DOZENS of sparkling Christmas trees were put up around Dulverton ahead of the sparkle brought to the town by its annual literary festival at the weekend.

It was the third time the Dulverton Exmoor Literary Festival had been staged and it was again a huge success with support from people right across the moor and beyond.

Festival director Ali Pegrum introduced a new initiative with a ‘Friends of the Dulverton Exmoor Literary Festival’ group seeing people attend from places such as Yorkshire, Suffolk, Wales, Sussex, Surrey, and London.

Many Dulverton shops and eateries stayed open for the entire weekend and were delighted to experience good trade.

Ms Pegrum said all the author talks in Dulverton Town Hall had packed audiences, with Jonathan Dimbleby interviewed by historical biographer Andrew Lownie on Saturday, and Caroline Quentin on Sunday both selling out.

Mr Dimbleby said he was enchanted by the festival, the warm welcome, the rapt audience, and the excellent questions.

Ms Quentin was ‘thrilled’ with the way her talk was received and said that having travelled across the globe, Exmoor was her favourite place to live.

Her book ‘Drawn to the Garden’ was her personal and charming horticultural journey, and she was interviewed by former Good Housekeeping Magazine editorial director Gaby Huddart.

The festival opened with a panel of Exmoor farmers talking around the book ‘Exmoor Farms: A Year on the Moor’ with images displayed on a large screen.

Local author and Celtic harpist Hazel Prior read from her bestselling novels in the Bridge Inn while playing her harp, and the pub also hosted a ‘Children’s Story Corner’ with Emily Hamilton and Emma Bettridge reading their books to young families.

Multi-award winning author Professor Charles Foster made a passionate case for humans to change our ways when discussing with Rachel Campbell Johnston his new book ‘Cry of the Wild: Eight Animals Under Siege’.

Deborah Meaden was interviewed by author and Financial Times columnist Claer Barrett for a fun hour deconstructing finance for young and old, covering tax, mortgages, crypto currency, finance, and the value of money.

Crime writers Louise Douglas and Sarah Easter Collins held an informal ‘introduction to crime writing’ session, and novelist, fashion journalist, and socialite Plum Sykes engaged in an amusing conversation with Times journalist Alice Thomson discussing her latest novel ‘Wives Like Us’.

Janet Vokes shared her story of breeding her own foal on a Welsh allotment which went on to win the Welsh Grand National, sharing the stage with Exmoor racing trainer Johnson White.

Historical novelist Kate Lord Brown presented prizes to the children’s writing competition winner and runners-up, which this year had the theme ‘Magical Exmoor’ and received a record 65 entries.

The winner was Toby Vigurs, of Bampton School, and runners-up were Jack Richards, age seven, from Wiveliscombe, and Cullompton six-year-old Isla Elliott-Boyle.

Exmoor resident, author, environmental campaigner, and former politician Stanley Johnson brought the festival to a conclusion with a lively session around his 26th book ‘In the Footsteps of Marco Polo’ in conversation with travel writer and editor Miranda Taylor.