We are excited to announce that from 2026, to celebrate our tenth anniversary, the Smithdown Litfest will become “Liverpool’s Year Round Literary Festival”.
We’ll be helping to make the Smithdown area “the home of great stories all year round” with more of the unique author and film events our audiences enjoy at dates throughout 2026.
Our first event will be announced very soon. Please sign up to our free mailing list to be among the first to get the news and priority booking. Our events usually sell out quickly so don’t miss out!
See you in 2026!
SPECIAL WINTER 2025 EVENT!
SATURDAY 15TH NOVEMBER, 10AM TO 3PM
WRITING IN THE LIBRARY WITH PROFESSOR CATHERINE COLE
LIVERPOOL CENTRAL LIBRARY, WILLIAM BROWN STREET, L3 8EW
New and Emerging writers are invited to join Professor Catherine Cole for a day of writing exercises, discussions and ideas at the Liverpool Central Library. It will be an informal and supportive day focusing on the following topics:
- the itch to write and what you need to do to establish a regular writing practice
- how to take your ideas from idea to the page
- how to create believable characters and dialogue
- developing setting and place
- narrative drive and making your story ‘move’
- thinking about your readers, genre and style
Each session will feature writing prompts, exercises and class discussion so you’ll go home with new writing, ideas and practical skills.
Catherine is the author of 11 books ranging from novels, short story, memoir, nonfiction and edited collections. Her work has won or been shortlisted for literary prizes, broadcast on BBC Radio and Audible and is taught in Australian schools. She has been a writer in residence in the UK, Australia, France, China and Vietnam and has judged major literary prizes in a number of countries. She has been a Professor of Creative Writing for almost 20 years, most recently at Liverpool John Moores University.
BOOK YOUR PLACE FOR THIS WRITING DAY IN THE LIBRARY
This is an event from the Research Institute for Literature and Cultural History at LJMU and the Smithdown Litfest.