MORPETH BOOK FESTIVAL 2026
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Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 March 2026
Greater Morpeth Development Trust, in partnership with Northumberland Libraries, will host our 4th Morpeth Book Festival on Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 March 2026. Its theme celebrates the transformative power of storytelling, exploring how words shape our world and connect us to one another. The festival will be held at Morpeth Rugby Club, The Chantry, St George’s United Reformed Church and Morpeth Library and opened by our Patron, Mari Hannah.
At 12 noon on Monday 3rd November 2025 e-tickets have been open to purchase on Ticketsource.
Physical tickets will be available at the Chantry (Tourist Information Centre) from Friday morning 7th November 2025.
Introduction from our Patron Mari Hannah
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Hello, everyone. I’m very excited to tell you that the wonderful Morpeth Book Festival will be back on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 March 2026. This celebratory weekend (a must in my diary every year), brings writers and readers of all ages together, with the support of local businesses, Greater Morpeth Development Trust and Northumberland Libraries. Since its inaugural event, it has been a joy to watch the festival become an important part of the regional book festival calendar, showcasing established and exciting new voices to entertain you with fascinating talks and the inside track on their journeys to publication and beyond. As festival patron, I am confident that whatever your taste in books, our director Frank Rescigno, our programming committee and brilliant volunteers have you covered. Save the dates! We’d love to see you there.
Mari Hannah – Patron of Morpeth Book Festival |
Introduction from GMDT’s Chairperson and Arts & Culture Director Frank Rescigno
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At the conclusion of our 3rd Morpeth Book Festival in March 2025, our organising team wondered if we would ever be able to match or even better, the quality of authors who had travelled to our town to take part in the event. Well, I am confident enough to say that we believe we have done that with the line-up of writers who will be joining us to enthral and entertain you in March 2026. In the few short years since we first dipped our toe into the book festival waters so to speak, we have come such a long, long way in establishing a reputation as a premier event of its kind, not just in Northumberland but across the whole of the North East region. In that time national, international and local authors have spoken at our festival, and, what is so pleasing to us, is that several of them have asked if they could again take part in the event – as some will do so in 2026. Top crime and thriller authors, biographers, fiction and non-fiction writers will visit Morpeth and we are truly indebted to all of them. We are a very small organising team, but we are blessed to have wonderful volunteers without whom we simply just would not be able to stage the event. Equally, we are indebted to local businesses who have so generously agreed to sponsor and support Morpeth Book Festival 2026, as well as to St George’s United Reformed Church for again allowing us to use their wonderful church in which to stage so many of our events. It promises to be a great weekend and we hope to see you there!
Frank Rescigno – Director of Morpeth Book Festival |
SOCIAL-MEDIA pages
FACEBOOK – GMDT
FACEBOOK – MORPETH BOOK FESTIVAL 2026
INSTAGRAM – GMDT
Full Programme
The full programme leaflet will be available early November 2025
Pre-Festival weekend special event Thursday 19 March 2025
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| Paul Ferris – Former Newcastle United footballer |
| Subject: Once upon a Toon |
| Location: Morpeth Rugby Club |
| Thursday 19 March 2025 – 7:30pm |
| Buy E-Tickets Here |
| Go to Author’s Page |
Programme of Events Saturday 21 March 2025
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| Sally Magnusson in conversation with Edward Bindloss | T.M.Logan | Retired Major General Tim Hodgetts |
| Subject: Discusses her 4th Novel the Shapeshifter’s Daughter | Subject: Presents his latest novel The Weekend | Subject: Presents his latest novel The Weekend |
| Location: St George’s United Reformed Church | Location: St George’s United Reformed Church | Location: St George’s United Reformed Church |
| Saturday 21 March 2025 – 3pm | Saturday 21 March 2025 – 4:30pm | Saturday 21 March 2025 – 6pm |
| Buy E-Tickets Here | Buy E-Tickets Here | Buy E-Tickets Here |
| Go to Author’s Page |
Go to Author’s Page | Go to Author’s Page |
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| Bridget Gubbins | Alan Wilkinson | Elaine Cusack and Hannah Hoare |
| Subject: Discusses My Mother and the Curate | Subject: Local Author shares the compelling journey behind his latest book A Sandhills Legacy | Subject: Talking Business with Writers: Helping local writers to thrive through support, data, funding and advice |
| Location: The Chantry | Location: The Chantry | Location: Morpeth Library |
| Saturday 21 March 2025 – 11am | Saturday 21 March 2025 – 3pm | Saturday 22 March 2025 – 2pm |
| Buy E-Tickets Here | Buy E-Tickets Here | Buy E-Tickets Here |
| Go to Author’s Page | Go to Author’s Page | Go to Author’s Page |
Programme of Events Sunday 22 March 2025
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| Alan Johnson | Alastair Moffat | Chris Mullin |
| Subject: Talks about his acclaimed portrait of PM Harold Wilson in conversation with Labour Cabinet colleague Chris Mullin | Subject: Legendary Scottish author will introduce his new book The North Sea | Subject: Error of Judgement: The Truth about the Birmingham Bombings |
| Location: St George’s United Reformed Church | Location: St George’s United Reformed Church | Location: St George’s United Reformed Church |
| Sunday 22 March 2025 – 1pm | Sunday 22 March 2025 – 2:30pm | Sunday 22 March 2025 – 4pm |
| Buy E-Tickets Here | Buy E-Tickets Here | Buy E-Tickets Here |
| Go to Author’s Page | Go to Author’s Page | Go to Author’s Page |
PRINTED TICKETS: 2026 tickets will be on sale from the Chantry (Morpeth Tourist Information Centre) from Friday 7 November 2025
Click here to go to TICKETSOURCE Morpeth Book Festival 2026 main menu: