It’s not just the audiences that love Marlborough and LitFest

For author Tomiwa Owolade in his review of ‘my highlights of 2023’ published in today’s (24 December) Sunday Times, ‘The best place was Marlborough’.

Tomiwa reflected on many of the places he’d visited and spoken over the past year, but Marlborough made a real impression. The Sunday Times articles are all hidden behind the News Group paywall, so for any of you who can creep behind that obstruction click here to see the piece , but for the rest of us who aren’t contributing to The Times and Sunday Times, below is what he wrote about our town:

‘I spoke at a little building just outside a church in the centre of town. I was tense. But as I looked into the warm and welcoming faces in front of me, I became more confident, more relaxed.

The best part of a place is not the buildings, the scenery or the landscape. It is the people. I was in Marlborough less than five hours, because I had to get to another festival, but that buoyant experience of meeting strangers who welcomed me like a friend is indelibly stamped on my memory.‘

Sure that all, or at least many of us would echo what he’s said, but it’s always good to hear an outside view of Marlborough. And particularly of LitFest, now arguably Marlborough’s major annual event and a festival that is becoming established as one of the places for authors to appear, as well as for visitors to add to their ‘must go to’ lists.

Tomiwa , you are welcome back…….