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
-
Top marks
The Festival’s Education Team brings quite a buzz to book learning with its year-round projects in local schools. These include numerous book donations to school libraries, funding Coram Beanstalk reading helpers in seven local schools, and even organising weekly poems on a postcard being sent to schools by poet A.F. Harrold. This year the team…
-
High Sheriff award
Wells Festival of Literature has been granted the High Sheriff of Somerset award for its “great and valuable services to the community”. Janet Montgomery, who is the current High Sheriff of Somerset, presented the award to Festival chairman Richard Manning earlier this month, saying: “The Festival is a real gem of Somerset and you are…
-
authors shortlisted
Horatio Clare and Lyse Doucet, who both appeared at this year’s Festival, are on the Nero Book Awards 2025 Non Fiction shortlist. They join two other authors shortlisted in this category – James Fox and Sarah Perry – and the winner will be announced on 13 January 2026. Clare, an award-winning author and journalist, uncovers…
-
Festival Success
Stimulating speakers and record ticket sales made the 2025 Festival the best year ever with several authors attracting capacity audiences. Sell-outs included novelist Sebastian Faulks and health guru Tim Spector on the opening night, a literary lunch with gardener Carol Klein, and fascinating stories of Afghanistan by war correspondent Lyse Doucet on the final day.…
