Durham Book Festival’s Big Read is back, and we are encouraging readers across the region to read and discuss the same brilliant book to celebrate the National Year of Reading.
We are delighted to announce that the Sunday Times number one bestselling novel The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley is our 2026 Big Read. We will distribute 3000 free copies of The Hunting Party to libraries, businesses, hospitals and to students across County Durham, Sunderland, and Newcastle, as well as working with Durham’s library service to offer reading groups and workshops in local communities. Whether reading is part of your everyday routine or you’ve not read in years, the Big Read is the perfect opportunity to rediscover and share the joy of reading with likeminded people across the North East.
Set in a remote hunting lodge, deep in the Scottish wilderness, this locked-room mystery sees a group of old friends gather to celebrate the New Year, but before their trip ends, one of their party is dead and everyone is a suspect.
Lucy Foley will discuss The Hunting Party, and her latest novel, Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel, which sees her picking up Agatha Christie’s reigns 50 years on, in a brand-new Miss Marple mystery. Expect a new cast of delightfully complex characters, with the shrewd eye and sharp wit from the Miss Marple we all know and love.
Lucy Foley is the bestselling author of seven novels, including The Paris Apartment, The Midnight Feast, and The Guest List which was a Reese’s Book Club pick. As a lifelong Agatha Christie fan, Lucy has also contributed to the short story anthology, Marple. Lucy is a graduate of Durham University.
Tickets
£5 and £5 Livestream
