Marlborough LitFest celebrated its 16th year in 2025 with a packed programme of more than 45 bookish events for all ages and tastes, including big names, first-time authors and a host of free activities for children and families.
Sessions included bestselling novelists Alan Hollinghurst and Clare Chambers, actor and author Rupert Everett, biographer Lucy Hughes-Hallett, broadcaster John Suchet, children’s author AF Steadman, historian Sam Dalrymple and poet Brian Bilston.
The festival opened with 60 children from Marlborough St Mary’s singing on the steps of the Town Hall and ended with etiquette expert William Hanson entertaining a packed hall with advice from his book Just Good Manners.
In between there was a rich mix of topics ranging from Russian spies with former Moscow correspondent Shaun Walker to shopping with Mary Portas. Ukranian chef Olia Hercules spoke about her moving family memoir Strong Roots and journalist Steve Crashaw about the battle to bring despots to book.
On Thursday, sixth-formers from St John’s Marlborough debated whether it is ever morally right to censor literature while Friday saw AF Steadman thrill 350 school children with her Skandar series. John Suchet spoke of a Life in Search of Beethoven, Alan Hollnghurst, the Golding Speaker, of his latest novel Our Evenings.
Saturday’s menu included a day of children’s events and activities at the Parade Cinema, a walk in the Forest with local author and priest Colin Heber-Percy, a workshop with storyteller Ashley Ramsden and both Poetry and Prose in the Pub at The Green Dragon.
The Translation Duel made a triumphant return while Sumit Paul-Choudhury taught us to look on The Bright Side. Novelist Susan Fletcher answered questions about her novel The Night in Question at the Big Town Read and also visited the Jubilee Centre.
Horticulturalist Poppy Okotcha showed us A Wilder Way of gardening, Merlin Hanbury-Tenison the healing power of temperate rainforests, and Harriet Baker how country life sparked creativity in three 20th century women writers.
Sunday brought a day of LitFest events at St Peter’s Church headlined by Andrew Miller discussing his Booker-shortlisted novel The Land in Winter. The day’s line up also included stonemason Andrew Ziminski discussing church architecture, novelist Kate Webb, the crime queen of Wiltshire, and Adele Zeynep Walton examining the dangers of our digital world.
Children’s writer and illustrator Thiago de Moraes had everyone drawing mythical creatures while Francis Russell recalled the friends who have influenced his Old Masters career at Christie’s.
In the lead up to the festival, free author events with Tom Palmer and Catherine Bruton in Calne, Devizes, Marlborough and Pewsey reached more than 1000 local primary schoolchildren. The Big School Read at St John’s Marlborough featured Nathaniel Lessore while Lizzie Lewis from Tall Tales Theatre entranced younger children with performances of Rumpelstiltskin in Pewsey and Marlborough libraries. And, for the third year, the Once Upon a Trail saw clues for children’s books hidden in shops along the High Street.
Throughout the weekend, the White Horse Bookshop and its pop-up bookshops in the Town Hall and at all venues enabled purchasers to chat to authors, get their books signed, and, in the case of William Hanson, take selfies.
Mary-Vere Parr, Chair of LitFest, said: “We had a ball. There was such a buzz to the weekend with many events sold out and real excitement about the authors. A big thank you to them and to our audience – both our loyal regulars and the people who discovered LitFest for the first time.”
Marlborough LitFest remains a charity run by a small committee of volunteers and supported by a loyal band of Friends, partners and sponsors. Over the festival weekend some 140 local people help to steward events and run the café and box office. Please consider getting involved by becoming a volunteer or a Friend or contact us at general@marlboroughlitfest.org
The first 15 years of LitFest
2010 Marlborough Literature Festival is founded by author Mavis Cheek and Nick Fogg, Mayor of Marlborough. Fourteen events focus on good writing: authors rather than celebrities and new, young voices as well as established writers.
Founder sponsors are Brewin Dolphin and Hiscox Insurance with Marlborough College organising a poetry event.
2012 William Golding Ltd sponsors the first Golding Speaker enabling us to invite major literary figures to Marlborough including Howard Jacobson, Lionel Shriver, Rose Tremain, Ben Okri and, in 2023, Sebastian Barry.
First event for local primary school children.
2013 The Big Town Read is introduced to attract local reading groups.
2014 The Big School Read for secondary school children is introduced.
2020 LitFest wins the Arts Culture & Music (Groups) category, Wiltshire Life Awards.
Sir Simon Russell Beale becomes our first patron.
Love Books annual writing competition is launched in partnership with Bath Spa University.
2021 Sarah Raven becomes lead sponsor with a two-year commitment.
Hybrid festival with virtual events supported by Hiscox Insurance as livestream sponsor.
2022 Launch of Friends of Marlborough LitFest scheme.
2023 Fermoie becomes lead sponsor and Hiscox Insurance remains as main event sponsor alongside existing and new event sponsors. Ongoing support from Marlborough College and our Friends of LitFest and a new partnership with The Parade Cinema.
Robert Hiscox becomes Founder Sponsor in recognition of his personal support.
2024 Marlborough celebrates its 15th year with a bumper programme of more than 40 bookish events and an extended outreach programme.