We organise the Cambridge Seminar of Contemporary Writers and the Bookcase (linked to the Edinburgh International Book Festival) biennially, and we host the International Welcome Point at the London Book Fair every spring.

We are also involved in other UK events which vary from year to year, as listed below.

Chatterbooks-Connecting Classrooms
Throughout October and 10 - 11 November 2009

In partnership with the Reading Agency, we are launching a pilot programme to encourage children to read more for enjoyment through our global programme Connecting Classrooms.  

The project will bring young people together in international school partnerships to read books for pleasure and share points of view.  The aim is to develop their awareness of different cultural perspectives on global issues as well as to open them to books from other countries. On 10 - 11 November there will be a workshop for teachers involved in the pilot project with a visit from author Frank Cottrell-Boyce.

Cambridge Seminar
11 - 17 July 2009
Our Cambridge Seminar on Contemporary British Literature is a bi-annual event with participants from over over 40 countries meeting and taking part in debates ranging over many literary and cultural issues.

The London Book Fair
Our work at the London Book Fair each year includes working closely with the organisers to provide visitors from developing and emerging markets within the publishing industry.

The London Book Fair and the Russian Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications are delighted to announce that Russia will be the Market Focus and Guest of Honour of The London Book Fair 2011.

This decision has been taken in recognition of Russia’s rapid growth in the publishing field in the past two decades, and following the success of the Russian Pavilion and Russian Literature Week, held in conjunction with The London Book Fair 2009 and in the presence of Minister Mikhail V. Seslavinsky and His Excellency Ambassador Yury V. Fedotov.

The London Book Fair Market Focus initiative is a key opportunity for UK and international publishers to liaise with their foreign counterparts, and seek out and capitalise on new business partnerships. The Russia Market Focus and the associated cultural programme will place a spotlight on contemporary Russian authors and Russia as an important publishing arena.

In 2009 the London Book Fair Market Focus was India, and India 09: Through Fresh Eyes was the British Council’s exciting new literature programme which highlighted the India Market Focus at London Book Fair. Please click here for more information.

At the London Book Fair, both the International Young Publisher of the Year (IYPY) 2009 award and the UK Young Publisher of the Year (UKYPE) 2009 award were given out as well.  Please see this link for more details.

Speechless
A unique international performance poetry project. In October 2008, Apples & Snakes and the British Council Literature Department took Speechless around the UK.

Power in the Voice
Celebrating young people finding their voices through spoken word, performance poetry, rap, storytelling and the oral tradition came to the South Bank Centre in London, UK in October 2008. Students from St Aloysius School performed work that took them to Botswana to join others from across Southern Africa, at the Power in the Voice International Festival.

Literary Festivals
We provide an ongoing, free comprehensive guide to Literary Festivals (and general Arts Festivals with a literary content) happening around the UK yearly.