Welcome to the Dorchester Literary Festival

From the Festival Patron – Tracy Chevalier

Tracy Chevalier
Tracy Chevalier

Literary festivals are such a pleasure, for both readers and writers. Readers get to hear what goes on behind the making of a book, and share their interest with a room full of other excited book lovers. Writers get to meet their bosses – the people we’re actually writing for! It’s a thrill to me as a novelist to talk with readers of my books and hear their views: surprising, amusing, sometimes controversial, and always interesting.

Dorchester Literary Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year: 10 years of fascinating and entertaining guests, from cooks to crime writers, poets to politicians, Hardyeans to historians, scientists to cyclists. I have loved witnessing the festival’s growth and success. For a small town, Dorchester punches above its weight when it comes to culture, and the Dorchester Literary Festival is one of its gleaming jewels. Here’s to another 10 years.

Tracy Chevalier

From the Festival Director – Janet Gleeson

Planning for our tenth Dorchester Literary Festival is almost complete and we’re thrilled to have confirmed some brilliant authors whose details you will find below. The aim, as ever, is to create a diverse programme to entertain, inspire and enlighten you. Tickets will be on sale to Friends of the Festival from Friday 16th–Friday 30th August and on general release from Saturday 31st August. Friends of the Festival will also receive an invitation to our launch party on 25th September, and 10% discount on tickets bought from 16th–30th August. We can’t wait to see you in October.

Janet Gleeson
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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.