HALF
Highworth Arts & Literature Festival 2026
From Saturday 13 June to Sunday 21 June experience a cultural extravaganza, encompassing Art, Literature, Drama and Music, at events throughout Highworth.
The HALF Team are committed to opening the festival to everyone and are looking for you to participate as well as listen. We are planning a number of competitions for you to demonstrate your skills both visual and literary. Open for all ages will be the chance to write a Ghost Story ... in just 50 words no more, no less. You can perhaps draw a picture to be displayed during the festival. For the poets among you, brush up on your Haiku or Clerihew, blank verse or worse.
The full programme of events will be revealed at the beginning of April when you will be able to download entry forms and book ticketed events online.
Events Programme
Below you will find the full Highworth Arts and Literature Festival programme. Many events are free, whilst most talks and workshops require a ticket.
Places on workshops are strictly limited so please book early to avoid disappointment!
R&A Art Exhibition
Art by Ann March and Richard Harpin, and photography by Neil George. Refreshments will be available over the weekend with all donations in aid of the Prospect Hospice.
Date: Saturday 13 to Monday 15 June
Time: 10am - 4pm daily
Venue: Community Room, Gilberts Lane, Highworth
FREE EVENT
Paint a Picture with Words in Song
A chance to visit an open rehearsal of the Highworth Choral Society. We are opening our usual rehearsal night for you to share in the fun. We will sing some accessible songs so anyone can have a go. There will also be cake!
Date: Monday 15 June
Time: 7:30 - 9:30pm
Venue: St Michael's Church
FREE EVENT
Pop Up Book Shop
From Tuesday to Saturday during the Festival we are hoping to have a Pop Up Book Shop for you to visit, browse and shop for your next good read.
Watch this space for confirmation of dates, times and venue.
Date: TBC
Time: TBC
Venue: TBC
FREE EVENT
HALF Quiz Night
At the beginning of the Highworth Arts & Literature Festival week come and take part in a friendly Quiz Night hosted by the Goldfinger Tavern. On a literary note the Goldfinger opened in 1971 and is named in honour of the eponymous James Bond villian. James Bond creator, author Ian Fleming lived nearby at Sevenhampton. Come along with a team.
Date: Tuesday 16 June
Time: 8pm
Venue: The Goldfinger Tavern, Newburgh Place, Highworth SN6 7DN
Price: £2 per person
PAY ON THE NIGHT
Open Mic Poetry Night
An open mic sharing event hosted by The Highworth. Are you a budding poet or even a published poet? Don't be shy ... find your voice, come along and share your work. Or just come along to watch, listen and learn.
Read your own work or share a favourite poem. No more than 3 poems at 4 minutes (or less) reading time each.
Enjoy a pint of HALF the special Festival beer!
Date: Thursday 18 June
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Venue: The Highworth Hotel
ENTRY/EXIT DONATION
HALF ‘Fringe’
A day in the life of 100 women in Britain with Dr Rosa Matheson
A chance to hear about a book written by 100 everyday women. Funny, feisty, sometimes chokingly sad, it is honest, brave, and inspirational. Hear about the remarkable things this book has made happen; and meet some of its authors.
Date: Thursday 18 June
Time: 7:30pm
Venue: United Rerformed Church, 26 High Street, Highworth SN6 7AG
ENTRY DONATION
HALF Art Exhibition Preview
Local artists host a preview of their exhibition of paintings and sculpture. The preview offers selected guests to view and purchase work in advance of the exhibition opening to the public over Festival weekend. With wine / soft drinks and nibbles.
To request an invitation please email Neil George.
Date: Fri 19 June
Time: 7pm - 8.30pm
Venue: United Rerformed Church, 26 High Street, Highworth SN6 7AG
BY INVITATION
Local Artists Exhibition
Be inspired as local artists showcase their paintings and sculpture allowing you to view a wide and varied range of work. An opportunity to purchase a masterpiece.
