Twenty-fourth Festival programme is launched!

Last week, the last proofs were read and a single duckling emerged from an egg.

On Tuesday night, five of us opened cardboard boxes, newly-delivered from Acorn Press.

Out of them came the sweet smell of new print. Soon, there were stacks of blue fire-emblazoned programmes on the former calf-shed Centre tables; and we, Kate from Swindon, Rachel form Liddington, Denisa from Slovakia, Lucas from Germany, and Caitlin from the USA, and the undersigned got busy stuffing them into hundreds of envelopes.

We also drank wine, nibbled at nibbles, chatted, laughed, listened to the music of the Glow Globes and the radio commentary of Swindon Town losing a football match to Sheffield United.

And on Thursday 16th March, in good spirits but under under grey skies in Swindon’s Central Library Courtyard, with 150 Festival followers and appropriate fanfare – which included the ringing of the LSF bell, a fabulous home-made spread from Elena’s Festa Rustica, a brilliant story-dance, told by Bafana, made musical by Fergie, and made moving by three dancers from the Wilkes Academy, plus some words about books, life, and Swindon – the programme was launched.

Here is how the Secret Agent Festival Chronicler described the launch.
https://festivalchronicle.com/category/swindon-festival-of-literature/

Talking of launches, the next one, of the Festival proper, takes place at 5.30am outdoors in Lawn Woods on Bank Holiday Monday 1st May.

Hope to see you there!

Matt
matt@lowershawfarm.co.uk