The North London Literary Festival
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The North London Literary Festival was an annual event held at Middlesex University and the surrounding areas of North London. The event was student-led in order for them to gain key experience, and the festival was free to access for students and the public. It ran from 2013 to 2015, as a three-day event.
| North London Literary Festival | |
|---|---|
Student organisers, Middlesex University | |
| Date | 16 March 2017 |
| Ends | 1 day event |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Venue | Hendon Campus, College Building |
| Location | Middlesex University |
| Country | London |
| Years active | 1996-present |
| Inaugurated | 1996 |
| Founder | Sue Gee |
Most recent | 13 March 2018 |
Previous event | 23–24 March 2015 |
| Area | Hendon, London |
Leader | Chris Callow Jr. |
| Sponsor | Middlesex University |
| Website | northlondonlitfest |
History
Running annually since 1996,[1] the festival aims to celebrate literary works through pop-up readings by students around North London, as well as guest speakers and workshops at the Hendon campus of Middlesex University.[2] The event was founded by novelist Sue Gee, but was student-led in order for them to gain key experience, and the festival was free to access for students and the public.[3]
The festival is not associated with the North London Book Fest, which was established at Alexandra Palace in 2024.[4]
Speakers
Previous speakers include Justin Cartwright, Philip Hensher, A. L. Kennedy, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Andrea Levy, Andrew Motion, Jan Pieńkowski, David Puttnam and Fay Weldon.[1]
Notable speakers include: David Nicholls, author of One Day (2009) and Galaxy Book of the Year winner,[5] in 2014, Dame Professor Carol Ann Duffy in 2015. In 2013, the festival secured a reading from horror novelist, James Herbert.[6] Noted as a ‘rare appearance’,[7] Herbert was set to discuss his latest work but unexpectedly died before the event.[8]
The main three-day event is held in late March or early April each year. Aside from a number of notable speakers, the festival typically included fiction and screen writing workshops, book signings and competitions.[1][2]