PLANS for this year’s Ilminster Literary Festival were given a civic seal of approval during a launch event held at Whitelackington Manor.

The Deputy Mayor of Ilminster, Cllr Julie Fowler, congratulated everybody involved in the festival which will be held from May 30 to June 8.

A host of events have been lined-up and Cllr Fowler said it was fantastic and testament to the hard-work of the festival committee that it had been able to pull together an amazing itinerary of guest speakers including best-selling author Fay Weldon and award-winning war correspondent Martin Bell.

The fundraising Ilminster Literary Festival Quiz Night is being held on May 11 at Donyatt Hall.

The main festival will then open with Favourite Poems Read Aloud hosted by Ilminster Memory Café at Minster Rooms from 10am on May 30.

Then Laurie Graham’s Murders Most Horrid will be on at The Warehouse Theatre from 7.30pm.

Entry for that is £12.

The final event of the festival is a one act play and supper by Deidre Kinahan at Whitelackington Village Hall on June 8.

The launch at Whitelackington Manor was attended by festival supporters and sponsors and local authors.

For more information go to the festival website at www.ilminsterliteraryfestival.org or email ilminsterlitfest@gmail.com.