A LITERARY festival is getting ready for its eighth edition with a series of events.

The Ilminster Literary Festival will feature a mix of events and guest speakers, a children’s reading competition, and a new Arts Award Day.

A spokesperson for the festival said: “ILF is a literary festival which also includes the wider arts, politics, and current affairs, plus any topic that we hope will be of interest to audiences.

“While it’s great to welcome authors both well and lesser known, the content of annual programmes doesn’t stop there.

“A mix of events and speakers, with something for everyone, has characterised past festivals and seen audience numbers grow noticeably over the past seven festivals. So, look out for number eight.

“We’re especially pleased to be working more closely than ever before with The Warehouse Theatre/Ilminster Entertainments Society and Ilminster Arts Centre.

“In the past, they’ve often acted as festival venues, but this year will be enriching ILF by also contributing a number of their own events.

“Full details will of course be in the Programme Brochure published in spring and freely available in Ilminster and surrounding areas.

“But you’ll find a few nuggets of info around before then, some in this and later newsletters, others in the local press.”

The annual general meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 13, 7.30pm at Ilminster Bowling Club.

The bar will be open and entry is free to anyone wanting to find out more about the festival.

Sam Powell, manager of Greenslade Taylor Hunt, will be giving a short, light-hearted talk about an Estate Agent’s world.

On Monday, April 15, 7.30 pm at Ilminster Arts Centre there will be a social event for Friends of ILF, with drinks, a light buffet and a talk by Richard Kay - “Travels With My Gavels” plus a chance to buy festival tickets in advance.

As part of the festival week, the Warehouse Theatre will be holding DISCOVER, an Arts Award day run through Trinity College, London for children aged 5 to 8.

It will take place at the Warehouse on Sunday, June 2 from 10am to 3pm.

The usual cost for the day is £30 but a subsidy from ILF reduces that to £10 per child, to cover tuition, a booklet, moderation, materials used and a certificate.

Only 12 places will be available, so do act quickly once booking opens to the general public if you think your child or grandchild would enjoy and benefit from this great opportunity.

Since it started in 2016 ILF has featured a children’s Poetry Reading competition organised in liaison with local primary schools.

The final is judged by members of the ILF committee and the date and venue for that this year is Tuesday June 4, 6pm at Herne View School.

As always there’s likely to be a large, enthusiastic audience of parents and family friends.