What's it about?

Welcome to the Jersey Festival of Words. This five-day literary event aims to promote a love of the written and spoken word across the community and in a variety of styles and settings.

2015 was our inaugural year and we were delighted to welcome a number of big literary names to our island, including Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Holly Smale, Will Smith, Owen Sheers and Simon Barnes. The festival featured a wide and varied range of presentations, as well as readings and talks from some of our established local writers and poets.

Last year’s festival featured former Children’s Laureate Michael Morpurgo, novelists Louise Doughty, Victoria Hislop and Simon Scarrow and writer Cathy Rentzenbrink. Acclaimed novelist and poet Louis de Bernières also visited the island, as did leading feminist writer Kat Banyard and popular YA authors William Sutcliffe and Eugene Lambert.

As ever we had an extensive children’s programme, numerous events showcasing local writers and a varied series of workshops for all to enjoy.

This year we are looking forward to welcoming a huge number of writers and performers including Richard Dawkins, Dame Jenni Murray, Lauren Child, Alexander McCall Smith and John Boyne.

It will be evident to any exploring our website that the Jersey Festival of Words has grown significantly in size and scope, and we are thrilled and delighted at what we have to offer this coming autumn, when our third festival will take place between Wednesday 27th September and Sunday October 1st.

The clock’s ticking…get ready for Jersey Festival of Words 2017!