Established in 2002 as a successful springtime event, the Oundle Festival of Literature has evolved into a year-round celebration of literature, a format that is popular with its performers and authors, and offers its audience a variety of events throughout the year. The Festival features both fiction and non-fiction, including contemporary and genre-based fiction and an eclectic mix of non-fiction, including environmental, political, historical and local interest topics.

Events have traditionally taken place in a variety of venues around Oundle, with the aim of promoting the  town as a cultural centre for the area and to encourage people to visit – in addition to offering high-quality literary events. During Covid, events took place online, mostly as webinars, but, as we went to press, we received the exciting news that the Festival of Literature would be starting live events from the end of February.

Events for March include:

Jenny Pearson: The Incredible Record Smashers 

Could you be an Incredible Record Smasher? Jenny Pearson’s live event will look at some of the world’s most wondrous and wacky records, including enormous animals, unbelievable humans and some incredible watermelons. You can join in with the ridiculous record quiz, and there may be an opportunity for you to have a go at a record yourself.  

Listen to Jenny read a passage from her book, The Incredible Record Smashers, and discuss the themes from it, such as the importance of friendship and what makes us happy.   

Saturday 5 March, 2.30–3.30pm, The Great Hall, Oundle School, Oundle PE8 4GH

Tickets £6. Suitable for children aged 6–11

John Wright: A Spotter’s Guide to Countryside Mysteries 

John Wright is a passionate natural historian and the author of a number of River Cottage Handbooks: Mushrooms, Edible Seashore, Hedgerow and Booze. As well as writing for national publications, he often appears on the River Cottage series for Channel 4 and is the River Cottage foraging specialist and author of the engaging and highly acclaimed The Forager’s Calendar. 

John will be sharing his knowledge from his latest book, a beautifully illustrated, practical and entertaining guide that illuminates and explains those mysterious details of the countryside you’ve always wondered about.

John will give us the tools to identify Witch’s Broom, Robin’s Pincushion, Dew Ponds and Hollow Ways, and also their histories, how they come to be, and where to find them. From the enormous to the truly tiny, he illuminates the oddities that pepper our countryside and the pleasure of spotting and understanding them. 

Friday 18 March, 7.45pm

The Glapthorn Room, Fletton House, Glapthorn Road, Oundle PE8 4JA

Tickets £8 (£6), or £1 off early bird tickets (bought before 11 March)

All tickets available from the Oundle Box Office, tel 01832 279086 (phone line open Mon–Fri 10am–1pm), and online via oundlelitfest.org.uk/events/