Waterstones backs first St Albans literary festival

The St Albans branch of Waterstones has agreed to be the official bookseller for the city’s inaugural literary festival.

Presented by the Herts Advertiser, the first St Albans LitFest is a celebration of story-telling of every kind which is taking place between November 6-9.

The four days of the festival will feature talks, workshops and guided walks, with the focus on all forms of literature, including great works of fiction, children’s books, journalism, poetry, non-fiction, blogging and copywriting.

Waterstones will be hosting various activities throughout the festival, including signings and talks by guest authors, and will be supplying books for sale at all external events.

Festival visitors will also be able to take advantage of special promotions at any LitFest events thanks to Waterstones’ support.

Waterstones St Albans events manager Gemma Sealey said: “‘The St Albans LitFest promises to be exactly the sort of celebration our customers and the local community have been crying out for! We are delighted to be involved in bringing this hugely important event to this vibrant city.”

As well as Waterstones, other confirmed venues for the festival include St Albans Cathedral, St Michael’s Manor and the Maltings Theatre. A full programme of events will be announced in due course.

The Herts Advertiser will be the key source of information for the festival, with updates in the newspaper and via the bespoke website – www.stalbanslitfest.co.uk – and will also be hosting special events in the run-up to the main event, including short-story competitions for children and adults.

The festival team is currently seeking sponsorship to cover this year’s costs.

For details on how to get involved in the LitFest as a volunteer or speaker or to enquire about sponsorship, please email stalbansliteraryfestival@yahoo.co.uk