Faversham Literary Festival
Published
Tuesday 18 February, 2025
Updated
Tuesday 18 February, 2025
You could meet some of your favourite authors at the Faversham Literary Festival, supported this year by a grant from Swale Borough Council.
Faversham Literary Festival CIC received £3,500 from the council’s Town Centre Action Grant, funded by the UK government, to help them put on the 10-day festival.
This novel event kicks off on 21 February and has 9,000 tickets available, with a mix of free and paid-for events that draws in thousands of visitors to the town.
This year’s festival will feature more than 60 talks from well-known authors such as Sebastian Faulks and Pam Ayres, a wide range of family events and workshops for all ages, and is also a chance for up-and-coming local authors to showcase their work.
The festival, which is running for its seventh year, offers a diverse programme that includes talks on mental health, sport, history, art, fiction and much more, as well as open mic and poetry sessions.
They will all be set in, and promote, the historic buildings around Faversham, including the Guildhall, Alexander Centre, St Mary of Charity Church, Old Brewery Store, Assembly Rooms, Faversham Almshouses and local schools.
The grant from the council aims to increase visitor numbers, highlight local heritage and create pride in local town centres. The money will be used for event co-ordinators and storage facilities, to support the events growth.
Cllr Monique Bonney, chair of the Property and Regeneration Committee, said:
"The Faversham Festival is a major draw for Swale, bringing thousands of visitors to our area and boosting our local economy.
“This kind of event, along with other initiatives we support through our grants, helps support our town centres and showcases everything that makes Swale special.
“Whether you're a bookworm or just looking for a great day out, check out this fantastic festival!"
Amanda Dackombe, festival director, said:
“The festival is extremely grateful for the support of Swale Borough Council.
“The grant money awarded to the festival helps us to offer a diverse programme with something for everyone, including lots of very popular free events.
“The festival brings thousands of visitors from all over Kent and beyond, and we hope is a great way to showcase what's on offer in Faversham and the surrounding areas, and encourage more visitors to the area
“We expect a very busy town centre across the 10 days of the festival, with jam-packed pubs, cafes, shops and restaurants.”
Find out more here: https://www.favershamliteraryfestival.org/
