Maidstone’s Literary Moment: The 2025 LitFest Preview
Running 4th–11th October, the third annual Maidstone LitFest offers a week-long celebration of books, stories, and ideas, with events across venues in and around Maidstone.
Cally Beaton
Olivier Award-winner Celia Imrie, star of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and the upcoming Thursday Murder Club film, will appear with co-author Fidelis Morgan at The Hazlitt Theatre on October 5th, discussing their collaborative fiction as headliners to the Maidstone LitFest.
Running 4th–11th October, the third annual Maidstone LitFest offers a week-long celebration of books, stories, and ideas, with events across venues in and around Maidstone.
Festival Highlights:
Claire Douglas, Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author, will bring her trademark suspense to Maidstone with her new thriller, The New Neighbours, unveiling dark secrets and chilling twists.
Freya North, author of 16 bestselling books, will discuss her emotionally rich new work, The Unfinished Business of Eadie Browne, a poignant story about identity, grief, and the resilience of friendship.
For thriller enthusiasts, Maidstone LitFest offers "Suspense After Dark: Dinner with
TM Logan and Tim Weaver" on October 11th at the Village Hotel. Guests will enjoy a 2-course meal while TM Logan (The Daughter, The Holiday) and Tim Weaver (The Missing Family, The Last Goodbye) discuss their gripping thrillers, revealing their techniques for building tension and crafting unforgettable endings.
Sam Parker (Good Anger) joins fellow journalist Stuart Heritage to explore how anger shapes modern life, mental health, and activism. Expect a candid, funny, and insightful discussion about one of our most misunderstood emotions.
Dan Abnett, New York Times bestselling SF and comics writer, shares techniques for building immersive alien worlds and characters, drawn from his work on Warhammer, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Who, and more. Includes Q&A and signing.
Lucy Mangan, Guardian columnist and author of Bookish, takes audiences on a heartfelt journey through the books that shaped her life. She’ll share stories of how reading helped her through motherhood, grief, and lockdown, and how her 10,000-title book shed became a sanctuary.
Don't Miss:
A live Q&A with Lucy Mangan on comfort reads, career changes, and her path from solicitor to bestselling author.
Dinner with two thriller giants TM Logan and Tim Weaver.
Whether you're into thrillers, memoirs, sci-fi, or literary conversations, Maidstone LitFest 2025 is packed with inspiring voices and unmissable events.
For tickets and the full schedule, visit maidstonelitfest.org or follow @maidstonelitfest on Facebook and Instagram.
