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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Football season kicks off
As the football season kicks off this month, the Festival is delighted to host two of the sports greatest fans. Author Simon Kuper, who has attended every World Cup since 1990, will be discussing the biggest sporting competition on earth with well-known BBC Radio Somerset sports presenter Charlie Taylor. Kuper’s new book World Cup Fever is…
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Royal Revelations
Searing revelations about Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson have stirred up a storm of interest in biographer Andrew Lownie’s latest book Entitled. Royal watchers are snapping up tickets to hear the inside story from the author himself when he appears at the Festival on 23 October. Lownie spent four years interviewing hundreds of…
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A strange journey into history
Sophy Roberts, a speaker at this year’s Festival, is on the shortlist of the 2025 Wainwright prize for conservation writing for her latest book A Training School for Elephants. Following in the footsteps of four elephants shipped from India to the East African coast in 1879, she explores colonial greed and human-animal relationships through both…
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Festival supports Wells Ecoweek
Health, climate change and conservation are all hot topics, and not only is the Festival hosting three speakers on relevant subjects this year, but it is pleased to support Wells Ecoweek. This is an event organised by the Wells Environment Network to raise awareness in the city of the need to protect and conserve our…
