A new year, but the same scenario in many parts of the world. After a tough 2020, we know many countries are still facing severe challenges. We send you all our heartfelt best wishes and support, let’s hope we’ll look back on 2021 as a year filled by very many wonderful book festivals and events, virtual and live.

• To start 2021, we welcome Listowel Writers’ Week (Ireland) Cove & Kilcreggan Book Festival (Scotland) and York Festival of Ideas (England).

• The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature has announced its line-up for its 2021 festival. Spread of three weekends (29 January-13 February) with a mix of live and virtual sessions, it features Malala, Elif Shafak, Amin Maalouf, Avni Doshi, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Lemn Sissay and many others. 
  
• Jaipur Literature Festival has gone online for 2021 and will be hosting its Festival virtually over two weekends from 19-28 February. Speakers include Carlo Rovelli, Marina Wheeler, Moni Mohsin and Michael Sandell. Full programme here.
  
• And in news from Scotland, Granite Noir, Aberdeen’s crime festival, will take place virtually 19-21 February, with Ullapool Book Festival returning 7-9 May 2021. More details for both will be announced soon. 
  
• Bay Area Book Festival is continuing its #UNBOUND series with Ann Patchett (January 13) in a discussion on ‘The Ties That Bind- Family, Fortune and the Search for Self’. January 15 sees a conversation between Booker Prize winner George Saunders (Lincoln in the Bardo) and National Medal of the Arts honoree Tobias Wolff (This Boy’s Life) discussing Saunders’ newest book A Swim in A Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading and Life.  The ‘Queen of Change’ Julia Cameron will be discussing her guide on how to harness the spirit of renewal, The Listening Path, with Emmy award-winning singer songwriter Judy Collins on 27 January. The Festival will be held virtually from 1-9 May 2021.
  
• On 18 January BBC North America Editor, Jon Sopel, will be in conversation with Guardian columnist, Jonathan Freedland, to discuss Sopel’s latest book, UnPresidented: politics, pandemics and the race that Trumped all others. The interview – which will be available on the websites of Stratford Literary Festival and Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival - has been organised to raise vital funds for both Festivals on-going work with their communities.