Shropshire Star

Line-up announced ahead of this week's Monty Lit Fest

The line-up for a literary festival which will go virtual this year has been announced.

Published
Sarah Morris, chairman of Montgomeryshire Lit Fest, bookshop owners Richard Eaves and Barry Lord and Cyndy Humphreys, local committee member

Monty Lit Fest organisers confirmed in April that the event would go online due to concerns over coronavirus restrictions, and it runs this week on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

It starts on Thursday with renowned writer and fiendish quizmaster Marcus Berkmann’s Big Pub Quiz Night, celebrating publication of his brand-new Berkmann’s Pop Miscellany.

On Friday, meet winner of the Welsh Book of the Year, Ifan Morgan Jones, as he discusses his steampunk classic, Babel, with fellow author Myfanwy Alexander. This session will be in Welsh.

Saturday's event will involve delving into the past when authors explore why we find fiction based on real or imagined historical events so compelling. Hope Adams, author of Dangerous Women, Lissa Evans, author of Crooked Heart, Old Baggage, and the upcoming V for Victory, and Alix Nathan, author of The Warlow Experiment and July’s Sea Change will be the guides.

Festival chair Sarah Morris said: "The literary world has proved to be remarkably resilient – and important – during the pandemic and, as we emerge from lockdown, Monty Lit Fest is delighted to share with you just a taste of what the festival has in store as we plan for an even bigger and brighter future. We appreciate all of the support we’ve received over the last year, and look forward to welcoming as many of you as possible for this year’s online events."

All 2021 sessions will be held via Zoom, starting at 7.30pm. They’re free, but voluntary contributions (via ko-fi.com/montylitfest) will be appreciated and will help ensure a bumper festival in 2022 and beyond.

For full programme details and to register for those Zoom links, visit montylitfest.com/monty-lit-fest-2021/2021-programme