Southbank Centre · London · Est. 2007
London's longest-running literature festival — 19 editions of prize-winning authors, emerging voices, poetry, debate, and the transformative power of stories.
Dua Lipa curates this year's festival — Royal Festival Hall takeover, 24–25 October 2026
Read More →About the Festival
The London Literature Festival is the United Kingdom's longest-running annual celebration of the written and spoken word, held every October at the Southbank Centre on the banks of the Thames. Since its inaugural edition in 2007, the festival has grown from a dedicated literary showcase into one of the world's most respected cultural events, drawing authors, poets, journalists, and thinkers from every corner of the globe.
Hosted across the Southbank Centre's iconic venues — the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and Purcell Room — the festival offers an extraordinary range of programming: debut novelist readings, Nobel laureate conversations, live poetry performances, masterclasses for aspiring writers, children's storytelling sessions, and charged political debate. The atmosphere is democratic and inclusive by design: many events are completely free to attend, while ticketed talks remain accessibly priced.
What sets the London Literature Festival apart from other UK book festivals is its commitment to dialogue — between established voices and newcomers, between literature and music, between the page and the stage. Every edition explores the urgent questions of its moment, treating storytelling not as entertainment alone, but as a tool for empathy, social justice, and collective understanding.
"Reading has anchored me through every chapter of my life. Curating the Southbank Centre's London Literature Festival is a dream come true."
— Dua Lipa, Guest Curator, 2026The festival sits within the Southbank Centre, the UK's largest arts centre, founded with the Festival of Britain in 1951. The complex is uniquely able to offer an inclusive, world-class programme spanning literature, visual arts, music, dance and performance — all in a single riverside neighbourhood.
19 Years of Stories
From its quiet beginnings as a dedicated literary strand at Southbank Centre to one of the world's most vibrant spoken-word events, the festival's story is one of bold ambition and constant reinvention.
The London Literature Festival launches at the Southbank Centre, establishing a dedicated autumn home for literary culture in the capital. Drawing on the Southbank's existing relationships with international artists, the inaugural festival immediately signals its ambition to unite readers of all ages around the written and spoken word.
The festival embraces the digital age, launching the world's first Litweeter festival alongside its main programme — an interactive celebration of wordplay and literary gossip on Twitter. Brazilian literature takes centre stage with events including a memorable evening on Futebol, culture and identity.
One of the festival's most talked-about moments: Hillary Clinton in conversation with James Naughtie at the Royal Festival Hall, addressing an audience of 3,000 — receiving a rapturous welcome and farewell. The event, reported worldwide, confirmed the festival's status as a venue for the most important global voices of the age.
The festival introduces a landmark new model: a guest curator who shapes the opening weekend's vision and programming. The curatorship concept deepens the festival's commitment to bold, personal perspectives and cross-disciplinary dialogue, expanding the reach of the programme into new creative communities.
Award-winning London rapper and lyricist Ghetts co-curates the festival's opening weekend, presenting two electrifying nights of spoken word and music at the Royal Festival Hall. The festival runs 23 October – 3 November, featuring debut novelists, Channel 4's Lindsey Hilsum, Jordan Stephens, and a special National Poetry Library 70th birthday celebration hosted by Lemn Sissay OBE.
An eleven-day stretch of talks, performances, masterclasses, and readings including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, novelist Sebastian Faulks, and food writer Jimi Famurewa. The festival continues to grow its Creative Future Writers' Day, supporting aspiring voices from underrepresented communities.
The festival's most headline-generating appointment yet: global pop star and passionate reader Dua Lipa curates the 2026 edition, bringing her Service95 Book Club into the heart of the Southbank. Presented as part of the Southbank Centre's 75th anniversary year and the National Year of Reading, the 19th edition runs late October 2026.
The London Literature Festival 2026 marks a landmark moment for the UK's most dynamic literary event. Guest curator Dua Lipa — global recording artist, entrepreneur, and founder of the Service95 Book Club — brings her deep passion for reading and authors to the Southbank Centre in an unprecedented festival partnership.
Dua Lipa's curation includes a takeover of the Royal Festival Hall across the opening weekend (Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 October), followed by a series of events throughout the festival in collaboration with her Service95 Book Club. In 2023, Lipa launched the book club as part of her Service95 platform, selecting a monthly read and sitting down with each author for an in-depth podcast conversation. As a champion of marginalised readers — including those affected by book bans and incarceration — her curation promises both glamour and genuine literary substance.
Coinciding with the Southbank Centre's 75th anniversary and the government's National Year of Reading, the 2026 edition is the most culturally significant in the festival's 19-year history. Tickets are expected to sell fast; Southbank Centre Members receive presale access with no booking fees.
The 2026 festival is generously supported by Bukhman Philanthropies.
Guest Curators Through the Years
Your Festival Guide
First-timer or returning devotee, here's what makes the festival one of London's unmissable autumn events.
The festival's heartbeat: celebrated novelists, debut writers, and prize-winners take to the stage to read from their work and answer questions from the audience. Past readers have included Nobel laureates, Man Booker Prize winners, and globally bestselling authors. These intimate encounters are the reason so many attendees return year after year.
The festival's panels crackle with intellectual energy, gathering authors, academics, activists, and critics around the most urgent questions of the day — from identity and social justice to climate, democracy, and the future of publishing. Expect robust disagreement, unexpected consensus, and conversations that stay with you long after you leave.
