Dear Festival friends,

It all went by so fast! But what a time we had at Stroud Book Festival 2022, across five days of wonderful events for readers of all ages. We welcomed renowned novelists Ali Smith and Ian McEwan; celebrated poet John Agard; legendary children’s author Julia Donaldson; and many more acclaimed authors besides. We were joined by the Gruffalo and the Cat in the Hat; we staged two Schools’ Days; and we announced the winners of the inaugural Laurie Lee Prize for Writing.

The Festival also sparked a wealth of essential conversations: from the status of the caring professions and the power of protest; to greening a business and the solutions to be found in migration.

So many people and organisations help us stage Stroud Book Festival each year, and we are hugely grateful for the support of all our sponsors. To name but a few: Bailey Paints, Renishaw, and Sofas & Stuff for providing our gorgeous stage furniture. And a huge thank you to our fabulous venues: the Museum in the Park, Stroud Library, Lansdown Hall and the Sub Rooms.

We are indebted to our brilliant band of willing volunteers who did everything we asked of them just for the love of it; and with a merry smile on their faces all the while.

Most of all, we would like to thank you, our audience, for all your support of this year’s Festival. Our events start as mere ideas, or squiggles on post-it notes, which are then discussed by the Festival team before we set out to make them a reality. We then cross everything (and occasionally lose a little sleep) that you will like what we come up with. So every single ticket sale feels like a vote of confidence, and is therefore hugely appreciated.

The next Stroud Book Festival will take place on 8–12 November 2023.  We look forward to seeing you there.

With big love and many thanks!

The Stroud Book Festival team xxx