WoWFEST25: Liverpool’s Radical Writing Festival Marks 25 Years with Star-Studded Line-Up

Liverpool’s acclaimed Writing on the Wall Festival (WoWFEST) is back with a bang this May, celebrating an incredible 25 years of radical storytelling, activism, and creativity.

From 1–30 May 2025, venues across the city will host an extraordinary line-up of writers, performers, and cultural commentators for WoWFEST25 — a milestone edition marking a quarter-century of one of the UK’s most powerful literary festivals.

The festival boasts an impressive programme featuring legendary punk poet Dr John Cooper Clarke, Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh, poet and Booker Prize judge Joelle Taylor, and spoken word powerhouse Salena Godden.

They’ll be joined by a host of influential voices including The Singh Twins, rapper Skinnyman, satirist Armando Iannucci, poet Levi Tafari, novelist Kit de Waal, former Scots Makar Jackie Kay, beloved children’s author Michael Rosen, screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce, and journalist Gary Younge.

In true WoWFEST style, this year’s theme celebrates radical resistance and community spirit, with events like The Man who Photobombed de Gaulle, Against All Odds: Class and Resistance in the Arts, and The Resilience of Refaat: Honouring a Voice of Gaza bringing timely and urgent conversations to the fore.

“This year is not just a celebration, but a call to action,” say festival co-directors Madeline Heneghan and Mike Morris. “Our 25th anniversary reminds us of how far we’ve come, and how much further we have to go. Together, we continue to write, we continue to fight, and we continue to build a better world.”

With a legacy of publishing over 500 writers, empowering emerging voices through projects like Liverpool Young Writers and the Pulp Idol novel-writing competition, WoWFEST has helped shape the careers of countless authors, poets, and creatives.

The full festival programme is live at writingonthewall.org.uk, with tickets available for all events.

WoWFEST25
1-30 May 2025
Various Venues Across Liverpool
Tickets