We Lit Up an Entire Town With Stories—Here’s What Happened

And don't forget our writing hour at 9am! (Zoom Link at bottom of this email)

Forgive me, I can hardly string a sentence together. We’ve just finished the festival and I am a little bit tired.

Alnwick Story Fest 2025 was nothing short of magical. I will write more (oh, believe me, I will), but for now, here are some photos capturing the heart and soul of a festival that has put Alnwick firmly on the map as the Story Capital of the North.

This wasn’t just a book festival. It was a festival of hope, connection, and community. A gathering of local authors, huge multimillion selling bestselling legends, new novelists, , and a thriving free fringe, poets, musicians and artists all celebrating the power of storytelling in a time when the world feels, frankly, a little broken.

When faced with global challenges we can’t control, we can choose to build something beautiful in our own backyard. And that’s exactly what we did.

Alnwick Story Fest is a reminder that stories bring people together. They give us something to hold onto, something to inspire us. And judging by the energy of this weekend, we’re only just getting started.

Thank you to every single person who came, supported, spoke, performed, volunteered, and cheered us on. You are the reason this festival is special. And if you weren’t here this time? Well, start planning for next year—you won’t want to miss it.

More reflections coming soon. But for now—here’s to stories, community, and lighting up the town, together.

#AlnwickStoryFest #StoryCapitalOfTheNorth #Community #Hope #Connection