Famous faces to appear at West Dorset literary festival (From Dorset Echo)

Famous faces to appear at West Dorset literary festival

4:30pm Saturday 26th January 2013 in News By James Tourgout

FIGURES from the world of politics, literature and music are among the famous names lined up for the best Beaminster Festival so far.

Politicians Lord Paddy Ashdown and Ann Widdecombe will rub shoulders with best selling authors Lady Antonia Fraser, William Dalrymple and Victoria Glendinning.

The stellar line-up also includes former BBC Young Musician of the Year Benjamin Grosvenor and The Illyria Open Air Theatre Company.

The annual extravaganza is being held on Sunday June 30 to Sunday July 7 but will be the penultimate festival run by Tanya Bruce-Lockhart.

She said: “There was so much to celebrate that is British in 2012. The Diamond Jubilee, the London Olympics and Paralympics, and more again this year with the birth to look forward to of Willliam and Kate’s first child in June. We too will be celebrating in July. This will be my penultimate festival as festival director as 2014 will be my last. I have much enjoyed my time with the festival and expanding it substantially over the decade but feel that I would now like to retire and get on with the other projects which await me. “I shall continue to be festival director of the Bridport Literary Festival which is always a super-boost to the dark days of November.”

Benjamin Grosvenor headlines the music events with a piano recital in St Mary’s Church. Other music includes Stile Antico, the British vocal ensemble and The Brook Street Band with an entertainment about George Handel.

The Illyria Open Air Theatre Company will be performing an adaptation of Dick King Smith’s: Babe: The Sheep Pig in the grounds of Beaminster Manor.

There will be an art exhibition in Beaminster’s Public Hall, featuring the work of nearly 30 local artists.