This year at Cheltenham Literature Festival, comics are stepping into the spotlight like never before. Award-winning children’s illustrator Jamie Smart is our very first Guest Curator for Comics, and he’s packed the programme with creativity, imagination and energy.

Running from 10–19 October, Jamie’s brand-new strand of events is part of our Literature for Schools and Family programme. With studies showing children’s enjoyment of books at a 20-year low, we’re on a mission to prove that reading can be fun, accessible and exciting — and comics are the perfect gateway.

You can expect live-drawing, character workshops and comic adventures with some of the UK’s biggest comic talent, including Laura Ellen Anderson, Sonia Leong, Neill Cameron, RAMZEE, Hugh Raine, Tor Freeman, Sarah Bowie and Vivian Truong.

As Cheltenham Festivals celebrates its 80th birthday, we’ve set ourselves a challenge: to share the power of arts and culture with 80,000 children in 2025. With Jamie’s help, comics are set to play a big role in reaching our goal — inspiring kids to pick up a book, fuel their creativity and discover just how magical stories can be.

This year's Festival programme is bursting with imagination, featuring panel discussions, interactive sessions and creative workshops, ready to inspire young minds with the power of storytelling.

View events curated by Jamie Smart here.