Internationally best-selling author to appear at ‘Festival of Ideas’
Visitors to an upcoming festival on the Yorkshire-Lancashire-Cumbria border will have the opportunity to rub shoulders with literary royalty, as plans for the second annual ‘Festival of Ideas’ are unveiled.
Best-selling author Lee Child – and creator of the iconic Jack Reacher - will appear on stage at St Mary’s Church in Kirkby Lonsdale on the evening of Saturday 7 February, as part of a packed Illuminate 2026 events programme. Lee will talk about his life and work before holding a book-signing session.
Scheduled to run from 7-20 February 2026, the festival features live performances, film screenings and speaker events, as well as creative and wellbeing workshops - more than 40 events in total - at venues across town.
Lee is one of the town’s most famous ex-residents; he penned the first of his Jack Reacher thriller series in his Kirkby Lonsdale home, overlooking the church tower. Reacher has since gone on to be a global publishing phenomenon, triggering a multi-billion-dollar media empire and captivating fans from all over the world.
"I wrote the first three Jack Reacher books in Kirkby Lonsdale, and they went on to become the foundation of what has turned into a $3bn global entertainment franchise,” said the author, speaking of his involvement in the festival. “Clearly, Kirkby Lonsdale was an inspiration for me, and it can be for you, too. Come to Illuminate 2026 and find out how!"
Other festival highlights include live music from Newfoundland group Rum Ragged, quick-change drama from the JaneAusten Abridged players, a glamorous After Dark murder mystery event and comedy gameshow hi-jinks from Black Liver. There will also be six days of free family events—including an immersive theatre experience—as part of the festival’s half-term programme.
A specially curated programme of six films exploring the festival’s 2026 theme ‘Futures: Real and Imagined’ will be staged at the Lunesdale Hall. Wellness events including yoga and sound bath sessions will take place at the QEStudio school.
More details of festival events—including a packed speaker programme—will be unveiled in the coming weeks. Tickets for individual events will be on sale from December onwards but a limited number of festival passes are on sale now from: https://illuminate.kirkbylonsdale.org
“We’re beyond delighted to have tempted Lee back to Kirkby Lonsdale where his own creative journey began,” commented festival co-founder Diane Nowell. “We started the festival to offer a spark of inspiration—and illumination—at a particularly dark time of the year. We’d love to share this uplifting experience with as many people as possible, so do join us if you can!”