Hastings Book Festival Fringe: events for September 2025
Details of our fascinating events lined up for September, with links to book your places online!
Friday 12 September 2025
Ten-Minute Tales: Drama at the Hot Tap Theatre – 7pm to 8pm - now fully booked!
and Opening Night Special Celebration
The Hastings Writers Group are arranging a super-rehearsed performance of four short, light-hearted plays written by their members. Directed by Cindy Oswin and featuring six local actors, these plays were a great success when performed at the Stables Theatre in June.
This event will be at the Hot Tap Theatre, St Andrew’s Mews, Waldegrave St, Hastings TN34 1SJ (across the road from Marks & Spencer).
Ticket price: contribution at the door on the night - whatever you can afford!
*
This is the opening event of the 2025 Hastings Book Festival and Fringe, and there will be an Opening Night Special Celebration in the bar above the Hot Tap theatre, and in the St Andrews Mews outdoor area, after the performance. Everyone welcome from 8pm onwards, whether you have watched the plays or not! Entry to St Andrews Mews for the celebration is free.
Saturday 13 September 2025
Hastings Young Writers Workshop - 11am to 1pm
at the Learning Centre, Hastings Library, 13 Claremont, Hastings TN34 1HE
Hastings Young Writers (HYW) is very happy to be hosting a free writing event in the Learning Centre, Hastings Library, during the Hastings Book Festival. The session is for anyone aged 5 to 15 who is, or aspires to be, a poet, storyteller, playwright or lyricist, or who just wants to spend a couple of hours exploring their imagination.
Children aged 8 or under must be accompanied by an adult.
Saturday 13 September 2025
Alex Milway and Alan Durant - Children’s Author event - 1pm to 3pm
at the Learning Centre, Hastings Library, 13 Claremont, Hastings TN34 1HE
In celebration of the publication of Frosty Fiesta, book five in the bestselling Hotel Flamingo series, come and hear Alex Milway read from his books, learn how to draw some of his characters and have lots of fun! Perfect for 5 to 10 year olds.
Home is where the tale is.
Alan Durant will read from his picture book Quill Soup (a retelling of the traditional story Stone Soup). An interactive session with drawing for children aged 5 to 8.
Children aged 8 or under must be accompanied by an adult.
Saturday 13 September 2025
Poetry on Plates - 11am to 4pm
at Neighbourhood Pottery Studio, 73-74 Queens Rd, Hastings TN34 1RL
Join writer and maker Susie Warren for a hands-on, creative ceramics workshop where stories meet sculpture. In this unique session, you’ll craft and decorate your very own vessel or form inspired by a cherished hardback book - or even one of your own! You'll start by learning slab-building techniques to shape your piece into a book-like form. Then, bring it to life using coloured slips, and underglazes, and tools to add textures, details, and a cover design that reflects your chosen story. Your finished piece will be fired and ready for collection a few weeks after the workshop. No experience needed – perfect for curious beginners and seasoned potters alike.
Suitable for all ages and experience levels! Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
£10 per plate
More information at these links:
Sunday 14 September 2025
Colin Brush: Pitching Fiction Boot Camp – 10.00am
A publishing copywriter’s workshop to help you write compellingly about your novel or short story collection.
Find Out More £5.00 including a complimentary drink
Sunday 14 September
Acting Up! (Outside Barnaby’s) 12.00pm
Acting Up are a small theatrical drama group who stage light-hearted narrative rhyming poetry in pantomime style with a local focus.
Find Out More Free
Sunday 14 September
The Hastings Literary Lounge Event – 7.00pm
The Hastings Literary Lounge invite you to join them in their home at Barnaby’s bar for an evening of strange stories, thought-provoking poetry and maybe even a song or two. Please join us for a veritable smorgasbord of literary delights!
Find Out More Free
Monday 15 September
Storytelling Session Hosted by VG Lee 7.00pm
The Bexhill Quills will be reading some of their short stories to amuse and entertain; Glyn Carter will read stories from old Albion - tales of gods, kings and giants; Anna Corbett will read from her novel ‘I hear a Melody’ where she explores growing up in Cornwall as a child from a mixed race family; and VG Lee will read a short story to complete the evening.
Find Out More £10.00 including a complimentary drink
Tuesday 16 September
Writers Cafe – 3.00pm
Come and write with us! A co-working club and writing snug every Tuesday & Thursday, 3-5 pm, at Barnaby’s Bar. Two hours’ quiet working, then join us for a drink downstairs. It’s free, but please register as space is limited.
Find Out More Free
Tuesday 16 September
Poetry For the People 7.00pm
Poetry for the People aim to ignite a passion for poetic verse. Members of the group will be reading a range of accessible poetry written as part of the group. Group member Miriam Logan will present her latest work Elixir, and Della Reynolds, founding member of Poetry for the People, will give an illustrated talk on how she became the Poet in Pyjamas.
Find Out More £10.00 including a complimentary drink
Wednesday 17 September
Nicky Torode – Journaling For Writers Workshop 11.00am
Journaling can revitalise your mindset about your writing project. This workshop offers timed journaling exercises to have you thinking afresh.
Find Out More £5.00 including a complimentary drink
Wednesday 17 September
Susie Warren Collage & Writing Workshop 3.00pm
Create expressive collages using found images and words, and develop your ideas into prose or poems through freewriting.
Find Out More £5.00 including a complimentary drink
Thursday 18 September
Writers Cafe – 3.00pm
Come and write with us! A co-working club and writing snug every Tuesday & Thursday, 3-5 pm, at Barnaby’s Bar. Two hours’ quiet working, then join us for a drink downstairs. It’s free, but please register as space is limited.
Find Out More Free
Thursday 18 September
Hyphae Collective – Poetry & Music Jam 7.00pm
Hyphae Collective warmly invite poets, musicians and singers to experiment and collaborate with our house band – let’s see what magic we can weave together.
Find Out More Free
Friday 19 September
Pearl Olsen 11.00am
This workshop will look at practical techniques for energising our writing craft whilst protecting our precious selves. This workshop is for all writers whether of prose or poetry; fiction or non-fiction; published or earlier in that journey.
Find Out More £5.00 including a complimentary drink
Friday 19 September
Patrick Kealey “Bogboy” Session 4.00pm
Patrick Kealey has worked as an actor and theatre director, producer, drama lecturer, workshop leader and playwright. He will read from his book Bogboy and be interviewed by Jake Arnott, with a Q&A to follow.
Find Out More £5.00 including a complimentary drink
Saturday 20 September
John Hegley Workshop 11.00am
Renowned poet, musician and performer John Hegley leads a series of longtime-tested and original exercises, with the opportunity to share your creations with the group.
Find Out More £20.00 including a complimentary drink
Saturday 20 September
Sioux Bradshaw Poetry Workshop 3.00pm
Find the words for your next masterpiece on the thrown away paper around you! This fun workshop will make poetry from the mundane.
Find Out More £5.00 including a complimentary drink
Saturday 20 September
Sunday 21 September
Colin Brush: Pitching Non-Fiction Bootcamp – 10.00am
Colin Brush offers a non-fiction copywriting workshop to help you pitch your project on the page to agents, editors and readers.
Find Out More £5.00 including a complimentary drink
End of Festival Celebration Party
Come and celebrate the 2025 Hastings Book Festival and Fringe! Everyone welcome, no need to book.
25th September 6-8pm at Barnaby’s Lounge, 46 Robertson Street, Hastings TN34 1HL.
We started small and look how it’s grown! Can’t wait to join in x