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Durham Book Festival has launched its 2025 line-up for the county's annual book festival which takes place from Friday 10 to Sunday 12 October, celebrating the power of the written word.
Produced by New Writing North, the Durham County Council event features a very special appearance from one of the UK’s most revered living authors, Dame Pat Barker. Her daughter, the writer and poet Anna Barker, has spent a decade uncovering her mother’s life story. The two will be in conversation for Dipped in Ink, an event about their forthcoming memoir spanning 40 years exploring family silences, literary legacy, and maternal relationships.
Other internationally best-selling North East authors include Whitley Bay’s Ann Cleeves, whose books have been adapted into major TV shows, including ITV’s Vera and BBC’s Shetland. She’s in conversation with the award-winning broadcaster Steph McGovern, with her debut crime thriller, Deadline.
This year a special Durham Book Festival commission, with support from Manchester Metropolitan University, will mark the 40th anniversary of the publication of Tony Harrison’s seminal poem, v. Poets Andrew McMillan, Malika Booker, Jo Clement, and Paul Farley will present their reimagining of the 1984 poem that explored class, anger, and Northern identity during the Miner’s Strike.
There’ll also be another Durham Book Festival commission of an exclusive dramatic live reading from author Eliza Clark's short story collection, She’s Always Hungry, directed by Maria Crocker, followed by a Q&A with the author.
Fiona Hill, the Chancellor of Durham University, will discuss her new podcast series Forged in the North. She’ll be in conversation with the Northumberland internationally bestselling author, LJ Ross, and Romani storyteller, Richard O’Neill, on how the North East forged their writing.
Durham University alumni broadcaster Jeremy Vine will discuss his debut crime novel, Murder on Line One, and TV’s retail guru Mary Portas brings her memoir, I Shop, Therefore I Am.
Literary acts also include bestselling and award-winning novelist Jonathan Coe, with his latest razor-sharp new novel, The Proof of My Innocence.
One of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists and recent Booker Prize long-listee, Natasha Brown, brings her acclaimed second novel, Universality. New Writing North’s 2022 Debut Award for Fiction winner, Grainne O’Hare, will feature on a panel with novelists Vincenzo Latronico, shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025, and Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin, shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2025.
The Working-Class Library records a live podcast with editor of The Bee, Richard Benson, and CEO of New Writing North, Claire Malcolm. The podcast welcomes guest writer Terri White discussing the legacy of Catherine Cookson.
Non-fiction comes from Ian Leslie with his new biography John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs charting Lennon and McCartney’s relationship. Journalist, podcaster, and presenter John Harris will talk of how music helped him connect with his son after an autism diagnosis, with his book Maybe I’m Amazed.
The Guardian culture correspondent Lanre Bakare’s will discuss We Were There - his portrait of Black Britain outside of London - with Jake Morris-Campbell with Between the Salt and the Ash which explores the North East in the wake of Christianity and coal.
Politics comes from former cabinet minister Alan Johnson with his biography of Harold Wilson in conversation with former parliamentary colleague, Chris Mullin, with his latest diary collection.
Also featuring is the author Rachel Cooke with The Virago Book of Friendship and Gabriel Weston and Grace Spence Green with their boundary blurring books, Alive and To Exist As I Am.
The festival also features a series of events for aspiring children's book writers programmed in partnership with Children's Books North Network and the return of the Little Read, which will see 500 free copies of North East children's author, James Harris' picture book, Help! We Need a Story distributed by libraries across the county.
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Find out what’s happening this week across the Culture County. From festivals and exhibitions, to sport and theatre, you’re certain to have an eventful time in Durham.
