“The crossover between literature & music was good. So great that a variety of Kings Heath venues were used I believe the festival has broadened & strengthened the already exciting community that Catherine & Claire have created.”
The Heath Bookshop Literature and Music Festival returning 15th April – 19th April 2026
As well as loving all things books and literature, music is very important to us here at The Heath Bookshop! We also love working with other local independent businesses which led us to working with How Brave is the Wren (children’s bookshop) and the Hare and Hounds (pub/music venue).
These relationships, and our love of music and literature, forged an idea for a festival combining these two art forms, showcasing local talent as well as bringing established artists to Kings Heath. We applied to Arts Council England for funding and were successful, leading to the first “The Heath Bookshop Literature and Music Festival”. This took place in April 2024, and we were delighted with its success!
We held 27 events across 4 days, including events with some wonderful artists, authors and musicians, e.g. Robin Ince, Ingrid Persaud, Jo Callaghan, Stewart Foster, Nathanael Lessore, David Holmes (DJ), and General Levy (MC/DJ). We held workshops with two esteemed writers – Michel Faber and Anna Metcalfe. Birmingham based authors and performers were also part of the programme, such as Bradley Taylor with his ‘Poetry On Demand’, who went on to win the Roundhouse Poetry Slam later in 2024, and Spoon In A Jar Trio – a local jazz trio for a children’s event. Events took place in a variety of local venues including the Oxfam Bookshop and Kings Heath Library; we wanted the festival to provide something for everyone.
“I was able to attend only one event but I enjoyed the diversity of the audience.”
Our April 2024 festival included a show developed by author Adèle Oliver around the themes of her book ‘Deeping It: Colonialism, Culture and Criminalisation of UK Drill’, demystifying drill music and its apparent link to knife crime and gang violence, placing it in the contexts of crime, policy, art, consumerism, and colonialism. Adèle took the soul of her book to the stage, fusing live music, spoken word and capoeira to explore Black resistance through expressive art. The performance included previous Birmingham Poet Laureate, Casey Bailey and other Birmingham performers. We are passionate about providing a space for new work to be developed and to give the local community access to different literary and music-based art.
The Heath Bookshop Literature and Music Festival is supported by National Lottery funding from Arts Council England.
The festival will be back in April 2026! Running from Wednesday 15th April to Sunday 19th April 2026. Don’t miss out! Sign up to our mailing list to receive emails about our events and to keep up to date on the festival.