• Swindon & Wiltshire Community champions
• Thursday June 1 2023
• Author Name: Peter Davison

New sponsors revealed for Marlborough LitFest

New sponsors have been revealed for literature festival Marlborough LitFest, which takes place over the weekend of September 28 to October 1.

Lead sponsor fabric designer Fermoie will be joined by new sponsors AG Builders, Bayntun Flowers, Deacons, McFarlane Property, Savernake Dental, Savills and Wansbroughs, and established sponsors Hiscox Insurance, AM, education charity Hamilton Trust, St Francis School, Marlborough College and William Golding Ltd.

This year’s guest authors include Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Charlotte Mendelson, Mike Brearley, and 2023 Golding Speaker, Sebastian Barry.

Award-winning author and screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce (pictured) won the CILIP Carnegie Medal for his debut children’s novel Millions and his subsequent books have been shortlisted for a multitude of prizes.

He is a judge for both BBC short story competitions: ‘500 Words’ and The One Show ‘As You Write It’.

Along with Danny Boyle, he devised the Opening Ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics and he has written for the hit TV series Dr Who. He will be appearing at LitFest on Sunday 1 October at 1pm to talk about his latest children’s book, The Wonder Boys (suitable for 9+ years).

Longlisted for the 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction, Charlotte Mendelson’s latest (and fifth) novel, The Exhibitionist, has been called ‘a devastating, blackly comic portrait of middle-class dysfunction’ by The Guardian.

Exploring themes of adult children, toxic parents, monstrous egos, sexual longing and heartbreak, Charlotte will be appearing at LitFest to discuss the book on Saturday 30 September at 11.30am at Marlborough Town Hall.

Part-biography, part-memoir, Mike Brearley’s latest book, Turning Over the Pebbles, reviews his life as one of the most successful cricketers of his generation. With wide-ranging meditations on sport, philosophy, literature, religion, leadership, psychoanalysis, music and more, Mike delves into his private passions and candidly examines the various shifts, conflicts and triumphs of his extraordinary life and career, both on and off the cricket field.

He will be appearing at LitFest on Sunday 1 October at 10am at Marlborough Town Hall.

The 2023 LitFest Golding Speaker is the acclaimed Irish novelist Sebastian Barry, who will be appearing at LitFest on Friday 29 September, talking about his latest book, Old God’s Time.

Genevieve Clarke, chair of the Marlborough LitFest, said: “We’ve worked hard to involve more businesses in Marlborough and further afield this year and we’re delighted with the result.

“We’re very grateful for the support of all our sponsors and our Friends which is allowing us to put on a full programme this year and plan for the future.”