The town has a long history of association with literature and is home to famous authors who lived and worked in the area. This includes King Alfred the Great, who was a pioneer of learning and literacy in the 9th century, to modern-day authors like Gary Sheffield, Kita Mitchell, and Matthew Wilson.
One of the most famous writers associated with Wantage is the Poet Laureate John Betjeman, who lived in the town for over 20 years from 1951. During his time in Wantage, Betjeman became a popular figure and some of his poems were set in the local area. It was the association with literature and poetry that inspired a group of local volunteers to set up the first literature-related festival in 2010. Initially named the WantageBetjeman Literary Festival, the event was later renamed to the Wantage Festival to reflect its broader scope.
In 2016, the festival established its charitable status and launched its schools’ outreach programme, which has since grown and expanded along with the festival's content. The festival attracts a wide variety of well-known authors and TV personalities from around the country. The Beacon, which has the largest auditorium in the Vale of White Horse, welcomes an average of 4,000 people through its doors during the festival, while an additional 1,500 benefit from the school’s outreach programme.
The festival is now a well-established event. This year it will include over thirty events between Saturday 21st October to Saturday 4th November. Notable personalities for 2023 include Will Gompetz, Richard Digance, Pam Ayres, and Graeme Hall, host of 'Dogs Behaving VERY Badly. Zoologist Dr Tom Moorhouse will be discussing hedgehogs; Iain Dale, Alex Burghart MP, Kate Mansey and Jane Ridley will complete a history panel. Music legend 'Whispering' Bob Harris will interview Bernie Sanders (Whitesnake), and fiction authors include Beth O’Leary, Claire Fuller, Ally Sinclair, and Lucy Atkins.
Free author talks will run for classes from fifteen local schools held in The Beacon during September and October. Other free events during the festival include ‘Funnybones’ at the Vale & Downland Museum, a talk on King Alfred in the parish church and a ‘Harry Potter Trail.’
The festival also offers a range of fun events throughout the year to raise funds for its school and community outreach programmes. These include a Whisky Tasting at the Royal Oak, a Book Buff Quiz at the Comrades Club, and the Wantage Big Quiz night at The Beacon. The ever-popular Wantage Ghost Talks are sold out but Mike White, ‘Wantage’s Ghost Guy’ will be on stage at the festival to discuss his latest book ‘The Ox Files.’
According to Vicki Luker, the Director of the Wantage Literary Festival, the success of the event is largely due to the amazing contributions of volunteers, supporters, sponsors, authors, and venues. She expresses her deep gratitude towards these individuals and entities for making the festival such a fantastic, fun occasion. The festival's core objective has always been to instil a love of reading.
