A sneaky peak of Medway River Lit's 2025 lineup

If you are Rochester-based, then you'll already be in possession of some preview news about Medway River Lit's 2025 schedule this November, which was featured in new Rochester magazine Rochester Life this month, (page 15).

But for those of you who aren't local to ME1, here are some of our highlights, and believe me, there will be many, many more yet to be announced!

Launching at Chatham Library on the afternoon of November the 1^st with a special reading by the 2019 Young People’s Laureate For London, Theresa Lola, the festival will be fulfilling its purpose once again to bring the biggest literary names to Medway while promoting the best writing that Medway itself has to offer. A festival for Medway by Medway. In the evening you'll be able to catch Robin Ince talking about his new book Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal.

On November 15^th punk/goth legend Budgie (drummer Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Creatures) will be talking about his recent best-selling memoir The Absence, and on the 22nd acclaimed illustrator, graphic novelist, and all-round polymath Dave McKean will be talking about his work, alongside Guardian cartoonist Simone Lia. Both these events are also at Chatham Library.

Punk poet/musician Attila The Stockbroker will be bringing his show to Sun Pier House, Chatham on the evening of November 21^st.

We will of course also have a great line-up of poetry throughout the month with Katy Evans-Bush (7/11/25 with Philip Kane), Caroline Bird (14/11/25), Connor Sansby (15/11/25), Chika Jones (10/11/25), and Malika Booker (Nov 28^th with Maggie Harris & Jessica Taggart Rose) all confirmed to be appearing.

Please keep an eye on further announcements. Please note, dates are subject to change until tickets go live.

Tickets will be available to book by the end of September.