Ipswich Book Festival

Born from the belief that books change people and places, Ipswich Book Festival celebrates diverse voices and connects the community through stories. The festival inspires reading and creativity across all ages and backgrounds while strengthening Ipswich’s cultural identity and contributing to local regeneration. It creates a platform where authors, readers, and book lovers can meet, learn, and share ideas, and delivers inclusive events that lower barriers to culture.

Meet the Festival Team

Tony Felgate

Tony has lived in the Ipswich area for over 30 years. He is a Chartered Global Management Accountant and is currently one of the two main shareholders and Finance Director of the Monthind Holdings Group. Tony is a member of the Red Rose Chain Board of Trustees, regularly DJs at venues across Suffolk and enjoys a good book on architecture and design.
Cathy Frost

Cathy is an independent retailer; her business Loveone has been situated in The Saints area of Ipswich since 2007. She is one of the co-founders of the Saint’s Street Markets and is passionate about small business, the power of community, and Ipswich. She is currently a Labour Local Councillor for Ipswich Borough Council. A lifelong reader, she is open to reading all genres.
Andrew Marsh

Andrew is originally from London and owns Dial Lane Books, Ipswich’s only indie bookshop. Andrew has worked closely with local schools and the University of Suffolk, hosts a monthly Dial Lane book group, a children’s book group and arranges author visits. He has a particular passion for Japanese literature.
Emma Lightfoot

Emma has lived in Ipswich since returning from university in 1994. Emma owns Orwell Lady, a passenger boat, based at Ipswich Waterfront since 2001 and is a postgraduate researcher at the University of Suffolk. She is a governor at a local state secondary, an ambassador for Suffolk Mind and hosts a weekly radio show on Suffolk Sound. She is passionate about learning and reading.

Explore Sponsorship options

Ipswich Book Festival offers a range of sponsorship opportunities for local businesses and organisations. Sponsorship connects your brand with a thriving local audience while supporting cultural, social and educational outcomes.

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A big thank you to our sponsors for 2026

"With your support, Ipswich Book Festival can continue to be part of Ipswich’s cultural identity, contributing to its ambition to become UK City of Culture 2029."
Tony Felgate

Volunteer with us

Volunteering at Ipswich Book Festival is a wonderful way to be part of something creative, inspiring and community-focused. You’ll help bring stories to life, meet authors and book lovers, and play a key role in making the festival welcoming and enjoyable for everyone. Whether you love books, enjoy meeting new people, or want to support Ipswich’s growing cultural scene, we’d love to hear from you. Complete the form to be considered as part of our volunteer team.

Our Patrons

Ashley Hickson-Lovence

Ashley is a phenomenal talent who has published both novels and a poetry collection that are as different from each other as it is possible to get - yet still unmistakably Ashley.
Born in London, Ashley holds a PhD in Creative and Critical Writing from the University of East Anglia. He has taught Creative Writing at Arts University Bournemouth, the University of East Anglia, the University of Suffolk and the University of Cambridge. Ashley regularly facilitates writing workshops, visits schools and is also a football referee.
By Ashley Hickson-Lovence: The 392, Your Show, Wild East, Why I Am Not a Bus Driver and About to Fall Apart (published April 2026)
Eva Verde

Eva’s writing is an absolute breath of fresh air. She writes about real people, real women and real lives in a way that screams, “I’m just telling it like it is.” Identity, race, class and female rage are recurring themes in her books - themes that Eva explores with clarity and passion.
Born in East London, Eva mentors emerging writers both independently and through the Black Girl Writers programme. She has also judged the Laura Kinsella and Sid Chaplin awards. Eva lives in Essex with her husband, daughters and their dogs.
By Eva Verde:Lives Like Mine, In Bloom, and Them Girls (published April 2026)
Matson Taylor

Nearly five years after its publication, Evie continues to be one of the biggest sellers at Dial Lane Books in Ipswich and has gained cult status among book lovers - a testament to Matson’s exceptional writing and craft.
Matson grew up in Yorkshire (the flat part, not the Brontë part), although he now lives in London, where he studied at the Royal College of Art. He works simultaneously as a novelist and a design historian, teaching at Imperial College London and occasionally giving guest talks at the V&A.
By Matson Taylor: The Miseducation of Evie Epworth, All About Evie and Roman Mornings (published July 2026)
Frances Quinn

Frances is a hugely accomplished and exceptional writer whose stories focus on real people in real situations, filled with genuine emotion. She has a way of telling stories that appeal to a wide audience, and as a result her novels are widely regarded as brilliant.
Born in East London, Frances studied English at King’s College, Cambridge. Before turning to writing historical fiction, she worked as a journalist before branching out into copywriting. Frances now lives in Brighton with her husband and three Tonkinese cats.
By Frances Quinn: The Smallest Man, That Bonesetter Woman, The Lost Passenger and The Scandalous Ladies Football Club (published July 2026)
Thomas Taylor

Thomas has visited Ipswich numerous times and is brilliant at world-building. He tells stories that make you feel as though you are friends with the main characters and right there with them in the thick of their adventures. His books are not only wonderfully crafted but also clever and imaginative.
Thomas attended Norwich School of Art and Design before studying illustration at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. As well as writing the Eerie-on-Sea series, he has written and illustrated several picture books. His first commission after art college was the cover illustration for the very first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
By Thomas Taylor: Malamander, Gargantis, Shadowghast, Festergimm and Mermedusa