Businesses in Whitby are being invited to a launch event for the town's new literary festival tonight.
The festival will run for the first time in November next year, and the organisers are looking to get local venues involved in the activity.
Lois Kirtlan is driving the project and thinks it will provide a boost for local businesses.
Whitby is well-known for its connection to Bram Stoker’s Dracula but has many other literary associations – including Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, a visit by Charles Dickens, the poetry of Caedmon and the works of Elizabeth Gaskell.
North Yorkshire Council has teamed up with a number of local businesses to launch the four-day festival, which is scheduled to be held from Thursday, November 6, to Sunday, November 9, 2025.
Lois says today's event, which takes place from 5:50pm-7:30pm at Hetty and Betty, is to encourage local venues, accommodation provides and retailers to get involved.
The festival is being driven by local businesses and supported by North Yorkshire Council and English Heritage. Lois is hoping more local organisations will get involved after tonight's meeting.
Lois says today's event is aimed at local venues, writers, accommodation providers, schools and museums.
Among the venues already signed up to host events for the festival is the town’s Quayside restaurant.
Its owner, Adrian Fusco, said:
"In a town that has inspired many famous authors and has been the backdrop for many books and stories, Whitby's literature festival will be a perfect addition to the town's calendar in 2025.
“Whitby has a rich and fascinating history and the literature festival will be another captivating way to bring this to the attention of local residents and tourists. We are very much looking forward to its arrival.”
The town’s outreach librarian and local writer, Adele Duffield, added:
“I’m so pleased we are finally going to have a literature festival in Whitby.
“Inspiring youngsters and providing a space for emerging writers to be promoted alongside established authors is a truly worthwhile cause.
“With a junior writing competition proposed, we hope to work with local schools to draw out the talent and creativity in those young minds who might turn out to be tomorrow’s greatest authors. This festival is a perfect stage to promote emerging talent.”
For more information about the launch event, to register interest in the festival or keep up-to-date with the latest developments, visit https://whitbylitfest.org.uk/
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