Whitby’s gothic past and links to Bram Stoker’s Dracula often define its literary history but the seaside town’s links to literature stretch much further and will be celebrated at the Whitby Lit Fest from 19-22 November.

The four-day festival, launched last year, exists to celebrate Whitby’s heritage and this year has over 50 events featuring bestselling authors, broadcasters, actors, historians, poets and performers.

Perhaps the most recognisable name appearing at the festival is Hugh Bonneville; the actor – best known for starring in Paddington and Downton Abbey – will be talking about his latest children’s book, Rory Sparkes and the Spy Who Loved Tea, at the Whitby Pavilion on 21 November.

But you can also see the likes of John Boyne, Ann Cleeves, Joanne Harris, Si King, Greta Scacchi, Corinne Bailey Rae and many more.

The festival is very much a community initiative and was set up by a steering committee of local businesses including The Whitby Bookshop and Hetty & Betty alongside North Yorkshire Council Libraries, Visit North Yorkshire and English Heritage with support from Cause UK Public Relations and Hello Technology.

Novelist, former BBC radio producer and Whitby resident Kate Fenton was approached by the festival organisers to become patron, an honour she was surprised by but very honoured to accept.

“My first thought was, I don’t think I’m qualified to be patron, it’s the kind of thing where you generally have someone famous,” she laughs. “I thought maybe they want me because one thing I am quite good at is doing interviews because I used to work for Radio 4. Actually, that hadn’t crossed their minds.”

But Kate’s skills were put to good use and she did half a dozen interviews for the festival in 2025 and will be doing similar this year.

“There’s Si King, Hairy Biker extraordinaire, that’s just going to be a hoot,” Kate comments. “Then there’s Andrew Lownie, a writer that I think a lot of people might not have recognised but we all know the book – Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, a dual biography of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.”

Another interview with a royal connection is David Lascelles, the Earl of Harewood, who has written a book about his father who was imprisoned at Colditz towards the end of the Second World War.

“He was part of a long string of aristocrats who were kept together because the Nazis thought they might be a bargaining card,” says Kate. “As Germany collapsed, Hitler issued orders that they should be executed but a prominent Nazi stepped in and saved them. For his book, David went to Germany and actually this person’s family.”

Kate has also curated her own interview and will be speaking to Louisa Young who is continuing the literary legacy of Elizabeth Jane Howard and writing the sixth instalment of The Cazalet Chronicles.

She will also be speaking to Sally Coulthard about her book, A Brief History of the Coast in 100 Objects, and local author Jess Kidd, who’s novels focus around a former nun-turned-detective.

Vastly experienced, Kate’s interviews are meticulously researched and structured and generally last for an hour, with the last 20 minutes often opened up to audience questions.

“You really have to think about the shape of the interview, where you want to take it to and identify the areas that have real interest to the audience,” explains Kate. “Sometimes writers get hung up on particular things so you need to shepherd them and give them the opportunity to shine.

“The whole point of having a good interviewer is that they can pick up the pieces, move things forward, give them a cue when they run out of ideas and make them feel happy and perform well.”

Kate’s status as patron is complemented by that of Sir Alan Ayckbourne, who serves as honorary patron. Sir Alan is someone Kate knows well and has interviewed on numerous occasions.

“I’ve known Sir Alan for many years and am a huge admirer of his work,” says Kate. “It’s great he’s lending his name – that’s the kind of patron the festival needs!”

But does this familiarity help or hinder the interview process?

“It can be easier to interview someone you know in that you already know quite a lot of the background. But you’ve got to make it feel fresh and this is the real challenge.”

Although more comfortable asking the questions, Kate has also been on the other side of the microphone speaking about her own work. Her first book, The Colours of Snow, was published in 1990 and was followed by Dancing to the Pipers, Lions & Liquorice, Balancing on Air, Too Many Godmothers and Picking Up. After a lengthy hiatus, her last novel, The Time of Her Life, was released in March 2020.

Did she always want to be a writer?

“The answer is yes and no,” says Kate. “I was always a passionate reader but being a writer wasn’t on the list of possibilities.”

Kate started writing when she moved up to North Yorkshire, after marrying the actor Ian Carmichael.

“The first novel I wrote, which has never seen the light of day, was unbelievably awful and about 1,000 pages long,” Kate recalls. “It took me a while to find my voice and then when I did, I was flying.”

Aside from literature, music is also a huge passion of Kate’s and in recent years she’s dedicated much more of her time to piano playing and composing, even helping to write a musical called The Whole History of Helmsley in Two and a Half Hours, which was performed by the 1812 Theatre Company.

“[Music] is a completely different mindset, it’s completely absorbing,” says Kate of this passion. “I actually have a Steinway concert grand piano. When Scarborough shut the Futurist Theatre, they flogged off the piano. It took five years of restoration but it’s a lovely instrument.”

Reading and writing will very much remain Kate’s focus for the next few weeks as she prepares for her upcoming interviews, but is there anyone she wants to see herself?

“The one I really fancy is Alex Thomson, he’s interviewing Peter Oborne, both new journalists, real heavyweights.”

Whitby Lit Fest caters for the widest range of tastes and ticket prices are incredibly affordable, with many visitors attending multiple events. It’s a real celebration of not just the written and spoken word but of the area itself, which remains an inspiration to many.

Whitby Lit Fest takes place 19-22 November. For the full programme and tickets, click here.