The Lit Fest by the Sea

The Margate Bookie hosted its first festival in a single room in a disused warehouse in 2015. The Bookie now takes place every October in iconic venues like Dreamland and the Turner Gallery.

The Bookie also runs workshops, walks and courses around the town.  It was founded by local boy Andreas Loizou and became a registered charity in 2017. From a tiny first audience of 80 people, the Bookie now gets 4,000 visitors per year.

We don’t like the word manifesto, so here are our five mantras.

  • Attract high quality writers and teachers to Margate

  • Build a team that runs great festivals, courses, events and a hub

  • Create a community for people who love words for East Kent

  • Deliver education in writing, wellbeing and skills

  • Export literary talent from Margate