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| Sherborne Literary Festival | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sherborne Literary Festival |
| Caption | Festival marquee in Sherborne |
| Location | Sherborne, Dorset, England |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Dates | October (annual) |
| Genre | Literary festival |
Sherborne Literary Festival is an annual literary festival held in Sherborne, Dorset, England, bringing together writers, journalists, historians, poets, and broadcasters for panel discussions, readings, workshops, and community events. The festival draws regional and international figures from fields such as fiction, non-fiction, biography, history, and journalism, and takes place across historic venues in the town. It has become a fixture in the autumn cultural calendar alongside longer-established events and contributes to local cultural tourism.
The festival was founded in 2009 with support from local civic institutions including Sherborne School, Sherborne Abbey, and the Sherborne Town Council, inspired by precedents such as the Hay Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Cheltenham Literature Festival, Oxford Literary Festival, and Bath Literature Festival. Early programming blended regional authors connected to Dorset, Somerset, and Devon with national figures from London and Bristol, mirroring the model of Southbank Centre and champions of literary revival like Penelope Lively and Ian McEwan. Over the years the festival expanded its remit to include children's literature influenced by institutions like National Literacy Trust and arts funding bodies similar to Arts Council England and private patrons reflecting precedents set by Faber and Faber collaborations.
The festival is organised by a voluntary board and a small professional team collaborating with partners such as Sherborne Museum, Dorset County Council, local schools including The Gryphon School and heritage organisations including Historic England. Programming includes headline talks, author panels, book launches, masterclasses, and family events, drawing on relationships with publishers like Penguin Books, HarperCollins, Faber and Bloomsbury. Workshops have been led by novelists, biographers, journalists, and poets associated with outlets such as The Guardian, The Times, BBC Radio 4, The Telegraph, and The New Statesman. The festival often commissions new writing projects and collaborates with arts companies such as Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre for dramatised readings.
Over successive editions the festival has hosted a range of prominent figures including novelists, historians, and broadcasters. Guests have included authors with links to institutions such as Cambridge University, Oxford University, King's College London, and the London School of Economics; journalists from BBC News, Sky News, and Channel 4 News; historians associated with The History Press and Bloomsbury Publishing; and poets connected to Faber and Faber and the Poetry Society. Past participants have been comparable to speakers drawn to Hay Festival and Cheltenham Literature Festival, such as Booker Prize winners and former laureates who read alongside biographers of figures like Winston Churchill, Virginia Woolf, T. S. Eliot, Elizabeth Taylor (novelist), and commentators versed in subjects like World War II, Victorian literature, and Elizabethan drama. The festival has premiered new memoirs and hosted high-profile interviews akin to those at Latitude Festival and Cheltenham Science Festival.
Events take place across Sherborne's historic built environment, including venues such as Sherborne Abbey, the Digby Memorial Hall, school chapels at Sherborne School, and town-centre theatres reflecting the adaptive reuse model seen at venues like Bristol Old Vic and Royal Exchange Theatre. The town's proximity to landmarks such as Sherborne Castle and landscapes associated with writers who lived or worked in the South West creates a scenic backdrop comparable to festival towns like Hay-on-Wye and Lewes. Venue choices balance acoustics and capacity needs, from intimate salons similar to those at Fitzwilliam Museum events to larger auditoria used by touring festivals.
The festival runs outreach programmes for schools and community groups, partnering with organisations such as Young Poets Network, National Literacy Trust, and local library services modeled on collaborations seen at British Library initiatives. Activities include creative writing workshops, author visits to classrooms, reading challenges, and intergenerational projects with care homes and community centres similar to work undertaken by Poetry Society and Arvon Foundation. These initiatives are designed to increase engagement with literature among local residents and to connect emerging writers with mentors who have taught at University of Exeter, University of Plymouth, and arts institutions across the South West.
The festival administers local writing competitions and prizes for short fiction, poetry, and children's stories, judged by panels of authors, critics, and academics with affiliations to Kingston University, Goldsmiths, University of London, Royal Holloway, and publishing houses such as Vintage Books and Atlantic Books. Winners receive publication opportunities, mentoring, and invitations to perform at festival stages, following the format of competitions associated with Faber New Poets and national prizes like the Costa Book Awards and Baillie Gifford Prize in structure. The festival has occasionally partnered with regional arts awards and literary trusts to underwrite bursaries for emerging writers.
Category:Literary festivals in England