Organisers of the Manx Litfest have announced that there will be no full-scale festival in 2026, with plans instead to deliver a programme of smaller standalone events across the year and around the island.

While the full festival will pause in 2026, several established events - including The Book Quiz, Poetry Night and Writers’ Day - are scheduled to return later in the year as part of a ‘Mini Manxlitfest’ with a distinct Manx focus.

The organising committee said it is seeking new volunteers, potential committee members, sponsors and fundraising partners to help support the revised format and secure the festival’s long-term future.

Manx Litfest director Helen Jessopp commented: ‘The Manx Litfest committee work extremely hard on pulling the yearly festival together, which is a huge undertaking, and one we remain incredibly passionate about.

‘However, we always have a huge number of ideas for events that we can’t put into practice while we prioritise the festival, and it is great to be able to give room to some of those.

‘While we are taking a year’s hiatus from the main festival, Manx Litfest remains committed to promoting a love of literature amongst the island’s community.

‘We look forward to bringing an exciting variety of events to all parts of the island over the next year and a half, before we return with the full festival in 2027.’

The decision follows what has been described as one of the most successful festivals to date in 2025. Last year’s event featured 15 sessions, several of which sold out, and attracted positive feedback from audiences.

Headlining the 2025 programme was novelist Joanne Harris, who returned to the island alongside fellow writers Mark Grist and Elise Downing.

Joanne is the author of many critically-acclaimed works in a whole variety of different genres, including gothic horror, psychological thriller, Norse mythology, fairytales and cookery.

Regular visitors Pauline Hazelwood, Suzie Alegre and Kyle Withington also took part, with Alegre and Withington among those who grew up in the Isle of Man.

First-time participants included Dominic Kelly, Clare Mackintosh, M. J. Arlidge and Kate Nash, with organisers saying all of the newcomers indicated they would welcome the opportunity to return in future.

Alongside the headline events, local writers, poets and illustrators contributed to the programme through performances, talks and workshops. Authors also visited more than 20 schools as part of the festival’s outreach activities.

Speaking ahead of last year’s festival, Helen said: ‘We feel really privileged to be part of something that, for over a decade, has enabled the Manx community to engage with literature, helped build a community that celebrates creativity, and hopefully inspired people from pre-school age upwards to create something of their own.

‘The Isle of Man is lucky to be home to a great number of talented people, who share their work with other Manx creatives and allow us to use the festival to celebrate established and burgeoning talent.’

To find out more about the Manx Litfest, you can visit https://www.manxlitfest.com/