Welcome to
our Festival


16-24 October 2026

Set up in 1992 to celebrate the written word

Tickets now on sale

2026 Speakers

  • Patrick Gale

    Fiction

  • Stephen Sackur

    Current Affairs

  • Katja Hoyer

    History

  • Adrian Wooldridge

    Current Affairs

  • Louisa Young

    Literature

  • Jess Venner

    History

  • Jonathan Dimbleby

    Current Affairs

  • Martin Sixsmith

    Current Affairs

  • Martin Gayford

    Art

  • Rachel Seiffert

    Literature

  • Richard Elwes

    Science

  • Rory Cormac

    Current Affairs

  • Wells Literary Quiz

    Quiz

  • International Competitions

    International Competitons

  • Damien Lewis

    History

  • Peter Ormerod

    Music

  • Elizabeth Goldring

    Art

  • Daisy Fancourt

    Health

  • Arthur Snell

    Current Affairs

  • Sophia Smith Galer

    Language

  • Sara Wheeler

    Biography

  • Florence Hazrat

    Literature

  • Oz Clarke

    Food and Drink

  • Henry Normal

    Poetry

  • Amy Jeffs

    History

  • Gavin Francis

    Health

  • Oliver Bullough

    Current Affairs

  • Kate Williams

    History

  • Rebecca Seal

    Health

  • Dan Cruickshank

    Art

  • Andrea Wulf

    Biography

  • Ping Coombes

    Food

  • Nicholas Crane

    Travel

  • Lady Hale

    Current Affairs

  • Cathy Rentzenbrink

    Health/Centenary

  • Blake Morrison

    Memoir

  • Maggie Aderin

    Memoir

Our 2026 Sponsors

Principal Festival Sponsor

2026 Brochure

Download PDF Brochure View Digital 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.

SPENT IN 2025 ON PROJECTS IN LOCAL SCHOOLS
CHILDREN INVOLVED
IN 2025
EVENTS
HAPPY FESTIVAL
VISITORS A YEAR

News

  • 2019 Festival: Change of Speaker

    We are sorry to report that Peter Hennessy, who was due to speak at a Literary Lunch on Friday 25 October, has had to pull out of the Festival for health reasons. Lord Hennessy was due to discuss his book Winds of Change with Festival Patron William Waldegrave and we are very grateful to Lord…

  • 2019 Festival: Additional tit-bits!

    Our 29th Festival will be jam-packed with appetising events – including a mouth-watering discussion between Felicity Cloake and Caroline Waldegrave at 10.30am on Saturday 26 October: One more Croissant for the Road. Other appetising attractions include our Literary Lunches which take place in the Dining Hall, a short stroll across from Cedars Hall. The speaker…

  • 2019 Festival: Change of Speaker

    We are sorry to report that Kamal Ahmed, who was due to speak in Wells on Saturday 19 October at 7.30pm, has had to pull out of the Festival for personal reasons. In his place we are delighted to have engaged Steve Richards the popular TV presenter and political columnist who regularly presents The Week…

  • 2019 Festival: Updates to the Programme

    Ticket sales for the forthcoming Festival are selling fast with Chris Patten’s First Confession now sold out and several other events looking set to reach sell-out point before long. The grand finale featuring Roger McGough and Little Machine already has limited tickets left, and the signs are Kate Humble will be in that position soon.…

Competitions
Education
Friends
  • Nick Trend with visitor
  • Physics Students meet Frank Close