The annual citywide celebration of the written word runs from 1^st to 4^th October 2026 for four days crammed with events and activities for booklovers of all ages and interests to enjoy. The full festival programme is out now with tickets available for more than 30 events hosted at venues across the city, including independent bookshops, restaurants and hotels. Lincoln Arts Centre (LAC) at the University of Lincoln again serves as the Festival Hub and Box Office.

This year is the National Year of Reading and festival organisers are encouraging audiences to ‘go all in’ and rediscover the joy of reading for pleasure and as a route to exploring interests, hobbies and passions, whatever they might be.

Lincoln Book Festival Programme Manager, Sara Bullimore, said: “We are delighted to welcome a variety of headliner authors and inspiring talks as part of the festival this year. Working alongside partners and venues across the city we invite you to Take Ten to Read – part of the National Year of Reading Autumn campaign to increase wellbeing. Join us and try something new this Autumn!”

Event highlights include:

• An evening with top UK crime writer Mark Billingham, discussing his award-winning DI Tom Thorne series and his latest book The Shadow Step, the latest in his best-selling DS Declan Miller series.
• A British ‘BookTok’ panel with acclaimed poets and social media creators David Larbi (Frequently Happy) and Taz Alam (It’s Fine, It’s Fine, It’s Fine, It’s Not Fine), hosted by BBC Radio 1Xtra presenter Fee Mak.
• Sunday Times best-selling author Olivia Ford (Jenny Quinn’s Rise To Fame) joins a citywide book club for Lincoln’s Big Read with Aimee Horton, founder of Aimee’s Book Clubs.
• Renowned cook, author and broadcaster Rachel Khoo, star of the BBC series The Little Paris Kitchen, will be serving up insights into her new memoir, The Smallest Restaurant in Paris.
• Historical fiction storyteller Rachel Elwiss Joyce introduces Lady of the Castle, the newly published sequel in a series inspired by the remarkable true story of Nicola de la Haye, the first female sheriff of England, who defended Lincoln Castle against a French invasion.

Lincoln’s independent bookshops contribute to a vibrant festival fringe running throughout the festival week, featuring Lindum Books, Lark Books and Shelf Editions. Other event venues include Lincoln Central Library, Charlotte House Hotel, The Blue Room, The White Horse and Southside.

There are quiz nights, mass book club participation events, open mic performances, arts and crafts workshops, and live podcast recordings, plus numerous family-friendly activities for children and adults. Many events are free to attend (prior booking necessary). Ticket prices range from £2-£12 with discounts available via the LAC’s Live Pass scheme.

Fans of Gothic fiction can enjoy discussions with a panel of experts on the works of Emily Brontë and there’s a Local History Afternoon revealing new research into Lincoln’s green spaces and other fascinating aspects of the county’s heritage with the Survey of Lincoln and other local history organisations. Winners of Lincoln Book Festival’s latest Flash Fiction short story competition will also be revealed.

The epilogue to the festival comes from another best-selling crime writer, Peter James, who will be in conversation with Tim Rideout discussing his latest book, Dead in One Two Three, as part of his national tour.

Lincoln Book Festival is made possible through the generous support of local businesses and organisations. This year’s Headline Patrons are Sills & Betteridge Solicitors and Lincoln Record Society. The festival co-producer is Lincoln Arts Centre at the University of Lincoln and Lindum Books is the festival’s official bookseller. Other patrons, sponsors and supporters include City of Lincoln Council, Shakespeare Martineau, Wright Vigar, Lincoln BIG, Lincoln Independent, Poplars B&B, Charlotte House Hotel and the White Hart Hotel. Lincoln-based illustrator Nick Moffatt produced the original artwork for the posters and front cover of the festival programme.

Ben Anderson, Director of Lincoln Arts Centre and Festival Co-Producer, said: “Lincoln Book Festival continues to be an important part of the city’s cultural calendar, and we’re proud to support its return for another year as the festival co-producer and hub.

“This year’s festival is a testament to what can be achieved through a shared commitment to culture. We’re grateful to the venues, businesses, and supporters across Lincoln who have helped make this year’s programme possible against a challenging funding backdrop. We look forward to going all in this October.”

Jennifer Lowe, Marketing Director at Sills & Betteridge, said: “Sills & Betteridge Solicitors are proud to be Headline Patrons of the Lincoln Book Festival because it brings together an incredible range of authors, interviews, discussions and events that inspire readers of all ages. Festivals like this help to strengthen Lincoln’s cultural identity, creating opportunities for people to discover new ideas, celebrate creativity and connect through a shared love of books and storytelling.” 

David Stocker, President of the Lincoln Record Society, said: “As in previous years, the Lincoln Record Society is proud to sponsor Lincoln’s 2026 book festival. Reading is fundamental to the study of History so, since 1910, we have been publishers of primary and local written historical sources, out of which we can all construct our own histories.”

Find the full festival programme below.