News
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Regency Romance
Regency romance is in the air and Jane Austen fans are in for a treat at this year’s Wells Festival of Literature as the nation celebrates the 250th birthday of the famous author. Comedian Rachel Parris and Austen expert Ros Ballaster are both appearing at the Festival with very different tributes to the much-loved author…
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Recipes for success
Women whose lives have been successful in wildly differing ways are just some of the highlights of this year’s Festival. Among them is Prue Leith, a surprise pop-up visitor last year after fellow cook Sophie Grigson’s Italian-flavoured presentation. This year Prue is herself a Festival headliner, bringing some welcome advice from her latest book Life’s…
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Winning story
A speaker at last year’s Wells Festival of Literature has been awarded this year’s Women’s prize for nonfiction for her moving book The Story of a Heart. Dr Rachel Clarke, a specialist in end-of-life care, appeared at the Festival in 2024 where she gave a heartwarming account of two nine-year-old children and the lifesaving journey…
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Survival, spies and justice
Wells Festival of Literature this year plays its part in commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War with gripping accounts from two authors of survival and espionage. A third writer brings a current message of hope in the battle for justice and holding war criminals to account. Historian Anne Sebba,…
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A taste of things to Come
Fermented foods, late love and an elephant trek are just some of the intriguing range of topics that mark the first weekend of Wells Festival of Literature in October. Among the speakers are Professor Tim Spector on a mission to bring the art of fermenting into our lives and kitchens with a new book Ferment…
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Poetry Play Kits Shared
Wells Festival of Literature Education Team has bought 17 of these amazing Poetry Play Kits by past Children’s Poet Laureate, Joseph Coelho. They make poetry fun and are packed with games and activities for ages 6+. The kits will be making their way to 3 local schools, this is just one of our many new…
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Join the dig!
Palaeontologist, Professor Danielle Schreve (University of Bristol), is to be guest speaker at our special launch event at Wells Festival of Literature. She will give a fascinating account of the finds from an excavation project at Gully Cave in nearby Ebbor Gorge. The talk takes place on the evening of 8 July and is by…
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International Competitions Open
1 April to 30 June 2025 The International Competitions are open – no April Fool’s Day this – but a reminder that you have just three months in which to enter if you want the chance of becoming one of this year’s winners. The clock starts ticking from today 1 April until 5pm on 30…
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Success Story
An author who was twice shortlisted in the Short Story competition is about to see publication of his debut novel The Margaret Code. Richard Hooton entered the competition seven years ago with two stories – both shortlisted – which gave him the confidence to continue writing. These were Mr Flint and the Fire, and The…
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Poetry motivator
Reading and writing motivator Joffre White, author of Aura Boy, spent a happy time at Longvernal Primary in Midsomer Norton earlier this month where his workshop enthused the youngsters. The class teacher thanked Wells Festival of Literature for organising the event, saying “Joffre was absolutely brilliant and a very lovely man. The children had a…
