UoG students and academics will take to stage at Cheltenham Literature Festival

University of Gloucestershire students and academics will feature alongside a star-studded line-up at the 2026 The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, which attracts thousands of visitors from across the UK each year.

Among those taking part are published authors Dr Aleksandra Andrejevic and Dr Mike Johnstone from the University’s School of Arts, Culture and Environment, and students from the University’s MA Creative and Critical Writing course.

Dr Andrejevic and Dr Johnstone will lead a creative writing workshop, Where do writers get their inspiration from?, exploring the ideas, experiences and influences that can spark a story.

Drawing on their careers as writers and their work teaching creative writing at the University, they will offer insights into their own creative processes and approaches to developing new work.

Dr Andrejevic is a novelist whose debut novel, Under the Same Moon (APS Books, 2025), was recently shortlisted for the International Rubery Book Award. She is represented by Lorella Belli Literary Agency and has recently been awarded the Authors’ Foundation Grant by the Society of Authors, to support the development of her second novel.

Writing as D.D. Johnston, Dr Johnstone is the author of four novels, and his short fiction has been shortlisted for The Bridport Prize. He has been described as “Bringing light to a dark world” (The Financial Times), and his most recent novel, Disnaeland, has been called “gripping, funny, and hopeful” (The Times) and “wildly imaginative” (Scotland on Sunday).  

The writing workshop will take place on Thursday 15 October, from 3.30pm to 4.30pm, at The Huddle Stage. It is free to attend, although capacity is limited to 70 people.

Dr Andrejevic said: “We’re really excited to have this opportunity to share our work, knowledge and experiences with the Cheltenham Literature Festival audience.

“Inspiration can come from all sorts of places, and part of the joy of writing is learning how to recognise those ideas and turn them into something of your own.

“That’s something I really enjoy helping our students with at the University – encouraging them to experiment, develop their ideas and find confidence in their own voice as writers.

“I hope we can bring some of that same energy to the workshop and inspire people in the audience to start writing, or perhaps look at their own writing in a new way.”

Students from the MA Creative and Critical Writing course will take to the stage on 15 October (6.30pm to 9pm) as part of the Festival’s VOICEBOX programme to present readings from Ink and Influence, the University’s 15th anthology of new writing and art.

The anthology showcases work by emerging writers and artists and features a diverse collection of short stories, poetry, plays and visual art.

The event will bring together students from other programmes within the University’s School of Arts, Culture and Environment. Alongside the readings, Journalism students will interview participants, while Illustration students will capture the event through live sketches of the audience.

Dr Duncan Dicks, Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing, said: “We’re proud to see so many of our students from a wide range of courses playing an active role in the festival and contributing their skills and creativity.

“The Cheltenham Literature Festival is a fantastic opportunity for our students to gain valuable experience alongside industry professionals, put their learning into practice and develop the skills, confidence and connections that will support their future careers.

“It’s also a great example of students from different disciplines working together, learning from one another and making a meaningful contribution to one of Cheltenham’s most celebrated cultural events.”

The Co-CEO for Cheltenham Festivals, Ali Mawle, said: “We are thrilled to welcome University of Gloucestershire students to our VOICEBOX stage as part of this year’s Cheltenham Literature Festival. 

“VOICEBOX is all about celebrating bold voices and big conversations, and we can’t wait for audiences to hear from these young, emerging voices.”

The Cheltenham Literature Festival runs from 9-18 October.

Images: Audience members and visitors to the Cheltenham Literature Festival (credit Still Moving Media for Cheltenham Festivals)