Amazing Authors - Brilliant Books - Charming Cuckfield

About Us

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Cuckfield Bookfest is a vibrant celebration of storytelling in the heart of Sussex. A much-loved highlight of the local and South East calendar, it brings together acclaimed authors, curious minds and book lovers of all ages for a weekend of inspiring conversations, engaging workshops, fresh ideas and unforgettable literary discoveries.

Join us and be part of the Cuckfield Bookfest magic. Whether you’re soaking up inspiring talks or helping bring it all to life behind the scenes, step into a warm, welcoming world where stories, ideas and community come alive.

The Bookfest Team:

Board of the Festival
Sheila Mortimer (also MD of the management committee)
Gavin Jamieson
Allie Young
Shauna Bevan
Julia Webb
Sarah McConnell
Carol Jarvest

Management Team
Pat Hegarty
Miranda Grainger
Maria Greaves
Lisa Shelton
Lesley-Anne Billis

Digital Expertise
Paul Davey
Claire-Louise Clark
Sally Nakajima

Our Founders

In the summer of 2016, three friends, Sheila Chasser, Sue Laing and Sheila Mortimer were having a glass of wine together in the Talbot in Cuckfield and talking about the latest book festival they had visited. They were all festival groupies. Suddenly one of them (and they could never remember which one had the idea first) suggested that Cuckfield would be the perfect place for a literary festival: great location, good public transport and a likely audience of book lovers.

Tentatively they began to plan it for the autumn of 2017. They sought advice from other book festival teams, they were helped by personal contacts in the publishing world and by virtue of huge enthusiasm and some good luck, Cuckfield Book Festival was on the way.

Cuckfield Bookfest Founders

It opened on Friday 6 October 2017 with a supper in Ockenden Manor with Lord Saatchi as the guest of honour and local actress Greta Scacchi as the celebrity guest. For that first weekend there were 17 events with authors such as Elly Griffiths, Andrew Lownie, Anne Sebba, Damian Barr, Gavin Mortimer and Anthony Seldon. We also had several sessions for children with local authors Sally Symes and Jill Lewis. Now there are about 30 events each year.

It was a huge success and the team felt they could consider the future with Bookfest as a yearly event in the village calendar. A literary quiz was added to the programme and tickets still fly out for this the minute booking opens.

The reputation of the festival has also grown steadily among authors and publicists and approaches are now regularly made from people who would like to participate. Authors such as Richard Osman, Celia Imrie, Jonathan Sumption, Damian Barr, John Crace, Adam Kay, Polly Toynbee, Eileen Atkins, Juliet Nicolson and Tim Marshall are just some who have appeared. The team is very proud to think that what began as a modest idea ten years ago has grown into a well-regarded and successful addition to life in Cuckfield and wider Sussex community. None of it would have happened without the enthusiastic team of volunteers and the generous and steadfast support of sponsors, Benefactors and Friends.

Thanks to you all.

Upcoming Author Events

Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith

16 September 2026 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm | Fiction

On September 16th there is a special event in partnership with Hurst Festival when Zadie Smith will be at Holy Trinity Church in Hurstpierpoint at 7.30pm talking about her recently

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Tim Spector

Tim Spector

Tim Spector

3 October 2026 @ 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm at Queens Hall | Health

Tim Spector Ferment The Life-Changing Power of Microbes with Jo Durrant Tim Spector is on a mission to bring fermenting into our lives. It is one of the most ancient

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