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Sidmouth Literary Festival

Every year Sidmouth welcomes bibliophiles from all over the country to the town’s literature festival, a celebration of all things bookish with workshops, talks and of course, the chance to buy bestsellers and obscure titles alike. The festival has taken place every summer since 2015 after being founded by Wayne Winstone, owner of Winstone’s Books (of which there is a branch in the town), Di Bowerman, Jane Corey and many others who are both fans of books and work in the industry.

Devon, and by extension, Sidmouth, has long inspired authors and poets with its beautiful scenery and fascinating history, making this region the best for hosting Literary Festivals. The world’s most famous crime writer, Agatha Christie is from the county and J R R Tolkein who has wowed generations with his Lord of the Rings books had a holiday home in Sidmouth, at which he wrote some of the story’s best loved passages. If that wasn’t enough of an indication of the region’s credentials, the Regency feel of the town is almost like stepping into a Jane Austen novel – perfect for a weekend talking about books!

Sun, Sea, Books

Sidmouth Literary Festival – Sun, Sea, Books is the must visit event for anyone who loves reading, writing or generally being creative. Each year, the festival brings big names in publishing to Sidmouth for two days of fascinating discussion.

Taking place at venues all over the town including some of the grand Regency hotels, local churches, theatres and other iconic venues, you’re never too far away from a bookish activity when visiting Sidmouth in June. Previous attendees of the festival have included authors such as Adele Parks, Bryony Gordon and Terry Waite, with workshops and activities ranging from how to get published to where to find inspiration and motivation to write your own bestseller. The 2019 line-up included Sidmouth’s own author Jane Corry who was joined by Lesley Pearse, the multi best selling author and Ruth Ware.

Activities that won’t break the bank

While there are some aspects of the festival that carry a charge many of the events and workshops are free to attend – you can find out more about the most recent news and details about prices on the festival’s official website: sidmouthlitfest.co.uk

Tickets for Sidmouth Literary Festival events are also available from Winstone’s book shop on Sidmouth High Street or online here, Sidmouth’s Tourist Information Centre on Ham Lane and Sidmouth Library which is on Blackmore Drive.

For more information, email sidmouthlitfest1@gmail.com or visit one of the above.

Never too many books

If you are a big fan of books, Sidmouth’s Literary Festival is the place to be this summer, but it isn’t the only bookish event you can enjoy. Nearby Budleigh Salterton also has an annual literature festival which has been running for over ten years. The Festival is supported by author Hilary Mantel who is the Honorary President and regularly appears at the festival to speak on panels and run workshops.

Find out more information here.

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Ongoing Events

Peter Vaillant Abstract Art Exhibition

Type

Type:

Art

Sidmouth

Peter Vaillant is an internationally acclaimed British abstract artist, with a distinctively bold and colourful style. He currently works between his studios in London and…

Dates

From:

12 Aug 2022to31 Aug 2022
Sidmouth Eats Boutique-Evening Street Food Market

Type

Type:

Food and Drink

Sidmouth

Join this pop up street food market every second Friday of the month, outside on the lawn at Kennaway House.
Be a part of our community and find us on summer Friday nights…

Dates

From:

12 Aug 2022to12 Aug 2022

From:

9 Sept 2022to9 Sept 2022
Sidmouth Food Festival

Type

Type:

Food and Drink

Sidmouth

Back by popular demand! We are pleased to announce that the 2022 Sidmouth Food Festival will be held on Saturday 13th August. For further information and bookings, please…

Dates

From:

13 Aug 2022to13 Aug 2022
DISCO at Kennaway House

Type

Type:

Music

Sidmouth

Join us for a relaxed, adult-only boogie.........
Saturday 16th JULY from 8pm
£5 on the door
Future dates are: Aug 20 - Sep 10 - Oct 15 - Nov 19 - Dec 10

Dates

From:

20 Aug 2022to20 Aug 2022

From:

10 Sept 2022to10 Sept 2022

From:

15 Oct 2022to15 Oct 2022

From:

19 Nov 2022to19 Nov 2022

From:

10 Dec 2022to10 Dec 2022
Sidmouth Airshow 2022

Type

Type:

Air / Air Show

Sidmouth

Sidmouth’s Airshow will take place on Friday, 26 August 2022 at the provisional time of 5pm onwards.

