Literary Calendar
Margaret Atwood at the Guardian Hay FestivalFind out about literary events throughout the year
16 May 2008 
Happy Birthday Booker
Charleston Festival
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the prestigious Man Booker Prize, Victoria Glendinning, former Booker judge and biographer of Leonard Woolf, will chair a book club where members of a literary panel champion their own favourite Booker novel, as well as those that did not make it. The panel will include writer, presenter, comedian and judge of this year’s Prize, Hardeep Singh Kohli; Kate Mosse, co-founder of the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction, hugely successful author of Labyrinth (Richard and Judy Book of the Year), Sepulchre, and presenter of Radio 4’s A Good Read.
28 May 2008
Ian Fleming Centenary
Devil May Care, the much anticipated new James Bond book by Sebastian is published by Penguin on 28 May to mark the centenary of Ian Fleming. Penguin will also be publishing new hardback editions of all 14 of the original Bond novels under a special 007 imprint. The centenary will also be marked by a special centenary edition of the children’s classic, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Alongside these centenary celebrations there will also be the publication of Hurricane Gold in paperback, the latest in Charlie Higson's Yound Bond series and The Moneypenny Diaries - Final Fling by Kate Westbrook, third in the series following the affairs and adventures of James Bond's right-hand woman.
1 June 2008 - 30 June 2008
Orange Prize for Fiction
The date for this event has not yet been confirmed. The Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction is one of the United Kingdom's most prestigious literary prizes, awarded annually for the best original full-length novel by a female author of any nationality, written in English and published in the UK in the preceding year. The winner of the prize receives £30,000, along with a bronze sculpture
3 June 2008
Griffin Poetry Prize 2008 shortlist readings
Toronto, Canada
The Griffin Poetry Prize 2008 shortlisted poets will read from their nominated works at the MacMillan Theatre in downtown Toronto. Tickets for this popular event go quickly, so stay tuned for the announcement of their availability.
4 June 2008
Griffin Poetry Prize 2008 awards announced
The Canadian and International winners of the 2008 Griffin Poetry Prize will be announced this evening at a gala celebration.
29 July 2008
Man Booker Prize for Fiction longlist annoucement
The judging panel for the 2008 Man Booker Prize for Fiction today (Tuesday 29 July) announces the longlist of books for this year. The winner will be announced on October 14.
9 August 2008 - 25 August 2008
Edinburgh International Book Festival
The Edinburgh International Book Festival began in 1983 and is now a key event in the August Festival season, celebrated annually in Scotland's capital city. Biennial at first, the Book Festival became a yearly celebration in 1997.
9 September 2008
Man Booker Prize for Fiction shortlist announced
The judging panel for the 2008 Man Booker Prize for Fiction today (Tuesday 9 Septemeber) announces the shortlist of books for this year. The winner will be announced on October 14.
8 October 2008
Forward Prizes for Poetry winner announced
On the eve of National Poetry Day, the winners of the Forward Prizes for Poetry will be announced at a venue in London. The Forward Prizes are the only major poetry prizes that seek to reward both established and new writers. William Sieghart, Chairman of the Forward Arts Foundation, founded the Prizes to provide a showcase for contemporary poetry. The prizes are worth £16,000 in total.
9 October 2008
National Poetry Day
National Poetry Day was launched in 1994 by William Sieghart of The Forward Arts Foundation and The Poetry Society to fuel the nation’s enthusiasm for verse, and to provide a platform for poets and poetry of all kinds. Having a new theme every year keeps the annual campaign fresh. Themes have included Food, Journeys, Britain Identity, Dreams and this year's theme of Work.
10 October 2008 - 19 October 2008
The Times Cheltenham Literary Festival 2007
Now in its 59th year, Cheltenham is one of the oldest and most prestigious of the literary festivals. Its reputation is rooted in its illustrious tradition of bringing an array of world-renowned writers, critics, historians, actors, playwrights and thinkers to the historic Regency Spa town of Cheltenham every October. The Festival uses twelve venues over ten days with more than 300 events for adults, children and families to whet all literary appetites.
14 October 2008
Man Booker Prize for Fiction winner annouced
The winning author and title for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2008 will be announced today.
31 December 2008
Deadline for entries for the 2009 Griffin Poetry Prize
The deadline for the $100,000 (Canadian) 2009 Griffin Poetry Prize is December 31, 2008 for books published between January 1 and December 31, 2008.
