There are dozens of amazing and impactful literary festivals across the globe. We’re here listing one of those dozens with the hands-down best events.
In no particular order, these are our top twelve picks for the best literary festivals across the globe, from Hay-on-Wye to Hong Kong.
Hay Festival of Literature & Arts, Wales
Starting off in Wales, the Hay Festival in Hay-on-Wye has been going on every year, usually in late spring, since 1988. It lasts 11 days, attracts roughly 300,000 visitors, and hosts a huge variety of activities: live music performances, book discussions, and quite a few family-friendly activities and workshops.
What’s even more notable, though, is that the Hay Festival has inspired Hay Festivals all over the world, from the Caribbean to Kenya. (More on that later.) It takes a bit of a different approach compared with most literary festivals, likened by some to Woodstock in its welcoming and celebratory atmosphere. At Hay, books aren’t just about information: they’re a source of joy and hope for the future.
Buenos Aires International Book Fair, Argentina
The Buenos Aires International Book Fair, or Feria Internacional del Libro de Buenos Aires, is a huge Spanish-language literary event. It takes place in Buenos Aires, designated the UNESCO World Book Capital of 2011, and is possibly the biggest literary event in the world, bar none—at least in terms of visitors. More specifically, a whopping 1.2 million people attend every year.
This international book fair has been going on for half a century. It lasts nearly three weeks, typically from late April to mid-May, and usually hosts around 500 publishing stands from all over the world. Don’t be surprised to see international literary figures here, particularly those from the world of Spanish literature.
Jaipur Literature Festival, India
While Hay rocks it during the spring, the Jaipur Literature Festival, held in Jaipur, India, sticks to January or February. Founded in 2006, it has grown exponentially, running for five days and featuring nearly 2,000 speakers from across the globe. This year, 400,000 visitors attended—for free, I might add, which is a nice little cherry on top of everything else.
Jaipur does more than talk literature; it’s also known for inviting politicians and business leaders as speakers. It offers a unique opportunity to learn more about current global issues and more.
Berlin International Literature Festival, Germany
The Berlin International Literature Festival takes place every September for 11 days and brings together over 100 authors from 50 countries for book premieres, readings, and panel discussions. The authors hold their designated events in their original languages, and the festival provides German translations.
Their 2024 festival also introduced a theme to guide discussions and ideas: “Strange New World.” It’s too early to say if they’ll do a theme next year as well, but it’s certainly an appropriate theme for trying new things.
Edinburgh International Book Festival, Scotland
Though Jaipur might have the claim to have the most attendees, the Edinburgh International Book Festival probably wins in the category of most events. In August 2024, the festival held nearly 600 events, including talks, panel discussions, book signings, and workshops. And that’s pretty much par for the course for this annual book festival.
Renowned authors like Margaret Atwood and Salman Rushdie attended, and although there was an overarching theme, topics ranged from social and cultural issues to deep-reaching, ethical and political discussions.
Sydney Writers’ Festival, Australia
Welcome to Australia’s largest annual literary festival, best known for its diverse lineup of authors and speakers. For the past few years, Sydney’s event has had an overarching theme; this past May, it was focused on escapism and literature’s role in society, prompting fascinating discussions about why we read and write. Is it simply to escape reality? Or dig into it, and enhance our personal experience of it?
That theme certainly enticed some people, because 300 authors, both local and from abroad, showed up to be featured.
Hay Festival Forum, USA
Why, yes, funnily enough, there are two Hay Festivals on this list. And there’s a reason for that: this one, located in Dallas, Texas, is one of those off-shoots of the Wales’ book festival mentioned earlier. Launched in 2018, it only lasts for a few days, but it’s been growing in scope every year. Its primary aim is to weave a web (or perhaps a story thread) between cultures, especially US and Latin American literature, both of which feature prominently in Texas.
Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Indonesia
Indonesia has its own literary event, and it’s a pretty big deal. The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival was established in 2004 and has since become Southeast Asia’s largest literary festival, attracting writers, artists, and thinkers from around the globe.
It was actually started by a Melbourne-born author as a response to the 2002 Bali bombings, hoping to invite tourism and spark cultural dialogue. Among the usual panel discussions and workshops, one of the things that earned Ubud its popularity is its poetry slam event, where poets get to test out their competitive spirit on stage.
Toronto International Festival of Authors, Canada
Canada’s longest-running and largest literary festival is the Toronto International Festival of Authors. It was established in 1974 and usually lasts 11 days. Though it invites a smaller number of authors per year than some other festivals on the list, it makes up for that in quality, having featured 22 Nobel Laureates over the years.
Beyond the main festival, it also runs year-round programs like Toronto Lit Up, Forest of Reading Festival, and Word on the Street.
Miami Book Fair, USA
Toronto’s not the only one with year-round literacy programs. Founded by local book lovers and educators from Miami Dade College, the Miami Book Fair has been a staple of the region since 1984. From a humble beginning, it has become one of the largest and most respected literary events in the United States, lasting eight days and often featuring over 500 authors.
With nearly a quarter of a million attendees each year, it’s up there with some of the biggest literary festivals in the world and is notable for its year-round literacy program that engages its community in a love of reading.
Wigtown Book Festival, Scotland
The Wigtown Book Festival is an annual ten-day literary celebration held in Wigtown, Scotland’s National Book Town. Each festival, this small town of roughly 1,000 residents attracts 13,000 visitors—but even more impressive is the positive impact it’s had on the whole region, boosting the local economy by millions of pounds every year.
In addition to author talks, workshops, and panel discussions at book festivals, Wigtown hosts the Anne Brown Essay Prize and an international poetry competition with different categories for English, Gaelic, and Scots.
Hong Kong International Literary Festival, Hong Kong
Hong Kong itself is already an extremely diverse and international city, and the Hong Kong International Literary Festival reflects that. It hosts popular writers from around the world alongside local talents, filling its program with book talks, readings, performances, and walks.
It also features a Young Readers Festival catering to children from kindergarten to high school, encouraging reading of all ages. This festival has been going strong for 23 years, and it’s not flagging anytime soon.
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K Lou
K. Lou is a writer born in the U.S. who found her way to Japan through a spiritual calling—or, more precisely, better access to tea. She writes about travel, culture, and the occasional creative piece, inspired by her enduring love of books. This love began in high school when K. Lou carried books around to avoid seeming odd while lost in thought. Once she started reading, she never stopped. With zero regrets, she continues to explore the written word and invites others to join her in celebrating its varied forms.
