Welcome to
our Festival
Set up in 1992 to celebrate the written word
See you in 2027
Education projects
News
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Women Take to the BBC
Four of our fascinating female speakers who are appearing at this year’s Festival are currently featured on BBC Radio Sounds. Catch novelist Louisa Young in Radio 3’s Private Passions – available until 15 October – where you clan listen to her tracklist of music. Family is at the heart of her work, and her first…
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Repertoire Of Rice
Foodies will get the chance to explore delicious rice-based recipes with Malaysian-born chef Ping Coombes at the Festival’s Saturday morning cookery slot. In her new book called simply Rice, Ping – who is a TV MasterChef Champion of Champions, and who now lives locally – sets rice at the heart of the table with dishes…
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Andrea On Award List
Multi award-winning Andrea Wulf is now on the shortlist for the Baillie Gifford 2026 Prize, joining five other authors in line for the top prize of £50,000. Andrea was previously longlisted for the award in 2008 and has now received a second recognition for The Traveller. This is a biography which traces the life of…
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Curiosity of the Mind
More than a quarter of young people in the UK now suffer a mental disorder, while one in four adults are prescribed psychiatric medication. But Gavin Francis, a doctor and award-winning writer, says the huge expansion in mental health labelling reveals nothing of the experience of those seeking help. In The Unfragile Mind: Making Sense…
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
Our 2026 Sponsors
Principal Festival Sponsor
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
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