Monty Lit Fest - Gŵyl Llên Maldwyn

DISCOVER A NEW CHAPTER WITH MONTY LIT FEST

Montgomeryshire Literary Festival is now in its third year and, for the first time, will take place in the historic town of Montgomery. Over twenty events are planned throughout the three day festival, running from 12th-14th June, ranging from authors’ presentations and interviews, poetry readings, writing workshops to an open mic evening, art trail, music, and even a literary cricket tea. Most sessions will take place in Montgomery Town Hall but smaller venues such as Monty Brewery Visitor’s Centre, Ivy House Cafe, St Nicholas’ Church and Montgomery Cricket Club will also be hosting events.

Here are just some of the writers who have confirmed their attendance at Monty Lit Fest 2020:

• Bestselling crime writer Val McDermid
• Historian William Hague
• Poet Frieda Hughes
• The Warlow Experiment author, Alix Nathan
• Cricket writers Marcus Berkmann and Roger Morgan-Grenville for a ‘Literary Cricket Tea’
• Mike Parker, author of On The Red Hill
• and the award-winning writer Cynan Jones, who will lead a workshop on writing short stories.

And as a special treat for fans of storytelling combined with music, Chocolat author Joanne Harris’s #Storytime band will be performing on the Saturday evening!

The programme will be finalised in the next few weeks and tickets go on sale on 1st March.

New Chair of the Monty Lit Fest committee, Sarah Morris, comments, “During the previous two years the festival took place in a single location; Bodfach Hall then Gregynog Hall, so it’s a big change this year to have at least five different venues hosting authors. We hope it will add interest to our exciting programme of speakers and make Montgomery a very special place to be on 12th – 14th June; both for the local community and for book-loving visitors.”

Monty Lit Fest is an annual festival which celebrates writing in Wales and the Welsh Borders. To find out more, visit the website at www.montylitfest.com, follow Monty Lit Fest on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, sign up to the newsletter via the website or email enquiries@montylitfest.com

Additional press information regarding press passes, authors’ photographs and biographies available by contacting: press@montylitfest.com

‘Literary festivals don’t come much better than this.’

‘What a fantastic weekend. Great venue, amazing staff and an exceptional selection of authors…See you next year.’

‘Diolch yn fawr…I listened to, and talked to, so many interesting people…’

‘…such a great event, local literature/history mixed with other genres…great stuff’

Never mind the rain; there was plenty of light and sunshine at the 2019 Montgomeryshire Literary Festival, which took place at Gregynog Hall during the weekend of 14th – 16th June.

Throughout the Festival, the audience was treated to a dazzling array of literary talent, including bestselling authors Sir Simon Jenkins, Horatio Clare, Neil Spring and Clare Mackintosh.

We learnt how mid-Wales and the borders influence and inspire writers; how the history of Wales really can be told in 100 of its most significant objects and the story behind Alan Garner’s classic, The Owl Service.

Non-fiction and fiction were celebrated at their very best, whatever the genre: literary fiction, ghost stories and thrillers; memoir, biography and military history.

The winners of the 2019 New Welsh Writing Awards were applauded, and the next generation of authors were given guidance in our book pitch workshop.

We heard about the process authors go through when they write, the crucial relationship between author and agent and how a sense of place can be captured, evoked and represented in writing.

People left with their bags weighed down from the purchase of many signed books from Festival bookshop provided by Booka of Oswestry, expressing their satisfaction after a weekend well spent in the glorious Gregynog Hall.

All in all, a weekend to remember.

Festival founder, Simon Baynes, said: ‘What a weekend we had, with writers and readers brought together for a festival of literary delights. In just our second year, we’ve established ourselves as a major event on the literary circuit, receiving tremendous feedback from an audience who recognise that Montgomeryshire and the borders needs and deserves its own festival. We look forward to 2020, when we’ll be in Montgomery, building on this year’s event with yet more literary talent; the planning starts now!’

Photos attached of:
1. Sir Simon Jenkins signing books in the pop-up Booka Bookshop.
2. Neil Spring.
3. Clare Mackintosh in conversation with Sarah Morris of Monty Lit Fest.
4. Myfanwy Alexander introducing the judges and winners of the New Welsh Writers Award: from left to right: Myfanwy Alexander, Gwen Davies (judge), J L George (award winner), Peter Goulding (award winner) and Cynan Jones (judge).

About us
The Montgomeryshire Literary Festival is run by the Montgomeryshire Literary Festival Trust. It aims to celebrate writing in Wales and the Welsh borders, with an annual festival circulating through key locations in Montgomeryshire.
The 2020 Festival will take place in the town of Montgomery on Friday 12th -Sunday 14th June.
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