Festival news
Johnny Dee with the latest on Glastonbury, Oxegen, the Secret Garden Party, Bloom, Wychwood and the Serpentine Sessions
Event preview: Occulture Festival 2009, London
Courtyard Theatre, N1; The Foundry, EC2, Sat
We’re all outsiders these days
Time was when festivals were a rarity. Now every town in Britain, no matter how small, holds an annual knees-up, says Simon Armitage
The little town taking a leaf out of Hay’s book
As Britain's biggest literary festival kicks off in Wales, Stephen McClarence visits Sedbergh, which is busy reinventing itself as England's official Book Town
My top 10 books about the Cannes film festival
Peter Bradshaw: This year's Cannes film festival gets under way tomorrow. Can't be on the Croisette? Here are my top 10 books to help you imagine yourself there
Literary festivals
All the best literary festivals this summer
The write bank
Paris is about to hold its first ever literary festival. But you needn't endure a writer's workshop to savour its creative venues
Edinburgh festival: Marketing campaign unites city’s celebrations
Twelve events – including the Fringe, books, film and music festivals – will be promoted with a new logo, website and online TV station in a £450,000 bid to set tills ringing
Event preview: Stanza Poetry Festival, St Andrews
Various venues, Wed to 22 Mar
The week in books
Margaret Atwood - am I right not to go to Dubai? Amis and Jacobson have a laugh; and novels that win Oscars
The only offensive thing about my novel is that it’s been banned
Geraldine Bedell: Dubai literary festival has blacklisted my book in a panicky bid to avoid controversy. I consider this a pretty contentious move
Event preview: Imagine 09: Children’s Literature Festival, London
Southbank Centre, SE1, Thu to 21 Feb
Shafts of sunlight
Poetry is not merely a luxury for the middle classes - it offers a tough language for those with hard lives. As a TS Eliot festival opens in London, Jeanette Winterson remembers how his poems helped her through her troubled teenage years
Books preview: Cheltenham Literature Festival
Various venues, starts October 10
Event preview: Wigtown Book Festival, Wigtown
Various venues, Dumfries and Galloway, to Oct 5