Stoke Newington Literary Festival

If you haven’t visited the festival before – or even if you have, here’s a run-down of what to expect.

How do I get to Stoke Newington?
We’re allegedly difficult to get to, as we don’t have a tube, but a little creativity together with the Citymapper app can make all the difference. If you take the right route, you can get from Stoke Newington to Oxford Circus in about 25 minutes. The 73 bus is great but definitely not always the fastest route. Try aiming for Finsbury Park, Manor House or Seven Sisters then hopping on a bus. Or Dalston Junction / Kingsland then a bus or walk up the road.

If I’ve bought a weekend ticket, what’s the scoop?
Show your purchase confirmation (printed out ticket / email on phone) to someone at our box office and they’ll swap it for a weekend wristband. This will get you access to any event in the programme. However if you want to be guaranteed a seat, please arrive in enough time. Some events will be very busy and although we will do our best to find you a seat, if it’s heavily subscribed and you’re late, we may have taken a call to sell tickets on the door. If you have any problems, please talk to a volunteer and they’ll do what they can to help.

How long do events last?
We aim to start all events 5 minutes after the advertised time, and end approx 50 minutes later. This 10 minutes gives you time to reach MOST venues if they’re close, although for St Paul’s, St Matthias & the Unitarian Chapel, it might take you a little longer to get there.

Can I buy tickets on the door?
If they’re not already sold out, then yes. Otherwise, you can buy online until quite close to the event, or from our box office at the Town Hall.

Is there anything for kids / families?
You betcha. Our kids’ programme runs on Sat / Sun at William Patten School (check out the programme for details) and includes free events as well as ticketed ones. There’s also stuff on Stoke Newington Common, in Clissold Park and very importantly, free storytelling at Stoke Newington Library. Please note that children need to be accompanied by a ticket-holding adult. We keep prices as low as we can to make this possible.

How do I buy books?
There’s a book stall at every event, run by Stoke Newington Bookshop, where you can buy books and have them signed by the author after their events. Card machines available.

Is there parking?
Like most of London, parking is quite limited. There is a pay and display carpark behind Whole Foods on Church St (and some spaces on side roads) but we can’t guarantee you’ll find a space.

Can I bring my dog?
Some venues (Abney Hall, Library Gallery, Mortuary Chapel) are dog-friendly, as long as your dog is also friendly, but not all venues are, so it’s worth checking in advance. We do love dogs though, and there are watering stations at the Budvar Tent outside the Town Hall.

Can I buy food & drink at the festival?
We run fabulous bars at the Town Hall (don’t miss our Budvar Tent outside the Town Hall which has a free music programme over the weekend), Library Gallery, Abney Hall, St Paul’s and The Old Church. The best bit is that every time you buy a (very competitively priced) drink, you’re helping support the festival, so please do partake! Outside that, Stoke Newington has some of the best independent cafes, shops and restaurants in London so please share the love and check them out.

Are all your venues accessible?
Please check each venue: details here.

Anything else you’d like to know? Please email [email protected] and we’ll do our best to get back to you as soon as possible.

Hope you have a great visit!

• Home
• Our venues
• Blog
• About
• Sign up
• Speakers
• The Programme

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Share