Ipswich is about to stage its first ever Book Festival. Taking place over three days (from Friday 3rd – Sunday 5th October), this will involve an incredible 43 events across 11 of the town’s top venues.

So for our latest podcast Kevin Burch sat down to chat with Tony Felgate, one of the team behind this event, as it gathers momentum and promises to be the start of something quite special.

Tony is a big fan of Ipswich and its rich history and cultural heritage. He explains why Ipswich needs a book Festival and how this will build upon its already strong cultural base of music and arts. Not only will Ipswich’s first Book Festival celebrate the transformative power of books but also many of our iconic and historic buildings. The beautiful Ancient House sits proudly in their portfolio of locations, as well as St Stephen’s Church, The New Wolsey, Dance East, St Clements Art Centre and many more.

A ‘Book Festival for all’, this an event where everybody and anybody and will be welcome. The team’s vision is to establish the Ipswich Book Festival as a vibrant, inclusive, and imaginative literary event that attracts authors, readers, and book lovers from near and far. The jam-packed programme includes many children and family events, as one of the key aims of the Festival is to leave a legacy and ignite a love of reading.

For more information visit https://www.ipswichbookfestival.com where you can also sign up to their newsletter. You can also follow @IPSWICHBOOKFESTIVAL on Instagram and Facebook