Date: Sat 20 - Sun 21 June
Time: 9am - 4pm (1pm on Sunday)
Venue: United Rerformed Church, 26 High Street, Highworth SN6 7AG
FREE EVENT
Story Time with Jason Daniels
Story time, followed by a LEGO™ competition for children, at the Library
During the first decade of decimalisation, when Glam Rock occupied the music charts and everyone gathered around the television to watch The Goodies, Jason was enlisted in Eastrop School's 'Wise Owl' book club. This early introduction to books ignited a lifetime's passion of writing. Whether short stories, diaries, attempts at poetry, or reinvention of song lyrics Jason was always borrowing pens and scribbling on unwanted envelopes
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Alongside a career in the financial industry, Jason found a life raft for his passion as the Highworth Link magazine's sports editor, an avocation he continues today. The transition to parenthood gave him a rebooted literary perspective where story times were traded for the chance to create his own stories, inspired by his son's imagination. Those stories led to his first publication in 2024 of 'The Snoddy and the Sheeshoo' with a second publication planned for later this year.
Read more
Date: Saturday 20 June
Story Time: 10:30am to 11:15am
LEGO™: until 1pm
Venue: The Library, Brewery Street, Highworth SN6 7AJ
FREE EVENT
Writing For Children
Award-winning British author and illustrator Steve Antony leads an inspiring and practical workshop for adults interested in writing for children
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Whether you are an aspiring writer, illustrator, teacher, or simply curious about how children’s books are created, this session will explore what makes a story truly work for young readers - from voice, character and structure, to understanding how children engage with stories and images.
Through discussion, examples from Steve’s own bestselling books including The Queen’s Hat and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and guided creative exercises, participants will gain insight into the craft of writing for children and leave with ideas, tools and renewed confidence to develop their own work.
No prior experience is necessary - just curiosity, creativity, and a love of children’s books.
Suitable for adults. All welcome.
Read more
Date: Saturday 20 June
Time: 10 - 11:30am
Venue: Community Room, Gilberts Lane
Places Available: 20
Price: £18
Online booking only
1-1 Advice for Writers
First impressions count!
Are you an aspiring author? Would you like an expert to critique your work? During the Festival you have the opportunity to engage in a 20 minute one-to-one conversation with author Jasper Fforde. You will need to submit a portion of your work for Jasper to read beforehand. All the details about this submission will be provided on purchase of a ticket
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Jasper Fforde is a British writer who lives in Wales and writes absurdist fiction. So far, Jasper has written books in four series: The Thursday Next series of which there are seven books, the Nursery Crime series (two), the Last Dragonslayer series (four) and the Shades of Grey series (two so far out of three). His latest published book is Red Side Story, the long awaited sequel to Shades of Grey. Jasper has also written two standalones: Early Riser, a thriller set in a world in which humans have always hibernated, and The Constant Rabbit, an allegorical story of racism and xenophobia in UK, also labelled as 'My Brexit Anger Book'. It's about anthropological rabbits living in the UK as a demonised other. To learn more about the workings of Jasper's mind do visit his website.
Read more
Date: Saturday 20 June
Time: 20 min timed sessions
Venue: The Highworth Hotel
Places Available: 8
Price: £25
Online booking only
Meet the Authors - Lunch
Join in a buffet lunch at The Highworth and chat informally with authors Katie Fforde, Victoria Gosling, Steve Antony, and Jasper Fforde.
Date: Saturday 20 June
Time: 12:30 - 2pm
Venue: The Highworth Hotel
Places Available: 20
Price: £30
Online booking only
The Fundamentals of Plot
With Victoria Gosling, author of the novels BEFORE THE RUINS and BLISS AND BLUNDER. A good plot offers surprises but also has a satisfying shape. Come along to this workshop to learn how plots work and have fun structuring your own story ideas
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We'll be analysing some famous books and films, digging into the history of dramatic structure and undertaking writing exercises. Suitable for both beginners and writers wanting to dig into the craft.
Victoria is the founder of The Reader Berlin and the Berlin Writing Prize. She is the recipient of a Hawthornden fellowship and has lectured at Gladstone’s Library. She has taught workshops for major UK literary festivals, for the Arvon Foundation and in prisons as part of Penned Up.
Read more
Date: Saturday 20 June
Time: 2:30 - 3:30pm
Venue: Community Room, Gilberts Lane
Places Available: 16
Price: £18
Online booking only
Q&A with author Katie Fforde
Katie Fforde is a British romance novelist. Published since 1995, her novels are set in modern-day England. The evening will take the form of an interview with Katie, followed by a Q&A with the audience and possibly a book signing
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Katie is founder of the Katie Fforde Bursary for writers who have yet to secure a publishing contract. She was for many years a committee member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and was elected its twenty-fifth chairman (2009–2011) and later its fourth president. In June 2010 she was announced as a patron of the UK's first National Short Story Week. In 2016, she launched the Stroud Contemporary Fiction Writing Competition as part of the first Stroud Book Festival.
