In October, one of the United Kingdom’s oldest literary festivals turns 70. The Cheltenham Literature Festival in Gloucestershire, England, inspires more than 9,000 schoolchildren with a love of books by showcasing more than 600 world-renowned writers, actors, politicians and poets who celebrate the written and spoken word.
“Cheltenham Literature Festival is the world of books brought to life. Meet the most beloved authors, discover new favorites and have everything from classic literature to travel writing to the ancient world in a packed series of events on a vibrant festival site,” says Lyndsey Fineran, program and commissions manager. “For 70 years we’ve been the meeting point for the world’s brightest minds, including Hillary Clinton, David Attenborough, Kofi Annan, Toni Morrison and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
“For those of college age, the festival has a lively late-night program full of spoken word, comedy and theater, plus Lit Crawl, our bookish take on a bar crawl.”
The festival, which will take place Oct. 4–13 this year, includes 10 days of more than 500 workshops, debates and interviews. Visitors can also enjoy an around-the-world culinary adventure with street food and restaurants in the heart of Cheltenham.
A 10 percent discount off the total cost for a party of 10 or more is available for many of the festival events, excluding ones that have books or food with the ticket price. Online booking is always available, or tickets can be reserved by calling the box office at +44.1242.850.270. The full program will be announced mid-August.
For more information, reach out to Tara Barnes with VisitBritain or go to visitbritain.com/trade.
Top photo by stillmovingmedia.co.uk
