Monty Lit Fest ‘planning for 2019’

Organisers of the Montgomeryshire Literary Festival have already confirmed that it will go ahead again in 2019 at another spectacular setting.

Following its inaugural success at Bodfach Hall, Llanfyllin, last week, organisers have announced that 2019’s second edition will be held at Gregynog Hall, Tregynon, on June 15.

Simon Baynes, founder of Monty lit Fest, said: “We are delighted by the success of the first Festival and thank all who participated during the day including the wonderful Festival Committee. We are already making plans for next year’s Monty Lit Fest which will be held at Gregynog Hall, Tregynon.”

More details can be found at www.montylitfest.com.

How the first festival went…

The first speaker was writer and broadcaster Myfanwy Alexander who asked, in the light of the Wodehouse prize for comic fiction being withheld this year, ‘Is the comic novel dead?’ If so, Myfanwy blames Hemingway, for introducing ‘muscular prose’, and the genre of ‘rural miserabalism’.

Springwatch presenter, Iolo Williams (pictured with Myfanwy), gave a fascinating talk on his book, Wild Places of Wales. If comedy is dead in literature then it lives on in the natural world.

The legendary Mavis Nicholson spoke about her books and her career as an interviewer of famous people ranging from Elizabeth Taylor to Kenneth Williams.

Literary agent and writer Andrew Lownie led a panel discussion on ‘Getting Published’ and also discussed his highly acclaimed biography, Stalin’s Englishman: the Lives of Guy Burgess. Amanda Jenner, who helped organise the Festival with Myfanwy Alexander and Simon Baynes, introduced author Matthew Dennison who gave a talk entitled ‘Countrywomen’s Tales: Beatrix Potter and Vita Sackville-West’ about whom he has written acclaimed biographies.

Grey Gowrie gave a moving rendition of his poetry in a talk entitled ‘Between George Herbert and Wilfred Owen – A Marches Immigrant’.

The day was rounded off with a Botanical Gin Workshop led by Adele Nozedar of Brecon Beacons Foraging and live music by Ruth and Ken Powell from Llanwddyn.

There was a pop-up bookshop with Booka of Oswestry where the authors signed their books and did a brisk trade in sales. Shan and Darren Mayor ran a very lively and popular childminding service, Closeknit Teulu Agos.