Butser Book Festival 2025
18th & 19th October
Discover a world of books, nature and storytelling!
An incredible two days of autumnal creativity, entertainment and inspiration with bestselling writers! Join us for our next book festival celebrating words, worldbuilding and the wilderness that inspires us. We’ll welcome in the autumn with literary talks covering a range of writing genres, live poetry readings and folk music, local craftsfolk, storytelling, fun activities for all the family, in-depth writing workshops, and book signings, all set against the ancient backdrop of Butser Ancient Farm.
Kindle your creativity, or simply bring your love of books and reading to our unique site for a fun-filled literary weekend this autumn!
Saturday 18th October & Sunday 19th October
10am - 4pm
Festival Map & Timings
Scroll down to see what exciting things you can expect to see at Butser BookFest!
What’s on at Butser BookFest?
All sessions from talks to poetry readings are included when you purchase your ticket to Butser BookFest for that day - only ticketed workshop events need to be purchased as additional tickets to your festival experience!
These tickets can be added on at our ticket purchase page.
Talks will be followed by book signings taking place with our wonderful visiting Waterstones team in a beautiful roundhouse, where you can meet your favourite authors!
Want a break from all things books? Try your hand at archery for only £3 with our qualified on-site instructor, or explore the visiting Forgotten Fleece Tales exhibition!
Saturday
Sunday
Admission prices
Book online before the weekend to save £1 per ticket! Prices go up when the festival starts on the 18th October.
Not sure where to start?
An incredible two days of entertainment and inspiration with bestselling writers!
Experience exciting and insightful entertainment, talks and workshops, storytelling, and live poetry readings on nature and folklore to inspire your creativity! Immersive yourself in Saxon lyre and poetry with skald Eorðen, or listen to fascinating talks on writing and researching historical fiction by bestselling authors Lucy Holland, Conn Iggulden, and Elodie Harper by the open fires of the hearth. If you love books that blur the lines between real-world myth and exciting new worlds, then meet Samantha Shannon, Shauna Lawless, Amy Jeffs and Anna Smith Spark in our ancient buildings. Ignite your family’s creativity joining a workshop learning how to tell amazing tales.
Get hands-on with learning and interactive fun for adults and kids alike! Try your hand at crafting your own lino-print bookmark to take home, or have a go at our sitewide activities. Browse stalls from incredible illustrators, craftspeople and local writers, meet authors who will sign your books, watch medieval calligraphy and illumination in action (and even bring some home), join workshops exploring the nature surrounding our ancient buildings, and get hands-on learning new skills.
Celebrate this literary festival with the Butser community, and come together for an autumnal weekend of inspiring writers, folk music, good food by the Cookhouse Street Food van, and more!
What’s it like to write like a medieval scribe?
Join a drop-in session and learn medieval calligraphy with an expert in our Roman Villa!
These sessions are £5 and happen each day in our villa at:
11:30am - 12:30pm
1pm - 2pm
Want a more in-depth experience?
Check out our bookable workshops with award-winning authors and illustrators!
Try out archery throughout the weekend for only £3 a go - fun for the whole family!
Getting to us
We’re two minutes off the A3 and are easily accessible from London, Portsmouth, and beyond. Get directions →
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Our nearest airports are Southampton and Gatwick. See where to stay locally →
Our nearest train station is Petersfield.
We are on the Number 37 bus line from Petersfield to Clanfield; get off by the Hampshire Hog pub in Clanfield and walk 20 minutes along the road to Butser.
Please remember to check bus and train times before planning your journey!
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Petersfield Taxis: 01730 303030
Petersfield Station Taxi Rank: 0845 600 0650
5 Ways Cars: 01730 260442
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Normally we can’t allow people to stay overnight on site unless it is part of an event or workshop offering. Here’s some nearby accommodation.
FAQs
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First entrance is at 10am, and last entrance is at 3pm - please be aware we close at 4pm.
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Visitors aged 65 and over, students, and disabled visitors are eligible for our concession ticket. Registered carers are entitled to free or discounted entry.
Children under 3 can always enter for free.
Annual passholders only have to pay the difference to general admission, which comes to £2. Make sure you're logged in and select tickets as normal; the discount will automatically be applied to your basket.
As this is a special event, our other discounts unfortunately do not apply.
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We'll have some delicious food vendors on site with offerings to suit all palettes, gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options included.
We also serve light refreshments in our Visitor Centre, including hot and cold drinks, a selection of sandwiches, delicious cakes, and sweet and savoury snacks.
You’re also welcome to bring your own picnic if you prefer.
Across the site you can find picnic benches, or if it’s wet you can cosy up on a bench by the fire in one of our historic buildings!
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Your whole family is welcome to Butser BookFest, including your four-legged friends!
We want our Book Festival talks to be an enjoyable experience for everyone, so please be mindful when going into talks or buildings with your dog and take a seat near the exit in case you need to step out for a moment.
Please don't bring your pooch into buildings when workshops are taking place and to respect our other visitors, please keep your dogs on a leash and be sure to clean up after them.
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Unfortunately we’re not able to offer refunds on any of our tickets.