Dorchester High Street
Maiden Castle
William Barnes
Jurassic Coast
Thomas Hardy
Weymouth

Dorchester Literary Festival 2017Welcome 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
 

Latest News

Ben Fogle and Thomasina Miers

...

Read More »

 

Click to share this on Twitter!

This Year's Events

Feedback

  • I'm now back at my desk after Ann Cleeves' mammoth book tour and wanted to send a note to say a huge thank you for hosting such a fantastic event for us. It was a definite highlight out of the 30 events!

    Maura Brickell
    Feedback From 2016 Festival

  • I was particularly delighted by how many of the audience seemed to know and appreciate my work. As you know, authors are solitary creatures - mostly - and for me at least it's a real pleasure to have good reason to leave my work-room (a shed in the garden with a too-seductive view of the Cambrians) and meet and talk with readers and fellow writers (not forgetting that many of us are both).

    Elisabeth Luard
    Feedback From 2016 Festival

  • Very well organised, excellent variety in terms of author and presentation. Favourite was Tony Robinson, but I also really enjoyed Julia Shaw (memory very thought provoking), Richard Dannatt (good solid start to festival) JOHN Wright (local and good humour) Alison Weir (such research and knowledge) and Victoria Hislop (novel in a different style).

    Jeanne Holmes
    Feedback From 2016 Festival

  • The festival was well organised, we enjoyed the talks we attended and very much hope to attend next year.

    Sue Jennings
    Feedback From 2016 Festival

  • We thoroughly enjoyed the Literary Festival again this year and eagerly await the next one...Thank you for bringing a great event to Dorchester. 

    Christina Hicks
    Feedback From 2016 Festival

  • Thank you for organising the Dorchester Literary Festival. It was our first year...and will certainly attend again. We particularly enjoyed Victoria Hislop (with a good interviewer), Kate Adie and Dr Julia Shaw on Memory - excellent presentation and interesting subject.

    Daphne Larner
    Feedback From 2016 Festival