Wells Festival of Literature has been a fixture in the calendar for over 30 years. The festival now runs for 9 days. In 2024, Wells Festival of Literature will take place from 18 – 26 October. Cedars Hall is the venue for all the events. (In years gone by, some of the talks by authors took place in marquees in the gardens of the Bishop’s Palace. It could get a little chilly.) Cedars Hall is a state-of-the-art event venue with a well-stocked bar! It’s designed to hold concerts, so the acoustics are fantastic.
Wells festival of literature helps the community
Wells Festival of Literature not only provides entertaining and thought-provoking talks it also makes a real difference to school children in the local community. Profits from the festival help to support important educational projects in Somerset.
2023 was the most successful Wells Literature Festival to date. A total of around 6,500 people attended the huge range of events. This helped to fund trips for 850 pupils to talks by the well-known children’s author MG Leonard. The literature festival also provides subsidised books, Beanstalk helpers, theatre trips and organizes transportation to other literary events. A large part of the festival’s work is to encourage young people to love books and reading. Incredibly worthwhile aims.
buying TICKETS for the festival
Tickets to the festival go on sale a few weeks before the first scheduled talk. In 2023, general admission to an event was £10 (plus a £1 booking fee). Students paid £6 (plus a 60p booking fee.) The festival attracts some well-known authors and many events sell-out quickly. Tickets can be purchased via the Wells Festival of Literature website or by calling 01749 834483 (9.30am – 12.30pm). It is sometimes possible to buy unsold tickets ‘on the door’ at Cedars Hall.
Talks by authors take place from lunchtime onwards. Several of the events include a two course lunch.
Robert Harris in conversation with William Waldergrave
Becoming a ‘Friend’ of Wells Festival of Literature has a number of benefits. Alongside helping to fund educational projects, a Friend of the festival receives a 10% discount on tickets, priority booking and invites to unique events. In 2023, Mariella Frostrup gave a talk at a summer reception.
An event that channels its profits into the education of children should be applauded. The many sponsors, patrons and volunteers do a fantastic job. Wells Festival of Literature is another of Somerset’s great festivals. Long may it continue.