Thank you for helping make this year’s Guernsey Literary Festival such a success, because whether you came to any of our events, volunteered to help out, talked to people about the Festival or sang our praises, you will have contributed to making 2018 the best ever Guernsey Literary Festival.

This year’s Festival saw ticket sales up 34% on 2017, and a record attendance of 5,064 at ticketed events. The Festival attracted 40 speakers, from well-known media figures to political and social commentators, novelists and poets, scientists and endurance athletes, journalists and musicians. In total, 65 talks, workshops and events took place during the course of the festival, which ran from 10th-13th May.

The Festival’s education programme also featured 14 talks in 11 local schools, reaching 2000 children. Community events and initiatives included a talk in the prison with Gary Younge, a shared reading with the Cheshire Homes, a talk for teachers and educators and a workshop on climate chage with Why Comics to name a few.

There were four workshops for local writers, record entries for the WriteStuff Competition (484 entries from 16 schools) and record entries for the International Poetry Competition (1,280 poems from 30 countries).

The Guernsey Literary Festival is planned and run by a voluntary Steering Committee, backed by a Festival Board, and this year no fewer than 71 volunteers were involved. It was based in St Peter Port, with venues including the Festival Hub in Market Street, St James, the Guille-Alles Library, Les Cotils and Old Government House. Sponsorship plays a very important part in supporting the Festival with a record 15 sponsors signed up to this year’s festival.

The speakers’ line-up included plenty of big names this year including BBC Newsnight presenter and economist Evan Davis, inspiring speaker Katie Piper and best-selling novelists Ruth Hogan and Rachel Joyce. The Festival also attracted Jenni Murray and Coronation Street actor and writer Denise Welch, TV presenter and author June Sarpong and BBC’s Doctor in the House, Rangan Chatterjee.

The Festival is especially proud of its Education Programme, where writers and speakers go into local schools to work with and inspire schoolchildren.

Emma Beardsell, Head of English at the Grammar School and Sixth Form Centre, said that award winning poet Daljit Nagra ‘was excellent! In his interactions with students after the talk, he showed honesty and encouragement in fostering the talents of young writers, encouraging them to write journals and enter writing competitions.’

La Houguette School teacher Siobhan Burke said of performance poet Ross Montgomery’s visit to her school: ‘Our session with Ross this afternoon was fantastic. He had amazing presence and strategies with the children. Many thanks.’

Peter Sargent of Beechwood was full of praise for the visit of historical writer Duncan Barrett.

‘The stories really have helped to develop an understanding of what it was like to be in the Channel Islands during the Second World War. I know that the children enjoyed the talk and it will definitely support the work we are doing in Year 6.’

Guernsey Literary Festival Director Claire Allen says that all who were involved ‘are delighted with this year’s success.’

‘Book festivals should be about books but they are also about something more – they are places where ideas can be proposed and challenged and where important issues discussed. Great literature really can be for everyone and that’s what we strive towards with the Guensey Literary Festival.

‘Planning has already started on next year’s event, which will be held from 1-6th May 2019. We’ll be keeping you informed.’

We would love to know what you thought of this year’s Festival. Help us by sparing a few minutes to answer the linked survey and be in with a chance to win a pair of tickets to next year’s festival. Thank you.