Save the Date
16-24 October 2026

Our 2021 International Competitions got off to a racing start on 1 April with over 30 entries arriving in the first couple of days. Yet again it looks as though the adjective ‘international’ was aptly chosen: there are poems, short stories and books for children coming from all over the place – and covering a…

Ever since 2014 the Wells Festival of Literature has been recognised by its iconic green and yellow apostrophes.  Now the Festival has reinvigorated those well-known literary markers, making them bolder and brighter yet still a perfect reminder of what our Festival is all about: namely a celebration of the written word. This innovative departure for…

With the 2020 Festival over, and the streamed events all watched, our other book business began: the business of inspiring a love of literature in the younger generation. Funding virtual author talks in local schools has been an important feature of our work this year – but there was nothing virtual about the books we…

Professor Helen Taylor was a speaker and an interviewer in Wells this year. She describes the experience: As I struggled into a pair of sleek satin tights on a Tuesday morning, I realised I hadn’t worn a skirt or dressed smartly for over eight months. It was a wet October day and I was off…