Story Feast Lit Fest 2025
Join our celebration of ESEA stories and authors – from children's to young adult, from fiction to memoir. Panel talks, signings, and more!
Date and time
Location
Kamran Djan (DLT) lecture theatre, SOAS University of London
Ground Floor, SOAS main building (opposite Brunei Gallery) 10 Thornhaugh Street London WC1H 0XG United KingdomLineup
Agenda
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
MEET AND GREET
10:00 AM - 10:20 AM
MORNING KEY NOTE: Wendy Shakespeare
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
THE FULL PICTURE - HOW BEING MIXED RACE IMPACTS THE STORY WE TELL
11:40 AM - 12:40 PM
FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD! - ARE WE WHAT WE EAT? ARE WE WHAT WE WRITE?
12:40 PM - 1:20 PM
LUNCH, BOOK SALES, BOOK SIGNINGS, NETWORKING
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
COMMUNITY COMICS JAM
2:40 PM - 3:00 PM
AFTERNOON KEY NOTE: Tuyền Đỗ
3:10 PM - 4:10 PM
FAMILY HISTORIES
4:20 PM - 5:20 PM
INDUSTRY INSIDERS - BREAKING BOUNDARIES
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
ESEA FUTURES - A SPECULATIVE FICTION DISCUSSION PRESENTED BY IMAGINARIUM
6:30 PM - 7:00 PM
CLOSING REMARKS, BOOK SIGNINGS, GOODBYES
Good to know
Highlights
- 9 hours, 30 minutes
- In person
Refund Policy
About this event
TICKETING
Tickets are FREE but donations to help us make Story Feast Lit Fest sustainable are greatly appreciated. Please consider arriving 10-15 minutes before the panel start time to ensure you get a seat.
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WHO WE ARE
We are a volunteer group of East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) authors and illustrators , who came together to form the ESEA Authors Lit Fest in 2023, generously supported by SOAS, to celebrate and uplift British ESEA creatives, voices, and works.
We rebranded to Story Feast Lit Fest in 2025, making this our third year organising a literary festival celebrating and uplifting all ESEA-related books and authors. Story Feast Lit Fest offers a safe space to discuss, amongst other things, living in the ESEA diasporas and all the places we call home, writing our colonial histories and identities, exploring our diverse identities and who we are through literature and art.
This year, our country of focus is Vietnam, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the end of the American War in Vietnam. Our author spotlight at Story Feast Lit Fest is Tuyền Đỗ (author of Summer Rolls), and Chi Thai (author of The Endless Sea) will be our author spotlight for Little Story Feast, our inaugural children's lit fest held at the British Library.
We also have, for the first time, an Industry Insiders panel discussion, chaired by Eric Huang, author and lecturer of MA in Publishing at City St George University.
Come join our celebration of ESEA stories and authors – from children's to young adult, from fiction to memoir. There will be panel discussions, Q&A, book signings, networking opportunities, and even a creative comics jam session!
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VENUE LOCATION & HOW TO GET THERE
Kamran Djam (DLT) Lecture Theatre, Ground floor SOAS main building, Torrington Square, WC1H 0XG
Best entrance is through the SOAS Library entrance directly opposite the Brunei Gallery. This Lecture theatre is on the same ground floor level as the main library entrance; just walk past the SOAS reception desk, through the foyer, and follow the signs to the lecture theatre!
The four tube stations closest to SOAS are:
- Goodge Street: 9-minute walk
- Holborn: 12-minute walk
- Russell Square: 5-minute walk
- Tottenham Court Road: 12-minute walk
For more information on getting to the venue via other means of transportation (such as car or bus), please follow this link to SOAS Uni's web page: https://www.soas.ac.uk/plan-your-visit
Venue and support provided by Dr Cristina Martinez-Juan, School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, SOAS.
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COVID PRECAUTIONS & GUIDELINES
Panels will be held in an enclosed lecture room in addition to mingling in the foyer. Please do be mindful of attendees who may be vulnerable and/or at higher risk. If you are feeling unwell, we kindly ask that you stay home. Masks are not required at the venue but attendees are welcome to wear them for added safety measures.
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WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU THERE!
Warm wishes from the Story Feast team,
Candy Gourlay, Eva Wong Nava, Eric Huang, Anne Chen, Lucy Tandon Copp, Camille Whitcher, and Natelle Quek
To stay updated on current and future events, as well as latest news,
Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/storyfeastlitfest
Signup for our newsletter: https://storyfeast.eo.page/mailinglist
Visit our website: https://www.storyfeast.co.uk/
Frequently asked questions
YES! We'll have a dedicated book stall with our wonderful bookshop partner, The Children's Bookshop London, where you can purchase books on the day and have them signed in person.
Parking spaces are limited in and around SOAS Bloomsbury campus. We highly recommend checking out SOAS' website for their detailed information on places nearby you can park. Alternatively, there are four tube stations and several bus stops all within walking distance from campus.
We will have a limited selection of drinks and nibbles at the reception foyer, however we encourage you to bring your own packed lunch and drink for the day. Additionally, there is a dedicated lunch break during the event and there are plenty of food options in and around the campus.
While our lit fest at SOAS does cover a range of topics, these are hour-long discussions with Q&A and are more targeted towards an adult audience. We highly recommend keeping an eye out for LITTLE STORY FEAST, our children's lit fest on 21st September in partnership with the British Library!
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