Hundreds of families attended the 2026 Isle of Wight Story Festival, which saw famed authors, illustrators and stars of TV take over Quay Arts.
Running from Thursday, 19th February to Saturday, 21st February, events celebrating all kinds of stories took over multiple rooms at the Newport venue.
Among the headliners was CBeebies star Joseph Elliott, who spoke about his children’s book, Nora and the Map of Mayhem.
For the Swashbuckle actor, the visit marked his first time on the Island since year 6.
After his session, he said:
“I had an absolute blast on stage. It was such a wonderful audience who were very engaged and interactive. I had a lot of fun.”
To officially launch the 2026 festival, celebrated illustrator Rob Biddulph took part in a ribbon cutting, with Joe Robertson, MP for Isle of Wight East, also attending.
Before taking to the stage in front of a sold out audience, the 2025 Illustrator of the the Year said:
“Stories open up the possibilities for what’s beyond the things you can see, and being on an Island is a little bit like that. It feels like you’re at the start of an adventure.”
Rob performed to a packed theatre as he spoke about his Moonhaven Chronicles books, which feature among his vast back catalogue of work including collaborations with Paddington author Michael Bond and Flat Stanley’s Jeff Brown.
From howling at the full moon to telling a story in a song, Rob then spent almost an hour signing books.
Other popular events at the festival included appearances by best-selling author Lucy Strange, theatre groups Coppice Theatre and Foundry Theatre, Young Bond and former Doctor Who writer Steve Cole and a talk by Philip Reeve, who is celebrating 25 years of his cult-following Mortal Engines books.
Philip then appeared on stage with American-born illustrator and author Sarah McIntyre as the pair talked about their Adventuremice book, with the event itself introduced by Richard Quigley MP.
As well as mainland headliners, a variety of local speakers also appeared.
Among the Island guests were poet Adam Gaterell, historian Marc Tuckey, Raw Arts Theatre, Sue Bailey, Morgan Outlaw, Shree Dance Academy and Lottie Begg, who helped create the Island’s biggest poem.
One of the venue’s rooms hosted the prize ceremony for the Style of Wight Power of the Pen awards, which saw festival patron Nicholas Allan and Charles Dickens’ relative Ian Dickens among those giving out prizes.
The Isle of Wight Story Festival will return in 2027, with more details to be announced soon.
