Festival events and workshops taking place on Saturday 9 May

Stratford Literary Festival returns in Spring 2026, from Thursday 7 until Sunday 10 May.

The Saturday programme takes place in Stratford-upon-Avon's Crowne Plaza Hotel (CV37 6YR), and features a series of events suitable for adults and children (see below), a Local Author Showcase and four childrens workshops: 

Zohra Nabi - Witch Light (8+ yrs)
Laura Ellen Anderson - Comics: Evil Emperor Penguin (6+ yrs, 1.15pm & 2.30pm)
Nathaneal Lessore - Like a Brother (12+ yrs)

The Saturday programme for children includes:

Andrew Pettie - The 'What on Earth!' Family Quiz Show (8+ yrs)

Drop in and Do - River and Water (4-11 yrs)

Jane Riordan - Winnie-the-Pooh: Once There Was A Bear

Laura Ellen Anderson, Whiskery Paw - Star Kitties (6+)

Tall Tales - Rumpelstiltskin (4+ yrs)

Dungeons and Dragons Games Café - Adventure on the High Seas (11-17yrs)

Warhammer Games Café - From 12 years

The Saturday programme for adults includes:

Matthew Rice - The Art of Art

Dame Vikki Heywood - Miss Veal and Miss Ham

Ellie Levenson, Jo Callaghan & Grace Murray - Edge of the Seat Thrillers

Oliver Sweet - The Rules That Make Us

Prue Leith - Getting Old and Learning to Love It

Becky Holmes & Kaf Okpattah - The Future of Online Fraud

Mark Richards, Alex Preston & Zohra Nabi - Sensitivity and Writing: where do we draw the line?

Catherine Clarke - A History of England in 25 Poems

Map Men - When Maps Go Wrong (and Why it Matters)

SJ Parris - Traitor’s Legacy

Samira Ahmed - Hard Day's Night

Alex Preston & Piers Blofeld - I Spy…

Tom Service - A History of the World in 50 Pieces

Sophie Raworth - Running on Air

Dungeons and Dragons Games Café - A Seafaring Adventure (18+)

Scummy Mummies Live Comedy Show