Welcome to the Dorchester Literary Festival 18-22nd October 2017
A warm welcome to the 2017 Dorchester Literary Festival. We were thrilled that last year’s festival was such a resounding success and this year our aim is to make it bigger and better, bringing you acclaimed authors that will enlighten, amaze and entertain you, in the picturesque setting of our lovely county town.
Dorchester and the unspoiled countryside and dramatic coastal scenery have inspired many of Britain’s best-loved writers, including Thomas Hardy and our patron Tracy Chevalier.
We have already confirmed an exciting programme to fill the five days of the festival. Headliners include our patron, Tracy Chevalier, the acclaimed crime writers Minette Walters and Val McDermid, the eminent biographer A N Wilson, the incredible Holocaust survivor Iby Knill, comedian Christopher Biggins, foreign correspondent Fergal Keane, celebrated Cricket commentator Henry Blofeld, best-selling royal biographer Penny Junor, accaimed poet and critic Tom Paulin, travel expert Alastair Sawday, best selling historians Ian Mortimer and Katie Hickman, eminent heart surgeon Stephen Westaby, award winning writer Adam Nicolson and many more. Tickets will go on sale at the end of August via our website. Meanwhile we hope you enjoy our gallery of photos from last year’s festival. Keep watching the website for the latest updates and contact us to let us know what you think.
Paul Atterbury and Janet Gleeson
Festival Directors
This year our chosen charity is Dorset Community Foundation.
Special Thanks to our Main Sponsors: 
The Festival Charity for 2017 is
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