London Literature Festival Opens at Southbank Centre This Weekend

The London Literature Festival, one of the capital's foremost annual celebrations of writing and ideas, opens its autumn 2026 edition at Southbank Centre on Saturday 25 October, running through 25 November. The opening weekend programme includes the Hackney Indie Press Fair at Southbank Centre, showcasing independent publishers from across the UK; readings and events at the National Poetry Library on the fourth floor of the Royal Festival Hall; and a Creative Future Writers' Day at Newington Green Meeting House in north London, featuring talks and networking sessions for writers from backgrounds under-represented in publishing. The festival takes advantage of Southbank Centre's full range of venues — from the Royal Festival Hall to the Queen Elizabeth Hall — for author talks, panel debates, and performance poetry events. The weekend launch coincides with October half-term, making several family-friendly literary events available alongside the adult programming.