Read more
Date: Saturday 20 June
Time: 7 - 8:30pm
Venue: Community Room, Gilberts Lane
Places Available: 60
Price: £10
Online booking or pay at the door (card only).
Found Puppetry Workshop
With professional puppet company Les Enfant Terribles. Build, create and animate with our Found Puppetry workshop. For children and young adults ages 11 to 18.
Date: Sunday 21 June
Time: 10:00am - 12pm
Venue: The Community Centre, Main Hall
Places Available: 22
Price: £10
Online booking only
Improvised Story Telling
With experienced improvisor and coach Matt Sparkes. A fun and playful workshop for adults. Explore fully accessible games, exercises, and, of course, join in the improvised stories in this exciting session. No experience necessary, participants must be over 18.
Date: Sunday 21 June
Time: 2 - 4pm
Venue: The Community Centre
Places Available: 14
Price: £18
Online booking only
HHS Open Exhibition
The Historical Society will have their archives on display at the Community Centre and visitors can also view the outdoor exhibition of historical agricultural artifacts. Trawl through historical literature and take a look at Highworth through the ages.
Date: Sunday 21 June
Time: 10am - 4pm
Venue: The Community Centre
FREE DROP IN
Your Book Won't Sell Itself
Author GJ Stevens talks about what you need to know to get your books selling, from building your community on social media, advertising and selling in person, all with an aim to fast-track your sales using tried and tested methods
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GJ Stevens started writing fiction at the age of thirty. His fast-paced thrillers are the culmination of many years of finding time from nowhere to learn the craft.
His fiction is often referred to as a refreshing break from the norm, whether it’s his apocalyptic creations, epic action thrillers or his twist on everyday life and science fiction, there’s something for everyone who likes to be kept on the edge of their seat.
With over fifteen novels under his belt and having sold more than 20,000 books, GJ, real name Gareth, loves to lay bare his publishing journey in hope of helping others early in their writing and publishing adventures.
Read more
Date: Sunday 21 June
Time: 2 - 3:30pm
Venue: The Community Centre
Places Available: 60
Price: £10
Online booking or pay at the door (card only)
HALF COMPETITIONS
Highworth Arts & Literature Festival is keen to promote participation. Take part in one of our fun competitions during the Festival. Read about what you can get involved with and how to take part here.
Art Trail |
13 - 27 JuneUp and down the High Street and in the Market Square - discover images that illustrate a line from a poem or nursery rhyme. A joint exhibition by Highworth Artists' Society and the Highworth Camera Club. Purchase an entry form (£1) from VHL and match the quotes to the images for a chance to win a prize. |
Under
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Colour a PictureThe picture may be collected from your child's school. Alternatively copies are available from Visit Highworth, Information Centre, 7 High Street. Prizes will be awarded for the best 2 entries. All entries should have the child’s age and parent’s contact details on the reverse and should be handed in to the Information Centre, as above. Closing date: Saturday 6 June 2026 at 2pm. |
7-11
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Design an illustration for your favourite bookIllustrations should be no larger than A4. All entries should have the child’s age and parent’s contact details on the reverse and should be handed in to the Visit Highworth, Information Centre, 7 High Street. Entries will be judged by members of Highworth Artists’ Society with prizes for the best 2 entries. Closing date: Saturday 6 June 2026 at 2pm. |
11-17
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Story Writing CompetitionEntries will only be accepted by email. Please use either Times New Roman or Arial font point 12, preferably with double line spacing. You should write your story in exactly 50 words not including the title. Please add your name, age (if entering the Junior competition) and contact details at the end your story with several clear lines spacing. This will enable it to be removed prior to judging. Your title is GHOST STORY The email address for entries is: info@visithighworth.co.uk The entries will be judged by Bert’s Books. 1st prize in each category: £25 book token. Runner up prize in each category: £10 book token. The judges’ decision is final. Closing date: Saturday 6 June 2026 at 2pm. |
This page was last updated 6 March 2026
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