Popular Plymouth destination, Royal William Yard, is launching its first literary festival this September. Read Write Yap – a play on the site’s initials – is a month-long celebration of reading, writing and spoken word, bringing a programme of events, drop-in activities and installations to the Yard’s waterfront, outdoor spaces and historic buildings throughout the month.

The festival is rooted in place and community, with local authors, independent booksellers, spoken word artists and Plymouth-based creatives at its heart. The programme runs throughout September so visitors can dip in and out across the month – and more events are set to be added between now and the end of September.

From a short story competition for children and a mythology workshop held partly on the high seas, to book clubs with cocktails, a spoken word evening and talks for history buffs – there is something for every kind of reader, writer and listener. Among the lighter touches woven through the month: a blind date with a book stand, where mystery titles are selected by clue rather than cover, and a stick library for dogs.

It builds to a close on 27^th September with the Read Write Yap Market on The Green – a book fair from the team behind the Yard's popular Good Food and Craft Market, with independent booksellers, authors and artisans taking over the lawn for a final day of celebration.

WHAT’S ON

On all month

From 1^st September, a number of fixtures run across the Yard for the whole month:

• Second-hand bookstall, Pop-Up Shop, Unit 5, Arcade. A shifting selection of preloved titles to browse and buy throughout September.
• Blind date with a book, Pop-Up Shop, Unit 5, Arcade. Pick up a parcel wrapped in brown paper and string, read the clues – genre, mood, a hint of what's inside – and take a chance on a book you haven’t met yet. Available for a small fee.
• Big Little Story Competition, Pebble, Unit 2, Arcade. A short story competition for young writers aged 5 to 10. Two age categories, one prompt – "It all started when I found…" – and up to 250 words to run with it. Entry sheets available in store. Every child who enters receives a Storytelling Star certificate; winners take home a hamper of books and treats.
• Dog stick library, outside Nala's Pet Co, Arcade. The festival's canine-friendly offering. A dedicated spot where four-legged visitors can borrow a stick, enjoy it thoroughly and, unlike a library, keep it. No library card required!
• Hai Coo's Trail haiku display, Melville Corner. All 20 poems from Hai Coo's Trail – the public haiku installation curated by Plymouth’s Laureate of Words R.C. Thomas in conjunction with Literature Works – brought together in one place at Royal William Yard for the first time.
• 200 Exhibition, Melville Corner, daily 11am–5pm, free. Read all about it: Royal William Yard's free self-guided history exhibition brings together original documents, letters, books, photographs and personal testimonials tracing the story of the site from its origins to the present day.

Diary dates

Happening on specific dates,

• 2^nd September – Silent book club, Steel Brew, from 6.30pm, free. The festival opens with an evening of unhurried, uninterrupted reading time at the Yard's microbrewery. Bring a book or choose one from the pop-up bookshop on the night, hosted by Anywhere Booksellers. Silent reading runs 7–8pm, then the floor opens up for conversation. No need to book.
• 4^th September – A new mythology for Plymouth Sound, Royal William Yard Marina, 4–6.30pm, £5. Plymouth’s Laureate of Words R.C. Thomas takes a crew out onto Plymouth Sound to gather myths, folktales and the creatures lurking in the deep. Part onshore workshop, part boat trip, part collaborative storytelling. Open to all, families welcome, ages 8 and up.
• 4^th September – Fully Booked, The Tipple Cellar, Arcade, 6–8pm, free. The Yard's regular book club takes over The Tipple Cellar's speakeasy-style lounge for a festival edition. No set reading, no pressure – bring whatever you're reading, swap recommendations, and settle in.
• 4^th September – History cruise with Chris Robinson, Royal William Yard Marina, 6–8pm, £15pp. Plymouth historian Chris Robinson guides guests around Plymouth Sound on a narrated two-hour cruise, tracing the maritime stories that shaped the city – from the creation of Royal William Yard to Britain's naval history and beyond.
• 5^th, 8^th, 18^th and 27^th September – A maritime masterpiece, Plymouth Walking Tours, 2pm. A 70-minute guided walk through the Yard and out to the views at Devil's Point Park, taking in the Georgian architecture and naval history of one of Europe's most extraordinary listed sites.
• 7^th September – Yarns at the Yard, Steel Brew, 7–9pm. Four local writers take to the stage for an evening of live spoken word hosted by R.C. Thomas. The line-up brings together Mélisande Fitzsimons, Kate Kreke and Steve Spence – whose debut collection was shortlisted for the Forward Prize – alongside Thomas himself. Six open mic slots are available.
• 12^th–13^th September – Art Explora Mobile Museum, Royal William Yard. A mobile gallery arrives with Shaped by the Sea, a curated exhibition from the Government Art Collection featuring works by JMW Turner, Lubaina Himid, Zineb Sedira and Anya Gallaccio. Produced by Art Explora in collaboration with the Government Art Collection and MuMo. Free.
• 23^rd September – History of Stonehouse, talk by Chris Robinson, The Tipple Cellar, Arcade. Plymouth historian Chris Robinson turns his eye to the neighbourhood on the Yard's doorstep – charting Stonehouse's evolution from ancient roots and military significance through to the docks, the Blitz and post-war redevelopment.
• 25^th September onwards – Sense and Sensibility, Everyman Cinema. Jane Austen's first novel reaches the big screen in a fresh adaptation directed by Georgia Oakley and starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles. A fitting book-to-screen moment for the festival's final week.
• 26^th September – Waves of emotions: family workshop with R.C. Thomas, Mills Bakery, 10am–12pm. A playful, hands-on session combining expressive poetry with abstract art, using shape, colour and texture to explore emotion with Plymouth Sound as backdrop. Open to adults and children aged 8 and up, all abilities, all materials provided.
• 26^th September – Poetry and art workshop with Jayne Ashenbury, Mills Bakery, £30. Bring a poem – or write one on the day – and bring it to life through illustration. A creative session with acclaimed local artist Jayne Ashenbury, exploring print, paint and pattern.
• 27^th September – Read Write Yap Market, The Green, 10am–3pm, free. The grand finale. Independent booksellers, authors and book-themed artisans take over The Green for a morning of browsing and celebration, from the team behind the Yard's Good Food and Craft Market. Come for one book, leave with five.

Read Write Yap launches during the National Year of Reading, a Department for Education initiative championing reading not as obligation, but as one of life’s genuine pleasures. Royal William Yard’s new literary festival by the sea supports that as an idea worth celebrating.

Full programme details and booking links here.