The du Maurier Fowey Literary Festival 2026 – events for those with a particular interest in Daphne du Maurier
The du Maurier Fowey Literary Festival 2026 takes place from 1st – 9th May. This year's programme is packed with wonderful talks, walks, workshops, reading groups, music events and a quiz evening. Take a look at the programme here: https://www.foweyfestival.com, and start booking your tickets.
For those of you with a special interest in Daphne du Maurier, here is a look at what's happening du Maurier-wise this year.
Menace and Glamour: The Cultural Influence of the du Mauriers.
Saturday 2nd May, 11.00am – 12.00pm, Fowey Town Hall.
Daphne du Maurier's grandsons, Paul de Zulueta and Rupert Tower, present a fascinating talk about their forbears. They will share anecdotes, extracts from letters, writings and film clips that express the rich du Maurier family legacy and their contributions to society and modern culture.
Paul's book Last Night I Dreamt: A Personal History of the du Mauriers will be published by Virago in September.
Guided Walk – Strands of Time.
Sunday 3rd May, 10.30am – 12.30pm, Meet at Par Beach Car Park, Par, PL24 2AS. Strictly no dogs.
Daphne du Maurier wrote two of her later novels based on the area around Par and Tywardreath. Join Chrissie, a blue badge guide with thirty years experience, who will lead this walk, taking in both villages. She will talk about the villages from both a historical perspective and by examining their portrayal in du Maurier's books, The House on the Strand and Rule Britannia. The walk is approximately 2 miles and circular. It is a little steep in places.
Dr Ella Westland – Reading Group – The House on the Strand.
Monday 4th May, 9.30am – 10.30am, Fowey Parish Hall.
Join in on what promises to be a lively reading group discussion with Dr Ella Westland on Daphne du Maurier's highly acclaimed The House on the Strand. You need to have read the book before the event. No further preparation is necessary. Just bring yourself, your copy of the book, and your enthusiasm for Daphne du Maurier!
Maximum participants 16.
Guided Walk – Daphne du Maurier's Fowey.
Monday 4th May, 2.30pm – 4.30pm, Main Car Park, Hanson Drive, Fowey, PL23 1ET. Strictly no dogs.
Join blue badge guide Chrissie on this linear walk through Fowey, and learn about Daphne du Maurier, her life, her novels and Fowey. You will be inspired by the landscape and the way it is intricately woven into Daphne's works. The walk is about 1.5 miles, mostly downhill. Maximum 20 walkers.
There is a second opportunity to go on this walk on Tuesday 5th May, 10.30am – 12.30pm, again meeting at the Main Car Park, Hanson Drive.
A Creative Compass: Mapping the Inspiration and Music of Davey Hal.
Monday 4th May, 8.00pm – 10pm, Fowey Town Hall.
Step into an evening of music, storytelling and creative discovery with singer-songwriter and composer Davey Hal. In this relaxed acoustic show, Davey performs songs inspired by literary and artistic greats from Daphne du Maurier to Jacques Brel, blending place, imagination and melody. Davey will share the journeys behind his songwriting and why Cornwall remains the heart of his creativity, including the story of his Helford Honeymoon EP, inspired by du Maurier and Cornwall's wild beauty, and featured on the official Daphne du Maurier website and in a Falmouth University documentary. Enjoy an exclusive first listen to new, unreleased tracks created with local communities.
With Q&As throughout, this is an intimate, atmospheric event for anyone who loves music shaped by landscape, story and artistic curiosity.
Professor Serena Trowbridge: The Poetry of Daphne du Maurier.
Tuesday 5th May, 4.00pm – 5.00pm, Fowey Town Hall.
One hundred years ago this year, the young Daphne du Maurier set out in verse what she anticipated to be the life of a writer, a life she was about to embark on herself, she was 19 years old. This poem was titled The Writer, and throughout her life, she continued to write poems, many of which remained unpublished. Working with published, unpublished, and fragmentary poems, Serena explores the significance of Daphne's poetry and examines themes shared with her fiction.
Serena is also presenting a fascinating and insightful talk about Pre-Raphaelitism called - Professor Serena Trowbridge: Why does Pre-Raphaelitism matter now? on Wednesday 6th May, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm, in Fowey Town Hall.
Professor Serena Trowbridge – A Reading Group – The Rendezvous and Other Stories.
Wednesday 6th May, 9.30am – 10.30am, Fowey Parish Hall.
Join Professor Serena Trowbridge for an interesting and explorative reading group discussion focusing on du Maurier's earliest work. You need to have read the book before the event. No further preparation is necessary. Just bring yourself, your copy of the book, and your enthusiasm for Daphne du Maurier!
Maximum participants 16.
Alison Light – From Manderley to Memoir.
Thursday 7th May, 2.00pm – 3.00pm, Fowey Town Hall.
Forty-odd years ago, acclaimed writer and historian Alison Light was one of the first scholars to take Daphne du Maurier's work seriously. Many of you will remember her brilliantly written book, Forever England: Femininity, Literature and Conservatism Between the Wars, published in 1991. Join her as she discusses her writing career and her new memoir, Red, Red Robin, with Dr Ella Westland. This is a thoughtful, engaging event for readers who love life writing, social history and the art of turning memory into narrative.
A du Maurier Experience with Chef Charlie Walters and Dr Patrick Newberry.
Saturday 9th May, 7.30pm – 10.00pm, Narla, Fowey.
A one-night-only celebration of food, literature and Fowey at
Michelin-acknowledged Narla. Charlie Walters, the 25-year-old MasterChef: The Professionals finalist and chef-owner of Fowey's Michelin-recognised restaurant, Narla, invites du Maurier enthusiasts to an intimate evening that combines fine dining with literary reflection, brilliantly provided by Dr Patrick Newberry. As the
Festival's final flourish, this special night pays tribute to Daphne du
Maurier and the Cornish town that shaped her imagination.
We are sure you will find plenty to interest you in this super part of the festival programme.
We look forward to seeing you in Fowey in May.
March 2026.