North Cornwall Book Festival

24/04/2026

Some news....North Cornwall Book Festival Announces Strategic Pause for 2026, with Return Planned for 2027

The North Cornwall Book Festival (NCBF), one of Cornwall’s longest-running and most established literary events, has announced it will take a strategic “fallow year” in 2026, with plans to return in 2027.

Festival organisers have confirmed that this pause will allow time to develop an ambitious future vision, while ensuring the long-term sustainability and continued excellence of the festival. During 2026, Endelienta Arts will continue to deliver a programme of bespoke events, partnerships, and creative collaborations to maintain momentum and community engagement.

The North Cornwall Book Festival is the flagship annual literary event of Endelienta Arts, the North Cornwall-based arts charity. Established in 2013 by acclaimed author Patrick Gale, the festival has grown over the past 12 years into a highly regarded fixture in the UK’s cultural calendar, held each autumn at St Endellion on Cornwall’s north coast.

Melvyn Roffe MBE, Chair of Endelienta Arts, said:

“We have a brilliant team committed to building on the North Cornwall Book Festival’s special roots and ensuring it thrives in 2027 and beyond. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful volunteers, partners and supporters who have made the festival what it is today.”

Nicola Nuttall, newly appointed CEO and Artistic Director of Endelienta Arts, said:

“The decision to take a fallow year is an important strategic step as we shape the next chapter of the festival. We are committed to building on its reputation for quality, creativity and community, and to returning in 2027 with renewed energy and ambition. In the meantime, we look forward to delivering a range of events and collaborations that continue to celebrate literature and bring people together.”

Since its launch, the North Cornwall Book Festival has brought together writers, readers, schools, and volunteers for a vibrant weekend of literary celebration. Its programmes have featured Booker Prize winners and nominees alongside emerging and local voices, offering audiences access to world-class talent while nurturing new writing through workshops and development opportunities.

Further details about 2026 activities and plans for the festival’s return in 2027 will be announced in due course.

https://endelienta.org.uk/north-cornwall-book-festival-announces-strategic-pause-for-2026-with-return-planned-for-2027/

08/01/2026

✨ We’re hiring ✨

Endelienta Arts, host of the North Cornwall Book Festival, is appointing a new CEO / Artistic Director

Based on the stunning North Cornish coast, we deliver an eclectic programme including Cornish language residencies, the North Cornwall Book Festival, live performances at the beautiful St Endellion Church, and Take Part — our education programme reaching over 2,000 young people each year.

Help shape our next chapter?

🔗 Full details:
https://endelienta.org.uk/job-opportunity-ceo-artistic-director/

20/12/2025

If you're looking for last minute bookish gift ideas connected to Cornwall we're re-sharing ideas from our local bookshops in the run up to Christmas … here are some recommendations from
.. these five are just a selection from the Cornwall collection in the bookshop🦞🎄🦀🏖️

A Very Sparkly Mousehole Christmas- Michelle Cartlidge 🐁
Join the mice for a heartwarming sparkly Christmas in Mousehole, with a very special visit to Newlyn to meet Santa Puss on his Christmas boat. .cartlidge

The Islanders- Helen Dunmore 🏝️
On the sixth day there was only one day left. Tomorrow was Saturday, and Robbie was going home on the train with all his family. ‘I wish I didn’t have to go,’ said Robbie.

Trelawny’s Cornwall- Petroc Trelawny 🐦‍⬛
When a stranger challenges Radio 3’s Petroc Trelawny on his ancestry, the presenter is inspired to return to the lands of his boyhood to find out whether he still belongs. Travelling by road, rail and food, Petroc delves into family mysteries and uncovers marvellous stories about everything that has shaped Cornwall’s unique cultural identity.

The Main Cages- Philip Marsden ⛵️
In the summer of 1934, Jack Sweeney arrives in the Cornish fishing town of Polmayne. Bankrupt and alone, he finds himself transformed by the presence of the sea. He buys a fishing boat, becomes a lifeboatman; he falls in love. But offshore lies the Main Cages, a group of Perilous rocks that have always haunted the town. Slowly the story begins to revolve around these rocks, quickening as it draws in each member of a rich and varied cast - Polmayne’s sharp-witted residents, the pleasure-seeking visitors, the self-important painters, the fishermen and the hoteliers - until they are all sucked into a deep and terrifying climax.

13 Cornish Ghost Stories- edited by Marie Macneill and Joanne Ella Parsons 👻
I’ve been here nearly four hundred years. I’d forgotten how it feels to inhabit a body. I had forgotten the magic of existing in time and a place - Emily Barr. .parsons

19/12/2025

If you're looking for last minute bookish gift ideas connected to Cornwall we're re-sharing ideas from our local bookshops in the run up to Christmas … here are some recommendations from
.. these five are just a selection from the Cornwall collection in the bookshop.
📚
Buried at the Cross Roads by Elizabeth Dale
A writer with a love of history, Elizabeth has traced the forgotten burial places in Cornwall, the stories of the people who were shunned in death by the church and their communities, or who chose, for their own reasons, to be buried apart.
📚
Dance as if by Katrina Naomi
These ‘exuberant and celebratory’ dance-related poems evolved following a collaboration with dancer/choreographer Kyra Norman.
📚
Gorse by Sam K Horton
Deeply atmospheric, the reader is enveloped in the brilliant unsettling beauty of the moor and its community in the late 1700s, a time of change, when humans start losing the belief that they share their world with the fey. Their faith in the Keeper, who has kept the balance between the worlds for decades, is challenged by the persuasive and uncompromising Reverend Cleaver. ‘A poignant examination of faith, love and grief, Gorse asks what we choose to believe and how does that shape who we are?’
📚
The Secrets of Harbour House by Liz Fenwick A painting, a forbidden love and a story that waited decades to be told … a dual timeline novel spanning 90 years, blending Cornwall’s history and Venice’s romance in a captivating mystery and tale of love lost and found.
📚
Twelve Stories for Twelve Sections by Gareth Rees, Jane Pugh, Polly Roberts, Annamarie Murphy, Emma Timpany, Clare Howdle, CM Davis, Cathy Rentzenbrink, Philip Marsden, Wyl Menmuir, Edward Rowe and Luke Thompson, illustrated by Cornwall National Landscape commissioned this anthology by 12 of Cornwall’s most gifted authors, inspired by the 12 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in Cornwall.
📚

02/10/2025

✨ What a weekend! ✨

As the sun sets on the 2025 North Cornwall Book Festival, we’re still buzzing from an unforgettable few days in beautiful St Endellion.

From laughter-filled author conversations on crime, romance, history and Booker Prize shortlisted fiction with Andrew Miller, Vaseem Khan, Georgina Moore and S.J. Parris...

To poetry in St Endellion Church from some of Cornwall's finest poets Pascale Petit and Katrina Naomi..

To thought-provoking talks on craft, history, and nature with Dr Helen Scales, Tom Allan, Merlin Hanbury-Tenison, Ian Collins and Philip Marsden

To conversations and readings with Peter McAllister, Clare Howdle, Shelley Trower & Kate Horsley celebrating Cornwall’s folklore, history, architecture, and landscapes.

To spine-tingling live music from Tom Hickox, Kerenza Peacock, Kitty Crocker and The Dunwells...

This year was packed with magic moments!

The creative writing workshops, our fantastic interviewers Rosie Goldsmith, Tiffany Murray, and Patrick Gale, the book tent, the pop-up cafe, Shelterbox Book Club, the makers in the artisan craft market, the music, the conversations… all made this year’s festival one to remember.

Thank you to every author, musician, volunteer, artist and festival-goer who brought such warmth and energy💛

📚 Save the Date: North Cornwall Book Festival will return in the last weekend in September 2026 - mark your calendars and join us once again for stories, music, creativity and community by the Cornish sea.

👉 Follow us for updates & ticket info via our bio / website - and sign up to our newsletter

26/09/2025

🎶 TONIGHT! Opening Concert – The Dunwells 🎶

Kick off this year’s North Cornwall Book Festival in style with an unforgettable evening of live music.

📍 St Endellion Church
⏰ Arrive 7:00pm for a 7:30pm start
💷 £15 + booking fee

Tickets available on the door – or book in advance on our website

Hailing from Leeds, The Dunwells are a celebrated Indie-folk/Americana band known for soaring harmonies, powerful melodies, and heartfelt lyrics. Since their acclaimed 2012 debut Blind Sighted Faith, they’ve released six more albums/EPs and toured the world, sharing stages with Mumford & Sons, Tom Jones, Scouting for Girls, Bryan Adams, and Elbow.

✨ Don’t miss a spellbinding opening night with this captivating live band

Recently recorded at our Aire Street studio, we hope you enjoy!🎥 https://youtube.com/c/AssemblyPointCheck out our online live shows every Monday, Wednesday ...

23/09/2025

🎉 Festival Announcement! 🎶

We’re thrilled to welcome Kitty Crocker as the support act for Tom Hickox at the 2025 North Cornwall Book Festival concert!

✨ One of the most exciting emerging artists from Cornwall, Kitty is making waves across the South West with her relatable rhythms, storytelling lyrics and memorable melodies—from lively tunes to beautifully introspective verses.

📅 Saturday 27 September
🕢 7:30 pm
📍 St Endellion Church

Her single 'Want It Back' recently earned BBC Introducing’s coveted “Track of the Week” for the South West. Kitty also took part in Endelienta Arts Future Routes: Music programme in 2024/25—so it’s wonderful to have her back!

North Cornwall Book Festival favourite Tom Hickox—singer, songwriter and composer—returns following the release of his long-awaited third album The Orchestra of Stories. With his rich baritone and cinematic orchestral arrangements, Tom’s music is renowned for its dramatic storytelling and poignant human narratives.

🎟 Tickets & Info: endelienta.org.uk/whats-on/ncbf-2025-concert-tom-hickox

Join us for a magical night of music - a festival evening not to be missed! 🌟

22/09/2025

Join No.1 Sunday Times bestseller S.J. Parris in conversation with Rosie Goldsmith as she unveils her thrilling new novel 'Traitor’s Legacy' and introduces her bold new heroine, Sophia de Wolfe.

📜 Murder, espionage and royal intrigue — England, 1598. A young heiress is found dead and the Queen’s spymaster Robert Cecil calls on former agent Sophia to uncover the truth…

🗓 Sunday 28 September
🕰 12:30 – 1:30 pm
📍 Festival Marquee

“Commanding fare” – Financial Times

Don’t miss this chance to meet one of the most stylish voices in historical crime.

👉 Book your seat
https://endelienta.org.uk/whats-on/ncbf-2025-s-j-parris/
Link in bio

21/09/2025

Artist Deb Ramsay-Trease will be exhibiting her work at this year's North Cornwall Book Festival and had one of her paintings chosen for the front cover of this year's programme.

Living & working in West Cornwall, Deb engages directly with the ancient landscapes that exhibit a dynamic quality through the ever-shifting interplay of light, weather & season.

Employing a blend of oil & cold wax, alongside acrylic and mixed media, she works on canvas, paper, and board to translate the region's unique ambience into tangible art forms.

See the artist's work at the North Cornwall Book Festival a weekend of community and creativity

📅 Dates: 25 - 28 September 2025
📍 Location: St Endellion, North Cornwall

Images: ©
Nearly home trees I
by Deb Ramsay-Trease

💫
www.debramsay-trease.com

20/09/2025

📚 The countdown is on!

Just one week until the North Cornwall Book Festival 2025!
From 25–28 September, join us in the magical setting of St Endellion, near Port Isaac, for a weekend of words, music, creativity and community.

This year’s festival brings together an inspiring line-up of award-winning writers, poets, and musicians, alongside creative writing workshops, an art exhibition, a bustling artisan market, and the ever-popular pop-up café serving delicious local treats.

With the Cornish coast as our backdrop and the forecast looking fine 🤞 we can’t wait to welcome you next weekend!

👉 See the full programme & book your tickets
https://endelienta.org.uk/north-cornwall-book-festival/