Lancaster Litfest LGBTQ+ Programme of Events

On 14 March, the multi-award-winning Polari Literary Salon, founded by author Paul Burston and hailed as ‘London’s most theatrical salon’ ( New York Times), will make its Lancaster debut as part of Litfest 2026. Hosted by Paul Burston, the Salon’s guest writers will include author and poet Rosie Garland, novelist VG Lee and award-winning poet Max Wallis, founder of The Aftershock Review.

One of Litfest's successes in the past few years has been its collaboration with the LGBTQ+ community. Guided by Litfest trustees, in partnership with Lancaster-based queer arts group Kalamos Creative, 2026 sees a quantum leap on this front, with the festival’s first ‘LGBTQ+ Writer in Residence’ and four exciting events:

• a seminar with Creative Writing Students at Lancaster University on 13 March, moderated by CreaXve Writing tutor Oliver K. Langmead

• a discussion of life-writing –‘ Queering the Memoir’ – in The Olive Bar at The Gregson Community and Arts Centre at 2 p.m. between Paul Burston and local author and film-maker Gordon Urquhart about their two very different and controversial memoirs We Can Be Heroes and The Pope’s Armada

• The Polari Literary Salon at Atkinson's Hall Cafe, at 7 p.m.

• the major series of writing workshops – the Queer Life Writing Course* – which will start with an in-person session facilitated by Paul Burston and Gordon Urquhart at Moor Space, the Dukes, on Saturday 14 March at 11a.m. After that the course will continue online for 5 more sessions (details in the link).

*Applications for the Litfest Queer Life Writing course are now open, please go to: https://litfest.org/workshops26/

For above 18. Closing date for applicants 5th March 2026

Venue Locations:

• Moor Space, The Dukes: Workshop 11am

• Olive Bar, The Gregson: Author discussion 2pm

• Atkinson's Hall Cafe: Polari Salon 7.30pm