The Cheshire Literary Lunch 2026

Following the success of prior events, Cheshire Literary Lunch is back for 2026!

The 2026 event will be held on Wednesday, 4th November at the beautiful Owen House Wedding Barn, in the heart of the Cheshire countryside at Small Lane, Mobberley, Cheshire, WA16 7NU.

The Literary Lunch was founded by Sue France in 2013. Although 2024 was the last lunch she would organise directly, this incredibly popular and treasured event continues in the hands of book mentor and editor Siân-Elin Flint-Freel, and networking speaker, trainer and event host Kirsty James. Together they bring a wealth of experience and knowledge and, of course, Sue is right behind them, providing her support and guidance.

Both Siân-Elin and Kirsty are delighted to be continuing the legacy of The Literary Lunch. The annual event is a celebration of writing and reading, and a source of support and inspiration for those wishing to indulge their creativity.

LOCATION

Owen House Wedding Barn, Small Lane, Mobberley, Cheshire, WA16 7NU

The barn is a bespoke venue set on a working farm that is family run and offers a truly unique experience. The barn was converted in 2013 (the same year as the first Literary Lunch!) yet still maintains its rustic and countryside charm and we can’t wait to share it with you.

Travel by car:

For environmental reasons, please car-share if you can or consider rail travel where possible. We can put you in touch with others to car-share if you wish.

Parking is available onsite and near the venue. Further details will be shared with attendees via the final joining instructions.

Travel by rail:

Mobberley Railway Station (2 min taxi or 10 min walk)

Ashley Railway Station (5 min taxi)

Directions:

View Directions

PROGRAMME TIMINGS (subject to adjustment):

09.30: Arrival for stall holders, speakers, sponsors (separate parking will be allocated and instructions sent by email).

10.30: Arrival for attendees (main car park to be used by).

10.45-11.30: Registration, complimentary welcome drink, bar also available, books stalls open, book signings available, open networking.

11.30-11.45: Call to seats, Welcome and Introductions

11.45-12.45: Speaker Programme

12.45-14.00: Lunch

14.00-15.00: Speaker Programme

15.00-15.30: Stalls remain open, book signings, open networking

SPEAKERS

EVENT SPONSORS

Announcements imminent

EVENT PARTNERS

TAUK Publishing, led by Estelle Maher

TICKET TYPES

Early Bird – £59 including booking fees via this site – AVAILABLE UNTIL 30 September.

Standard – £69 including booking fees via this site

Group tables of 6, 8 and 10 available at our discounted rate – please email kirsty@kirstyjames.co.uk for details and prices.

STALL / BANNER / LITERATURE

Would you like to take a stall or banner at this event or share your promotional materials with attendees?

Maybe you have a business related to the world of literature which would be particular relevant to this audience?

Stall – £30
Our venue offers space for any authors keen to sell their books. Stalls, inclusive of space for 1 banner, can even be shared by up to 2 authors, making the £30 stall fee exceptional value for anyone wishing to promote and sell books or literary-related items.

Banner – £20
If you’d like to display a promotional banner in the main room to be caught on our pictures and videos, this can be added for just £20.

Literature – £10
Adding promotional literature to attendee gift bags (i.e. flyers, brochures or bookmarks) is just £10 with you supplying and adding the items on the day to either a literature table or into bags.

All Extras – £50
To add on all three extras, the fee is reduced to £50

To purchase extras, please buy your attendee ticket as usual and tick which items you’d like to add. Once we confirm space, a payment link will be issued to you for these extras.

DIETARY NOTES:

If you have any food allergies, please ensure that you have added these during the booking process.

REFUNDS, CANCELLATION & COVID:

Refunds will not be possible within 28 days of the event.

Should you need to cancel your place, we will issue a refund if we are able to find a find a replacement attendee to take your place.

This event will run in-person. In the event of having to cancel or postpone the in-person event due to factors out of our control, we would endeavour to run an alternative online event. Attendees would be contacted and given the option to cancel for a full refund or to carry forward their ticket to the rescheduled event.

EVENT ORGANISERS:

Siân-Elin is a book mentor and editor who has thirteen years’ experience in realising people’s dreams of writing and publishing a book. She works with both fiction and non-fiction authors and is a passionate supporter of new talent.

Over the years, Siân-Elin has helped over 150 authors in topics ranging from homecare to happiness, horseracing to fantasy, and romantic comedy to accountancy.

As well as running her own business, Siân-Elin also established a book group over twenty years ago in the Peak District, where she lives. She has also been an author interviewer at the Wrexham Carnival of Words and is a member of Buxton Fringe Committee.

Siân-Elin is an avid reader and is proud to say that she has always finished reading a book she has started. Her reading tastes are wide and she is always on the lookout for a new book recommendation.

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Kirsty is a Networking speaker, trainer and event host specialising in connection, relationship-marketing, personal branding, and community-building.

Outside of her family, her proudest achievements include her TEDx talk ‘Building a Legacy: The Power of Collective Achievement’, curating TEDxWarrington, and obtaining a Prime Minister’s award for her community work.

Wife and mum of three, Kirsty lives in Lymm, Cheshire and has a strong sense of social responsibility. Her commitment to connecting with purpose and humanity is integral to how she leads her business and life. Kirsty is generous with her time and her ventures embody her three core values of connection, collaboration and community.

She has a passion for supporting people to grow, including authors and aspiring authors. Her passion for adventure,  learning and connection is reflected in her love of writing and a bedside reading list that spans travel, business and personal development content.