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Launched in 2015 as an antidote to our often screen-dominated, fast-paced lives, Wealden Literary Festival offers up a chance to pause and unearth both the wonder of the natural world and our own creative potential. It has since flourished into a unique cultural event that every summer attracts acclaimed authors, poets, artists and makers each of whom, in their own particular way, has taken inspiration from the environment, from wilderness and the spirit of place.
Through an extraordinary array of talks, debates, creative workshops and hands-on outdoor events, the Festival is both a beacon of hope and an opportunity for quiet, perhaps even urgent, reflection where you will discover food for thought and for the soul. It is curated with all ages in mind, featuring an extensive programme for children designed to encourage children (and their carers) to spend time outdoors engaging creatively with their surroundings.
In the words of Robert Macfarlane, author of Underland and The Lost Words:
“It is a thrill to see Wealden Literary Festival taking root and flourishing. With its emphasis on the natural world, its commitment to children and to community, and its vision of getting people outdoors and hands-on with nature, as well as reading and talking about it, it strikes me as a hugely hopeful and valuable event. Long may it grow!”
The Festival is operated by Wealden Festival Foundation, a registered charity (number 1170588) that seeks to nurture the links between people, nature and creativity.
In addition to the annual Festival and a year-round series of residential workshops, the Foundation has developed successful outreach programmes with local primary and secondary schools that aim to give younger generations the tools they need to understand and cherish the natural world.
If you are interested in joining our amazing team of staff and volunteers, please contact us at hello@wealdenliteraryfestival.co.uk.
For further information about the Festival or our outreach programmes, contact info@wealdenliteraryfestival.co.uk.
“I know of no other festival that’s so enlarging in its discussion of nature, place and literature while being simultaneously intimate and confiding. Big-hearted joy in a beautiful place”
Julian Hoffman, author of Irreplaceable
