Evesham was the word of the weekend as a popular festival made its return to the town.
Crowds were treated to three days full of activities as Evesham Festival of Words returned.
Festival chair, Sue Ablett, was hugely relieved it all went to plan with no speakers pulling out due to Covid and audiences able to enjoy in-person events once more.
She said: “It’s a lot of hard work but it absolutely flew by and it was such fun.
“I loved all the events and we’ve had such positive comments from audiences and the contributors, which makes it all worthwhile.”
The festival started off with Words and Music of Evesham with Colin Pitts and John Raphael, which saw the audience singing along but also laughing, with some literally in tears.
There were also various author talks throughout the weekend, providing insights into the process of how book deals come about and how writers write.
On the Saturday there was two poetry events, one focusing on Poems of the Sea and then a focus on AE Housman and his Last Poems.
On the same night, best-selling crime writer, Vaseem Khan, gave a talk at the Rowing Club which was described by one attendee as the “best talk she has ever heard at any literary festival”.
On the Sunday Di Alexander led a talk on the Mitford family, based on her personal experiences of meeting many of them.
The final event of the weekend was a celebration of two women – the 17th century traveller Celia Fiennes, and Lindsay Stanberry-Flynn, founder member of Evesham Festival of Words, who died last year.
While the main weekend of the festival has come and gone, organisers still have plenty left up their sleeves.
This Friday, at Bengeworth Church, Evesham Operatic and Dramatic Society will perform Once Upon A Song featuring a selection of songs from the musicals inspired by fairy tales and literature.
Tickets are £10 and available on the door or via the Almonry, or Festival website ww.eveshamfestivalofwords.org.
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