Don’t miss this spectacular gala as Nottingham celebrates a decade as a UNESCO City of Literature!

Join hosts Hannah Trevarthen, Director of Nottingham City of Literature, and Becky Cullen, poet and Director of NTU Arts‘ Writing Reading and Pleasure programme, for an unforgettable night that bursts with creative talent, and a touch of Nottingham mischief.

The evening will feature ten dazzling performances – one to represent each year of the city’s designation – showcasing Nottingham’s vibrant literary scene. The lineup includes some of the city’s most exciting voices, from Jay Sandhu and Georgina Wilding to screenwriter William Ivory and Cara Thompson, Nottingham’s own Nature Poet Laureate.

It concludes with the drawing of a charity raffle of generously donated items from Nottinghamshire businesses.

Dust off your sequins, polish your dancing shoes, and get ready to celebrate ten years of stories, as we celebrate past, present and future creativity.

All the money raised from this event will be used to fund next year’s Big City Reads summer reading campaign 2026, where we give away over 2,000 free books across the City, particularly in areas of deprivation, where young people have limited access to books of their own

Thank you to NTU Arts for supporting this event.

Thank you to our funders Arts Council England, Nottingham Trent University and University of Nottingham for their continuous support.

Accessibility