The first festival was from 18th-24th November 2019 when events happened all over town. We had hoped for the same thing to happen in 2020 but….like everyone else, Covid spoiled our plans. After social distancing eased somewhat, we held a Festival of Words on 26th March 2022.
In 2024 we came back with a full three day festival, with events once again held in various venues. There were author talks, workshops and musical evenings, plus our schools’ programme where children’s and young adult authors speak to local schools.
In 2025, we held a very successful International Women’s Day event on 8th March with a wide range of wonderful speakers to inspire and encourage. In November we held another three day festival, with events held at the the newly refurbished Corn Exchange as well as the Methodist Church, and another successful schools’ programme.
Then we came back with a longer schedule in 2024. We plan to run the festival again in 2025 with one off events and workshops during the year.
We are proud to have one of the most friendly and welcoming festivals in our lovely town!
Authors and Performers who have taken part since 2019
Jane Adams
Kate Adie
Gail Aldwin
Nick Andrew
Peter Andrews
Martin Ansell
J. Patrick Armstrong
Chantelle Atkins
Christine Aziz
Ali Bacon
Helen Baggott
Roger Ball
John Barclay
Sue Barrow
S.J. Bennett
Tim Bentinck
Steve Bewers
C.W. Blackburn
Blandford Library Reading Group
Eve Bonham
Val Bridge
Finola Brennan
R. E. Brooker
Nicci Brown
Jean Burnett
Martin Brown
Suzy Bussell
David Caddy
Juliet Campbell
Melanie Cantor
T.H. Carrington
Claire Carver
Di Castle
Cedar Tree Writers
Fanny Charles
Heather Child
Mary Collingwood Hurst
Elisabeth Conway
Stephen Copp
Jane Corry
Steve Couch
Dominic Couzens
Charles Cummings
Stephen Deutsch
Gerald Dickens
Maria Donovan
Mark Du Buisson
May Ellis
Vickie Goldie
Nicki Greenham
Katie Godman
Bradford Gyori
Helen Hakimzadeh
Penrose Halson
Janet Handcock
Felice Hardy
Paula Harmon
Ninette Hartley
Jude Hayland
Karen Heaney
Tanya Hinton
Tamar Hodes
Nic Hosking
Ralph Hoyte
Alan Humm
Alison Huntingford
Paul Hyland
Sam James
Liam Jenkins
Katharine Johnson
Gerald Killingworth
Niloufar Lamakan
Anna Lewington
Damien Lewis
Rosanna Ley
Amy McIntosh
Fiona McNee
Helen Matthews
Alice G May
Tamsin Mori
Beverley Naidoo
Chris Oswald
Pallida Choir
Estelle Phillips
Gay Pirrie-Weir
Steve Poole
Kerry Postle
Joanna Quinn
Jai Rayner
Diana K Robinson
Peter Roe
Sam Ryall
Matthew Ryan-East
Sim Sansford
Jane Wade Scarlet
Kathy Sharp
Brent Shore
Tom Simon
Jane Skellett
Teresa Sladen
Barbara Spencer
Victoria Starr
Alex Stone
Hilary Townsend
Naomi Tyrrell
Alex Ultradish
Melanie Ann Vance
Jane Wade
Rachel Ward
Fiona Waters
Darren Wells
Cathy Wield
Nat Wood Fox
Jan Wyld
Blandford Literary Festival 