Mike Hext runs Robertsbridge jazz club, won the first ever BBC Young Musician of the Year in 1978 and is principal trombone at the Royal Opera House. Geoff Mason is a freelance musician playing with the 606 Club Big Band, the Ronnie Scott Big band, Paul Booth's “Bansangu Orchestra”, The Squadronaires, and The Len Philips Big band. Recording session work includes the soundtrack of the British film “Grow your Own” and the BBC drama “The Debt”. John Donaldson Since 2016, he has been Pete Brown's writing partner and musical director, collaborating as producer, co-writer and musical director on Pete's last album 'The Shadow Club' which features Eric Clapton, Joe Bonomassa, Arthur Brown, Bobby Rush, Bernie Marsden, Carla Olson, Matt Schofield and many more. He also wrote string arrangements and appeared with Pete on 'Heavenly Cream '. Roger Carey has had a long association with the band Steeleye Span – having formed a duo with fiddle player Peter Knight in the 1980s and played alongside drummer Liam Genockey on numerous occasions. He is probably best known for touring throughout the UK, Europe, USA and Canada with multi award winning pianist Liane Carroll, to whom he is married.

A big Welcome back and thank you to The Other Band. This is a fundraiser gig for Warming Up the Homeless. Please give generously if you can!

Singer Songwriter night. Konarucchi Shinks Inspired by the classic blues and folk guitar players, but living in the 21st century. What’s left is a reflection on our times through the inflections of the past

Colin Brush - Trainer at Penguin Books - Pitching Fiction Writer Boot Camp Sunday 14th September 10 - 12.  (12 places available - this course requires participants to bring along a lap top or iPad which can be connected by wifi). Telling Better Stories: How to pitch your novel A publishing copywriter's workshop to help you write compellingly about your novel or short story collection. Whether you're looking for help with your shout-line, elevator pitch, or want to know how to structure or add excitement to your blurb, Colin Brush, copywriter and blurb-writing trainer at Penguin Books for the last 25 years and writer of over 5,000 book blurbs, will provide examples, tips, tricks, ideas and exercises to help make the process of pitching your book as much fun as writing the story itself. Includes: Find your book's backbone. Uncover your story's tensions and hooks. Understand how different story types and blurb openings change your story pitch. Discover how to get some distance from your story. £5 morning ticket includes any coffee tea, hot chocolate or any soft drink

Acting Up! (Part of Hastings Book Festival Fringe) To perform ‘One in the eye’ outside Barnaby’s Lounge Sunday 14th September 12 -12.30 "Acting Up" is a small theatrical drama group who stage light-hearted narrative rhyming poetry in pantomime style with a local focus.  Previous performances include "From Bixlei to Bexhill"; and "The Beast of Bexhill". Writer and local poet Claire Baldry is currently writing a 1066 themed piece especially for The Hastings Fringe entitled "One in the Eye". Audience participation in the form of booing and hissing will be encouraged.

Lynda Murray Trio with special guest Naomi Kilby on Vocals This is a repeat of their beautiful concert in St Clements Church Hastings Old Town last month. Adrian York piano and Paul Whitten double bass. Lynda’s daughter Naomi Kilby will be singing some love songs. Naomi is a classical concert/opera singer based in London. Since she was 17 she has sat in with Lynda’s group and treated audiences to the delights of her voice. Lynda - saxes Paul - Double bass Adrian - piano

Not your traditional Ukulele band…playing a variety of contemporary music and most importantly having fun!

Sunday 14th September 7 - 9 pm (As Part of Hastings Book Festival Fringe) The Hastings Literary Lounge invite you to join them in their home at Barnaby’s bar for an evening of strange stories, thought- provoking poetry and maybe even a song or two. Please join us for a veritable smorgasbord of literary delights! FREE EVENT. Please take a moment to register for a free ticket so that we know you're coming.

Monday 15th September 7 - 9 (as part of Hastings Book Festival Fringe). Storytelling Session Hosted by Much Loved Author VG Lee The Bexhill Quills are a group of writers based in Bexhill on Sea. Some are published, some aspire to be published, and some write purely as a hobby. However, they all enjoy writing and support each other to create a wide variety of poetry and prose. The Bexhill Quills meet regularly for workshops and twice yearly for their very popular Writers Café. They will be reading some of their short stories to amuse and entertain.           Glyn Carter will read stories from old Albion: tales of gods, kings and giants. These are the ancient but forgotten origin myths of Albion and Britain, which are surprisingly relevant in today's world. Glyn is a local writer whose fantasy novel Gog-Magog waspublished last year. Writing as Geoff Carthy, he has also published a historical novel A Traitor's Son,  with another two coming in September 2025, all set in the tumultuous half-century leading up to 1066. Glyn's play Carabiners won The Stables New Writing Competition this year, for production in 2026. Anna Corbett will read from her novel ‘I […]

Writer’s Cafe - Tuesday 16th and Thursday 18th September 3 - 5pm (As Part of Hastings Book Festival Fringe) Come and write with us! A co-working club and writing snug every Tue & Thu, 3-5 pm, at Barnaby's Bar. Two hours quiet working - set your intention - make progress on your projects then join us for a drink downstairs. It's free, but please register as space is limited.  https://lu.ma/WritersCafe

Poetry for the People - Unleash the joy of poetry Tuesday 16th September 7 - 9 (As Part of Hastings Book Festival Fringe) A vibrant collective of poets with a mission to demystify poetry through the telling of relatable poems that resonate with everyday experiences. Their warm welcoming approach turns skeptics into enthusiasts, proving poetry can be for everyone. Members will be reading a range of accessible poetry written as part of the group. Group member, Miriam Logan, will present her latest work Elixir. Miriam Logan comes to the arts from a background in the healing profession, where for many years she worked as a Mediator while also writing a book entitled The Art of Easing Conflict. After receiving an MA in Aesthetics she began to see that a quest for fairness, which is central to mediation, might even be a quest for a natural sort of beauty. Since then she has written and painted constantly. Elixir, which she will launch on September 16th at Barnaby's  is her third book in which she combines images and words, all of them grappling with the idea of valuing difference and seeing it as central to creative outcomes. Della Reynolds, founding member of […]

Journaling for Writers Workshop 12 places available. £5 morning ticket includes any coffee tea, hot chocolate or any soft drink Journaling isn’t just for wellbeing. It can help you get unstuck, poke into your work in progress and revitalise your mindset about your writing project. This workshop offers timed journaling exercises to have you thinking afresh about your work. Suitable for anyone in the thick of a writing project!