Welcome to
our Festival
Save the Date
16-24 October 2026
Set up in 1992 to celebrate the written word
2026 Speakers
2026 Brochure
Our 2026 Sponsors
Principal Festival Sponsor
Become A Friend – Enjoy Priority Booking 17 August
General Sales Open 24 August
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
Education projects
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
VISITORS A YEAR
News
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The pictures speak volumes
As you can probably guess from Jo Shepherd’s comprehensive pictorial round-up of our 30th Anniversary Festival, it was a record-breaking event – and hugely welcome. Although we were proud of the fact that we kept the Festival going through the past two Covid-affected ‘lean years’, we were understandably saddened by the empty seats in Cedars…
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Dotting the i i i i i i i i i i i ….. And crossing the t t t t t t t
You’ve booked your tickets, double-checked the time your event/s will start and googled how best to get to Cedars Hall!What else is there? Will there be any Covid restrictions at the Festival? There are currently no special measures in place and no requirements regarding social distancing or mask-wearing. We want everyone to feel comfortable at…
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It promises an unforgettable nine days in October
As Richard Manning, Festival Chairman, revealed first to a specially invited audience in Cedars Hall, the Festival will open with the magnificent actor Sheila Hancock talking about her Old Rage, and close with best-selling author Robert Harris on a thrilling hunt for the murderers of Charles I. Two more disparate books would be hard to find!…
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First, second and third…
The beginning of July marks a few milestones in the run up to our 30th Anniversary Festival this October. First, the anticipation of our many competition entrants has begun to bite as our panels of readers begin the difficult task of identifying the poems, short stories and books for children which deserve to be shortlisted…
