Weekend event will feature a host of talks, walks, films and children’s activites
Shute Festival will open its doors on Friday, September 28, for the third year – offering visitors an exciting weekend of talks, walks, films and children’s activities.
The village of Shute, near Axminster, is possibly the smallest place in the UK to host a literary festival but the co-directors, Samantha Knights QC and Paddy Magrane, believe its compact size is a distinct advantage.
It offers a select group of excellent speakers in a single intimate venue - St Michael’s Church - where audience engagement is actively encouraged.
This year the festival welcomes Esther Freud, who will be considering her life as a writer and the challenges of penning her first West End play; Gardeners’ Question Time regular Anne Swithinbank speaking about scent in the garden; former Tomorrow’s World presenter Adam Hart-Davis discussing the eccentric world of William Heath Robinson; historical novelist William Ryan on how a chance encounter with a Nazi archive led to his wartime thriller, The Constant Soldier; Richard Edmonds on the geological history of the Jurassic Coast, and much more.
There will also be a showing of the multi-award-winning One Note at a Time, Renee Edwards’s documentary about the jazz musicians who returned to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina; nature walks in the surrounding Shute estate; and children’s workshops that include land art, bush craft and a Punch & Judy masterclass with Banny Pootschi, former manager of The Libertines.
The weekend will close with a performance from Ricky Romain’s Vadi, bringing the exotic sound of Indian ragas to Shute.
Samantha Knights QC and Paddy Magrane believe local support is also key to the event’s continued success.
They said: “The festival could not happen without the support of St Michael’s Church, Shute Primary School and our sponsors – Beviss and Beckingsale, Deer Park Hotel, Kilmington Gardening Club and Perrott Hill School – as well as the many members of the community who generously give their time to help out.”
For more details about the festival or to purchase tickets for the events, visit www.shutefest.org.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here