Dates

From:

26 Aug 2022to26 Aug 2022
Sidmouth Regatta

Type

Type:

Festival

Sidmouth

Sidmouth Regatta will be held from and including Friday 2 August until Sunday afternoon the 2 August, (August Bank Holiday).
On Friday early evening there will be an Air…

Dates

From:

26 Aug 2022to28 Aug 2022
Craft@Kennaway

Type

Type:

Art

Sidmouth

* CRAFT FAIRS: A variety of locally made jewellery, pottery, knitting, photography and cards will be on offer at Craft fairs on Saturdays throughout the year.
* CHRISTMAS…

Dates

From:

27 Aug 2022to27 Aug 2022

From:

10 Sept 2022to10 Sept 2022

From:

15 Oct 2022to15 Oct 2022

From:

29 Oct 2022to29 Oct 2022

From:

25 Nov 2022to26 Nov 2022
Lyme Regis Folk Festival

Type

Type:

Performance

LYME REGIS

28 minute drive from Sidmouth.
CANCELLED - But please save the date for 27-30 August 2021!!
Lyme Folk Weekend has quickly become one of the most popular events of…

Dates

From:

2 Sept 2022to4 Sept 2022
Grahame Booth. Watercolour Landscapes.

Type

Type:

Art

Sidmouth

Grahame Booth. Watercolour Landscapes and Townscapes. 5th to 8th September. …

Dates

From:

5 Sept 2022to8 Sept 2022
Watercolour Landscapes and Townscapes. Grahame Booth. East Devon Art Academy.

Type

Type:

Art

Sidmouth

Learn how to create a fresh lively watercolour by using confident bold brushstrokes to choose a main focal point while simplifying the rest of the subject. Includes Plein Air…

Dates

From:

5 Sept 2022to8 Sept 2022
ARTBEAT Annual Exhibition and Sale

Type

Type:

Art

Sidmouth

* ARTBEAT are celebrating their 10th annual exhibition.
* A selection of original paintings, giclées, cards and gifts.
* FREE ENTRY.

Dates

From:

7 Sept 2022to16 Sept 2022
ARTBEAT Annual Exhibition and Sale- Kennaway House

Type

Type:

Art

Sidmouth

* ARTBEAT are celebrating their 10th annual exhibition.
* A selection of original paintings, giclées,cards and gifts.
* FREE ENTRY.

Dates

From:

7 Sept 2022to16 Sept 2022
Sidmouth & East Devon Walking Festival 2022

Type

Type:

Event

Sidmouth

The Sidmouth & East Devon Walking Festival runs each September for one week, Saturday to Friday.

Dates

From:

17 Sept 2022to23 Sept 2022
Mosaics Workshop. Karen Wones. East Devon Art Academy.

Type

Type:

Art

Sidmouth

Karen Wones. Mosaic Workshop. Saturday 1st Oct 2022 Workshop. Make your own piece of mosaic art in a one-day workshop. If you have ever thought you would like a go ..…

Dates

From:

1 Oct 2022to1 Oct 2022
Acrylics for Beginners and Improvers

Type

Type:

Art

Sidmouth

Catherine Osbond. Acrylic Painting for Beginners. 7th October.
A one-day workshop where you will be introduced to acrylic painting. You will learn various ways to apply…

Dates

From:

7 Oct 2022to7 Oct 2022
James Tatum. The Landscape as Power and Emotion.

Type

Type:

Art

Sidmouth

This workshop is designed to show students how to use a 3-step process to produce more powerful, exciting and coherent landscape paintings. Learn how to use the basic tools…

Dates

From:

15 Oct 2022to16 Oct 2022
Hester Berry. Landscapes in Oils.

Type

Type:

Art

Sidmouth

Hester Berry
Land and Seascapes in Oils.
12th and 11th November 2022. £160 for 2 days www.hesterberry.co.uk

Dates

From:

12 Nov 2022to13 Nov 2022
Jenny Aitken. Landscapes in Acrylics.

Type

Type:

Art

Sidmouth

Jenny provides thoroughly informative teaching, with the overriding goal of people enjoying themselves! She wants people to feel encouraged, enabled and challenged. £170. …

Dates

From:

17 Nov 2022to18 Nov 2022
Watercolour with a Difference

Type

Type:

Art

Sidmouth

A fun and exciting one day workshop where you will explore watercolour in a different way. Watercolour will be combined with different materials such as oil pastel, inks,…

Dates

From:

25 Nov 2022to25 Nov 2022
Jake Winkle. Light and Movement in Watercolour

Type

Type:

Art

Sidmouth

Learn how to create light and movement in watercolour with this renowned artist.

Dates

From:

30 Nov 2022to30 Nov 2022