Big names at Warwick literary festival

CAROL Ann Duffy, Melvyn Bragg and Stuart Maconie are some of the big names appearing at the tenth Warwick Words Festival - but there is so much more going on.

Continuing on from a series of Warwick Words Xtra events which have been taking place in the town throughout the year, and with the first ever festival book - compiled by budding writers from around the area, the nine-day event is brimming to the overspill with talks, workshops, tea-and-cake gatherings and children’s activities. And it all starts in less than a month’s time, on October 1.

Festival organiser Helen Meeke said: “One of the comments we get every year is that people didn’t know about the festival.

“This year we have tried to create an all-year presence, which has helped us develop a new audience.

“We want to attract the true literature followers, as well as those who might not see themselves as big readers and children.”

Describing the festival as being comparable to the bigger events at Cheltenham and Hay-on-Wye, Helen, the only paid worker in the team that runs Warwick Words, said: “We have more of an intimacy. There is always someone there to welcome guests and serve cups of tea. We want to try to offer something different. People can come and spend a full day here and go from one event to another.”

Some of the “more interesting” speakers Helen picked out include Jane Brocket talking about creativity, colour and craft, former soldiers who were wounded and took part in an expedition to the North Pole with Prince Harry, and the chef Josceline Dimbleby who has written a new book about her travels with recipes she has picked up along the way.

She also drew attention to the ‘extreme writing workshops’ at Warwick Castle, where participants will be ‘detained’ for three hours writing scary stories and Christopher Lloyd will be presenting the ‘world’s biggest book’ that measure 1m by 8m and tells the history of the world.

There will also be a Warwickshire Day, featuring local authors and fascinating insights into the history of the area and its buildings.

Helen took over as festival organiser from Richard Phillips - now well known for his leadership of Leamington Music - seven years ago and managed to expand what used to be a two-day event into the nine-day celebration of literature it is today, regularly attracting some of the UK’s biggest names in the arts.

She said: “This year we are really providing something for everybody. It’s a lot of work, but I do enjoy it. It’s wonderful to meet all these fantastic creative people who are really passionate about what they do.

“The volunteers are brilliant - we really couldn’t do it without them. Everyone says it’s so friendly and everyone has a good time.”

Festival brochures are free and available at tourist information centres, libraries, shops and cafes, online or by emailing [email protected]

www.warwickwords.co.uk

Captions:

A selection of some of the big names appearing at this year’s Warwick Words festival. Pictures submitted.