Award‑winning author and playwright, Robert Shearman, will be Whitby Lit Fest’s inaugural spotlight guest, selected personally by honorary patron Sir Alan Ayckbourn.
A new event has been added to the line-up of the November event which will see an in‑depth conversation between Shearman and Ayckbourn’s archivist of the last two decades.
Shearman’s professional journey began in the 1990s when Ayckbourn commissioned him to write for the Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round after spotting his early promise as winner of the Sunday Times Playwriting Award. His debut, White Lies, became the first of six plays premiered in Scarborough, marking the start of a prolific international career.
He is widely known for his contributions to Doctor Who, most notably the Hugo‑nominated episode “Dalek”, which reintroduced the iconic villains to a new generation. His audio dramas for Big Finish, including Jubilee and The Chimes of Midnight, remain fan favourites and have recently been adapted into novels for Penguin.
As a prose writer, Shearman has twice won the World Fantasy Award, alongside honours such as the Shirley Jackson Award and the Edge Hill Short Story Reader’s Prize.
Sir Alan said: “What unites all of Rob’s writing is his voice. It has always been original, distinctive and never predictable. He is enormously talented, and I’m delighted to have played an early part in his development and to see him as the first Patron Spotlight at Whitby Lit Fest.”
Whitby Lit Fest is back for 2026 following an acclaimed and successful debut event last year.
It is a celebration of writing and authors, past and present, in many genres, including novels, short stories, plays and poetry, many of which have undoubtedly been inspired by Whitby or a sea-faring connection along the way.
One such event, also in the line-up is Dominic Gregory who is going to be interviewed on stage by Ceri Oakes and Emma Ryan of The Whitby Anchor.
Gregory penned a memoir, “Lifeboat at the End of the World”, which tells of his time as a volunteer on the Dungeness Lifeboat based in a hamlet on the headland of the Kent coast.
He recalls the training, his fellow crew who are ordinary people with ordinary day jobs and ordinary lives, the dangers, and the joy when the job ends well.
Due to the previous ticket release being a sell out, Ceri and Emma’s talk with Dominic will now be held at The Coliseum following the release of more tickets.
The event is on Saturday November 21 at 10am.
Robert Shearman with Simon Murgatroyd is on Sunday November 22, 10.30am at Whitby Museum.
Whitby Lit Fest has more than 50 events taking place during the weekend, running November 19 to 22. See here for the full line-up and ticket details.
