Our Backstory
The Stockholm Writers Festival is a weekend gathering of writers who come together to find the inspiration, knowhow and network that will help them bring their stories to the world. Our event is held in English. But we welcome writers who work in all languages. The knowledge gained during the Festival is relevant to all writers, regardless of experience level, genre, or background.
Each year, we invite local and international teachers, industry experts and real, live agents to the Swedish capital to share their experience and insights with our attendees. We’ve been graced with keynote speakers including Sarah Waters, Elinor Lipman and Jane Friedman.
Are we the world’s friendliest festival for writers? That would be a bold claim but it’s certainly something we aspire to. There is no ‘them and us’ divide here. Everyone has something to offer and something to learn and we do provide a warm and welcoming environment for all.
Why Stockholm?
It’s not because the city’s waterways and islands and centuries-old buildings are a spectacular backdrop for a summer festival. And it has nothing to do with the city’s rich literary tradition (or that Nobel prize).
Actually, the festival developed out of a local English-language writers group. Our founder, Catherine Pettersson, began to wonder why she and other members of the group were travelling to other countries to meet like-minded writers when there was such a strong writing community here in Stockholm – and in 2017, the festival was born.
Now, people travel from all over the world to join us. They arrive as strangers but leave as friends for life, equipped with the tools they need to sustain them on their path to published and beyond.
Whether you’re just starting out on an idea, polishing your first manuscript, or already published, we hope to see you at the friendliest gathering of writers on earth: The Stockholm Writers Festival.
