Marlborough came alive last week as residents got to enjoy all the literary treats for the 2022 LitFest.
The annual event was attended by several famous names, and audiences got to enjoy a whole range of events.
The event took place over the weekend of September 29 – October 2, for Marlborough LitFest’s 13th annual festival.
People got to watch 40 author talks and events that took place at venues around the town, including the Town Hall, St Mary’s Church Hall, the Quaker Meeting House and The White Horse Bookshop.
Adults could choose from a range of fiction and non-fiction topics – with award-winning authors and debut writers on offer.
It was an event to remember, with 2022 LitFest Golding Speaker, Ali Smith, raising a cheer at the end of her conversation with journalist and broadcaster Alex Clark on Friday evening, while at the other end of the town, at the Memorial Hall in Marlborough College, Dame Jacqueline Wilson had young fans hanging on her every word.
Over the weekend, debut novelists Jo Browning Wroe, Ayanna Lloyd Banwo, Bobby Palmer and Joanna Quinn recounted their journeys to getting published and award-winning writers Kamila Shamsie, Andrew Miller and Abir Mukherjee talked about the context for their latest works of fiction.
LitFest audiences came and went from the Town Hall, readers browsed the White Horse Bookshop’s pop-up stall and animated queues waited to chat to authors and old friends caught up in the festival café.
The festival was also launched by over 60 children from Marlborough St Mary’s CE Primary School singing on the steps of the Town Hall.
LitFest provided local schoolchildren with six free schools events in Pewsey and Marlborough for at least 1,000 children and young people from 19 local schools.
The festival ended with a packed hall for acclaimed novelist Patrick Gale reading from his latest book ‘Mother’s Boy’, about the Cornish poet Charles Causley.
Genevieve Clarke, Chair of Marlborough LitFest said: “There was something for everyone we hope.
“But for now we’re hugely grateful to our sponsors, partners, The White Horse Bookshop and scores of volunteers for enabling us to create a buzz about reading in Marlborough yet again.”
Laura Briscall, Marlborough LitFest Schools Co-ordinator, said: “We were thrilled with the number of competition entries. The Queen’s Jubilee seems to have really inspired the children this year and the level and variety of creativity was fantastic!”
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