WITH flowers, chocolates, rounds of rapturous applause and hugs, The Swindon Festival of Literature ended on a high.

And the event will be back with a vengeance next year to celebrate its 10th birthday.

Come rain or shine for the past fortnight, Swindon has been lit up with every type of performance under the sun.

From poetry readings to may pole dancing, stand-up comedy to memorial lectures, there was something to suit all tastes.

Matt Holland, festival director, said: "The response has surpassed all expectations.

"It has been a roller coaster ride of literary excitement, embracing both big names and smaller stars."

Prostitute turned author, Lauren Roche, followed by Lady Thatcher's former press secretary, Sir Bernard Ingham, made sure this year's literary feast finished in diverse style.

But behind the literary thrills and spills, financial troubles lurked.

Matt said: "We have been strapped for cash this year. Fortunately the festival still forged ahead and we managed to lay on a fantastic spread."

Payment to authors appearing in the last leg of the event has had to be delayed until box office takings filter through.

Matt said: "The festival's account has been overdrawn for the past few days.

"But because the attendance levels have been so impressive, we hope to break even."

Scores of people turned up for venues large and small.

All places were taken for anything from story telling in Ravensroost Woods to political debate with Mo Mowlam.

The writing courses for children and adults were also oversubscribed.

Putting Swindon on the cultural map, the educational jamboree has become the talk of the town.

Budding author Alex Oldacre, from Old Town, is a staunch festival fan.

Alex, 23, said: "At last Swindon is famous for something other than the Magic Roundabout."

And Will Hutton encapsulated the festival's spirit when he appeared at the International Evening.

He said: "This is a public celebration of the private enjoy-ment of reading."

But meeting the celebrities is not the main perk of Matt's job.

"It is not the famous names that make my day but the festival followers who greet them with such warmth and enthusiasm," he added.

Showing no signs of festival fatigue, Matt claims the literary buzz has been alive and kicking throughout.

He said: "It has been two weeks of non-stop brilliance. I'm looking forward to the next one already."

But any big names in store are strictly top secret.

He added: "Without identifying the stars, it will be even bigger and better."