Festival 2025 'At a Glance' - Borderlines Carlisle Book Festival

Tuesday, 4th November 2025

7:30pm, Old Fire Station, £12

International best-selling author, L J Ross, will chat about her upcoming novel, Berwick which is the 24th DCI Ryan novel. In it, our hero faces his most gruelling, personal case yet as his beloved wife Anna stands accused of murder.

Monday, 10th November 2025

M W Craven and Abir Mukherjee in conversation Event

7:30pm, Old Fire Station, £12

Join award-winning crime authors, M W Craven & Abir Mukherjee, for an evening of thrilling conversation. They will discuss their hit novels and new and upcoming releases.

Friday, 14th November 2025

Poetry Open Mic Night Event

7:30pm, Cakes and Ale Cafe, FREE

Join us for an evening of poetry and performance. From nervous newbies to seasoned pros, all levels of experience welcome.

Saturday, 15th November 2025

Eleanor Tweddell - Another door opens: five steps for navigating change in work and life Event

10:00am, Tullie , £10

Struggling with change? Author and change specialist, Eleanor Tweddell, will share insights from her book, Another Door Opens, and introduce the five practical steps to help you move forward with confidence and creativity.

Jenny Uglow - A Year with Gilbert White: The First Great Nature Writer Event

12:00pm, Tullie , £10

Jenny Uglow travels back to 1781 to follow ‘the father of ecology’, Gilbert White, across a single year in his Naturalist’s Journal. From frost to summer drought, from the migration of birds to the sex lives of snails and the coming of harvest, Uglow illuminates this quirky, warm-hearted man.

Graham Robb - The Discovery of Britain: An Accidental History Event

2:00pm, Tullie , £10

Prize-winning author Graham Robb will take you on a seriously funny time-travelling adventure around the ‘spindly, sea-wrecked islands’ of Britain.

Mike Berners-Lee - A Climate of Truth: Why We Need It and How To Get It Event

4:00pm, Tullie , £10

Sustainability & carbon accounting expert, Mike Berners-Lee, will examine the accelerating climate crisis. Can humanity thrive if we raise standards of honesty in our politics, our media, and our businesses?

Sunday, 16th November 2025

Dave Felton - Cumbria 1,000 Years of Maps Event

11:00am, Tullie , £10

Join Dave Felton, publisher of ‘Cumbria 1,000 Years of Maps’ by William Shannon, as he discusses the most important charts, surveys and maps from ten centuries of Cumbrian cartography in an illustrated talk.

Jenn Ashworth - The Parallel Path: Love, Grit and Walking the North Event

1:00pm, Tullie , £10

After burn-out & a lockdown, author Jenn Ashworth needed to walk and to walk away. Tackling Wainwright’s Coast to Coast, Jenn embarked on a journey of reconnection, self-discovery and a life altering diagnosis.

Alan Johnson - Harold Wilson: Twentieth Century Man Event

3:00pm, Tullie , £10

Former Labour cabinet minister and author, Alan Johnson, will discuss his recent biography. Harold Wilson: Twentieth Century Man explores the achievements and life of the four-time election winning Prime Minister.

Tea and Cake with K J Whittle Event

4:30pm, Cakes and Ale Cafe, £12

Come along for tea and cake (included in ticket price) with author K J Whittle, as she talks about her debut novel, ‘Seven Reasons to Kill Your Dinner Guests’. A devilish who dun-it that asks the question – what would you do differently if you knew when your time was up?