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There are only two weeks to go until The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival (4-13 October). This year we can look forward to more than 80 free events thanks to the festival working with Cheltenham BID to ensure the town's businesses, shops, cafes, bars and hotels are part of the fun.
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The free …around town programme consists of an astonishing variety of book-themed activities across the town, from cool spoken word gigs, literary pub quizzes, tarot reading, improvisation comedy and wine tasting, to storytelling sessions and family fun trails. Regardless of age or interest there will be something for you to enjoy, for free at the Cheltenham Literature Festival!
What to expect from the free …around town programme
Children from ten local primary schools have created colourful canvases featuring Elmer the patchwork elephant and an array of animal friends for a picture parade around town. Young fans can meet the patchwork pachyderm in a storytelling session on Saturday 5 October at Cheltenham’s Regent Arcade.
A brand-new poetry trail: The Minds of Our Generation has been created by Ambient Literature to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Festival. Readings from poets who appeared at the Festival during the last 7 decades have been recreated across the streets of the town, echoing through the years long after their Festival is complete. The route follows locations within Cheltenham Paint Festival and will be available via a free app.
The popular Lit Crawl (Saturday 5 October 5pm till late) sees pop-up events and quirky happenings all over the streets, cafes and pubs of Cheltenham for a late-night literary fix. Beginning in San Francisco in 2004 and now a firm fixture of the Cheltenham Literature Festival calendar, Lit Crawl blends a bar crawl with some of the best up and coming spoken word performers, readings, comedy and parties held in the hottest spots around town finishing up at Bottle of Sauce for a riotous finale. And after dark, the Festival Club at the centrally-placed Hotel du Vin offers late night music and revelry on Fridays and Saturdays.
Free activities/events to expect on site at the Cheltenham Literature Festival
The Festival Village in Montpellier Gardens has plenty of free family-friendly activities, including a Secret Seven Mystery Trail, cosy bedtime stories read by special Festival guests, a family draw-along, a We’re Going On A Bear Hunt storytelling adventure, costume characters and circus skills.
Elsewhere there is plenty for all ages to discover on site: meeting favourite authors and celebrities in Waterstones bookshops; daily readings from local authors, brain teasers and live music, a daily Times crossword, and a daily instalment of brainy soapbox-style talks in The Huddle. Swap books in the cosy outdoor lounge The Bookstand and or see Festival-inspired art at the Gardens Gallery.
Lyndsey Fineran, Programme and Commissions Manager said: “We’re on a mission to infect the whole town with the book-loving bug whatever your age and wherever you live. We are looking forward to welcoming thousands of visitors to Cheltenham for the Literature Festival and we want to get the whole community involved in celebrating books and the spoken word.”
Click here to download the free …around town events programme shown below. You will also be able to pick up one of these free programmes whilst at the event.
Click here for exclusive tips by the Head of Programming to ensure you make the most of the 70th anniversary of the Cheltenham Literature Festival.
Related
Cheltenham Literature Festival, 10-19 October, promises a feast for the mind. As the world’s longest-running literature festival, the annual event leads the way in celebrating the written and spoken word, presenting the best new voices in fiction and poetry alongside literary greats and high-profile speakers.
Montpellier Gardens lie close to the town centre and are an important part of Cheltenham's regency landscape. The gardens can be split into two recreational zones. Most of the park facilities are in the southern section and includes tennis courts, a café, toddlers’ play area and toilets. You’ll also find a community art gallery, Gardens Gallery which exhibits local artists’ work for the public. If you’re lucky you may also caught a live concert on the bandstand during the summer months.
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