Printed Brochure Out Now!
Dear Festival Friends,
We’re happy to announce that our 2025 Stroud Book Festival brochure is now available to pick up free from Stroud Bookshop, Stroud Sub Rooms, Stroud Library and many other venues across the Stroud Valleys. We hope you enjoy browsing through it and find plenty of events to inspire you.
When you’ve chosen the events you’d like to book, you can either click through from stroudbookfestival.org.uk to buy your tickets online or go direct to thesubrooms.co.uk. Tickets can also be purchased by calling 01453 796880, or in-person at the Sub Rooms box office (Tuesday-Saturday, 10-4).
Ticket sales have been booming since they went on general sale last Friday and we are so thrilled with the strong response to this year’s programme. Some events – including Lyse Doucet, Elif Shafak, Robert Macfarlane and Julia Donaldson are already sold out. So please do book very soon to avoid disappointment.
For anyone lamenting being too late to book some of our most popular events, we’re happy to say that we will be recording them, and we hope to make the videos available to view for a small fee early in 2026.
EVENT FOCUS: Sunday 9th November: First World War Stories
Programme Director Caroline Sanderson mostly reads adult non-fiction but was recently enthralled by the latest children’s novel by Stroud Book Festival founder, Jamila Gavin. Told partly from the perspective of a walnut tree in a Flanders field, “My Soul, a Shining Tree” is an exquisitely written story of friendship and courage, set during the First World War. We’re delighted that Jamila will be speaking about this book at Stroud Book Festival on Armistice Sunday, 9th November. And joining her on stage for this family event for ages 9+ will be the one and only Michael Morpurgo, also the author of unforgettable First World War stories, including “War Horse” and “Private Peaceful”. Don’t miss it. Book here.
With love from
The Stroud Book Festival team x
PS This coming weekend – 19th-21st September, the community in Rodborough will be celebrating the 80th anniversary of the very first book in the beloved Thomas Tank Engine series by Rev W Awdry, a long-time Rodborough resident. There’ll be talks, railway-themed activities, a guided walk and more. Click here for more information.