Are you in need of some ideas for what to write about in November? After a busy October with familiar topics such as Oktoberfest, half-term and Halloween to cover, you may now be struggling for what to write about in the penultimate month of the year. To help, we have put together a list for you, including what is usually trending on the Journalist Enquiry Service for this month.

What to cover right now?

The whole of the month is Movember, with the primary focus being to grow a moustache throughout November. This yearly event has been running for just over twenty years now and aims to raise awareness of men’s health. An interview with an expert around men’s mental health or signs to look out for when it comes to prostate or testicular cancer would tie in with this.

If you hadn’t already remembered, the 5 November is Bonfire Night in the UK. Hundreds of towns and cities will be lighting up bonfires or putting on spectacular firework displays to celebrate the occasion. You could look to do a feature on some of the best places to go or get a historian to delve into the origins of Guy Fawkes night.

For any food and drink journalists wondering what to cover this month, then 3 November is National Sandwich Day. This is a great opportunity to write a feature on the classic British food that is the humble sandwich, recommending unusual flavours and combinations to try or suggesting nearby cafes and shops that specialise in this lunchtime treat.

What’s coming up?

You know the festive season isn’t far away when places like Winter Wonderland and Christmas at Kew open their doors. Both will be doing so on 14 November with the former running until 1 January and the latter until 4 January. A feature on what a day out at these two major attractions are like would make for an interesting feature article or send a request and get information about the festive experiences from around the rest of the UK.

Sticking with that Christmas theme, a lot of people get their shopping done on Black Friday – which this year falls on 28 November. Hundreds of retailers will be slashing prices on products both in-store and online. Get a list together of some of the best deals that are going to be on offer or speak to a retail expert about how much consumers are really saving on these items .

How much people can spend on events like Black Friday might be heavily impacted by the announcements in the Autumn Budget on 26 November. The Labour Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is expected to raise taxes and cut spending, meaning more money concerns ahead of Winter. You may look to speak to a case study about how the financial changes will affect them or grab an expert to talk to from our list of personal finance aficionados about ways people can save money. 

Still stuck? Here are common trends from the Journalist Enquiry Service for November

While Winter doesn’t officially start until December, requests are already coming in for the change of season. In November 2024, over 4% of all requests featured ‘Winter’ within them and it was the same in 2023 at just under 4%. These enquiries can vary from looking for gardening tips to the latest fashion trends or the home improvements you should be doing for these colder months.

Gift guide requests also prove very popular during this month. Last year 7.5% of the total enquiries were looking for products for a ‘gift guide’ and there was also over 6% back in November 2023 as well. While generic requests tend to focus on ‘for him’, ‘for her’ and ‘for the kids’, you could look at some alternative ideas such as gifts for pets and animals or perhaps for someone that has a particular passion, like running or make-up.

Finally, looking ahead even further, the upcoming new year starts to feature in a lot of requests. In November 2024, ‘2025’ cropped up in over 7% of the total enquiries. This will be likely to happen again this year, albeit with ‘2026’ being the focus this time. Again these requests can vary greatly in topic, covering everything from the best travel destinations for the new year to predicting fitness trends.

Looking to get features for 2026 before the end of 2025? The Journalist Enquiry Service can help you tick that off the to-do list by sending out a request to the category most relevant to your work. There is also the Press Release Wire too, if it’s just stats and information that you are in need of.