As Gloucestershire prepares itself for the festival season, one town in particular is in very good hands.

Chipping Campden this month plays host to the annual Literature and Music Festivals, with the former celebrating its tenth anniversary.

The Literature Festival was founded and is organised every year by Vicky Bennett, whose husband Charlie also happens to run the Music Festival.

“I saw the success my husband was having with the Chipping Campden Music Festival and thought, ‘why not hold a literature festival?’

“I’ve always been interested in books, and live events like this are so important for small communities that rely on tourism.”

Vicky’s initial idea came in 2009, and in 2010 she and her team held the inaugural Chipping Campden Literature Festival.

Since then, the festival has grown in popularity year on year, and now attracts visitors from around the UK and beyond.

“We still hold it over the same number of days as the first year,” continued Vicky. “But we cram a lot more into those days.”

“We’ve had people from Europe, even Australia coming. It’s a very good place to hold it because it’s right in the country, people will plan holidays here for the festival.”

This year the festival will be running along the theme of ‘news’ – “a big topic at the moment” says Vicky.

The programme features a whole raft of different talks, interviews and Q&As with authors and novelists related to the world of news and journalism, but there’s also a variety of events outside of the theme.

“We’ve got Alan Rusbridger, former editor of the Guardian who was involved in the Wikileaks story, coming to speak about his recent book,” said Vicky.

“We’ve also got events on George Orwell, Evelyn Waugh and one on sports photography – there’s a lot of variety.

“Also Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott who was born and raised in Texas whose book on Truman Capote, ‘Swan Song’, has just been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2019.”

The festival is set to be very much a community affair, with the local Women’s Institute hosting an event and full-time students given the opportunity to attend events for free.

Local independent retailer Borzoi Bookshop will also have a stand selling signed copies of books from authors who feature.

And it’s also a family affair, as Vicky explains.

She added: “The final event of the Literature Festival is also the first event of the Chipping Campden Music Festival – author Patrick Gale will be in conversation with cellist Julian Lloyd Webber.

“Our son also runs a delicatessen in town called Toke’s Food and Drink which also doubles as our green room for authors!”

The Chipping Campden Literature Festival runs from Tuesday 7th to Saturday 11th May and takes place in venues around the town including St James’ Church and Chipping Campden School.

For tickets and more information visit www.campdenlitfest.co.uk