In 2026:

• 2026 marked the 16th edition of Belfast Book Festival, housed all under one roof at The Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast and ran between 4 - 11 June.
• The ticketing scheme for the fifth year was Pay What You Decide.
• The Festival exhibition explored book design through The Art of Translation, curated by Anna Morrison in collaboration with Literature Ireland.
• Festival highlights included: Jan Carson, Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Katriona O’Sullivan, Anne Enright, Rónán Hession, Neil Jordan, Nussaibah Younis, Miriam O’Callaghan, Patrick Radden Keefe, Andrea Carter, Sara Pascoe, Neil Jordan, Sarah Moss, Neil Hegarty, Martin Doyle, Stephen Daly, Will Storr, Mícheál McCann, Wendy Erskine, Sínead Morrissey, Forrest Issac Jones and many more.
• We had a special event with Belfast-born writer Bernard MacLaverty, celebrating his work for page and screen
• In partnership with The National Year of Reading, four NI YA authors - Jenny Ireland, Stephen Daly, Kelly McCaughrain and Sue Divin celebrate new book releases
• The first day of the Festival focused on development opportunities for writers and illustrators, offering 1:1 sessions, information talks, panel discussions and networking opportunities.
• In the lead up to Festival 2026, we launched Bookmarks - a series of literary events that offered a taster ahead of the main Festival. We celebrate new books and collections by: Sínead Morrissey, Jan Carson, Lucy Caldwell, Mícheál McCann and Clare Balding.
• All activity at The Crescent and the Belfast Book Festival is a collaborative endeavour. Our thanks to Festival 2026 Associate Emma Cummins for her insights, perspectives and ideas.
• Thanks to Festival Sponsors Elliotts Legal and Ourselves
• Thanks to Supporters and Partners including The Adrian Brinkerhoff Foundation, Bavarian BMW, BookTrust Northern Ireland, Hastings Hotels, Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann, Irish Writers Centre, The John and Pat Hume Foundation, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Libraries NI, Linen Quarter Bid, National Literacy Trust NI, Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University Belfast, and Café Husk at The Crescent. 
• The 2026 Mairtín Crawford Awards were supported by No Alibis Bookstore.