracy Borman and Janina Ramirez.

Lincolnshire historian and author Tracy Borman signing books at the festival in 2018. | Photo: Phil Crow

Phil Hamlyn Williams, Chair of the Lincoln Book Festival Trust which organises the festival, said: “The pandemic has been a huge blow for the arts locally and nationally but the roadmap for lifting of restrictions means audiences can finally look forward to visiting venues and enjoying live events again later this year.

“We hope fans of literature will be as excited as we are about the prospect of Lincoln Book Festival making its return in 2021.”