Sturminster Newton Literary Festival News- Mid-May 2025
All the latest Sturlitfest news.
With almost three weeks to go before the 2025 Sturminster Newton Literary Festival begins, we are putting our final plans into place. Our programmes have been distributed to over 100 outlets across Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset, and ticket sales are higher than in previous years. Don’t forget to book the events you want to see.
Shakespeare Ladies Recognised by Westminster Abbey after 300 years
We’ve received some exciting news about one of our events, the Shakespeare Ladies Club. Following a petition by authors Christine and Jonathan Hainsworth, Westminster Abbey will redress a historical wrong by finally recognising The Shakespeare Ladies Club for their campaign to install the 18th-century Shakespeare monument in Poet’s Corner. This means that the work of Susannah Ashley Cooper, the Fourth Countess of Shaftesbury from Dorset, will be acknowledged after almost 300 years. As women in 1740 could not campaign, men negotiated on their behalf and took the credit, particularly David Garrick. We are delighted that The Shakespeare Ladies Club's authors will launch their book in Sturminster Newton on 10th June and Stratford-upon-Avon on 14th June. Read more on the story here and book your tickets here to discover more about this fascinating aspect of local and literary history.
Spotlight on Pen Farthing and Mark Blackburn
This year, Pen Farthing and Mark Blackburn will be appearing at Sturminster Newton Literary Festival discussing two very different projects and their experiences. Ex-Royal Marine, Pen Farthing, is best known for his work rescuing stray animals and rehoming them. During the Fall of Kabul in 2021, Pen hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons and was heavily criticised by the British Government, but what was the real story behind the news? Mark Blackburn’s memoir is set in the golden age of flying and describes the travels of a jet-setting father and a plane-spotting son. Come and hear more about these fascinating experiences on 6th June. Book your tickets for Flights to Freedom here.
Where to eat in Sturminster Newton
With so many of you booking day tickets and travelling a distance, here are our recommendations for places to eat in and around the town.
Stur of the Moment is a wonderful cafe for coffee, breakfast, and lunch. They also do afternoon tea. Oxfords Bakery is also a great coffee stop, with amazing cakes, sandwiches, salads, and pasties, not to mention the famous Friday lunchtime hog roast. Joshua’s coffee shop is another lovely lunchtime spot to grab a cake and tea. Naturally, Poets’ Corner is ideal for a pot of tea and an all day breakfast or lunch.
The three pubs in Sturminster Newton also have great menus. There’s the White Hart in the centre of town and the Swan Inn opposite. If you want to go further afield, The Crown Inn at Marnhull has Tess of the D’Urbervilles connections and is a short car journey away. Another short drive away is the Saxon Inn at Child Okeford. Finally, use the North Dorset Trailway to walk or cycle a couple of scenic miles to the Fiddleford Inn for a bite to eat.
The Old Indian House offers dine-in and takeaway food. Town House Dragon on Church Street offers a great Chinese takeaway. Finally, Sturminster Fish Bar serves really good traditional fish and chips.
Glass Fusing Workshops
We love working with local businesses and were delighted when Beads with a Twist offered to host two glass fusing workshops during the literary festival, especially since we have The Glassmaker talk with Tracy Chevalier.
Booking is direct with Beads with a Twist, and workshops are on Friday 6th June and Friday 13th June.
Festival Bookshop
Our online bookshop is up and running with most book titles on sale. The shop is hosted by UK Bookshop and we receive a small commission for each book sold. Any funds received are ploughed back into the literary festival budget. You can buy books here.
Articles
Dorset Magazine has written a fascinating feature on Tess Burnett, who will be talking about her writing and debut novel on 11th June. Read the article here and book your tickets for Tess here. If you want to see Rachel McLean as well, why not treat yourself to our Crime Wednesday day ticket to save money.
Awards and Competitions
World of Books has a sustainability writing award. More details here.
Events in the area
A Beautiful Thread is a performance of Thomas Hardy’s work taking place this summer as part of other festivals in the area. There are two local venues- Stonehenge and Stinsford Church. Tickets for Stonehenge are on sale here and those for Stinsford here.
