The du Maurier Fowey Literary Festival has come to an end for another year
The du Maurier Fowey Literary Festival 2026 has ended after nine glorious days of events, including talks, walks, foraging excursions, workshops, reading groups, music, and the now traditional Festival Quiz. At the talks, we enjoyed hearing about new fiction, natural history, politics, history – both fact and fiction - and much more, including, of course, those wonderful gems specifically about Daphne du Maurier, which so many of the Festival's attendees enjoy, possibly more than anything else.
People travel from far and wide to attend the Festival in Fowey, and an increasing number of local people attend, too, which is especially important. There is such a wide range of events that there really is something for everyone, and every single person will have a personal favourite from the events they have attended. Some speakers, such as Patrick Gale, Veronica Henry, and Serena Trowbridge, come to the Festival regularly and gain huge popularity with their audiences, while others perhaps attend just once, because they have something specific to talk about, like Dr Stuart Bradley, who attended the Festival as a speaker for the first time this year and presented an outstanding talk about John Morton, a key architect of power in the early years of the Tudor Dynasty.
The first Literary Festival in Fowey took place in May 1997 and was called The Daphne du Maurier Festival of Arts and Literature. The name has changed several times, and it is now the du Maurier Fowey Literary Festival. But, whatever its name, it has always had Daphne du Maurier, Fowey and Cornwall at its heart. Back in 1997, there were only a handful of literary festivals compared to now, and having one named after an author was virtually unheard of. Here at the Daphne du Maurier website, we think that having the festival named after Daphne du Maurier remains very special and sets us slightly apart from other festivals.
Next year will be the 30th year since the festival began. So, put the dates in your diaries: 7th – 15th May 2027, and look forward to the special treats the trustees are lining up to mark such a special year.
A special, and sometimes slightly overlooked, area of the Festival is the activities that take place alongside the main programme of events. These include the Fowey Art Trail, which many of you have enjoyed during the Festival itself.
The Fowey Secret Gardens also usually take place during the festival. However, this year they will be open at the end of May (Monday 25th and Tuesday 26th May), giving people the opportunity to see some of the magical gardens in Fowey with their early-summer flowers in bloom. For the first time, this will be a ticketed event, so simply go to the du Maurier Fowey Literary Festival website at https://www.foweyfestival.com, scroll down to Fowey Secret Gardens, you to all the information you need, a map of the gardens' locations, and the link to book your tickets. Some of you will have picked up a Secret Gardens leaflet during the Festival, and that will provide you with the above information.
Some months before the Festival begins, both the Adult Short Story Competition and the Competition for Young Writers and Artists are launched. For the 2026 competitions, the theme was After Midnight, selected because it was the title of the newly published collection of short stories by Daphne du Maurier. By the end of March, all the entries for the Adult Short Story Competition are in, and judging has begun. The authors of the stories that take first and second place are invited to the Festival and receive their prizes at one of the events. This year, the presentation took place at Veronica Henry and Jennie Godfrey’s event on the Wednesday afternoon of the Festival.
The Competition for Young Writers and Artists is launched at the beginning of each year and is open to all children living in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, aged 4 to 16. This competition is divided into sections, with children able to enter a short story, a poem, or a picture (or all three if they want). Entries often come through schools, but children are also welcome to enter independently. Entries are received by the end of March, and then judging begins. First- and second-place winners are chosen for each Key Stage, with other good entries receiving certificates for highly commended or commended work. An overall Artist of the Year and Writer of the Year are also chosen. There is a Celebration Event for the prize-winning young people and their families. This year, the event took place at Fowey Harbour Hotel on the last Saturday morning of the Festival. It was attended by all the prize winners and their families, judges and sponsors and was a packed and thoroughly enjoyable event.
We hope you have enjoyed the many and varied events that have taken place this year, and we look forward to greeting faces, old and new, next year as the du Maurier Fowey Literary Festival celebrates its 30th year.
May 2026.