Portsmouth BookFest

We are a friendly and relaxed book festival on the South Coast of England offering almost three weeks of exciting events for all ages in a range of lovely venues!

The festival is run by Portsmouth City Council Library and Archive Service in partnership with independent bookseller The Hayling Island Bookshop.

At most events there is the opportunity to buy a book and have it signed by the author.

Tickets are available from Tuesday 6th January.

If the event you are interested in is not listed here, it may be organised by an external venue who are organising their own ticket sales - see https://librariesandarchives.portsmouth.gov.uk/public-library-service/whats-on/events/portsmouth-bookfest/ for full listings.

Please note BookFest tickets are non-refundable. In the event of cancellation by the organiser ticket holders will be offered a full refund.

We look forwards to seeing you at the festival!

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Missing people

A crime fiction panel with Simon Mason, ...
0 PORTSMOUTH: Central Library
P Saturday 28th February, 2026
N Door time: 10:00am, Start time: 10:00am

Writing science fiction

with Wendy Metcalfe
0 PORTSMOUTH: Central Library
P Saturday 28th February, 2026
N Door time: 10:30am, Start time: 10:30am

Breathing new life into old stories

Using myths and legends as inspiration f...
0 PORTSMOUTH: Central Library
P Saturday 28th February, 2026
N Door time: 1:00pm, Start time: 1:00pm

0 PORTSMOUTH: Central Library
P Saturday 28th February, 2026
N Door time: 6:00pm, Start time: 6:00pm

0 PORTSMOUTH: Central Library
P Sunday 1st March, 2026
N Door time: 2:00pm, Start time: 2:00pm

Reimagining Dickens

with Emily Howes and Elle Machray
0 PORTSMOUTH: Central Library
P Monday 2nd March, 2026
N Door time: 7:00pm, Start time: 7:00pm

Delphy Rose workshop

with Tina MacNaughton
0 PORTSMOUTH: Central Library
P Tuesday 3rd March, 2026
N Door time: 11:00am, Start time: 11:00am

The Knights Templar

Crusade, myth and Hollywood with Dr Patr...
0 PORTSMOUTH: Central Library
P Tuesday 3rd March, 2026
N Door time: 7:00pm, Start time: 7:00pm

Naval seamen's women in Portsmouth

with Melanie Holihead
0 PORTSMOUTH: Central Library
P Wednesday 4th March, 2026
N Door time: 2:00pm, Start time: 2:00pm

Poet Laureate Simon Armitage

With special guest Maggie Sawkins and lo...
0 PORTSMOUTH: Central Library
P Wednesday 4th March, 2026
N Door time: 6:30pm, Start time: 7:00pm

Tides of time

Writing the historical sea
0 SOUTHSEA: D-Day Story
P Wednesday 4th March, 2026
N Door time: 7:00pm, Start time: 7:00pm

From the heart

Poetry recital and concert
0 PORTSMOUTH: Square Tower
P Thursday 5th March, 2026
N Door time: 7:00pm, Start time: 7:00pm

Sports Knight

A century of sporting Knights and Dames ...
0 PORTSMOUTH: Mountbatten Centre
P Thursday 5th March, 2026
N Door time: 7:00pm, Start time: 7:00pm

0 PORTSMOUTH: Central Library
P Friday 6th March, 2026
N Door time: 7:00pm, Start time: 7:00pm

Portsmouth Central Library

Brutalist masterpiece or an architectura...
0 PORTSMOUTH: Central Library
P Saturday 7th March, 2026
N Door time: 2:30pm, Start time: 2:30pm

0 PORTSMOUTH: Central Library
P Saturday 7th March, 2026
N Door time: 4:30pm, Start time: 4:30pm

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