Under Starter’s Orders…

Our 2021 International Competitions got off to a racing start on 1 April with over 30 entries arriving in the first couple of days. Yet again it looks as though the adjective ‘international’ was aptly chosen: there are poems, short stories and books for children coming from all over the place – and covering a kaleidoscopic array of topics and themes.

The rainbow of course mirrors WFL’s look for 2021 with a vivid new colour scheme which sees our distinctive green and yellow apostrophes (an intrinsic part of the Festival since 2014) taking on a whole new life of their own! Bold and brash, bright and brilliant, the apostrophes of 2021 describe a Festival that can colour opinions and push the boundaries. With its powerful livestream capacity, WFL can now take on the world as well as the traditional auditorium. Nick Leggett of Starry Dog Books, our Festival’s designers for many years, explains: ‘The Festival’s new look reflects the coming together of a wider livestreamed audience in a multi-coloured way’.

The Wells Festival of Literature apostrophes are going to be very visible over the next months – announcing speakers, event times, topics, tickets, and, perhaps most important to some, our competition shortlists and winners!