(Image: Newsquest)
A festival celebrating the life and work of one of Britain's best-loved authors will bring Catherine Cookson's stories back to the North East through theatre, film and a range of community events.
The Catherine Cookson Festival will run at Newcastle’s Assembly Rooms from April 29 to May 14, 2027.
The programme features theatre, film screenings, talks and workshops inspired by the South Tyneside-born writer’s novels.
Jamie Brown, festival director, said: "Catherine Cookson has been called the First Lady of North East writers, and with good reason.
"Nobody captured the grit, warmth and resilience of this region quite like she did.
"I've been lucky enough to perform in her work on stage, and I know how deeply audiences here still feel about these stories.
"This festival is our chance to honour that, and to make sure a new generation discovers her."
With permission from the Catherine Cookson Estate, the festival will feature three headline theatre productions.
The Fifteen Streets adapts Cookson’s novel about life in the dockside terraces along the Tyne.
Tilly Trotter is a new one-woman show about one of Cookson’s best-loved heroines. Nancy Nuttall and the Mongrel adapts one of her children’s stories for families.
The programme also includes classic television drama screenings, talks with people who adapted her stories for the screen and community workshops.
Louise Dearden, festival producer, said: "Cookson wrote about ordinary people, and this festival belongs to them.
"Alongside the productions, our workshops and outreach programme will invite schools, families and community groups to explore her world through writing, craft and heritage."
Catherine Cookson became one of Britain’s most widely read novelists, selling more than 100 million books around the world.
Her stories often drew on her childhood in the industrial North East.
Craig Wilde, group CEO of The Assembly Rooms, said: "Catherine Cookson's books have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, yet it has been a long time since her stories had a proper home in the North East.
"The Assembly Rooms has been at the heart of Newcastle's cultural life since 1776, and there could be no better place to celebrate her.
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"We're grateful to the Catherine Cookson Estate for their support, and we want this to be a festival for those who have loved her books for decades and for readers meeting her for the very first time."
The Assembly Rooms, a Grade II*-listed Georgian building on Fenkle Street, will host the festival’s events.
The festival will celebrate Cookson’s enduring impact and introduce her work to new audiences.
Further programme announcements will follow when tickets go on sale on Friday, October 16, 2026.
Audiences can sign up for ticket alerts at catherinecooksonfestival.com.