Welcome to the Dorchester Literary Festival

From the Festival Director – Janet Gleeson

The line up for the 11th festival is now almost complete and all the events we’ve confirmed are now on the website. We’ve invited some incredible speakers to Dorchester this year, and whether you’re interested in fiction, crime, science, history, politics, the natural world, health, music, walking, biography or cosy crime, there will be plenty to tempt you to join us in October.

Early bird tickets will be available on our website to Friends of the Festival from 18th–28th August with a 10% discount (book/ticket discounts may vary). Tickets will be on general sale from the website and in Waterstones, Dorchester from 29th August. To join as a Friend of the Festival click the link below. If you’re a local author there’s also some exciting news: we’re introducing a free event especially for you – a Local Writers’ Forum that will take place in the Shire Hall on 16th October, where you can come and talk about your book, meet other authors and sell your books.

This year we are sad to say goodbye to Paul Atterbury, co founding director of the festival, who has retired from the team after eleven years. His calm presence will be much missed, but we are looking forward to working with some talented new presenters. A huge thank you goes to the festival team, sponsors, volunteers and ticket buyers without whose support the festival wouldn’t be possible.

Books open doors to worlds that may be new or familiar. They offer us enlightenment, escape, adventure and much more besides. As anyone who is a member of a book club knows, they also offer a fascinating shared experience. A live event in which an author discusses their work, provides a special way to understand and celebrate the written word, and with more than a week of events to enjoy, we look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be a very memorable festival.

Click here to download a PDF leaflet with information about this year’s festival.

See you next October!

Best wishes

Janet Gleeson
Become a Friend Of The Festival


Upcoming events

Weldmar Badge

Last year the DLF  raised over £2000 for Weldmar Hospicecare, a charity that looks after adults in Dorset with a life limiting illness, such as heart disease, cancer, or neurological conditions.