Charlotte Church (c) Kirsten McTernan
Dinefwr Literature Festival, a celebration of words, music and landscape, returns to the stunning surroundings of Dinefwr Park and Castle in the heart of the Carmarthenshire countryside this summer.
The three-day bilingual festival is back with an eclectic programme of national and international writers, award-winning poets and emerging English and Welsh literary talent, along with ground-breaking comedy, music, art, cinema, cabaret and creative activities for children.
Among the first names to be announced are: the Welsh singer and songwriter Charlotte Church; BBC Radio 1 DJ and writer Huw Stephens; comedian Bridget Christie; the 2014 Costa Award-winning debut novelist Nathan Filer; the writer and poet Owen Sheers; Adrian Edmondson & The Bad Shepherds; Gillian Clarke, the National Poet of Wales; performance poet and author Steven Camden aka Polarbear and Helen Dunmore, British poet, novelist and children’s writer.
The weekend’s music is curated by SŴN’s John Rostron, who brought The Staves, Gruff Rhys and Ghostpoet to Dinefwr in 2012. This year’s full music line-up is yet to be announced but early names confirmed include Carmarthenshire’s beguilingly intimate Welsh pop duo, Trwbador, the Alex Dingley Band and alternative folk band, Plu.
There will be English and Welsh-language events taking place over the weekend, with confirmed writers from Wales including: Cynan Jones; Aneirin Karadog, the Welsh language Children’s Poet Laureate; Deborah Kay Davies 2009 winner of the Wales Book of the Year; and Rhian Edwards, multi-award winning poet and musician.
Dinefwr Literature Festival prides itself on being family-friendly, so there’ll plenty of entertainment throughout the weekend for children including the brilliant Wimpy Kid Show in which host Alastair Watson brings to life Jeff Kinney’s international bestselling children’s books. The festival also welcomes Nicola Davies, former presenter of the Really Wild Show and Sarah KilBride, author of the Princess Evie books.
Lleucu Siencyn, Chief Executive of Literature Wales comments:
“We’re very lucky to have the use of such a beautiful venue to host our festival. The backdrop of breathtaking views and the rich cultural history seeping from the ground makes it a magical place where great things can happen. With new names being added to the line-up every week the programme is getting better and better, we can’t wait until June.”
Festival events will take place in Newton House, the National Trust’s stunning 17th century property, and in marquees in the grounds of the landscaped park, home to the famous White Park Cattle. This year the ancient Castle, which is reached by a woodland walk, will host performances, specially commissioned for the mythical setting.
Dinefwr Park and Castle is located on the edge of Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire. There is a dedicated camping area, surrounded by woodlands and with breath-taking views, a short stroll from the festival site and within easy reach of the festival’s many food stalls selling local produce.
For a taste of the inaugural festival in 2012, have a look at some of the highlights here: www.dinefwrliteraturefestival.co.uk/looking-back
Tickets
Both weekend and day tickets are available for the festival. Adult Weekend passes start at £45 for Earlybird and Locals bookings (Early Bird Tickets now on sale) which includes entrance to all festival events. After 1 March, Adult Weekend passes are £65, with a discount for National Trust, Cadw and Literature Wales members. Adult Day tickets start at £25; children under 5 go free, and weekend and day tickets for children aged 6-16 are £10 and £5 respectively. Camping tickets are additional: £20 per tent for a maximum of four people sharing and £30 for live-in vehicles; (£10 and £20 for Earlybird and Locals). See website for applicable local postcodes.
The Dinefwr Literature Festival is organised by Literature Wales in partnership with National Trust, Cadw, and University of Wales Trinity Saint David and is supported by Arts Council of Wales.
“Dinefwr is the best kind of literary festival – concentrated in its attention but expansive in its reach.” – Sir Andrew Motion
For more information visit www.dinefwrliteraturefestival.co.uk
