The Folkestone Book Festival will reveal its full line-up of authors and events during a special programme launch on 8 July 2026 (6pm) at the Folkestone Quarterhouse in Folkestone, Kent. Organisers will share the names of headline writers and outline community projects designed to involve local schools and businesses in the season of literary events.
Local author and journalist Sophie Haydock is hosting the launch at the Folkestone Quarterhouse. Haydock, appointed curator in 2024, has led the festival since 2024, focusing on bringing diverse stories and hidden histories to the community and making reading more accessible for non-traditional audiences.
The arts charity Creative Folkestone manages the festival and treats it as a tool for local regeneration. This year’s programme is being announced earlier than in previous years — a change observers say gives the community more time to plan ahead of the busy autumn festival season.
The announcement will include details on how to get tickets and how to use the Festival Pass for the main festival taking place later in the year. According to ‘cene Magazine’ and Creative Folkestone’s recent programmes, the event has a history of attracting high-profile guests such as Irvine Welsh and Rupert Everett to the coast.
The festival began as the Kent Literature Festival in 1980 and has become an established part of Folkestone’s cultural life. More information about the festival’s history and its role in the town is available from Creative Folkestone and the festival’s public archives.
