Literary Leicester x UoL Heritage Hub! Literary Leic is teaming up with the Heritage Hub’s Celebration of Heritage to offer a fun-packed programme on 21 March! Start your day at the Uni of Leic’s Botanic Gardens with the family-friendly ‘Maths With A Story’ in collaboration with #LetterboxClub.

🏆️📚️ Judging Major Book Prizes📚️🏆️ Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes when it comes to judging major book prizes? (Kit de Waal photo by Sarah M. Lee)

✨️🍎 Hurrah for World Book Day! 🐛✨️ Why not celebrate by booking tickets for one of our free, fabulous events aimed at kids and families?! On Friday 20 March, 1.30pm-2.30pm, we’ll be inspired by the First Story Young Writers’ Showcase featuring local schools: www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

✏️ Write Leicester 🎆 We’re thrilled to welcome 3 fantastic Leicester authors for our Write Leicester panel at Literary Leicester 26! Originally from Leicester, Manish Chauhan is a finance lawyer & acclaimed short fiction writer Image: Matt Preston, Flickr, Diwali Leicester (CC BY-SA 2.0)

🔍️ Sophie Hannah: Poirot and Me🕵️‍♂️ We’re excited to welcome Sophie Hannah to the University of Leicester as part of Literary Leicester 2026!

🌸 Despite it All: A Handbook for Climate Hopefuls with Fred Pearce🌳 On 19 March, we’re welcoming award-winning journalist Fred Pearce to the University of Leicester for Literary Leicester 2026!

✒️ Louise Doughty: A Life in Writing 🍎 We’re thrilled to welcome Louise Doughty to the University of Leicester as part of Literary Leicester 2026! Born in Melton Mowbray Leicestershire, Doughty is best-known for her number one bestselling novel, Apple Tree Yard, adapted into a major BBC mini-series

🐞🐴 CLASSICS FROM MY CHILDHOOD🐴 🐞 Join the Special Collections team for an enchanting journey through rare books , featuring beloved classics such as Black Beauty 🗓️ Sat 21 March ⏰️ 13.00–14.00 & 14.30–15.30 📍 David Wilson Library 🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter... #GoAllIn2026

🚲️ RIDE LEICESTER 🚲️ This bike tour will take you to the homes and local haunts of five major writers who lived in the city. 🗓️ Sat 21 March ⏰️ 11.00–13.00 🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter... #GoAllIn2026 #NationalYearofReading2026

➗️🌟 MATHS WITH A STORY🌟➗️ Come and join us for a wonderful workshop with children’s author Professor Rose Griffiths. Play our games and change the rules or design your own game. 🗓️ Sat 21 March ⏰️ 10.30–12.00📍Beaumont Hall Botanic Gardens, Oadby 🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter... #GoAllIn2026

🌎️ LIAS PRESENTS: 10 PEOPLE WHO CHANGED THE WORLD 🌎️ 10 university lecturers pitch the person they think changed the world and the audience judge the winner! 🗓️ Fri 20 March ⏰️ 16.30–17.45 📍 Att Arts 🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter... #GoAllIn2026 #NationalYearofReading2026

✍️WRITE LEICESTER✍️ Join Leicester-born author Manish Chauhan, our own poet laureate Mr Shay, & writer & publisher Farhana Shaikh as they explore place, identity & what it means to write our wonderful city of Leicester. 🗓️ Fri 20 March ⏰️ 15.00–16.00 📍 Att Arts 🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

📚️ ✏️ FIRST STORY YOUNG WRITERS’ SHOWCASE✏️ 📚️ Writers from First Story Creative Writing Programme perform with poets Andy Craven-Griffiths & John Berkavitch. Expect silly sonnets, angsty acrostics, romantic rapping & more 🗓️ Fri 20 March ⏰️ 13.30–14.30 📍Att Arts 🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

🖌️ THE ART OF THE PAGE: A VISUAL POETRY WORKSHOP WITH KARENJIT SANDHU🖌️ Through guided experiments you’ll be introduced to visual poetry with simple instructions and creative layouts. 🗓️ Fri 20 March ⏰️ 12.30–13.30📍Central Library 🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

🎩🎻 THE AMAZING LIVES OF BILLY WATERS: HOW TO BE FAMOUS IN THE 19TH CENTURY 🎻🎩 Billy Waters: busker, sailor, immigrant, amputee, father, a forgotten Black celebrity from Regency London. This talk explores how visual images can 'fill in' the gaps and silences in the records we have of past lives.

