Welcome to
our Festival
16-24 October 2026
Set up in 1992 to celebrate the written word
Tickets now on sale
2026 Speakers
Our 2026 Sponsors
Principal Festival Sponsor
2026 Brochure
Following a visit from A.F. Harrold:
“It was an enriching session that enhanced our pupils’ appreciation and understanding of poetry. Huge thanks to the Education Team at The Wells Festival of Literature for organising and funding this visit!”
Fairlands Middle School – Cheddar
Education projects
Wells Festival of Literature
Wells Festival of Literature is a registered charity entirely run by a committee of volunteers, funded by ticket sales, competition entries and generous local sponsors and Friends.
IN 2025
VISITORS A YEAR
News
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Advice on Allergies
Hayfever may be on the wane with the end of summer, but allergies are on the rise worldwide, and one in three UK adults experiences allergic reactions at some point during their lifetime. Broadcaster and author Rebecca Seal offers some welcome relief in her book Irritated: The Allergy Epidemic and What We Can Do About…
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A Golden Success
Best-selling author Louisa Young continues her aunt Elizabeth Jane Howard’s much-loved Cazalet Chronicles in her new novel published this month (3 Sept) and already receiving rave reviews. The Golden Hours continues three decades of the Cazalet family saga, now moved to the early 1960s, where a new generation of Cazalets is growing up in a…
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A new Normal
Comedian and poet Henry Normal is appearing at the Festival ahead of recording a new series for BBC Radio 4 where he has written and performed several shows in which he uses poetry, storytelling and comedy to explore life’s big questions. Co-writer of the award-winning Mrs Merton Show and of the BAFTA-winning Paul and Pauline…
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Longlisted for a prize
Andrea Wulf is on the longlist for The Baillie Gifford Prize 2026 announced on 3 September for her book The Traveller: The Revolutionary Life of George Forster and His Search for Humanity. The Baillie Gifford Prize rewards excellence in non-fiction writing, bringing the best in intelligent reflection on the world to new readers. Judges said…
