Whitby is set to host a new literary festival in November 2025, celebrating its rich literary history and nurturing local writing talent.
The Whitby Lit Fest, a four-day event, will bring together novelists, poets, and playwrights to showcase their work in venues across the town, with support from North Yorkshire Council, which aims to boost tourism in the area during the autumn season.
Known famously as the setting for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Whitby also has ties to literary greats such as Lewis Carroll, Charles Dickens, Caedmon, and Elizabeth Gaskell.
Festival director Lois Kirtlan, owner of Hetty and Betty café, shared her excitement at finally bringing a literature festival to Whitby, saying, “A town so steeped in literary heritage deserves its own literature festival.”
Kirtlan had initially hoped to launch the festival a few years ago, but the pandemic delayed the plan.
She has since established a steering group to make the festival a reality.
Outreach librarian and writer Adele Duffield, also part of the organizing team, emphasized the festival’s commitment to nurturing young talent.
A junior writing competition is in the works, with plans to engage local schools to discover “tomorrow’s greatest authors.”
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