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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2019 Competitions: It’s Time to Enter
Spring is here – and so are the Festival’s hugely popular International Competitions. This year once again we are running four categories so there is a chance for all to get involved – wherever your particular talent lies, and whatever your age. We have some eminent names on our judging panel and are confident of…
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2019 Festival: Dates Confirmed
After the success of our 2018 Festival, our audiences can rest assured that our 27th festival will not disappoint. It will begin on Friday 18 October and end on Saturday 26 October with a ground-breaking finale that promises to be a sell-out. In between those two days will be a week packed with a range…
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A Celebration of Words
The 26th Wells Festival of Literature proved to be a celebration of words like never before. Our iconic quotation marks were seen all over the county, heralding the 2018 Festival’s brilliant mix of topics in a quirky and unforgettable way. What had not been anticipated was how quickly our audiences, and our speakers, would want…
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2018 Festival: Gets off to a Great Start
The 26th Festival has got off to a great start! David Runciman got the ball rolling with his magnificently delivered talk on how close we are coming to losing our democracy, followed by Sarah Churchwell’s somewhat different, but equally riveting, take on the current situation in America… This ground-breaking opening night was followed by an…