Photo Credit: STYLIST MAGAZINE
As a columnist, journalist, and author, Lucy Mangan has dedicated her career to championing the pure pleasure of reading. Her beautiful memoir, Bookworm: A Memoir of Childhood Reading, is a heartfelt love letter to the books that stay with us for life, while her weekly Substack over at The Bookwormery, never fails to make us smile and reminisce.
“Reading and writing have shaped my life from childhood... I love the way literary festivals bring the private and shared joy of books into the open. I’m delighted to be patron of Eastbourne LitFest as it launches, and to support an event that celebrates the reading community and the pleasure of the written word.”
— Lucy Mangan
We couldn’t be more thrilled to have Lucy as part of the Eastbourne LitFest family. Her warmth, down-to-earth humour, and genuine love for readers of all ages make her the perfect champion for our very first festival. Having her in our corner feels like welcoming a fellow book lover into the room to share in our excitement.
Whether you read every night or haven’t picked up a book in years, this festival is built for you. Big stages like the Towner, the Birley Centre, and College Theatre will host headline acts, including national treasure Dame Jacqueline Wilson, poets Henry Normal and Tim Barlow, and Eastbourne’s very own bestselling children’s author Jenny McLachlan. Meanwhile, local cafes, studios, and galleries will host our more intimate, up-close events.
The weekend offers something for everyone:
Adult Fiction & Non-Fiction: Queen’s Reading Room author Joanna Miller will be chatting about her debut novel, The Eights, while Former MP Sir Norman Lamb explains why we need a mental health revolution (Be More Human). Candid panels dive into crime fiction, publishing secrets, family drama, and story escapism.
Teens & Young Adults: A unique verse novel event brings together four astonishing voices - Tia Fisher, Dean Atta, Louisa Reid, and Sarah Crossan.
Families & Children: Enjoy live performances, journey inside your brain with author Lucy Ann Unwin and Professor Caswell Barry, and help bestselling middle-grade mystery writer Lucy Strange solve a Murder on a Midsummer Night.
This is also your chance to roll up your sleeves and create your own work. As Director Jane Branson explains:
“The LitFest’s creative strand is really important to us. We have workshops for all ages focusing on drama, story craft, poetry, non-fiction writing, and verse novel writing. We also have a session for comic book fans and a workshop using Shakespeare’s dialogue as inspiration. There’s truly something for everyone.”
General booking opens on 1 August 2026 at www.eastbournelitfest.org with a limited number of discounted Early Bird tickets available across nearly every event. We’d also love you to sign up for our newsletter today at the website and follow us on social media for exclusive author reveals, ticket alerts, and festival news.