Hosted by the City of Wolverhampton Council, Wolverhampton Literature Festival returns from 3 to 5 February 2023 for its seventh year. 

The festival aims to champion the creative voices of Wolverhampton and the West Midlands and provide a platform to showcase their talents. 

This year’s line-up includes Irvine Welsh, speaking about his new crime thriller and also reflecting on 2023 as the 30th anniversary year of his million-selling debut novel,Trainspotting, Robin Ince, Richard Herring, Suhaiymah Manzoor Khan, Jazzie B, Emma Kennedy, Wolverhampton’s Poet Laureate Kuli Kohli, Miki Berenyi, Brian Bilston and the Digital Sisterhood - to name only a few.

There will be an exciting line up of poetry and spoken word throughout the weekend with Poets, Prattlers, and Pandemonialists presenting the sixth Wolverhampton Literature Festival Poetry Slam along with the headline poetry event, Stars of the Slam, featuring the five winners of the regional poetry slams battling out for the overall crown.  

Kuli Kohli and the Punjabi Women’s Writing Group will deliver a delightful event, entertaining audiences with their feisty, challenging and funny poetry.

Central Youth Theatre will be back, performing Lord of the Files in the atmospheric venue of Wolverhampton Grammar School. The Arena Theatre will host some of the Language for Liberation strand of the programme on the Saturday, followed by a live recording of the Dungeons and Dragons podcast, Sixteen Candlekeeps, on the Sunday.

For the first time, Wolverhampton Literature Festival is collaborating with Wolverhampton Film Festival for a showcase of local filmmakers.

There is also a range of events for children at Central Library, with the chance to see some BSL storytelling, take part in a Shakespearean insults workshop and join in with storytelling and crafts.

Wolverhampton Community Radio will also be hosting a programme of events and live broadcasts throughout the festival at the Mander Centre Community Hub.

It will be an exciting weekend of literature, poetry, prose and storytelling!   

City of Wolverhampton Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for City Economy, Councillor Stephen Simkins, said: “The festival is a huge success and a major part of our events programme in the city. In 2022 we reached an international audience and hope to reach them again with the exciting programme we have planned for 2023.   

“The festival gives talented people from across Wolverhampton and the West Midlands a platform to showcase their talents, speak about things close to their heart, and break down some of the barriers we face in today’s world. 

“I encourage as many people as possible to get involved, whether that be through reading, story writing, poetry or performance-based activities.” 

Tickets are on sale now. For more information on the festival visit https://www.wolvesliteraturefestival.co.uk.