Wantage Literary Festival

The Wantage Literary Festival, celebrates fifteen years of enlightening the community with a love of literature.

With the closure of the town’s cinema in 2005, Wantage lost its only portal to shared cultural enrichment.

The place that spawned Alfred the Great, champion of the English language, and later housed Sir John Betjeman, one of the nation’s greatest poets, needed a bit of fun and stimulation.

Originally titled as the ‘Wantage (Not Just Betjeman) Literary Festival’, the reference to the former Laureate was quickly dropped as a bit of a mouthful.

However, Betjeman’s ability to attract critical acclaim and a large audience remains a guiding light in their effort to connect Wantage with world-class authors, comedians and performers.

But how is the annual festival organised?

Wantage Literary Festival is a charity with a Committee of Trustees.

All the trustees live in or around Wantage and are actively involved in the community.

They have two main roles. Firstly, to ensure the charity is fulfilling its charter, and secondly to support the wonderful team of volunteers who help put the festival on each year – something that brings great pleasure to all involved!

One of the wonderful things about the Wantage Literary Festival is the breadth of the events put on year after year.

Famous speakers from the literary festival world, such as Max Hastings and David Owen, have talked at the festival.

Another famous and long term supporter has been Pam Ayres, who always brings laughter to her recitals. 

They and a full house of eager attendees at The Beacon, particularly enjoyed her talk in 2024!

They have had literary comedy, such as Austentatious, and racing with Formula One Manager Claire Williams.

A real favourite has always been Graeme Hall with his stories and advice on dogs, too. All of this and much more has been brought to the heart of Wantage throughout the fifteen years of the festival and we have been thoroughly entertained by it all. 

Join them for an exciting lineup of over 40 vibrant events, where amazing authors, poets, and creative thinkers come together for delightful conversations, fun workshops, and captivating performances.

From literary legends to fresh new voices, there’s something for everyone in their charming market town!