The University of Liverpool’s Liverpool Literary Festival is back to celebrate a major milestone – its 10th anniversary.

Taking place from Friday 17 to Sunday 19 October 2025, the festival brings together bestselling authors, sharp minds, and passionate readers for a weekend of inspiring conversation, readings, and a shared love of literature.

Headlining the 2025 programme is Mark Kermode – renowned writer, film critic, and musician – who will appear in conversation with collaborator Jenny Nelson. The pair will discuss their forthcoming book, Surround Sound: The Stories of Movie Music.

Other highlights include:

  • Emma Jane Unsworth, BAFTA-nominated screenwriter, bestselling novelist, and University of Liverpool alumna, who will open the festival weekend.
  • Award-winning Young Adult author Juno Dawson, who presents Human Rites, the long-awaited final book in her #1 bestselling fantasy series Her Majesty’s Royal Coven.
  • Dr Nussaibah Younis, shortlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction, who will discuss her powerful novel Fundamentally.
  • Chris Shepherd, Liverpool-based artist, writer, and filmmaker, who will speak about his debut graphic novel Anfield Road – a coming-of-age story set in 1980s Liverpool.

Festival director Professor Greg Lynall, head of English at the University of Liverpool, says: “Since our inaugural festival in 2016, we’ve created an enduring cultural highlight in the University calendar. Over the last decade, we’ve welcomed thousands of guests who’ve had the chance to explore and deepen their love of literature.

“This year’s programme continues our tradition of bringing together storytellers who offer rich insights into the world around us. The festival promises to be one of our most exciting yet.”

Curated by the University’s Department of English, the festival has previously welcomed a host of literary greats, including former Chancellor, Colm Tóibín (Brooklyn), Ali Smith, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Lemn Sissay, Philip Pullman, Sally Rooney, Alan Hollinghurst, and alumna Professor Dame Carol Ann Duffy.

Professor Greg Lynall adds: “In the Department of English we explore the power of words in the world and we’re proud to programme the festival. Not only does it offer the public the chance to hear from and meet some of the greatest writers and thinkers of our time but also enhances our students’ experiences of their courses.”