Words by the Water

Words by the Water 2025 will be held at the Theatre by the Lake, Keswick

Wednesday March 12th - Sunday March 16th

What started life as a short 3 day festival in Keswick 24years ago, flourished and expanded to become a 10 day literary feast of a festival which brought enormous joy to so many people. So, in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the loss of Words by the Water was felt by both guests and speakers. The fallow period of the festival has shown all of us how much we need and value the arts and Words by the Water is delighted to be back in Cumbria in full capacity. 

An exciting development in the future of the festival is a new working partnership between independent Keswick bookshop, Bookends and Words by the Water organiser, Leah Varnell. 

Bookends director Lucy Matthews is enthusiastic about the return of the festival: ‘For over 20 years, selling books at the Words by the Water festival has been an annual highlight for Bookends. We know how much our customers always looked forward to the festival so we are now delighted to have it back in the community with its successful return in 2024. We now have a very different role  as, not only do we sell the books, but we will also be organising and running the festival alongside Leah. We are thrilled to be working in partnership like this and hope this heralds the start of a wonderful new era of Words by the Water.’ 

Leah shared the same excitement after the festival's return 'It has been a really challenging few years in the arts but we are absolutely delighted to be back in full force to share ideas and bring the Words by the Water festival community back together. I’m looking forward again to March 2025 and hope to see lots of book enthusiasts– new and old – at the theatre again back in the familiar Springtime slot’

Simon Stephens, Executive Director of Theatre by the Lake also welcomed the return of the festival in June this year ”Words by the Water has always been an extremely popular event at the theatre and we know audiences have missed it in recent years. We were really excited for the return of the festival and to be hosting a truly wonderful celebration of literature once again. Now, we look forward to March 2025!'