Aspiring writers can attend craft-focused sessions led by industry professionals. The annual Creative Future Writers' Day at the Purcell Room offers emerging talent a rare opportunity to hear from publishers, agents, and authors in an intimate setting, with a literary fair in the Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer showcasing leading literary organisations.
The festival has long championed the overlap between literature and music. The dedicated poetry programme — anchored by the National Poetry Library, housed at the Southbank Centre — brings together poets from across the world for performances, competitions, and collaborative events. The 2024 edition's Ghetts co-curation cemented spoken word as a festival cornerstone.
A dedicated strand of events makes the festival genuinely family-friendly. Children's author readings, interactive storytelling sessions, and creative workshops are designed to ignite a love of reading in younger audiences. The children's programme is one of the festival's most popular — booking early is strongly advised.
A festival bookshop stocks works by every author appearing at the festival, often with the authors on hand to sign copies immediately after their events. The accompanying literary fair showcases independent publishers, literary magazines, and writing development organisations — making it a brilliant browsing destination in its own right.
Plan Your Visit
The Southbank Centre is at Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX — one of the easiest venues in the capital to reach.
By Tube: Waterloo (Northern, Jubilee, Bakerloo, Waterloo & City lines) is a 5-minute walk. Embankment (District, Circle) is 10 minutes via Hungerford Bridge.
By Train: Waterloo Station is the nearest mainline terminus, with direct services from much of southern England.
By Bus: Numerous routes stop on the South Bank — routes 1, 68, 76, 168, 171, 176, 188, 341, 381, RV1 and more serve the area.
Cycling: Santander Cycles docking stations are immediately outside the complex. The riverside cycle path connects east and west London seamlessly.
The festival operates a mixed ticketing model designed to be as inclusive as possible.
Free events are plentiful — particularly in the foyers, the literary fair, and many daytime workshops. No booking is required for most free events, but arrive early as spaces fill quickly.
Ticketed events start from around £15 for most talks and rise to premium pricing for headline concerts and curated evenings.
Southbank Centre Members receive presale access — often crucial for the most in-demand events — and pay no booking fees. Membership is excellent value for regular festival-goers.
All tickets are bookable via southbankcentre.co.uk.
The Southbank is one of London's finest food destinations, with options for every budget.
Southbank Centre Food Market (weekend mornings) is a standout: independent street food vendors line the riverside offering global cuisine at accessible prices — ideal before a Saturday or Sunday event.
Festival bars operate inside the Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall throughout the festival — perfect for a glass of wine and a conversation about what you've just heard.
The broader South Bank strip includes Wahaca, Skylon (fine dining with Thames views), and countless independent cafés and restaurants stretching from Waterloo to Borough Market.
A festival visit pairs perfectly with the South Bank's wider cultural offer.
Tate Modern (10-minute walk east along the river) is one of the world's great modern art museums — free entry to the permanent collection.
Shakespeare's Globe sits just beyond the Tate, offering theatre tours and performances.
The National Theatre is next door to the Southbank Centre, often running complementary programming during the festival.
The BFI Southbank cinema is steps away — its October season frequently aligns thematically with the festival's programming, making for a rich cultural double-bill.
Need to Know
The festival takes place every October at the Southbank Centre in London, typically running for around 10–12 days across the final two weeks of the month. The 2026 edition opens on the weekend of 24–25 October. Dates for future editions are announced in the spring of each year.
All events take place at the Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. The complex includes three main venues — the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and the Purcell Room — as well as numerous outdoor and foyer spaces used for free events, the literary fair, and the bookshop.
Ticket prices vary. Many events — particularly in the foyers and the literary fair — are completely free. Ticketed talks typically start around £15. Headline events and curated evenings may be priced higher. Southbank Centre Members receive presale access and pay no booking fees, making membership well worth considering if you plan to attend multiple events. Tickets are available at southbankcentre.co.uk.
Absolutely. The festival has a dedicated children's and young adult programme running alongside the main strand, featuring author readings, interactive storytelling sessions, and creative workshops specifically designed for younger audiences. Children's events are among the most popular at the festival — early booking is highly recommended.
The festival has hosted an extraordinary range of figures over its 19 editions, from Hillary Clinton and Nobel laureates to Man Booker Prize winners, debut novelists, spoken word artists and chart-topping musicians. Recent featured names include Malala Yousafzai, Sebastian Faulks, Ghetts, Lemn Sissay OBE, Lindsey Hilsum, and Jordan Stephens, among dozens of others across each edition.
Introduced in 2023, the Guest Curator is invited each year to shape and headline the festival's opening weekend. The curator brings their unique artistic perspective to the programme, selecting events and artists that reflect their passions and vision. Ghetts co-curated in 2024, exploring the relationship between spoken word and music. In 2026, Dua Lipa brings her Service95 Book Club into the heart of the festival.
Yes. The festival operates a dedicated bookshop stocked with titles by all authors appearing at the festival. Authors are frequently available to sign copies immediately after their events. A literary fair also takes place in the Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer, featuring independent publishers, literary magazines, and writing organisations.
Sign up to the Southbank Centre's literature, talks, and poetry email newsletter at southbankcentre.co.uk — subscribers are the first to know when the full programme is announced each summer and when presale tickets go live. You can also follow the festival on social media for real-time updates and author announcements.