Following a popular spring programme, the University of Aberdeen’s WayWORD Festival returns 3-11 October 2026 for its seventh main festival. Headliners include award-winning actress and comedian Rosie Jones, bestselling authors Jenni Fagan, Mairi Kidd and Elle Machray, and the premiere of a brand-new play in Cowdray Hall by celebrated Aberdeen writer Mae Diansangu. Like several of the events at this year’s festival, the play – A Mustard Seed from a House Untouched by Death – is offering exciting opportunities for local writers and performers to take part and share their work.
Programmed by local young people, these headline events are part of a bold and inclusive festival featuring over 30 free and low-cost events championing marginalised voices and challenging convention – from author panels reflecting on experiences of migration, to workshops exploring poetry as activism. It will take place at the University of Aberdeen and in the city centre at Aberdeen Art Gallery and Cowdray Hall. Following the closing of the much-missed music venue The Blue Lamp, WayWORD will also bring their popular annual North East Voices event to St Nicholas Kirk for the first time, showcasing a mix of local spoken word poets, singer-songwriters and a performance from the 2026 BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year, Rachel Groves.
The youngest festival committee member, Millie Hamill, joined the team after winning last year’s Nan Shepherd Creative Writing Prize for S5 and S6 pupils at WayWORD. Ahead of her event at this year’s festival, Millie remarked: ‘WayWORD is so rewarding because you get the opportunity to meet so many lovely people while getting a behind-the-scenes insight into how festivals and events come together’. The event Millie has programmed and will host is a panel with BAFTA-winning animator Will Anderson and oral storyteller David Hughes exploring how they bring characters to life, with Millie explaining, ‘I’m looking forward to inspiring others, creating new perspectives and encouraging meaningful discussion.’
Lecturer and WayWORD Festival Director, Dr Shane Strachan, explains, ‘The festival is shaped by a team of local young programmers, which is accessible to all with free and low-costs tickets, BSL provision and accessible venues. I’m particularly pleased WayWORD is offering multiple opportunities for local creatives to share their work, whether through our Ekphrastic Poetry Competition, our new Wine and Performance night, or as part of Mae Diansangu’s new play.’
Diansangu’s play follows a grieving woman who learns of a cure to revive her loved ones. First, she must source the remedy’s main ingredient: a mustard seed from a household untouched by death. The play’s producer and director Annabel Lunney explained, ‘A Mustard Seed will weave together Mae’s words with original storytelling extracts from three local writer-performers who will each build the worlds of the households the woman visits across her journey.’ Applications are now open until Sunday 30 August, with full details on the WayWORD website.
Other festival highlights include bestselling fantasy authors Hannah Kaner, Tasha Suri, Georgia Leighton and V.L. Bovalino appearing at the festival for the first time, and an evening of poetry with jazz improvisation from Scotland’s finest poets and performers including Hannah Lavery, Colin Bramwell and Aditya Narayan accompanied by saxophonist Matthew Kilner and more. You can explore the full 2026 programme and book tickets at www.waywordfestival.com
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WayWORD Festival is part of the WORD Centre for Creative Writing at the University of Aberdeen. The festival has empowered young people to produce a cross-arts literary festival in Aberdeen since 2020 which celebrates new work and ideas, amplifies diverse voices and breaks down barriers to culture in the city.
The festival is funded by Creative Scotland’s Multi-Year Funding programme (supported by The National Lottery), and the University of Aberdeen’s Development Trust.
WayWORD Festival 