ESEA Lit Fest 2025

ESEA Lit Fest is back! The UK’s award-winning East and South East Asian literary festival returns to Foyles Charing Cross Road on Saturday 20 September 2025 for a day of conversation, workshops, and book signings and a lunchtime bake sale hosted by Polly Chan's Bakehouse fundraising for Sesame Organisation.

Featured in the Guardian, Harper's Bazaar and Elle, ESEA Lit Fest is a joyful, thought-provoking celebration of East and South East Asian literature and culture that’s open to all. Launched in 2023 by Maria Garbutt-Lucero and Joanna Lee, co-founders of the ESEA Publishing Network, in partnership with Foyles, it sold out two years in a row and has become an essential fixture in the UK literary events calendar, with events at the Southbank Centre, Edinburgh International Book Festival and The Times & Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival throughout 2025. Previous speakers include Pio Abad, Romalyn Ante, Tash Aw, Susan Barker, Tania Branigan, Kaliane Bradley, Troy Cabida, Elaine Castillo, Jeremy Chan, Catherine Cho, Will Harris, Helena Lee, Rebecca Liu, Thuận, Zing Tsjeng and Mandy Yin.

ESEA Lit Fest at Foyles is presented in partnership with the Bagri Foundation and supported by Hachette UK and their employee network THRIVE.

IMPORTANT TICKETING INFORMATION: Tickets are available for individual events or a Festival Day Ticket allows you entry to all four of the day’s panel discussions. Please note that a Day Ticket does not include entry to the creative workshop (tickets available separately via the link below). The lunchtime fermentation is free to attend, but advance registration is encouraged. Student/Low Income Tickets are reserved for students with a valid ID or those in receipt of Universal Credit or on low income.

10 – 11am

Scribner x Eastern Hunnies presents: Letters to the Diaspora: a creative writing workshop by Ian Russell-Hsieh, Isabelle Landicho & Melissa Legarda

2nd Floor, Foyles Charing Cross Road

Tickets available here (Not included with a Festival Day Ticket)

__

11am - 12pm

Sleight of Hand: On narrative and silence with Khairani Barokka & SJ Kim in conversation with Xiaolu Guo

6th Floor, Foyles Charing Cross Road

Included in a Festival Day Ticket or buy an individial event ticket here

__

12:30 - 1:30pm

Worth It?: On ambition and expectation with Nicola Dinan & Juhea Kim in conversation with Rowan Hisayo Buchanan

6th Floor, Foyles Charing Cross Road

Included in a Festival Day Ticket or buy an individial event ticket here

__

1:45 - 3pm

Taste of Home: Polly Chan​'s Bakehouse food fundraiser ​for Sesame Organisation

6th Floor, Foyles Charing Cross Road

First come, first served - unticketed event, all proceeds donated to Sesame Organisation

__

2 – 2:30pm

Preserving Cultures: A fermentation masterclass with Kenji Morimoto

2nd Floor, Foyles Charing Cross Road

Free registration here

__

3:30 – 4:30pm

Rites of Passage: On tradition and evolution with Katie Goh & Emma Nanami Strenner in conversation with Suyin Haynes

6th Floor, Foyles Charing Cross Road

Included in a Festival Day Ticket or buy an individial event ticket here

__

5 – 6pm

Domestic (Re)Arrangements: On home and inheritance with Sarah Howe & Jeremy Atherton Lin in conversation with Deepa Paul

6th Floor, Foyles Charing Cross Road

Included in a Festival Day Ticket or buy an individial event ticket here