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Frequently Asked Questions – 2024

Here are some of the questions that we are often asked. If you have a query that is not answered below, please email your question to admin@wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk      

How much are the tickets for the Festival?

General Admission:                                        £10
Student Admission:                                         £6
Friends Admission Price with 10% discount  £9 
Literary Lunches:                                            £10 (no booking fee)

Literary Quiz (teams of 6 preferably)             £12 per person (includes sandwiches)

There is a booking charge of 10% per ticket, which will be added to your purchase at checkout. (Student booking charge 60p. Friends booking charge 90p.) In common with most booking platforms, the ticketing site for Cedars Hall, Tixly, adds a booking /administration charge to the price of a ticket.

New offer: Buy 11 tickets for the price of 10.

How can I become a Friend of Wells Festival of Literature?

More information: Friends of Wells Festival of Literature

How do I receive my Friend’s booking benefits?

In order to get the benefits of your Festival Membership you will be required to take a few simple steps to register on the new Cedars Hall ticketing system. It is important to note that you will not be able to purchase early bird tickets from the 29th July unless you have done this and are logged in.

Once you have done this you will be registered on the system and will automatically get your discounts at the checkout.

If you have any issues with the process please contact the box office and who will be happy to help. 01749 834483 (weekdays 9.30am to 12.30pm)

When and where will brochures be available?

Brochures will be sent by post to Friends and sponsors. They will also be available at various locations in and around Wells and the surrounding area, including libraries, information centres, shops, pubs etc. Please look out for them from the end of July! The 2024 Festival programme is also available online.

How do I book a ticket for the Festival?

On our website: www.wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk (you will be directed to Tixly, the ticketing site for Cedars Hall once you have made your choices)

Via the box office telephone line: 01749 834483 (weekdays 9.30am to 12.30pm)
Any unsold tickets will be available ‘on the door’ at Cedars Hall prior to each event. Payment by cash or card.

I would like to attend an event but forgot to book. Is it too late? 

Unless an event is sold out, tickets will be on sale in the usual way until 4pm the previous day. For events taking place at the weekend this is 4pm on the Friday.  Any remaining tickets will then be on the door, on the day. Details of available tickets will be on a board in the Cedars Hall foyer.

I am attending a Literary Lunch and forgot to advise anyone of my dietary requirements? 

If you have a lunch ticket, please make sure the catering staff are aware of any special needs by informing the booking office as soon as possible: boxoffice@cedarshallwells.co.uk / 01749 834483   

How long is each event?

Each event lasts an hour, including approximately 15-20 minutes for questions. The Poetry Reading and Prize Giving event lasts for three hours.

How do we ask questions to the author during their event?

The email system introduced during Covid for asking questions proved so successful we have decided to retain it. So, remember your smartphone!  You will then be able to submit questions to the speaker via the event chair. Instructions will be displayed at every event and the login details will stay the same throughout the Festival. 

What happens if the event is cancelled?

If any event is cancelled for whatever reason, ticket-holders will be given a full refund.

Where do events take place?

All Festival events apart from the Literary Quiz are held in Cedars Hall, a state-of-the-art performance venue which is a short walk from the centre of Wells and close to several car parks – see map for details. Cedars Hall is situated in Wells Cathedral School and can be accessed on foot either from The Liberty or from the main gate in College Road. Please note that there is no public access via the service gate at the Bristol Hill junction of New Street and Mountery Road.

Literary Lunches take place in the Dining Room of Cedars House, opposite Cedars Hall. 

Where does the quiz take place?

The quiz is held at The Swan Hotel in Wells. Tickets are purchased in the same way as the events at Cedars Hall.  

Is there wheelchair access?

There is wheelchair access to Cedars Hall. Wheelchair seats can be selected at checkout along with a Wheelchair Companion seat.

How do I get a hearing loop seat?

Cedars Hall has a hearing support system that is fully compatible with modern hearing aids. Details are available on the Cedars Hall website. Please click here to view. They can also be found in the Festival foyer. Please ask a steward on the door for a receiver that will enable you to access the hearing system.

Is the seating in Cedars Hall numbered or reserved?

All tickets will be for numbered seats and will be allocated at time of purchase.

Will there be a Festival Book shop?

Waterstones will be running a pop-up shop in the Drawing and Morning Rooms in Cedars House which is across the green from Cedars Hall.

Will speakers be signing their books after the event?

The speaker will be in the Festival Book shop, pen poised! Clear signs will point you in the right direction. 

Can I buy books by authors other than the ones featured in their events?

Depending on space and availability, Waterstones will be selling a selection of books from all speakers. There is also a facility to buy books online from this website in each event’s information section.

I have tickets for two consecutive events. Will refreshments be on sale at Cedars Hall? 

A selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, daily soups and sandwiches, crisps, individual portions of cheese and crackers, cakes, chocolates, and ice creams will be available in the foyer of Cedars Hall.  It will be open one hour before each event every day. In the evenings it will close when the last event starts. 

SOUL DOUGH PIZZA VAN NEW FOR 2024:  Enjoy fresh wood fired pizzas crafted in the popular ‘Souldough’  van just outside Cedars Hall, which you can then enjoy in the foyer.   

Souldough will be open from 5-9pm, 21-24 October in between the busy evening talks. The van will be closed on Friday 25 October, but back for the last night of the Festival Saturday 26 October. To pre-book call or message 07759137582

View their website for the menu selection, www.souldough.co.uk

Is there somewhere to eat before and after events? 

Light refreshments will be available in the Cedars Hall foyer and there are also many places to eat in Wells, a short walk away. Several restaurants are offering a special Festival offer with a 10% discount to Festival ticket-holders.  These are:

Come before or after an event and remember:

Is parking available?

FREE FESTIVAL PARKING

This is available in Mundy’s Meadow car park (BA5 2QL) on a first-come-first-served basis; from here it is a short walk via Lovers Walk to The Liberty. Mundy’s Meadow is a private car park accessible from Mountery Road (see map) and will be open for Festival-goers throughout the Festival only.

DISABLED PARKING

Disabled parking is available and is provided exclusively to people with mobility needs and for speakers appearing at the Festival (see map).

PUBLIC CAR PARKS

Additional parking spaces are available in the city’s public car parks (see map). Charges start from £1.80 for two hours parking during the day and are often free after 6.00 pm. All these car parks are within a 15-minute walk from the Festival:

Union Street (off Chamberlain Street, BA5 2PU)

South Street (BA5 1SL)

Princes Road (BA5 1TE)

Tucker Street (off West Street, BA5 1TF)

For more information, please visit: en.parkopedia.co.uk/parking/wells

Where can I stay during the Festival?

There are many hotels, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation in and around Wells. Click here to visit Place To Stay In Wells.

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