Taking a look behind the scenes of the Dorchester Literary Festival

"One day, five years ago, Paul Atterbury and I (who I’d met through working on the Antiques Roadshow) found ourselves appearing at the same West Country book festival, each promoting books we’d published that year. 

"Mine was the biography of Sir William Hillary, founder of the RNLI, his, a book about family treasures from the First World War. Over lunch we talked about book festivals: how they are fun events and an increasingly important way in which authors meet their readers and promote their books. We discussed how numbers of festivals were on the rise - many towns around the country held them - so why didn’t Dorchester, a county town with such a rich literary legacy? ‘Shall we start one?’ he said, and so the idea was born. 

"We had no idea at the time of the work involved, but we set to work that following winter, contacting well known authors with local connections, our local Waterstones and the publicists of big London publishers to find out what books were coming out. Dorset-based Tracy Chevalier, Minette Walters, Kate Adie and Julian Fellowes all said they would support us by speaking at our first festival, and their names helped to draw in others.

CO-FOUNDERS: Paul Atterbury and Janet Gleeson

"We went to the London publishers and came back laden with catalogues from which we made a shopping list of authors. Without much idea of what the audiences would like, we instinctively decided on a ‘something for everyone approach’ which included history, nature, popular fiction, biography and crime. Then we started sending out invitations. 

"Our first festival ran for just three days and had 15 events, but some 1,500 people came and the feedback was encouraging. Dorchester definitely enjoyed having a literary festival, and we’d enjoyed it too.

"So there would be another. Since then we’ve gone from strength to strength, with around 3,500 people coming to 24 core events last year. Right from the outset, running the festival was hugely rewarding.

"Local businesses, the library service, local media, the County Museum, local schools, Dorchester Arts, the Thomas Hardy Society and other local festivals were all so generously encouraging and supportive of us, and as a result we have made many great friends through running it. 

"Meeting the authors and chatting to them before and after their event is one of the great privileges of being an organiser. When a well-known author agrees to come we always feel a little frisson of excitement.

CRICKET LEGEND: Paul Atterbury interviewing Henry Blofeld

"Writers such as Tony Robinson, Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan, Ann Cleeves, Victoria Hislop, Val Mcdermid, Henry Blofeld, Dom Joly, Fergal Keane, A N Wilson, Penny Junor are just some of those who have come to Dorchester to talk about their latest books over the past three years. 

"Fun though it is, running the festival is a time consuming and at times nerve-wracking business. Most festivals have a large committee. Having both worked as freelancers for many years, we decided from the outset to opt for a streamlined structure, with just a few key colleagues for support.

"During the actual festival we also rely on the invaluable help of a wonderful team of volunteers from schools and the local community in general.

"Paul and I have very different skills that seem to work well together; although, other than speaking at book events on the odd occasion, little in our previous lives prepared us for running a festival. I have had a career working in the art market and as a journalist and writer of historical fiction and non-fiction. He lectures, leads tours and writes on a wide range of subjects, as well as being an expert on the Antiques Roadshow. 

"Now in our fourth year of running the festival, we have fallen into an established pattern. Every New Year we visit the London publishers together and make the book selections. Then much of the follow-on admin side falls to me: sending emails to authors via their publicists, chasing invitations and contracts, arranging travel and accommodation, keeping the website up to date, supervising the publicising of events on social media.

"As the year progresses, the list of tasks goes on and on. We have regular planning meetings in which we discuss progress and what we should be doing: booking venues, talking to technicians, arranging the printing of leaflets and brochures and their distribution, writing press releases, deciding who should interview which writer, liaising with the various bodies and people involved and thinking up new ways to improve the festival. 

"This year we have introduced a writing competition and a literary lunch in association with the Oldie Magazine.

"During the five days of the festival, while I worry about ticket sales and whether we have enough seats, or if a writer is going to be late, Paul remains effortlessly cool.

"He is a brilliant interviewer and introduces and closes all the events. One well known travel writer, who shall remain nameless, arrived on the morning of his event and said he wanted me to interview him rather than do a stand- alone talk.

"I hadn’t read the book and declined. Paul said he would do it (although he hadn’t read the book either) and gave an accomplished interview.

EVENT: Paul Atterbury interviews Dorchester-bsed crime writer Minette Walters at a previous festival

"There is always an element of the unexpected in any event and there have been some interesting moments, both behind the scenes and in front of the audience. One member of the audience complimented Catherine Meyer (who was speaking about her biography of the Duchess of Cornwall), on her previous book about Samuel Pepys. ‘That’s very kind of you, although I didn’t actually write that one,’ Catherine graciously replied. 

"This year our line-up is bigger and better than ever: Joanna Trollope, Lynne Truss, Mark Billingham, Jeremy Vine, Vince Cable, Peter and Ann Snow, Lisa Jewell, Judy Murray, Mark Austin and Orla Kiely are just some of the talented writers we’ve confirmed. For me the best bit of all is when the room fills up for the first event and the writer begins to talk to an expectant audience. I know at that point we’ve got there! 

"Afterwards, it’s great to listen to people’s responses, see them queue to buy a book and have it signed, having been entertained and enlightened by some of the leading writers of the day. Dorchester now has the literary festival it deserves, and I feel proud to have played a part in it."

The Dorchester Literary Festival 2018 runs from October 17 to 21.
This year’s Dorchester Literary Festival promises another fascinating line-up. Over the five days there will be more than thirty speakers including Vince Cable, Joanna Trollope, Orla Kiely, Jeremy Vine, Lynne Truss, Judy Murray, James Le Fanu and Mark Austin. Authors will be talking on subjects as diverse as escaping a survivalist Mormon family; food foraging; improving your health in later years; the suffragette movement and seeking the abominable snowman.

Events take place in numerous venues around Dorchester, from 17th to 21st October. You can buy your tickets online at dorchesterliteraryfestival.com or through the Tourist Information Centre, based in Dorchester Library.