Bookshaped
Book festivals. Event programming. Publishing. Publicity.
Bringing books, ideas and audiences together
Bookshaped is an independent literary consultancy specialising in festival programming, live events and cultural projects.
Led by Colin Midson, whose career spans nearly three decades in publishing and literary festivals, Bookshaped works with festivals, publishers, venues and cultural organisations to create events that entertain, challenge and inspire.
From programming established festivals to developing new ones from scratch, we combine creative ambition with a practical understanding of what makes events work.
Expertise
Festival Programming
Great festivals combine a strong sense of place with a curiosity about the wider world. We develop distinctive programmes that bring together celebrated names, emerging voices and unexpected ideas, balancing creative ambition with audience appeal and commercial realities.
Festival & Event Development
From the first idea to the opening event, we help organisations create festivals and cultural programmes with a clear identity and purpose. Our experience encompasses programming, partnerships, fundraising, ticketing, marketing and production.
Publishing & Publicity
With senior experience at Bloomsbury, Granta, Atlantic and Oneworld, we bring an insider's understanding of publishing to publicity strategy, author events and special projects. We also collaborate with experienced publishing professionals on editorial and non-fiction development.
Festivals & Projects
Port Eliot Festival (2013–2019)
Apollo 50 & Goonhilly 60 (2019–2022)
Literary programming, including two years as creative director.
Programming and development for anniversary festivals at Goonhilly Earth Station.
Charleston Festival (2021–2026)
Falmouth Book Festival (2021–present)
Literary and ideas programming.
Founded, directed and programmed the festival, including a year-round series of events.
Rock Oyster Festival (2023–2026)
Big Brue Festival (2026)
Conceived and programmed the Deep Dive stage.
Co-directed and programmed the inaugural festival at Hauser & Wirth Somerset.
Rock Oyster Festival
Falmouth Book Festival
Charleston Festival
What People Say
“Having Colin Midson lead you on a book tour is like having a very smart friend who tells you everything you need to know - and allows you to relax and enjoy discoveries along the way.”
Gloria Steinem
“Colin does his job superbly. I would hire him and recommend him to others without hesitation.”
Anne-Marie Slaughter
“I worked with Colin on several books and each was a strong success. You do need to know that Colin is the funnest publicist I’ve ever worked with.”