Dame Judi Dench was among the stars who wowed audiences at the Stratford Literary Festival this month

“It’s true my heart belongs to Stratford-upon-Avon,” confessed Dame Judi Dench as she mounted the Stratford Literary Festival stage at the Crowne Plaza last Thursday (4th May).

Her long sold-out appearance was just one of the highlights of the festival which ended on Sunday. Also on the guest list were Brian Cox, Dame Penelope Wilton, Maggie O’Farrell, Greg Doran, Anton Lesser, and many more. There was also comedy and live music in the big top erected beside the hotel.

Festival director Annie Ashworth said: “We had a brilliant week breaking records for the number of tickets we sold - over 7,500 - and we attracted lots of new ticket buyers thanks to the variety of events on offer. This year we programmed a wide choice of events - from A-list celebrities to debut writers and comedy shows - and the programme mixed seemed to go down really well.

“We’re really looking forward to our Autumn weekend which runs 27th-29th October. Thanks as always to the brilliant team, to our audiences and to our sponsors and supporters who make the festival possible.”