Acclaimed comic creator and award-winning children’s book creator Jamie Smart has been announced as this Festival’s first ever Guest Curator for Comics as part of The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival’s 2025 Literature for Schools and Family programme, bringing a high-energy programme of comic-themed events to the world’s longest running and beloved literary celebration for young readers. 

Running from 10–19 October 2025, the Literature for Schools programme invites thousands of pupils, teachers, authors and illustrators across the UK to share in a joyful celebration of storytelling in all its forms, with over 50 events, workshops and free activities planned.  

With latest research showing that children and young people's enjoyment of reading is at the lowest level recorded in two decades, Jamie has curated a series of events, in collaboration with the Festival, featuring the UK’s most exciting and talented comic creators including live drawing and character creation workshops with David O’Connell (Beastie Boys), Sarah Bowie (Nina Peanut), Vivian Truong (City of Dragons), James Turner (Toby and the Pixies) and Neill Cameron (Donut Squad, Mega Robo Bros), celebrating the surge of enthusiasm for comic books by young readers.   

As the 2024 Illustrator of the Year and creator of bestselling series Bunny vs Monkey and Looshkin, Jamie is thrilled to be the Festival’s ambassador for comics while championing the genre for young readers as an accessible pathway into exploring the world of books and reading.  

“I was so excited to be asked to curate the comics events for this year's Cheltenham Literature Festival” says Jamie Smart.  

“It's really wonderful to see how much space there's going to be to explore the wonderful world of comics! We've managed to line up an incredible array of comic superstars, so whether you're new to comics, or already in love with them, there's going to be something for everyone to enjoy. Cheltenham Literature Festival work hard to bring art, culture and learning to children all year round, and I'm convinced comics can play a big part in sparking a joy for books and reading. Here's to an amazing Festival!”.  

The Literature for Schools programme marks an essential moment for Cheltenham Festivals, the arts charity producing the schools programme and wider Literature Festival, as it celebrates its 80th birthday with a pledge to give 80,000 children access to culture in 2025. 

2025 will also see the return of The Future of Reading Conference in October during Cheltenham Literature Festival, which will bring together authors, illustrators, poets and industry voices including experts from Empathy ab, Inclusive Books for Children and National Literacy Trust, Waterstones Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Comics Laureate, Bobby Joseph and author Sharna Jackson – all united by a shared passion: inspiring children, young people, and their teachers to discover the joy of reading.  

Bursting with creativity and imagination, this year’s vibrant programme will feature interactive sessions and panel discussions, and is designed to inspire young minds, boost storytelling superpowers and empower educators to bring books to life in every classroom 

The full Literature for Schools programme is available to view here.