Next week, Fleet Street Quarter BID will host its first-ever literary festival in partnership with Landsec. Reigniting Fleet Street’s legacy as a birthplace of words and ideas, the festival will run from 14 to 17 May 2025 and is set to become a major new fixture in London’s cultural calendar.
The Fleet Street Quarter Festival of Words will bring together celebrated names including Booker Prize-winner Ben Okri and Women’s Prize-winner Kate Mosse, broadcasting icons Jeremy Vine and Simon Mayo, and well-known British actor and presenter Larry Lamb, who will introduce his fiction debut.
“I am thrilled to be headlining this new Fleet Street Quarter literary festival. Taking place in the legendary street of journalism, this promises to be an intriguing festival that brings together two great needs of our times – truth and storytelling.” Ben Okri, Booker Prize winning author
From early morning news briefings with The Times and The Telegraph to lively Saturday sessions for all ages, the event is designed to mirror the rhythms of the modern city while honouring the area’s storied past.
“The Fleet Street Quarter Festival of Words is a celebration of our rich literary heritage and a testament to the power of words to inspire, challenge, and transform… It embodies our vision of putting Fleet Street Quarter back on the map.” Lady Lucy French OBE, Fleet Street Quarter BID CEO
Principal partner Landsec, alongside MYO, will be hosting author green rooms and running workshops and business breakfasts from its MYO space at New Street Square – a hub for flexible workspace innovation.
“We’re proud to be part of this vibrant cultural revival in Fleet Street Quarter. Supporting events that champion creativity and bring communities together aligns with our broader commitment to making cities more inclusive, sustainable, and dynamic.” Landsec, BusinessLDN member
Other partners include the News Media Association, the Royal Television Society, and Stationers’ Hall – a location deeply entwined with the area’s literary history. Events will also take place at Middle Temple Hall, Dr Johnson’s House, and the Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars, blending heritage venues with modern storytelling formats.
The festival’s director, Damian Collins OBE, a former MP and long-time advocate for media and culture, captured the spirit of the occasion:
“Fleet Street is known around the world as a centre of news, ideas, and great storytelling. This festival embraces all forms of expression – from fiction to journalism, screenwriting to spoken word. So come to Fleet Street once again, to get the word on the street.” Damian Collins OBE, former MP and media & culture advocate
In a district where Shakespeare’s First Folio was registered, where Dickens worked, and where the first dictionary was written by Dr Johnson, this modern literary celebration signals a bold new era for a storied neighbourhood.