The Smithdown Litfest celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2026. It hosts author and film events for all ages, in community venues along the Smithdown Road corridor ‒ from Toxteth to Allerton. The aim of the Litfest is to present a programme of stimulating and enjoyable author events for local residents, and to encourage visitors from Liverpool and beyond to experience the culture and heritage in our area too. The Litfest attracts household names like Sir Michael Palin, Ann Cleeves, Chris Tarrant and Jimmy McGovern, as well as popular local authors.
All profits from ticket sales go to good causes. Our cause for 2026 will be Smithdown in Bloom. For the past three years, the Smithdown Litfest has raised funds for new planters on Smithdown Road and in the surrounding streets.
Our Way with Words exhibition celebrates the people with a connection to our area who went on to great success in a career with words. It has previously been exhibited in Toxteth Library and Bean There Coffee Shop on Smithdown Road.
The Smithdown Litfest Big Read is a reading list of books by and/or about people with a link to the Smithdown Litfest area who have/had a career in words (as an actor, author, broadcaster, journalist, musician) and national or international success and recognition in their field
The Litfest was founded by local resident Ian Skillicorn, who owns and runs Wyndham Books, the publisher of bestsellers including Hardacre by CL Skelton, which inspired the Channel 5 period drama The Hardacres. Ian’s family connections to the Smithdown Road area go back multiple generations, to the 1800s. The Litfest is organised through a not-for-profit community interest company called Great Ideas Unlimited (Company No. 07185399).
The Smithdown Litfest 2025 was supported by the Research Institute for Literature and Cultural History, Faculty of Arts, Professional and Social Studies at Liverpool John Moores University, and Liverpool City Council through Local Neighbourhood Funding courtesy of Councillor Martyn Madeley.
Some links of interest:
A short review of our first festival by Norma Cohen