The company provided a weekend festival of talks and discussions by distinguished writers, an art exhibition, guided walks with naturalists, conservationists and nature writers, a boat trip, a schools’ programme of author talks and books that were free to the schools involved and a poetry competition. We also provided for the first time a young writers’ group for children at the local high school, which took place monthly on Sunday afternoons during term time. Our programme encouraged creativity and nature engagement by bringing a boost of literary culture and cutting-edge conservationists and naturalists to Wells-next-the-Sea for our audience. We inspired a lively exchange of ideas with contributors such as Richard Mabey - the most influential nature writer of the past 50 years - Julia Blackburn, Charles Clover, Alan Hollinghurst, Katrina Porteous, Mark Cocker, Patrick Galbraith, Jake Fiennes, Bernard O’Donoghue and Matthew Hollis. Our audiences reported going away with lots of inspirational ideas to think about and our contributors said they had made many new connections - both in friends and thinking. Our art exhibition of works by Tor Falcon, Beatrice Forshall and Rosie Reeve explored vanishing species, landscapes in Norfolk and London and the beauties and mysteries of the night-time world, encouraging others to observe and be more invested in their own connection with landscapes nature and their own creativity. Our guided walks and boat trip explored salt marsh at high and low tide, rewilding at Westacre, the Snettisham wader spectacular and the inspiration for parkland design in the 18th century. This took our audiences to places they could not normally visit. It showed them work that is transforming spaces for the benefit of nature, informed them about what can be done and motivated them to care more about doing so. Schools’ programme: we ran four free author talks for local schools, gave out over 300 free books to all the children in the audience and ran the North Norfolk schools poetry competition again, judged by Alan Hollinghurst. We published last year’s winning poems in this year’s festival programme. This encouraged literacy and creativity and gave the children and their teachers a sense of connection with living writers and culture. We started Wells Young Writers, a free workshop run 7 times through the year for local teenage schoolchildren sponsored by the Malcolm Bradbury Trust. This encouraged writing for pleasure and created a group with similar interests who would otherwise be working alone if at all.

Schools were asked to comment if they had not done so spontaneously. All other feedback was uninvited. The audience wrote freely by email to commend: ‘a well curated variety of topics and talking points’ ‘a fabulously stimulating weekend’ and ‘another superb weekend of stimulation for body and mind’, commenting that the festival seemed ‘so healthy, vibrant, focused, well thought-out, contemporary, relevant and – best of all – well attended’ and in comparison to last year ‘the line-up seemed to be so much more lived in, about dwelling in this place, and more empathetic to the lives lived here’. The last comment above was volunteered by an employee of Wells Library who asked if they could be involved in 2026. Our writers emailed variously to say that it was ‘a wonderfully different and enjoyable festival: I had a really interesting and memorable time’; that it was ‘a privilege to be involved’ that ‘everyone was buzzing, brains fully filled, opinions fully challenged and elements fully encountered’. Richard Mabey emailed to say that ‘The conversations [he] had with audience members afterwards were extraordinary - intense and sympathetic (and often tearful). The whole experience unlocked something in me that’s been missing from my recent writing, so I shall be eternally grateful to you all.’ Katrina Porteous pointed out that: ‘The networking part is the key. As Charles Clover pointed out, when people get together, we have the power to change things for the better.’ Schools: A teacher from Burnham Market Primary School wrote that: ‘The children clearly had a lovely time and I hear were both engaged and delighted in equal measure’ Another from Wells Primary School said: ‘We really enjoyed taking part in the literary festival. The author visit was spot-on, the author was very engaging and the pupils really enjoyed it. They were delighted to get a signed book. The Head teacher of Langham Village School commented on the whole programme saying: ‘The poetry competition provided an excellent opportunity for the children to express their creativity and explore the theme of 'Life by the Sea' in depth. Having their work judged by the esteemed writer Alan Hollinghurst added a sense of excitement and prestige. We were thrilled that three of our pupils received the top prizes in their age group, which was a proud moment for our school community. The hands-on river trip was a highlight for our Year 5 pupils. They were fully engaged in discovering the biodiversity of the River Stiffkey, fostering curiosity and a deeper connection with the local environment. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm and sense of discovery during this activity. This year, our author was Iona Rangeley, who shared her experiences and insights with the students. Iona, who grew up in Norfolk, discussed her middle-grade book Cecily Sawyer: How to be a Spy, inspiring the children with her journey as a writer and offering guidance to those interested in pursuing creative projects. The generous gift of Cecily Sawyer: How to be a Spy was very much appreciated. The children have enjoyed reading the book, and it has sparked meaningful discussions in class. It has also encouraged a love for reading and further exploration of creative writing themes. Overall, the combination of creative, educational, and inspirational activities made this project a resounding success. Alderman Peel High School’s Head of English wrote that: The Festival of Literature and Landscape has had a wonderful impact on the young local people of Wells and members of Alderman Peel High School over the previous 2 years. Last year’s workshop with Natasha Hastings at the Maltings was an exceptional treat for our Year 8 students, with a small group also attending a talk with author Iona Rangeley. The Year 8s were all given several tips to help them develop their own writing, as well as a copy of Natasha’s book which was appreciated tremendously by both pupils and staff. We were also incredibly grateful for the opportunity presented by the annual Poetry competition judged by Alan Hollinghurst, as well as the generous prizes presented by Vicky at the school. Several students were commended for their poetry and artwork.’ She adds, with regard to the Wells Young Writers Workshop: ‘In addition to all of this, the festival has also facilitated the amazing opportunity of Young Writers’ Workshops, executed by Patrick Barkham and supported by Vicky. Many students have participated in these Sunday sessions over the previous few months and several have repeatedly returned with passion and enthusiasm for the opportunity to develop and practice their writing with Patrick.’ Verbally, parents thanked us when dropping off and collecting their children on a Sunday afternoon. Wells Maltings director Simon Daykin writes: ‘The partnership between the North Norfolk Festival of Literature and Landscape and Wells Maltings Trust (‘the Trust’) directly supports the latter’s charitable aims by expanding access to high-quality cultural and educational activity. As the Festival programme in October brings leading literary and environmental voices to Wells-next-the-Sea, it in turn strengthens the Trust’s role as a hub for arts engagement and lifelong learning. By exploring the area’s distinctive landscapes, stories, and heritage, the programme deepens public understanding of North Norfolk’s cultural and environmental significance. The collaboration enhances community wellbeing, encourages inclusive participation, and enriches the cultural life of residents and visitors alike.’ Our sponsors, the Malcolm Bradbury Trust, emailed to say: We are delighted that our support has made a difference. I also thoroughly enjoyed the events that I attended. Well done. Thank you so much for the lovely account of the youth creative writing workshops. I found myself becoming quite emotional at your well crafted account of the programme and its success. Coincidentally, I spent a most enjoyable afternoon with Patrick last week and he was saying how much he had enjoyed the workshops and their impact. The programme seems to be a fantastic exemplar of what can be achieved when a proactive school, committed teachers, festival ambitions and a wonderful delivery partner come together with a small amount of funding. We might well ask if we can share your account with some of our partners out of county. Miranda Marshall of long-term sponsors Hayes & Storr, emailed to say: ‘I thought this year was just wonderful and I am feeling much inspired and exhilarated.’ We have no recorded feedback, but understand that the Holt Bookshop sold a good number of books in Wells Maltings over the festival weekend.

No remuneration was received

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration