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Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival

10th September 2018

Categories: Visitor News

Devon is a great place to visit if you’re a literature fan, from Agatha Christie’s home in Torquay to Keats’ house, Ted Hughes’ memorial in Dartmoor and of course, the literary world’s most famous otter, Tarka, are all connected with the county.

There is another reason for bibliophiles to visit in September as Budeligh Salterton hosts its annual literary festival.

Between the 19^th and the 23^rd September, the town will be joined by some of the best names in literature as they celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the festival. If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, you can do so here and prepare to spend time with big names such as Sir Michael Morpurgo, Kate Mosse, Dame Hilary Mantel, Michael Rosen and many more.

Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival is a powerful blend of challenging debate, inspiring ideas, new fiction, and best-selling, award-winning writing combined with a warm and welcoming atmosphere all beside the sea. This is one of the most exciting literary festivals in the UK and of course you’ll want to attend all five days, especially when you hear about all the lively panels, workshops, including an exclusive masterclass with Dame Hilary Mantel, the festival’s president, where you’ll get to learn writing tips, and this year there are even more events for the children!

BudLitFest2017 from Andy Johnstone - Wild Dog Ltd on Vimeo.

If you’re going to do all five days, you’re going to need somewhere to stay.

For those wanting to make a family holiday of the festival, why not take a look at Ladram Bay Holiday Park. This holiday park offers the perfect family seaside holiday, with first class entertainment and superb facilities all on the doorstep, so in between festival panels, you can take in their multi-activity splash zone, adventure golf and climbing wall.

If you’d rather use the festival as an opportunity to also explore the nearby towns and villages, you could base yourself at the Victoria Hotel in the neighbouring town of Sidmouth, just 2 miles from Budleigh Salterton. The Victoria Hotel offers luxury accommodation based in a Victorian building with many of its original features.

Also in Sidmouth is the Belmont Hotel, the perfect location for a luxury short break, it comes complete with an unforgettable dining experience, with traditional Silver Service complemented by a formal jack and tie dress code.

For something a little less formal, try the Sidmouth Bed and Breakfast, a relaxed and friendly guesthouse which even offers a vegan breakfast in their sun trap of a breakfast room. Staying here means you’re well placed to also explore the attractions, restaurants and towns near the festival.

Speaking of attractions, you might want to visit Powderham Castle and live out some of the fictional worlds you’ll have heard about during the festival. The castle, in Exeter has plenty of fun activities for the children and even offers a deer park safari so you can capture glimpses of Devon’s wildlife. For those of you who are into their wildlife, you might want to stop off at World of Country Life during your stay in Budleigh Salterton. It isn’t every day you can hand feed deer, llamas or walk a pygmy goat after all. This combined with the workshops may even inspire you to write your own novels! And of course, for those of you who are more into thrills, Crealy Great Adventure Park isn’t far if you wanted to take a break from the literature. Plus, you know that the whole family will be catered for.

Budleigh Salterton has a great range of cafes and restaurants to keep you fed and watered during your time at the Literary Festival, but if you want a special dining experience, you could always head for the Victoria Hotel for a fine dining experience. The Devon Hotel is another great option, though a little further away, the Carriages Brasserie is set in the heart of a Georgian Manor house and offers popular dishes from around the world.

To find out more about the festival and plan your visit, download the brochure here.