The marquee's been taken down, the coffee cups have been cleared away, and the authors are back in their hutches for another year. The Oxford Literary Festival 2019 is over, but for any book-lovers who are feeling bereft, there are plenty more literary events that run regularly all around the city. Here are five that voracious readers of all ages can try.
Blackwell's Teen Fiction Reading Group
A book club specifically for teen readers, this group meets on the second Friday of every month at 6.30pm in Blackwell's Cafe Nero. Anyone aged 13-18 is welcome to join this friendly group, which discusses a new book every month. If you want to get an overview of past choices, or find some further recommendations for your reading list, have a look at their website.
The Story Museum First Thursday Book Club
If you love children's literature, and are too old for the Teen Fiction Group, The Story Museum has you covered. The First Thursday Book Club is a group for adults who love children's literature, which meets on - you guessed it - the first Thursday of every month. Head along for bookish discussion focused around themes such as "something you wouldn’t normally read" or the Carnegie shortlist, and chat stories over a cup of tea or a glass of wine.
Oxford Hammer and Tongue
Oxford's regular slam poetry night, held at the Old Fire Station, is in its 16th season and still going strong. With regular special guests and featured artists, as well as open slams where everyone can participate, Oxford Hammer and Tongue places a strong focus on encouraging the spoken-word poets of tomorrow with creative workshops in local schools and the wider community.
Oxford Poetry Library
With the aim of bringing poetry into the local community, the Oxford Poetry Library transports books around the city on its distinctive red-and-purple cargo bike. The library makes regular stops at various points around Oxford, and anyone can join up as a member and start borrowing. Oxford Poetry Library also runs frequent events for poetry-lovers, most recently the Lost Words nature walk and writing workshop.
Book Talks at Blackwell's
Oxford's most famous bookshop has regular author events, where writers come to talk about books on a huge variety of topics, from law and mysteries to digital etiquette and politics. Daily Info has reviewed several of Blackwell's past author talks, and can confirm that they always make for an engaging and fascinating evening.