City of Literature Weekend 2025

We are living in a time of profound transformation, where shifts in our environment, culture, politics, and the ways we connect— both online and in person — shape our daily lives. As I crafted this year’s City of Literature weekend programme, the theme of change naturally emerged as an important thread. How do we communicate change? How does it affect us? What distinguishes positive change from negative? These questions have resonated deeply over the past year and inspired this weekend of exploration and discovery.

Norwich, a city renowned for its radical spirit and history of innovation, provides the perfect backdrop for this conversation. We’re delighted to welcome nationally acclaimed speakers who are pushing boundaries and driving change through words, books, and ideas. Patrick Grant will discuss the urgent need to rethink what and how we consume. Val McDermid will explore evolving

representations of women in history. Sarah Moss will introduce her latest novel, a poignant reflection on migration and new beginnings. Together, we’ll examine the life-changing power of love and how shifting landscapes influence the ways we communicate with ourselves and each other.

The Book Hive’s free collective reading event, Page Against the Machine, invites you to reconsider your relationship with technology by setting aside your phone and immersing yourself in a book. Meanwhile, our annual publishing fair and dynamic creative writing workshops offer opportunities to grow and evolve as a writer.

Join us and this year’s stellar line-up of writers and thinkers for a weekend filled with conversation, creativity, and ideas that might just change the way you see the world — and yourself.

Holly Ainley, Head of Programmes