FROM Enid Blyton to HG Wells: the Purbeck landscape has inspired all sorts of literature.

And the Purbeck Literary Festival aims to celebrate the area’s literary heritage.

The event returns in February for its fourth year and this year has a wild theme.

Founder Emma Fernandez said: "Britain has been captivated by the outdoors and adventure, so it seemed a perfect choice for this year’s theme. Purbeck, in Dorset, is at the heart of some of the most beautiful and rare Coast and Countryside in the UK. 

“So we are incorporating adventure, romance, travel and the outdoors in our programme.”

In a change to its usual format, 2017 also brings a festival hub, with a home base at Victorian folly, Durlston Castle for many of its events. 

Surrounded by stunning cliffs and acres of parkland, festival goers will get a window seat that should provide a wealth of inspiration and a perfect complement to the wild themed programme. 

The festival kicks off on February 17 and runs to February 25.

It features Paul Stickland, author of Dinosaur Roar, launching a programme with his Bug Shop, MG Leonard, author of Beetle Boy, award-winning children's author Nick Frith, Stanford Travel Writer of the year Nick Hunt, a day of Wild magic tales at Corfe Castle Visitor Centre with Martin Maudsley, plus drag queens, politics, wildlife, fossils, film, poetry, environment and music.

Emma added: "We still have some other venues on board, as well as schools, libraries, and our usual headline tea at The Grand Hotel, but we felt it important to find somewhere we could base ourselves, which hopefully work well for the future."

For full programme details and to book online, visit www.purbeckliteraryfestival.info

Tickets can also be obtained from Durlston Castle and from Tourist Information Centres in Swanage and Wareham, and the Edition One Bookshop in Station Road, Swanage.