0As the leaves begin to turn and the evenings draw in, Warwickshire comes alive with the written word. From cosy crime nights to all-day literary celebrations, this season’s book festivals offer something for every kind of reader.
Here are five standout events to mark in your calendar:
1. 🥣 Soup and Suspense – Kenilworth Books
Date: Autumn 2025 Location: Kenilworth Senior Citzens Club
A delicious blend of crime fiction and comfort food, this intimate evening hosted by Kenilworth Books features bestselling author Jo Callaghan discussing the art of suspense over a warming bowl of soup. Expect a relaxed atmosphere, thoughtful conversation, and a perfect excuse to curl up with a new thriller.
2. 🌿 Shipston BookFest
Dates: 20–28 September 2025 Location: Shipston-on-Stour
This year’s programme is packed with literary treats. Highlights include a literary lunch with Sandeep Mahal, a creative writing workshop with Helen Yendall, and an evening with The Bookshop Band blending music and storytelling. Don’t miss Families, Feelings and Fiction with Kate MacDougall and Elizabeth O’Connor, or Wayfarer with adventurer Phoebe Smith, who shares her journey along Britain’s ancient pilgrim paths.
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3. 🏰 Warwick Words History Festival
Dates: 29 September – 5 October 2025 Location: Warwick
A must for history lovers, this festival features talks from leading historians including Tracy Borman, Max Hastings, and Alison Weir. Set in Warwick’s historic centre, it’s a chance to explore the past through powerful storytelling in venues like Castle Hill Baptist Church.
4. 🎭 Stratford Literary Festival
Dates: 30 October – 2 November 2025 Location: Stratford-upon-Avon
One of the UK’s most respected literary festivals, Stratford welcomes big names like Graham Norton, Sir Philip Pullman, and Clare Balding. With workshops, panels, and outreach programmes in schools, it’s a celebration of literature with real social impact.
5. 📚 South Warwickshire Literary Festival
Date: 20 September 2025 Location: The Fold, Leamington Spa
This all-day festival is bursting with energy and ideas. Expect talks from thriller author Mark Edwards, horror writer Gary Phelps, and co-writing duo Alison May & Janet Gover. There’s a poetry showcase, open mic, and genre panels covering everything from Romantasy to memoir. New for 2025: personalised 1-2-1 sessions with industry professionals – perfect for aspiring writers looking to polish their work or pitch to an agent.
📌 Final Chapter – A Note from Kenilworth Books
As autumn approaches and the shelves begin to fill with new releases, we’re thrilled to be part of Warwickshire’s buzzing literary season. Here at Kenilworth Books, we’re preparing for our upcoming Soup and Suspense evening – a cosy celebration of crime fiction, conversation, and comfort food. We can’t wait to welcome readers for a night of storytelling and warmth.
Across the county, festivals like Shipston, Stratford, and South Warwickshire are bringing brilliant authors and curious minds together. It’s a reminder that literature isn’t just something we read – it’s something we share.
So whether you’re browsing for your next page-turner or planning your own literary adventure, we hope you’ll find inspiration in the events ahead. And if you’re in Kenilworth, do pop in – we’d love to chat books with you.
Warm wishes, The Kenilworth Books Team