With just a week to go to The Heath Bookshop Literature and Music Festival the countdown has begun, make sure you’ve got your tickets to this biannual celebration of all thing’s books and music, taking place 15-19 April 2026.

A partnership with How Brave is the Wren and the Hare & Hounds, the festival features 35 events for literature and music lovers of all ages, across 13 venues. The biannual festival is supported by National Lottery Project Grants funding through Arts Council England.

If you are looking for some music themed conversations on Friday 17 April head to the Hare & Hounds to see Sheffield journalist Daniel Dylan Wray in conversation with artist, writer and musician Lias Saoudi, discussing the often overlooked creativity of Sheffield musicians including Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, and Self Esteem followed by writer, DJ, music researcher and filmmaker Jesse Bernard in conversation with author Adèle Oliver discussing how Black music has transformed British Culture.

Literature takes centre stage over at the All Saints Centre on Saturday 18 April with Natasha Brown, who was longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2025, in conversation with Shantel Edwards from Writing West Midlands. Natasha will discuss her novels Assembly and Universality her writing process, influencers and more. And if crime is your literature go to, the All Saints Centre hosts a Crime Panel on Sunday 19 April, featuring bestselling crime and thriller authors Barbara Copperthwaite, Dorothy Koomson and Mark Edwards, come and hear about their latest books and what goes into creating them.

There’s loads to do for children and their families throughout the Festival thanks to How Brave is the Wren. A week before the Festival artist and designer Emma Carlow will host a special ceramics session encouraging young people to create their own amazing folk art bird whistles which will be ready for them to collect and use during the Festival itself. And, if you want to create your animal costumes ahead of Carnival of the Animals head to How Brave is the Wren on Sunday 12 April.

At How Brave is the Wren on Saturday 18 April Sam Sedgman is a bestselling author, confirmed nerd and enthusiastic ferroequinologist (someone who is recreationally interested in and studies trains and rail transport systems) makes a timely visit as Kings Heath Train Station will be newly opened! And if you are a fan of myths and legends then make sure you book for a workshop with Thiago de Moraes for a tour around his book Mighty Myths.

Performance runs throughout the Festival and Sunday 19 April sees The Heath Bookshop Literature and Music event culminate in two events that celebrate everything music and spoken word at the Hare & Hounds. The Open Mic FINAL will take place with Judges Casey Bailey, Adèle Oliver and Chris Cleverley expect spoken word and singers competing for the top spot. And to close the Festival the return of The Big Gay Poetry Night! With Bradley Taylor and M.L. Walsh, expect a celebration of queer poetry and performance.

For more information and to buy tickets go to theheathbookshop.co.uk. In order to make the festival as accessible as possible, many of the events are low cost and many of the events will be BSL signed, details will be included on the programme.