Oxford Independent Authors (OxIA) is delighted to join with the Wolvercote & Wytham Midsummer Festival to present the 2026 Wolvercote Literary Festival on Sunday, June 28, from 10am until 4pm in Wolvercote Village Hall.
OxIA launched its concept of one-day literary festivals last year, with events in Wolvercote and Headington. These events aim to connect communities with the writers in their midst.
Wolvercote Literary Festival 2026 comprises a book fair with around 20 stalls featuring local authors, poets, publishers, and organisations devoted to reading and writing books. Alongside the book fair is a speaker programme including workshops for children. Everything is free to attend.
Wolvercote Literary Festival will also see the launch of a new initiative from OxIA: our Short Story Collection. Aspiring or established authors of all ages are invited to submit their stories for inclusion in the collection, which will be on display at the Festival and published online on the OxIA website. This is not a competition, and all entries that meet simple criteria of completeness and readability will be included. The deadline for submissions to this inaugural collection is June 2.
Speaker programme for adults – all morning
Three very different sessions are aimed at adult readers and aspiring authors. Getting Published, with Colin Wade, Steve Sheppard, Mary McClarey and Andy Severn explores what’s involved and the pros and cons of the many possible options for authors who want to publish independently.
Launches & Promotions will feature sparkling new titles from Charles Boundy, Cathy Wield, Steve Sheppard and Peter Tickler.
Finally, Shedding Light on a Contemporary World through Fiction will see Linda Proud, Sylvia Vetta, Dr Steve Lunn and Prof Iftikhar Malik share perspectives on why literature and fiction matter in today’s world.
Children’s workshops – through the afternoon
Three sessions in the afternoon aim to engage and entertain children of primary and early secondary years, encouraging their interest in reading, writing and illustrating stories.
ARCh (Oxfordshire’s Assisted Reading for Children scheme) invites children to Step into the World of Story Writing, in a lively, heartwarming workshop celebrating the magic of reading and shared story writing, with games and lots of laughter.
Award-winning illustrator Mario Coelho leads a workshop on Creating Drawings for Stories. Children will be coached on how to illustrate their own story, or may choose to be creative with their favourite picture book. Materials will be provided, children just need to bring their creativity, imagination and be prepared to have fun.
After all that excitement, children’s writer, Molly Arbuthnott hosts A Special Story-Time, where the emphasis is on dreaming, exploring imaginary worlds and letting your spirit run free.
Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Free to attend
Entry to everything is free of charge – but there are limited places available for talks and workshop sessions for adults and children, so please book your free place through Ticket Source here.
Join OxIA for what promises to be a great day. Connect with your favourite local authors and discover new favourites.
