"Fantastic support" for Literary Festival's new chapter

Tuesday 25 May 2021

Award-winning international authors and a host of sell-out events made the 10th anniversary of the Guernsey Literary Festival one to remember.

The Festival, which is planned and organised by a team of volunteers, had to be cancelled in 2020 because of the Covid-19 lockdown. For a time the 2021 Festival looked to be under threat, however organisers deemed it essential to go ahead in order to build on the event's growth in recent years.

"Life is to be lived to the full and art plays a crucial role, it's not just about financial return," said Festival Chairman Terry Waite. "We need to live more in harmony with ourselves, our neighbours and our environment. Arts enable us to do that."

This year’s Festival combined a free local events held at the Guille-Allès Library with five days of events with writers from outside the island, who spoke to paying audiences at Les Cotils while being live-streamed in their own homes. In the end there was an 87% take-up of the available tickets for all events.

“We’ve been blown away by the fantastic support we’re received,” said Guernsey Literary Festival director Claire Allen.  

“As well as organising a number of events with local authors at the Guille-Allès Library and in local schools, we’ve enjoyed a selection of live-streamed events at Les Cotils with some incredible award-winning international authors.

Pictured: Best selling novelist Joanne Harris speaks to the audience by video link. The interviewer is Adam Bayfield. (Credit: Jackson Chambers Photography).

She added: "Thanks to all our authors, sponsors, patrons, supporters, volunteers and the organising team for making this year’s festival such a great success."

One of the cornerstones of the Festival has always been its education programme and this went ahead as well, with in person visits from local writers and video link events. Kate Gilby-Smith did five school talks, Victoria Robinson did three and Maz Evans did an event by video link.

Author Kate Gilby-Smith was born in Guernsey and was back on the island to speak about her debut novel. "It's been really special taking part in the Guernsey Literary Festival. I've been so impressed by all the brilliant questions children have asked, both at the Guille-Allès  library event and during school visits. It's wonderful that such an exciting programme of events could go ahead this year."

There was good feedback from audiences and the fact that there were live audiences did not go unnoticed by ‘visiting’ writers and speakers, many of whom had spent the majority of the last few months in their own homes.

Environment campaigner Tom Rivett-Carnac, writing on Twitter, said: "This is the closest I've gotten to an actual room full of people in a long time."

Pictured: Children’s writer Kate Gilby Smith interviewed by Beatrix Buchanan (Credit: Jackson Chambers Photography).

Other positive comments on Twitter have come from Francesca Simon, practical philanthropist Jacqueline Novogratz as well as local writers Mat Desforges and Gerald Hough. 

The Festival runs two major competitions.The Guernsey International Poetry Competition, judged by Kate Clanchy, had a record number of entries – over 2000 -- and The Write Stuff short story competition for Bailiwick school children, judged by Francesca Simon, Maz Evans, Huw Lewis-Jones and Joanne Harris, had a record number of local schools taking part.

Awards ceremonies for both competitions were held during the Festival.

Maz Evans reflected: "It was an absolute delight to play a part in this year's GLF. The standard of the children's writing blew me away and it was wonderful to be able to speak to some of them via the magic of Zoom.

"Congratulations to everyone who created this wonderful event - I hope that brighter times will bring me to your beautiful shores."

All the live-streamed events are now available to re-watch on the Festival website or on its YouTube channel HERE.

Pictured top:  A full audience listens to environmental campaigner Tom Rivett-Carnac at Les Cotils. The interviewer is Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller. (Credit: Chris George).