North East Indie Book Festival Returns to County Durham

Following the success of last year's event, the North East Indie Book Fest returns on Saturday 3rd October, bringing together an incredible collection of independent authors for a day dedicated to books, reading, and celebrating the wealth of writing talent in the North East.

Taking place from 12pm–5pm at Field & Fodder, Bearpark, Durham, the adult-only festival is organised by husband-and-wife team Karen and Ryan Crear, founders of North East independent publisher Crear Publishing.

The festival will feature ten guest authors giving inspirational talks alongside another ten carefully selected authors selling their books and merchandise. Choosing the participants was no easy task—organisers were inundated with applications from across the region, demonstrating the sheer volume of writing talent in the North East.

"We've been absolutely overwhelmed by the number of authors who wanted to be involved," said Karen Crear. "We simply couldn't accommodate everyone, which made choosing incredibly difficult. We've selected some amazing writers across lots of different genres because we want readers to walk through the doors and discover books and authors they might never otherwise have found."

Putting North East Writers on the Map

At the heart of the festival is a determination to champion independent authors and challenge the idea that the publishing world begins and ends in London. Karen and Ryan founded Crear Publishing with a passion for giving talented writers opportunities to have their voices heard, and the festival is an extension of that mission.

"There is so much talent in the North East and we don't shout about it nearly enough," Karen said. "We have incredible writers creating crime, romance, fantasy, memoirs, historical fiction, comedy and so much more, right here on our doorstep. We want to put Northern writers in the spotlight, celebrate what we have here, and encourage people to support local authors in exactly the same way we'd encourage them to support any other local independent business."

Getting the North East Reading

There is also a more serious reason behind the festival. Literacy remains a significant challenge across the region. Research published by the National Literacy Trust has highlighted the scale of literacy need in the North East, with around 17% of adults experiencing very poor literacy skills and 60% of wards having significant literacy need.

For Karen and Ryan, getting people excited about books again is something they feel passionately about.

"Those statistics should matter to all of us," Karen said. "Reading isn't just about sitting down with a novel. Literacy affects confidence, education, employment and opportunity. We can't solve something that big with a book festival, but we can do our little bit. We can make books exciting. We can introduce people to writers they can relate to. We can encourage someone who hasn't picked up a book for years to give one a try. And we can celebrate reading rather than making it feel like something people have to do.

"If somebody comes along for the fizz and cake and goes home having discovered a new favourite author, we'll take that as a win!"

A Celebration of the North East

Despite the serious message behind it, the North East Indie Book Fest is intended to be a celebration. For £10, visitors receive a welcome glass of fizz (or a soft alternative) and can enjoy charcuterie, cake, a raffle, fun surprises, inspirational author talks, and the opportunity to browse books and chat directly with authors.

"We wanted it to feel welcoming and fun rather than stuffy or intimidating," Karen explained. "You don't need to know anything about publishing and you certainly don't need to have read a hundred books this year. If you love reading, want to get back into reading, fancy discovering something completely new, or simply want a brilliant day out with lovely people, come along.

"This is about books, but it's also about community. It's about championing our own, supporting independent talent and celebrating just how much creativity there is in the North East. And there'll be cake. Everything is better with cake."