About Us

Meet the Organisers

(Photo by John Woodward Photography, 2023)

It started with a question: ‘Why is there no such thing as a Fringe Literature Festival? We have them for film and theatre and music but not books. Why not?’

The question was asked by two Suffolk-based authors, Jackie Carreira and Rachel Churcher. Our answer is The Foreword Festival UK.

We are both passionate about reading, writing, and the power of books to inspire creativity and change lives. We can’t wait to welcome you to our literary fringe events!


Our Sponsors

QuirkHouse Theatre Company Logo

QuirkHouse Theatre Company was founded in 2014 by a forever-questioning writer-musician and an ever-intrigued actor-poet, to show new writing and talent in creative ways and bring theatre to people and places that might not normally see it.

Taller Books Logo

Taller Books publishes innovative UKYA novels, and provides an editing service tailored to the needs of indie authors. Their YA book review blog features more than 150 Young Adult books, demonstrating their passion for YA literature. Sign up to their newsletter and download a free novella!

Softwood Self-Publishing Logo

Softwood Self-Publishing offers bespoke editing, design, marketing, and printing services, putting you in control of your publishing journey.


Our Supporters

Bury Literature Festival Logo

The organisers of the Foreword Festival would like to thank the Bury Literature Festival for supporting and promoting our event.

Thank you to Combat 2 Coffee Bury St Edmunds for providing our pop-up café at the Guildhall, and keeping our authors and guests fed and caffeinated.

We would also like to thank CyberHive for generously hosting our website.


Our Amazing Venue

Bury St Edmunds Guildhall Logo

We are delighted to be hosting the Foreword Festival in The Guildhall, Bury St Edmunds. The stories of 1000 years of Bury St Edmunds heritage are woven into the very fabric of the Guildhall – the oldest continuously used civic building in Britain. Monks, monarchs, merchants and miscreants have all played their part in this fascinating tapestry of time. We are excited to be joining them!