Marrakech English Book Festival Sets January 15 to 17, 2027 Across Two Medina Venues

The Marrakech English Book Festival will return from Friday, January 15 to Sunday, January 17, 2027, with three days of English-language literary events across two historic Medina venues.

The volunteer-led festival brings together Moroccan and international authors, readers, publishers and aspiring writers, with a programme built around literature connected to Morocco, its people, history and culture.

Riad El Bacha for the first two days

Friday, January 15 and Saturday, January 16 will take place at Riad El Bacha on Avenue El Glaoui in the Marrakech Medina. The venue will also host the festival book market.

The daytime programme is built around roughly five guest-author sessions per day. These will include individual interviews, readings and panel discussions, followed by opportunities to meet the authors and have books signed.

Sunday moves to Dar Bellarj

The final day, Sunday, January 17, moves to the Dar Bellarj Foundation near the Ben Youssef Madrasa in one of the oldest parts of the Medina.

Dar Bellarj will also host the children’s programme, and the festival says Sunday afternoon will eventually hand the microphone over to the Marrakech International Storytelling Festival.

Workshops and the Marrakech English Book Award

The 2027 programme includes workshops for children, students, illustrators and aspiring writers, alongside the main author programme.

The festival has already announced workshop facilitators including Antonia Diamandescu, Ghita Abens, Mehrdokht Amini and Tonka Uzu, with sessions focused around illustration, storytelling and children’s books.

The Marrakech English Book Award presentation will also take place during the three-day programme.

A festival built around English-language literature in Morocco

The festival is held every two years and is designed to give emerging Moroccan writers an international stage while bringing established authors into conversation with local readers.

For English-speaking residents and visitors, that makes it one of Marrakech’s more directly accessible cultural festivals: the programme is built around books, conversations and workshops in English, while remaining strongly rooted in Morocco.

Practical information

Dates: January 15 to 17, 2027. Friday and Saturday venue: Riad El Bacha, Avenue El Glaoui, Marrakech Medina. Sunday venue: Dar Bellarj Foundation, 9 Toualat Zaouiat Lahdar, near the Ben Youssef Madrasa.

The festival website currently lists general admission, student passes and VIP packages, with detailed ticket information available through its official booking pages. Full author-by-author timings are still being developed.

Photo: Dar Bellarj, Miguel Discart, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.