Top Ten Tuesday – Bookish Events And Festivals I’d Love To Go To

Hello Top Ten Tuesday! It’s been a seriously long time since I took part in one of these, or did much of anything on the blog to be honest! I committed to a blog tour last Friday and I feel I’ve got my mojo back. At least I’m in the right mind to sit down and work on blog posts for a bit! So without further ado onto ten bookish events and festivals I’d love to go to!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Bookish Events and Festivals I’d Love To Go To…

Here’s the thing, I’m not the biggest expert on book festivals and events, I know of a few UK based ones and I was sat trying to decide if I should fill up the list with fictional festivals I’d like to see or Google… Google won!

YALC

I’m starting off with a real event! For those who aren’t familiar YALC is the Young Adult Literature Convention and usually takes place alongside the London Film and Comic Con in July. For obvious reasons this year’s was cancelled but a couple of friends of mine went last year and I benefited from some great samplers they picked up for me! One year I’d love to go, but by the time I’ve factored in travel from Edinburgh, accomodation and tickets it gets pricy!

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NYA Lit Fest

This is the Northern Young Adult Literature Festival, that is relatively new and held in Preston. This year’s was scheduled for March and I was due to go for the first time, had tickets booked and everything, and then the week before the UK Government advised against all but essential travel and we entered the lockdown the Monday after NYA should have taken place. It’s been postponed until Autumn but there are no dates confirmed yet so I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it. Fingers crossed the dates will work out!

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Edinburgh Book Festival

I’ve been working in Edinburgh for the last five or so years but I’ve never actually been to an event. I have a habit of missing the programme launch and then discovering the events I’d love to attend are already sold out. The closest I’ve come is visiting the Charlotte Square event space with Charlotte and S last year and enjoying a gin while they went to watch Kevin and Katie Tsang talk about their Sam Wu books. It was a lovely sunny day so sitting on the grass for an hour wasn’t too much of a hardship!

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A Crime Fiction Festival

There are a few of these in the UK that I wouldn’t mind visiting. The first two that spring to mind are the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Festival in Harrogate and Bloody Scotland in Stirling. Stirling would definately be the easiest location to reach! I’m hoping that I’ll be able to make one of the 2021 events. This may even be enough to get me driving finally as a car straight there has to be easier than jumping on numerous different trains to get there!

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Hay Festival

I think if you’re a bookish person in the UK you will have heard of the Hay Festival which takes place in Hay-on-Wye in Wales every year. What I didn’t realise was that the foundation also support international events. There are currently events scheduled for Peru, Spain, Croatia and Abu Dhabi amongst others so I could combine a nice sunny holiday with one of those maybe…

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The Sydney Writers’ Festival

I’m not going to lie, my familiarity with Australian authors is shocking, I could maybe name one. However I’ve always wanted to travel to Australia, and attending a book festival seems like as good a way as any to discover some authors…

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L.A. Times Festival Of Books

We’re now just continuing on with combining potential holiday destinations with book festivals now, so one day I’d like to jet off to California, start off my holiday with a visit to the festival in L.A and then get into a car an head up towards Napa Valley, perhaps with a stop over in San Francisco on the way…

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Brooklyn Book Festival

New York is the only place in the US that I’ve actually visited, I really enjoyed my five days there but there some things I never managed to fit in, heading to the Top of the Rock, wandering along the High Line and actually having time to get off the boat at Ellis Island rathering than staying on because we’d run out of time as mum had something else booked. The Brooklyn Book Festival is a free event as well so even better!

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Miami Book Fair

Another fantasy holiday trip coupled with a handy book festival. Few days in Miami attending the festival, and a couple more exploring. Then a trip down to the Florida Keys or a hop over to the Bahamas for some relaxing time in the sun to read a few of the books I’m sure I’d pick up!

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Vancouver Writers’ Festival

My uncle actually spent a year living in Vancouver and loved it so I think I’d like to check it out! I’d combine that with a trip up to Whistler and maybe trying skiing for the first time, or more like sitting in a hot tub and watch the snow…

Does my list share any events with yours? Maybe you came up with your own fantasy festivals. Let me know in the comments!