✨️❤️‍🔥 BAZ LUHRMANN'S ROMEO + JULIET❤️‍🔥✨️ Join us for a screening of Baz Luhrmann’s cult classic Romeo+Juliet to celebrate its 30 year anniversary! Introduction by Dr David Christopher and Students 🗓️ Wed 25 Feb ⏰️ 18:00 - 21:00 📍 Attenborough Theatre Info: le.ac.uk/literary-lei...

📚⚖️ JUDGING MAJOR BOOK PRIZES ⚖️📚 Join our esteemed panel of experts to hear the inside story on the biggest literary prizes, including the Booker, Women’s, Climate, Baillie Gifford and English PEN awards. 🗓 Thurs 19 March | ⏰ 17.00–18.00📍 Attenborough Arts 🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

🤖 🌎️ NEW VOICES, FUTURE WORLDS🌎️ 🤖 Join us for a panel with Fantasy and Science Fiction’s most dazzling and original new voices. Winners of the ‘Future Worlds Prize’ for writers of colour share the inspirations for their words and worlds. 🗓 Thurs 19 March ⏰ 15.30–16.30📍 Attenborough Arts 🎟️ in bio

🌱DESPITE IT ALL: A HANDBOOK FOR CLIMATE HOPEFULS 🌱 Fred Pearce has spent over 4 decades reporting from the front line of climate change. What he’s witnessed has given him reason for cautious hope. 🗓 Thurs 19 March | ⏰ 14.00–15.00📍 Attenborough Arts Centre 🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

✨CREATIVE WRITING STUDENT SHOWCASE ✨ A chance to hear new poems, stories and more from the university’s talented Creative Writing students. 📅 Thurs 19 March ⏰ 12.00–13.15📍 Attenborough Arts Centre, Main Hall 🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter... @uniofleicester #GoAllIn2026

🚨🔮 CRIMES OF TOMORROW 🔮🚨 What will the great crimes of the future be? Our three guest crime writers tackle tech terrorism, environmental disaster, and world-changing medical advances. 🗓 Wed 18 March | ⏰ 15.30–16.30 📍 Attenborough Arts Centre 🎟 Tickets: www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

🎭🕵️ HOW TO BE A LIAR 🕵️🎭 🗓 Wednesday 18 March | ⏰ 14.00–15.00📍 Attenborough Arts Centre, Main Hall 🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter... Join us for an absorbing conversation between one of the country’s leading investigative psychologists, a crime novelist and a retired probation officer.

🕵️‍♀️📖 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF AGATHA CHRISTIE 📖🕵️‍♂️ Join Dr Mark Aldridge for a lively introduction to the ‘Queen of Crime’, marking fifty years since Agatha Christie’s death. 🗓 Wed 18 March | ⏰ 12.30–13.30📍 Attenborough Arts Centre, Main Hall 🎟️ www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

⭐ HEADLINER ANNOUNCEMENT ⭐ Sophie Hannah: Poirot and Me bestselling crime fiction writer Sophie Hannah talks about her captivating psychological thrillers and new Hercule Poirot novels. 🗓 Wednesday 18 March ⏰ 18.30–19.30📍 Sir Bob Burgess Building 🎟️ Tickets: www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

⭐ HEADLINER ANNOUNCEMENT ⭐ Some-Antics featuring Ishtiaq Hussain Some-Antics welcomes Ishtiaq Hussain, the British Sign Language Poet Laureate. This event will be fully BSL interpreted. 🗓 Fri 20 March | ⏰ 19.30–Late📍 Phoenix Cinema 🎟️ tickets: www.tickettailor.com/events/liter... #GoAllIn2026

⭐ HEADLINER ANNOUNCEMENT ⭐ Jonathan Coe is Innocent We’re delighted to welcome one of Britain’s pre-eminent authors to celebrate his newest novel! 🗓 Thursday 19th March ⏰ 19.00–20.00 📍Sir Bob Burgess Building 🎟️ Tickets: www.tickettailor.com/events/liter... @jonathancoe.bsky.social

⭐ HEADLINER ANNOUNCEMENT ⭐ Louise Doughty: A Life in Writing Multi-award-winning writer Louise Doughty reflects upon her life in writing in conversation with Kit de Waal. 🗓 Wednesday 18th March ⏰ 20.00–21.00 📍 Sir Bob Burgess Building 🎟️ Booking now live: www.tickettailor.com/events/liter...

🚨 Tickets are LIVE! 🚨 Literary Leicester is back — and booking is now open 📚️ ✨️ 🎟️ Grab your tickets: www.tickettailor.com/events/liter... #GoAllIn2026 #NationalYearofReading2026

Plot twist — we’re back! Mark your calendars for #litleics26, coming your way in March. As always, all events are FREE! 🥳

Recordings from the #litleics25 events are now available to listen to for FREE online! Check them out at the link below. 👇 soundcloud.com/artshumlaw/s...