Welcome To Our Festival

Save the date
17-25 October 2025

Welcome to the Wells Festival of Literature, set up in 1992 to celebrate the written word and to encourage the love of books.

Competition Shortlists Revealed

2025 Speakers

  • Tim Spector

    Food

  • Sebastian Faulks

    Memoir

  • Edward St Aubyn

    Fiction

  • Dan Richards

    Life-style

  • Sumit Paul-Choudhury

    Philosophy

  • Sophy Roberts

    Travel

  • Horatio Clare

    Current Affairs

  • Gina Rippon

    Science

  • Nick Trend

    Art

  • Mike Berners-Lee

    Environment

  • Lamorna Ash

    Religion

  • Wells Literary Quiz

    Quiz

  • Howard Jacobson

    Fiction

  • Midge Gillies

    History

  • Masud Husain

    Science

  • International Competitions

  • Simon Kuper

    Sport

  • Carol Klein

    Gardening

  • Tim Willasey-Wilsey

    History

  • Stuart Maconie

    Music

  • Selena Wisnom

    History

  • Lucy Mangan

    Literature

  • Tim Bouverie

    History

  • Emily Hauser

    History/Literature

  • Anne Sebba

    History/Music

  • Steve Crawshaw

    Current Affairs

  • Andrew Lownie

    Current Affairs

  • James Canton

    Environment

  • Frank Close

    Science

  • Iain Dale

    Current Affairs

  • Christopher Summerfield

    Science

  • Prue Leith

    Food

  • Ros Ballaster

    Literature

  • Tim Minshall

    Science

  • Luke Pepera

    History

  • Lyse Doucet

    Current Affairs

  • Rachel Parris

    Literature/Comedy

News for 2025

  • Poetry’s Most Coveted Award

    Huge congratulations to forthcoming Festival speaker Liz Berry who has won the Forward Prize in the category ‘best single poem’….

  • Holiday Reading

    Now that the holiday season is here and the glorious sunshine is begging to be soaked up in the company…

  • A Festival Garden Event that Blossomed

    When Michael and Anne Heseltine were delayed on their way to speak to last October’s Festival audience about the creation…

  • 2018 Pre-Festival Event: For Friends and Supporters

    If you have ever considered becoming a Friend of the Festival, but never quite got round to it, now is…

Thank you to all our 2025 Sponsors

Principal Sponsor

Amba Wells
Basil Powell Shoes
Charlie Bigham’s
Chris & Rosie Inge
Clair Watson
Eleanor Decamp
Golden Bottle Trust
John Jackson

Justin Ash
Lodestone Property
Millfield School
Priory Dental
Rathbones
Roby Littman Foundation
Wells Cathedral School
Westholme Publishing

Thank you also to our patrons: The Rt. Hon. Lord Waldegrave of North Hill and Lady Waldegrave and
Festival Associates: James Coomarasamy, Sarah LeFanu, David Lister, Andrew Miller, Stephen Moss and Julia Samuel.

Competitions
Education
Friends

Wells Festival of Literature
Celebrating its 33rd Year in 2025

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.

EVENTS
HAPPY FESTIVAL
VISITORS A YEAR
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
DISTRIBUTED IN 2024
CHILDREN INVOLVED
IN 2024


“It was a joy to be part of the Festival.
I was so impressed by the engagement of the audience and by the knowledge and passion of this year’s
interviewers and speakers.”  

Susie Dent – 2024