According to psychologists, we humans love to make stuff. This urge to create is an innate human need, associated with self-expression, leaving our mark on the world, the ability to explore and process our emotions and connect with others. Creation may not always be an easy process, but the rewards are many. Fortunately, we have …
In the world of books, fiction is having something of a moment. Sales are at a record high, whether readers are buying books in print, listening to an audiobook or snuggling up with their Kindles. A whole host of reasons have been explored for this phenomenon. It’s true, for example, that more of us than …
The swallows are back, swooping low over the bluebells under the oak trees and it is Literary Festival Season once again. As writers live solitary lives and often find the door to socialization blocked by a chunky barricade of deadlines, Literary Festivals provide us with the chance to emerge, blinking like Mole from ‘Wind in …
Monty Lit Fest is nothing without its volunteers. Visiting writers have remarked, more than once, that they can’t believe that we rely totally on people giving their time for nothing. Of course, it’s not really for nothing as the pleasure we get from pulling this amazing event together has a value all of its own. …
Earlier this year, the UK’s Booksellers Association (BA) published a report on the role playedby Welsh bookshops in their communities. It gave voice to what we already instinctivelyknow: that the country’s 116 bookshops – 64 of them independents – are crucial forpromoting Welsh culture and language, championing literacy, connecting readers withwriters and acting as social …
The annual London Book Fair, which took place at London Olympia last week, is one of the biggestgatherings of publishing people in the world. We get together to forge and nurture relationships, to debate the issues of the day, to discuss, buyand sell books. It’s always a celebration of the book world in all its …
At Monty Lit Fest, we believe in the power of the written word. Whether you’re a parent sharing a first board book with a baby; an avid reader or someone who picks up a book only occasionally, we know that words have the power to change lives. That’s why we want to support this year’s …