After six years as Chair, Genevieve Clarke is handing over to journalist and farmer, Mary-Vere Parr. Genevieve, who took on the role from Jan Williamson after the festival in 2018, commented: “LitFest is a very collaborative venture and it wouldn’t work without everyone’s ideas, energy and creativity. So I’d like to say an immense thank you to the committee, all volunteers, supplemented by our chief organiser Elaine James, our PR guru Fran Del Mar and our brilliant designer Aly Storey. Together they put in an astonishing amount of work throughout the year with huge enthusiasm and good humour.
She continued: “I’ve loved being involved in LitFest but it’s now time for a new pair of hands at the helm. Mary-Vere has all the right skills, energy and expertise to take LitFest into an even brighter future.”
Mary-Vere said: “I am so honoured to be following in the footsteps of an exceptional chair and look forward to working with the talented LitFest team to continue delivering a festival that has a very special place in Marlborough’s heart. After our fabulous 15th, planning for 2025 starts now!”