NOW that May is underway, there is less than a month to go before the start of the Ilminster Literary Festival on June 1.

The free A5-sized programme brochures, giving full details of who is appearing and how to book, are now out there in the community.

4500 have been printed and distributed to shops, cafes, libraries, tourist information centres, and other public places.

This will be the seventh ILF. Venues as always are in and around Ilminster. Ilminster Arts Centre, the Warehouse Theatre, Monks Yard Conference Centre, Whitelackington Hall, Nyanza Lodge, and the Minster Rooms will all be in use over the festival’s eight-day run.

There are 20 events to choose from:

• For passionate gardeners how about a talk from the man who led the restoration of the world-famous Hestercombe Gardens? (Dave Usher, June 6, 11am Minster Rooms).

• Tim Moorey’s session (June 7, 14.30 Monks Yard) is a must for crosswords enthusiasts and especially those wanting to crack the cryptic kind.
An experienced public speaker Tim is the crossword setter for newspapers such as The Sunday Times and Telegraph – and they don’t come more expert than that.

• In contrast, Gemma Aldridge, editor of The People and Sunday Mirror will be revealing details of a Fleet Street editor’s life (June 2, 14.30 Warehouse Theatre).

• Fancy a relaxing evening with a glass of wine and the chance to listen to some of the South West’s best short story writers read their work?
Then the Fresh Fiction Best of the Best Short Stories Show (June 1, 19.30, Whitelackington Village Hall), is the place to be.

• Find out more about the Women of SOE – Special Operations Executive - during World War 2 (Kate Vigurs, June 6, 19.30 Arts Centre)

• Or hear about how to become a Politician - 2000 years of good and bad advice (Sir Vince Cable, June 2, 19.30, Warehouse Theatre).

The above are just 6 of the events at ILF. Details of all events and how to book are online or in the brochure.

Tickets are just £8 each, bar sessions by Vince Cable and Gemma Aldridge - £10 each.

Alternatively, go online for full information about events and how to book – www.ilminsterliteraryfestival.org