Vampires can't partake without an invitation
Whitby hosts its very first literary festival later this year
THERE'S probably some kind of narrative law (at least guideline) that demands the inclusion of vampires when 'Whitby' and 'literary festival' are joined in the same sentence.
From a quick glance at the line-up for the North Yorkshire coastal town's debut literary event, however, it might appear that the poor old Nosferatu didn't get an invite. So much for narrative causality.
Headline guests enjoying top billing at the forthcoming Whitby Lit Fest include the likes of Lee Child, Rob Rinder, Miriam Margolyes, Steph McGovern and more – but no sign of the blood drinking undead.
Dig a little deeper, though, and we'll find that Dracula can sleep a little easier in the grave; his kind are represented, after all. So, give the organisers a Blue Peter badge, they've surely earned it.
That's not – entirely – an off-the-wall comment, by the way. 'Scream Queen' Yvette Fielding is a former presenter of the long-running children's television programme, Blue Peter.
She'll be attending the event to talk about her experiences on TV's Most Haunted, but more on point (of stake or fang, you decide), she'll be hosting a children's event focused on her new book, The Vampire of Whitby.
Amanda Mason – a local author born and brought up in the seaside resort – is also coming along with her chilling ghost story, The Hiding Place. She'll be interviewing Essie Fox, talking about her latest novel with vampiric themes, Dangerous: A Lord Byron Mystery.
Then there's Dracula's Daughters, the new book by best-selling and award-winning children's author, Emma Carroll; again, making sure the vampires have a stake in the proceedings.
Fittingly, the festival falls on the anniversary of Bram Stoker’s birth on 8 November, so this is being marked with an exploration of the author's seminal work, Dracula, albeit with a possibly slightly unusual twist
The Working-Class Library will record a live podcast with its guest author, the Yorkshire writer, Adelle Stripe. She will be in conversation with the chief executive of New Writing North, Claire Malcolm, and the writer Richard Benson – a former editor of the iconic magazine The Face. Together, they’ll explore the working-class credentials and perspectives of Stoker’s classic.
The festival will also feature a New Blood panel on Stoker’s undying legacy, featuring local author Amanda Mason and Leticia Lentini, who runs the Whitby independent publisher, The Crow Emporium. Mason also features on the panel, Gothic Tales, with fellow author Essie Fox.
Enough with the vampires
“From the haunting ruins of Whitby Abbey to its rich history of storytelling, Whitby is ripe for its own literary festival,” said Lois Kirtlan, chair of the Whitby Lit Fest committee. “The coastal town is famed for its dramatic coastline, gothic heritage, and literary ties to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It’s a fitting backdrop to inspire authors and book lovers alike.”
All told, more than 50 authors are taking part in this debut Whitby Lit Fest, taking place from Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 November. The event intends to celebrate storytelling in all its forms – bringing together authors, playwrights, poets, and readers for a long weekend of events, conversations, and performances.
Crime writer, Lee Child will discuss his 30th Jack Reacher book, Exit Strategy as well as his first book of autobiographical essays, Reacher: The Stories Behind the Stories. He’ll be in conversation with the author, barrister and TV personality, Rob Rinder. The Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author has a series of novels inspired by his experiences as a barrister: The Trial, The Suspect, and The Protest.
Sir Alan Ayckbourn will be interviewed by Whitby Lit Fest patron, author and former BBC Radio 4 producer, Kate Fenton. One of Britain’s most celebrated playwrights, Sir Alan has a special connection with the coast, as the former artistic director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough. The Olivier and Tony Award winning playwright promises a funny, insightful glimpse into his craft.
Miriam Margolyes will bring her latest book, The Little Book of Miriam to Whitby. The celebrated BAFTA-winning actress and Charles Dickens’ aficionado will be in conversation with the writer and historian, Lucinda Hawksley, Charles Dickens' great, great, great granddaughter.
Hawksley will also host an author talk and dinner at The White Horse and Griffin, the original coaching inn where Dickens stayed whilst visiting the North Yorkshire town.
Steph McGovern will discuss her debut crime thriller, Deadline with the CWA Dagger-award winning author, Anna Mazzola. Hailing from Middlesborough, McGovern began her career as a producer on Radio 4 Today, before moving to BBC news, and presenting her own magazine show, Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch.
Whitby also welcomes the literary phenomenon, Shaun Usher, whose book, Letters of Note not only became a huge bestseller, it evolved into Letters Live featuring A-list actors reading out the letters on iconic stages in London, New York, LA, and Venice. Whitby is his next stop. He’ll be discussing his new book, Diaries of Note 366 Lives, One Day at a Time.
