I’m super excited to share that I’ll be hosting not one, but two panels at Portsmouth BookFest this year! Back again for another year there are three great weeks of events split into Adults, Children’s and Film. Check out the full line up here.
Hosting author panels are honestly some of my favourite bookish events to do. It’s so great to get an insight into the author’s writing process and find out unknown quirks about the characters.
With this year being the National Year of Reading as well, why not Go All In and get yourself stuck into something a bit different. Just tap on the event titles to find out more information and book yourself a ticket!
Date: Monday 2nd March
Time: 7.00pm
Location: Portsmouth Central Library
Miss Havisham and Mrs Dickens are brought centre stage as authors Elle Machray (Remember, Remember) and Emily Howes (The Painters Daughters) discuss with Nikki Jones (The Bookish Mindset) about twisting Dickens and retelling these women’s stories. Perfect for audiences who love Dickens work, those just discovering it and anyone who loves a great retelling.
Date: Wednesday 4th March
Time: 7.00pm
Location: Southsea D-Day Story
Set sail on a literary voyage through time with three acclaimed authors whose novels are steeped in the salt and spray of the sea. From queer naval adventures to smuggling on the Sussex coast, this panel explores how the sea shapes stories, characters, and history itself.
I’m super excited for both of these, I hope you can make it!
If you like what you’ve read and would like to access more content or want to keep up with future events and more, I’d love if you could take a look at my substack and consider supporting my content on there too. You can also find more content on my Instagram here.
And don’t forget to check out my other blogs and reviews – you can find books with similar themes in the same folder link below, or click back onto blogs to see the whole offering.
Last updated 29/01/2026
The Bookish Mindset 
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