Historic Market Town Catches 'Litfest Fever'

Marlborough Wiltshire Launches Brand New Literature Festival 24 - 26 September 2010

LONDON, April 16, 2010 - It was announced today that the historic town of Marlborough, Wiltshire
is to host its own literature festival for the first time this September.

Headlining the 2010 festival are such literary giants as novelist
Margaret Drabble, Lynn Barber - journalist and author whose intense memoir
has been made into the BAFTA award winning film 'An Education' scripted by
Nick Hornby, children's author Cressida Cowell, her latest book 'How to train
your dragon' is out now as an animation by Dreamworks, poet Don Paterson,
radio producer and bird enthusiast Tim Dee, broadcaster and novelist Louise
Doughty, novelist Adam Foulds, journalist and biographer Valerie Grove, and
novelist and artist Roma Tearne. There are a total of 15 events to choose
from over the weekend with readings, discussions, children's events and a
Poetry Cafe featuring local poets from Marlborough, Swindon and Reading.
Other authors are: Anne Chisholm, Rachel Polonksy, Chris Wakling, Paul
Sussman and Joshua Mowll.

"We're committed to literature and putting writing, rather than celebrity
first," says Mavis Cheek, local author and Festival founder member. "In a
world where mass media prevails it's easy to overlook the value of the well
written word in all its forms and the importance of those that write. It is
writers, be they novelists, poets, playwrights, script writers, journalists
or biographers, who record our world and shape our culture. Without them
there would be no content for mass media."

Marlborough has robust connections with the UK's literary heritage (such
greats as Siegfried Sassoon, William Golding and Bruce Chatwin have links
with the town) and an excellent range of venues offering the potential for
both intimate and larger gatherings in historic, atmospheric buildings; these
two features combined make it an ideal setting for a literature festival.
Marlborough already hosts an annual jazz festival (July 10) and the
Marlborough College Summer School (July/August); the new literature festival
will add a complementary strand to its thriving cultural calendar.

Over the last decade there has been an explosion of literary gatherings
in both large and small towns across the country. Sometimes described as
'litfest fever', the success of this recent phenomenon has been ascribed to
their inclusive nature and the fact that they offer a relatively inexpensive
way for people to engage with culture at a grass roots level. The cost of
meeting your favourite author at a litfest event when compared to a visit to
the opera or theatre can appear extremely good value.

Not only has the Literature Festival attracted some of the nation's best
known and popular writers, it has also secured a wide range of commercial
support.

"The Authors Licensing & Collecting Society (ALCS) has been in on this
since the beginning and has generously taken the role of founder sponsor,"
continues Mavis Cheek. "We couldn't have done this without them, or without
the support of local businesses including Brewin Dolphin, specialist insurer
Hiscox and Thring Townsend Lee and Pembertons. We are enormously grateful to
all our sponsors and to our local partners such as libraries, schools and the
army of volunteers who have helped to make this festival possible."

Marlborough litfest goes on line

The Marlborough LitFest website also launches today and full details of
the events, venues and the Festival box office can be found at
www.marlboroughlitfest.org Tickets go on sale from 1 June and range in
price from GBP7.00.

Editors' Notes

Box Office Pound Arts Trust Limited, Corsham, +44(0)1249-701-628

Founder Sponsor, ALCS collects fees on behalf of the whole spectrum of UK
writers: novelists, film & TV script writers, literary prize winners, poets
and playwrights, freelance journalists, translators and adaptors, as well as
thousands of professional and academic writers who include nurses, lawyers,
teachers, scientists, and college lecturers. All writers are eligible to join
ALCS: further details on membership can be found at www.alcs.co.uk

The Society collects fees that are difficult, time-consuming or legally
impossible for writers and their representatives to claim on an individual
basis money that is nonetheless due to them. Fees collected are distributed
to writers twice a year in February and August. Since its inception, ALCS has
distributed over GBP230 million to the nation's writers.

Lead Sponsor, Brewin Dolphin Brewin Dolphin is one of the UK's leading
investment managers with 40 offices nationwide. The Marlborough branch is
among the Group's larger regional offices with over 30 staff looking after
the personal portfolios, pensions and financial planning needs of private
individuals, Charities and Trusts, both locally and throughout the world. A
major supporter of art and culture in the region, we are delighted to be lead
sponsors of Marlborough LitFest. For more information please visit
www.brewin.co.uk/marlborough.

Events sponsor, Hiscox Insurance Hiscox, the international specialist
insurer, is headquartered in Bermuda and listed on the London Stock Exchange
(LSE:HSX). There are three main underwriting parts of the Group - Hiscox
London Market, Hiscox UK and Europe and Hiscox International. Hiscox London
Market underwrites internationally traded business in the London Market -
generally large or complex business which needs to be shared with other
insurers or needs the international licences of Lloyd's. Hiscox UK and Hiscox
Europe offer a range of specialist insurance for professionals and business
customers, as well as high net worth individuals. Hiscox International
includes operations in Bermuda, Guernsey and USA. Hiscox Insurance Company
Limited, Hiscox Underwriting Limited, Hiscox Europe Underwriting Limited and
Hiscox Syndicates Limited are authorised and regulated by the Financial
Services Authority. www.hiscox.com

Events sponsor, Thring Townsend Lee & Pembertons provides a balanced
portfolio of commercial, agricultural and private client services in
well-defined markets by specialist lawyers. With offices in Bath, Bristol,
London and Swindon, and nearly 400 staff, the firm has an impressive national
and international client base.www.ttuk.com

    ALCS, The Writers' House
    13 Haydon Street
    London EC3N 1DB
    Tel:  +44(0)20-7264-5700
    E-mail alcs@alcs.co.uk
    Website:  www.alcs.co.uk

Press contact, Becca Wyatt, +44(0)17988-67117, +44(0)78010-61420, rebecca.wyatt at virgin.net; Contact Jo Del Mar PR for Arts, +44(0)1672-563386, +44(0)7711-168109, millsfarm at hotmail.co.uk