Meanwhile, one of the UK’s most original voices on nature, North Yorkshire’s Rob Cowen, will talk about his highly acclaimed, genre-defying book, The North Road. He'll be in conversation with Jenn Ashworth, whose memoir, The Parallel Path follows her transformative walk along the Wainwright coast-to-coast path.
It's a crime
A mini-crime wave hits Whitby as Belinda Bauer discusses her literary thriller, The Impossible Thing, described as an extraordinary tale of stolen rare bird eggs, with a talk hosted in the backdrop of Whitby Museum’s rare egg collection.
She’ll be in conversation with Leeds author Steve Mosby (writing as Alex North). His book, The Whisper Man, has been adapted for Netflix starring Robert de Niro. He will be discussing his latest, The Man Made of Smoke.
Two of the hottest award-winning crime writers, Abir Mukherjee and Vaseem Khan, will also be in conversation discussing their new books, The Burning Grounds, and Quantum of Menace.
The festival asks big questions with author James Bailey’s The Meaning of Life: Letters from Extraordinary People and their Answer to Life’s Biggest Question. Presumably it's not 42. The psychotherapist Joshua Fletcher brings his entertaining and enlightening insights into therapy with his book, And How Does That Make You Feel? Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about therapy.
Fittingly, a number of books set in Whitby will be celebrated at the festival. The coastal town takes centre stage with Paul Magrs’ Brenda and Effie Mystery series of supernatural books. Optioned for TV, he will be in conversation about the books – and Whitby – as a location, with the TV producer, Barry Ryan, from Free@Last TV.
Northern spirit
Jo Moseley and Sara Barnes, meanwhile, talk of the transformative power of nature and how we can find adventure and joy in later life. Scarborough’s Rowan Coleman leads a panel on romance fiction, with Jess Kitching, presenting their latest books.
The festival will also celebrate the town’s incredible literary legacy. Rebeka Russell, who runs the publishing imprint Manderley Press will discuss her 2026 release, Storm Jameson’s Whitby-inspired novel, The Moon is Making.
There will also be book-inspired folk music with Between the Covers from former bookseller Paul Armfield, and a musical afternoon of traditional ballads led by Sunday Times bestselling author, Amy Jeffs (Storyland, Wild).
Other events include a celebration of the BBC’s Shipping Forecast, which celebrates its 100th anniversary, with Kathy Biggs (Attention All Shipping) and Rob Stepney, (Good Occasionally Rhyming), and a look at the forgotten women in history with authors Anna Mazzola, Liz Hyder, and Donna Moore.
They’ll also be an exploration of the Mitford sisters with Rob Rinder and Leticia Lentini, owner of Whitby’s The Crow Emporium, who will be joined by some very special guests – relatives of the Mitford clan.
Wait, there's more
Ann Dinsdale from the Bronte Society presents Let Me In: The Brontes in Bricks and Mortar with writer Sharon Wright and journalist, Julie Akhurst. And the investigative journalist Rose George presents Every Last Fish, her explosive expose of the fishing industry’s misdeeds.
The festival will also run a series of events for children and young people, including author talks and creative workshops. There will be a poetry and short story writing competition for local children, supported by The National Literacy Trust.
More recent additions to the festival's line-up include a poetry stand, with a focus on local East Coast and North Yorkshire talent, including Wendy Pratt, Bob Beagrie, Harry Gallagher, and many more.
The Yorkshire crime author, David Mark, a former crime reporter for the Yorkshire Post turned bestselling novelist, will host a workshop on plot, place, and character.
And for aspiring poets, Harry Gallagher presents a creative writing workshop exploring ideas inspired by the Whitby coast. He runs the North East Stanza of the Poetry Society.
Meanwhile, the writer and performer Noreen Nasim will share the extraordinary and moving story of expulsion from Uganda, exploring identity, resilience, and belonging. Her performance brings a powerful new voice to Whitby.
“We are thrilled to add more inspiring events to the festival line-up,” said Adele Duffield, community development librarian, and committee member of Whitby Lit Fest. “From coastal poets and community theatre to workshops, performance and untold histories, this programme celebrates the richness of words and voices in all their forms.”
Kirtlan added: “We’re really proud of the incredible line-up we’ve secured for the inaugural festival, and can’t wait to give everyone a warm Whitby welcome. Autumn is a beautiful time of year to experience Whitby, and there can’t be anything better than escaping to the seaside with the promise of a good book, fish and chips, and to meet like-minds.”
MC