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Suffolk Book League was founded in 1982 and has since then introduced a varied programme of novelists, historians, poets, journalists, biographers and social commentators to speak in Suffolk. Our Honorary President is Dame Margaret Drabble.
The use of ‘League’ might suggest a competitive element or, perhaps an exclusive club but everyone is welcome to come to our events. Audience members often haven’t read the books that our guests talk about and there’s absolutely no pressure to talk. You don’t have to be a member to attend but membership allows discounted tickets. Students are offered a special ticket price.
We publish BookTalk, a regular online journal which features book reviews and recommendations from visiting authors, local literary events and other bookish news. We are always pleased to publicise and share interesting literary-related stories.
Our longstanding collaboration is with the Ipswich Institute where most of our events take place and we actively support their biennial New Angle Prize and the Creative Suffolk Award which the Institute runs in partnership with the University of Suffolk. We are closely involved with the English and Creative writing programmes at the University. This year we have been working to set up a new initiative in association with the Eastern Angles Centre; some of our 2025 events will take place in their theatre. Check the SBL website for updates about this exciting development.
We are hugely grateful for the support of Andrew Marsh and Jonesy from Dial Lane Books, Ipswich. As well as providing books for our events, Andrew does great work for the burgeoning reading and writing community in Suffolk.
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SBL is involved with various local charities. We continue our sponsorship the Dissertation in English Prize at the University of Suffolk as well as awards for young readers in the Suffolk Schools Mastermind Competition
In 2025 we are delighted to be supporting ‘Let’s Talk Reading’, an organisation that aims to help literacy for people of all ages in our community. Volunteers are needed for their projects.
If you’d like to learn more, see the ‘Let’s Talk Reading’ piece in our spring 2024 issue of BookTalk
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The SBL is a registered charity (# 296783), the aim of which is to promote, encourage, foster or strengthen by all and every suitable means the habit of reading and the wider and more general distribution of books, by and among all people. You can read more about us including our Constitution by visiting the Charities Commission website. ​​​​
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