Stanfords to hold travel writing festival

30.07.14 | Lisa Campbell - The Bookseller

Stanfords is to hold a Travel Writers Festival at the Destinations Show in London next year.

The travel bookshop, with a flagship store in Covent Garden and a second store in Bristol, will hold the festival over four days from 29th January to 1st February at Olympia in Kensington.

The festival will take place in a specially built new theatre within the show, complete with its own entrance for writers and green room.

The author line-up for the event has not yet been released and Stanfords said there is still time for publishers to put forward their authors to speak.

Tony Maher, Stanfords managing director, said: “We have had a retail presence at The Destinations Show for a number of years, and the move to Olympia London gives us the opportunity to create a whole new travel festival. This is the first UK festival focused on travel writing, and we know there’s a huge appetite for it amongst readers, and those who are passionate about travel. We’re lucky to have a partner, in Clarion Events, who understand the potential and will help us deliver a great experience for the writers and the audience alike.”

The Destinations Show is sponsored by the Times, and attracts between 8,000-12,000 visitors a day. Each visitor to the show spends on average £3,970 per person per year on holidays.
Book industry events manager Jo James, now heading up the industry-wide Books Are My Bag campaign, is co-ordinating the festival. She said: “I’m delighted to be working with Stanfords, a truly iconic brand, to programme this series of events at the festival. It’s an amazing opportunity for the publishing world and writers alike.”

Sam North, director  of the Destinations Show, said it would be “overflowing with zealous travellers eager to hear these renowned authors.”
Jo can be contacted on 07980 788 828 or jo@jojames.co.uk.