Whitby Lit Fest has announced actors Miriam Margolyes and Ace Bhatti as special guests joining author Shaun Usher on stage in Diaries of Note.
Diaries of Note 366 Lives, One Day at a Time has been praised as an engrossing collection of the most remarkable diary writing – curated by Usher.
Featured entries include world leader Nelson Mandela, film star Emma Thompson, and musical icon Elton John, alongside people who have never found fame, but whose diaries reveal them to have been extraordinary.
Miriam Margolyes and Ace Bhatti will read highlighted extracts from Diaries of Note at the Whitby event.
Born in Oxford, England in 1941 and educated at Cambridge, Miriam is an award-winning veteran of the stage and screen, and an internationally acclaimed voice artist and documentarian. Winner of the BAFTA Best Supporting Actress award for The Age of Innocence, she received an OBE in 2002 for Services to Drama.
Bhatti, who lives in the region, is known for his roles on series including Cardiac Arrest, EastEnders, Coronation Street, Holby City, Holding On, and Band of Gold, and hit dramas including the BBC’s Line of Duty, with roles in feature films including Bohemian Rhapsody and Bend It Like Beckham.
Lois Kirtlan, committee chair of Whitby Lit Fest, said: “It’s an incredible coup that Shaun Usher is bringing Diaries of Note to Whitby. All our festival tickets cost from as little as £5 with a maximum price of £15 for the headline acts. We’re really proud to be affordable and accessible. Regional audiences deserve the same quality of experience as London.”
The author and historian Lucinda Hawksley will interview Usher live on stage.
A literary phenomenon, Shaun Usher is the self-appointed custodian of letters, lists and now, diaries —one of the most intimate, therapeutic, and revealing forms of writing imaginable.
Shaun Usher’s obsession with old-fashioned correspondence began when he fell in love with his future wife, Karina, by letter in 2002. This led to Letters of Note, which consisted of an online museum that’s been visited more than 100 million times and the Letters of Note book, which inspired Letters Live, a star-studded live show, in which letters are brought to life on stage.
A-list actors have joined Usher to read out the letters on iconic stages in London, New York, LA, and Venice. This year, he took it to Glastonbury with Benedict Cumberbatch, Andrew Scott, and James Norton to name a few.
Throughout time and across history, humans have kept diaries – home to our deepest secrets and hopes, desires and fears.
Diaries of Note is also being performed in London this month, with actors Louise Brealey and Matt Berry, with tickets costing up to £52. Tickets for the Whitby event are just £15.
The inaugural Whitby Lit Fest, which runs from 6 to 9 November, welcomes household names alongside a celebration of the unique literary heritage of the town and diverse and thought-provoking local talent.
Alongside Miriam Margolyes and Shaun Usher, headline acts for 2025 include Sir Alan Ayckbourn, Lee Child, Rob Rinder, and Steph McGovern.
More than 50 authors are expected to descend on Whitby.
Tickets, from £5-£15 available to book online at: Whitby Lit Fest – Inspired by and Celebrating Whitby
ENDS
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Notes to Editors
Photos for press use
For higher res photos of authors:
For photos of Whitby for press use: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/m60vmh4fo0l2bt5tpqze1/AHdMBOc3l6mNwRZobuNBnwg?rlkey=0zu2mtb5kn2k2n04gnp0oxyei&dl=0 To note: The Adobe photos are licensed for unlimited web views and can be used in print to, up to 500,000 copies. The DJI photos are free to use, no credit required.
Festival logos: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/emc7hj14n8w0pofskz22h/AIsyNJYDdgfeSfs1mKn9g-w?rlkey=1i9p410jnm36f56kmiui9g1lo&dl=0
To read the Press Release on some of the local authors taking part: Whitby Takes Centre Stage at Inaugural Lit Fest | Cause UK
To read the Press Release on headline authors: Whitby Lit Fest Announce Inaugural Programme | Cause UK
The Whitby Literature Festival takes place 6–9 November 2025 at venues across Whitby.
Whitby Lit Fest exists to celebrate Whitby’s literary heritage; to connect readers with contemporary authors and poets; and to inspire residents and visitors alike.
The event is an initiative by the Whitby community, with a steering committee of local businesses The Whitby Bookshop and Hetty & Betty, alongside North Yorkshire Council Libraries, Visit North Yorkshire, and English Heritage, who look after Whitby Abbey, with support from Cause UK Public Relations and Hello Technology.