Welcome to
our Festival
Save the Date
16-24 October 2026
Set up in 1992 to celebrate the written word
Wells Festival of Literature
Celebrating its 34th Year in 2026
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
Education projects
Fleur Hitchcock visits Longvernal Primary
Dicheat School Book Club meet to discuss The Somerset Tsunami by Emma Carroll
St John’s enjoy a visit from Tracey Corderoy
Wookey Sch reading their new books
Waterstones visit by Bishop Henderson Sch
Emily Lloyd-Gale at St John’s
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
News
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2020 Festival: Reaching New Audiences
This year’s record-breaking International Competitions (most ever entries, biggest prize-money) have been leading the way for our 2020 Festival by attracting more entries from more countries than ever before. And with October not far away, our plans for the Festival itself look set to copy that pattern by also making our superb programme more widely…
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2020 Festival: Book Group Event Confirmed
We are delighted to announce that Max Porter will be our author for the Festival’s ever popular Book Group Event, due to take place at 2.30pm on Sunday 18 October. Max’s first book Grief is the Thing with Feathers attracted a string of accolades and awards, including Young Writer of the Year. His second, Lanny,…
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2020 Festival: First Speaker Announced
With the current situation still so uncertain, we would like to reassure you of one certainty: our intention is still to hold our annual festival – our 28th – one way or another. We have already almost finalised the programme and to illustrate our determination, we are announcing one of our speakers here and now!…
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2020 International Competitions: Now Open
The first day of April is a very familiar date! But as far as Wells Festival of Literature is concerned, that’s because it’s the day our competitions traditionally open. And this year, despite all the change and uncertainty around us, is no exception – we are delighted to declare our competitions officially open. Entries can…