Welcome to
our Festival
16-24 October 2026
Set up in 1992 to celebrate the written word
Tickets now on sale
2026 Speakers
Our 2026 Sponsors
Principal Festival Sponsor
2026 Brochure
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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Prizes for Young Poets
This is the last call for entries to the Young Poets competition which will close on 31 July. Entrants must be aged between 16 and 22. Extra time has been given this year to allow for summer exams, so there are just a few weeks left to polish up those entries. The other three categories…
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Palestine Revisited
A new edition of The Palestinians, by journalist and filmmaker Jonathan Dimbleby, with photographs by the internationally-acclaimed photojournalist Don McCullin, is an update on the book that was published in 1980. Illustrated by photographs of the current devastation, Dimbleby argues that the issue of the Palestinian people and their quest for a homeland is even…
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BBC’s Ed pulls out
Edward Stourton, a regular presenter on the BBC’s Radio 4 World at One programme, has pulled out of this year’s Festival because of an ongoing health issue. He was due to appear to discuss his new book Made in America, which offers a fascinating and dark retelling of US history with lessons for the present.…
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Lady Hale on the Law
Lady Hale, also known as Spider Woman thanks both to her iconic brooch and to her acclaimed memoir of the same name, returns to the Festival with a new book, With the Law on Our Side. She was last here in 2024 in conversation with solicitor Harriet Wistrich, and is now back in her own…
