Full line-up for Manx Litfest 2024 revealed

Sukh Ojla to headline this year's festival

English stand-up comedian, novelist, playwright and comedy writer, Sukh Ojla has taken the top slot on this year's Manx Litfest bill.

The six-day festival will take place between 24 and 29 September at a variety of venues around the Island. 

Audiences will be entertained by a whole host of visiting and local authors, illustrators, poets and storytellers.

There will also be regular events including the Book Fanatics’ Quiz Night, Celebration of Poetry and Writers’ Day.

Provision has also been made for younger readers with numerous school visits included in the schedule, alongside library events with children’s authors and illustrators.

Sukh Ojla is recognisable from her many film and TV appearances, including Black Mirror, Mock the Week, The Big Asian Stand-Up and Victoria and Abdul. 

In 2017 she starred in her own play, Pyar Actually, which toured the UK and in 2021 Hodder & Stoughton published her first novel 'Sunny' - a romantic comedy about a woman living a double life which was hailed by critics as heartwarming and utterly relatable.

Joining Ojla in the line-up of visiting guests are:

• The Bookshop Band – old friends of Manx Litfest, Ben Please and Beth Porter have performed their book-themed songs at literary events around the world, and collaborated with many well-loved authors including Hilary Mantel, Margaret Atwood and Philip Pullman.
• Chris Bonnello - autistic advocate, author and speaker, who writes award-winning fiction and non-fiction for adults and children, notably the neurodivergent dystopia series 'Underdogs' and the highly acclaimed website Autistic Not Weird.
• Amina Atiq - award-winning poet, performance artist, community activist and BBC Words First finalist, whose work has been described by critics as ‘straight-talking, beautiful and powerful.’
• Monique Roffey - a Trinidadian-born British writer of fiction and memoir, and Professor of Contemporary Fiction at Manchester Metropolitan University, whose 2020 novel, The Mermaid of Black Conch, was named Costa Book of the Year.
• Caroline England – bestselling writer of domestic psychological thrillers, such as My Husband’s Lies (2018) and The Stranger Beside Me (2023), and author of gothic-flavoured fiction under the pen-name C E Rose.
• Martin Edwards - winner of the CWA Diamond Dagger 2020—the biggest honour in UK crime writing—and one of the longest-serving Chairs of the Crime Writers’ Association, as well as president of the illustrious Detection Club.
• Sam Sedgman - multi-award-winning author of mysteries, adventures and non- fiction books for children, and presenter of a podcast about children’s books, called Down the Rabbit Hole.
• Luke Thompson - co-founder of Guillemot Press and senior lecturer at Falmouth University, Luke’s latest book, Domadomadoma-Blumblumblum: Conversations with Other Animals, includes discussion of our very own Gef the Mongoose!
• Lydia Silver - director and literary agent at Darley Anderson Children’s Agency, representing a dynamic, diverse and award-winning list of children’s writers and illustrators. (Lydia will also be available for one-to-one pitch slots at Writers’ Day, which takes place on Saturday 28th September. If you would like to enquire about availability for the agent pitch slots email manxlitfest@gmail.com)
• Local writers Elizabeth Brooks, Sue King, Rakie Bennett and Jacqueline Shirtliff will also be taking part in, or running events, during the festival.

Festival Director Helen Jessopp said: "We are thrilled to announce another great lineup for our annual festival and are so excited to build on the success of last year's events, many of which were sold out. 

"As ever we have tried to invite a wide range of visitors, to cover a myriad of genres, so that there’s something for everyone to come along to and enjoy whether you’re a music lover, someone who enjoys a great story, or the person who makes a beeline for the non-fiction section of the bookshop.

"We are passionate about promoting the wealth of talent on the Island and hope to see some new faces at Writers’ Day and the Poetry Celebration sharing their work with the Manx community."