Independent Woodstock Literary Festival

What? Sponsored by The Independent and The Independent on Sunday, Woodstock claims to have become " the UK's ultimate boutique literary festival" - as opposed to non-boutique festivals we suppose? Interesting branding.

Nonetheless it is the first major event of Britain's autumn literary season and always has a jolly good boutiquish sort of line-up and what a setting, we nearly got run over in a local pub by a maruading group of morris dancers last time we were in the area.

When? 14 -18th September, 2011

Where? Alternating each day between Blenheim Palace and the adjoining historic town of Woodstock

Who? In 2011 : Authors attending the 2011 festival include: Magaret Drabble, Ben Okri, Martin Keown, Simon Kuper, Brian Viner

• Col Tim Collins  – who will give the opening talk on the future of Iraq
• Mark Tully – on India and the way ahead
• Richard Dawkins  – launching his first family book, The Magic of Reality: How   we know what’s really true
• Alistair Darling - on his new book on 1000 days at No. 11
• Mary Lovell – on the Churchills
• David Crystal  – on The King James Bible and the English Language
• Ian Kershaw – on Hitler’s Germany
• Mary Soames – talks about her father Sir Winston Churchill
• Ian Bostridge  – about his life in music
• Justine Picadie  – on Coco Chanel
• Hugo Vickers – on the Duchess of Windsor
• HRH The Duke of Gloucester delivers the first English Heritage Lecture

Programme? Woodstock Literary Festival

Past Festivals? In 2010 Richard Dawkins, Ann Leslie, Philip Pullman, Bettany Hughes, Colin Dexter, Antonia Fraser, David Starkey, Independent Live! With Richard Corrigan, Rowley Leigh, Matthew Norman and John Walsh, Robert Fisk, Yasmin Alibhai Brown, Harry Sidebottom, Steven Berkoff, Daisy Goodwin, Matt Ridley, Andrew Graham Dixon, Michael Frayn, Allison Pearson, Andrew O'Hagan, Max Hastings

We apprecicate you insights into literary festivals that you might have attended or are hoping to get too, or your views on award winning books.