The first West Meon Festival of Books was a great success.
The first West Meon Festival of Books was a great success.
Visitors from far and wide congregated on the Gilbert Scott designed Church of St John the Evangelist for a weekend of all things literary.
Events included appearances from MCC preside
nt Christopher Martin-Jenkins; poets Wendy Cope and Lachlan Mackinnon; biographer Daisy Hay; and novelists Jane Gardam, Sophie Hannah, Graham Hurley, Poppy Adams, Natasha Solomons, Jennie Rooney, Rebecca Shaw and Jack Sheffield.
Performers Virginia Ironside and John Hegley both had audiences in stitches with their witty observations.
Resident poet John Davies (aka Shedman] acted as a focus for the three-day event and held workshops in and around his shed situated on the churchyard and provided by Abbey Garden Buildings of Titchfield.
A silent auction for the shed raised much-needed funds for the church and the shed is off to a good home at the West Meon allotments.
As well as the ticketed events, Shedman also visited Westbury House nursing home in West Meon, and led a poetry workshop, the results of which will soon be presented to the residents as a small booklet.
Internationally-renowned bookbinder Maureen Duke showed some of her exquisite bindings and young guitarist Charlie Millar delighted audiences with his al fresco playing.
John Davies and Petersfield's Write Angle poets jointly hosted a very popular 'Open Mic' Poetry session in the Red Lion pub which was packed with local bards taking turns to read their work out.
Illustrator and children's author Petr Horacek ran an art workshop at the West Meon school on Friday, and Sunday saw a lively production of 'The Dragon of Fizzle-Pop Mountain'.
The West Meon Women's Institute pulled out all the stops with a lavish 1950s tea in honour of Natasha Solomon's latest book, 'Mr Rosenblum's List'.
Sunday's 'Songs of Praise' was presided over by Radio Solent's' Tim Daykin and the village was honoured to have the presence of the Mayor of Winchester.
The winner of the children's short story competition was Grace Moritz with Consuelo Haynes coming second and the adult's poetry competition was won by Chloe West with June Evans taking second place.
Festival organisers, Louise Clay, Heather Tapp and Keith Baker said that they had yet to total up the takings but hoped that due to generous funding by both Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council that the event should have broken even with every chance of having made a modest profit.
