We’d like to thank everyone who came, both as contributor and festival goer, and we hope that they had the time of their lives. We really hope you’ll come back next year and tell all your friends about our special little festival.

It would help us enormously in making Wychwood 2011 even better if you would fill out our feedback questionnaire. You can also share your festival memories via our presences on flickr, youtube, myspace, facebook, twitter etc.

If you are looking for lost property please give us a call on 01993 771587 and we can try our best to marry you up with your missing items.

BBC Introducing

We are pleased to announce the names of the 28 bands that have been chosen for the BBC Introducing Stage at Wychwood this year. Picked from 70 bands submitted by the 7 BBC local radio stations nearest to the festival, the judges included Tom Robinson and Beth Elfyn, so you know you are in for a treat!

The bands are: We Aeronauts, Wes Dance, Roving Crows, Roundstone, Barbarix, Adelaides Cape, Elliot Withers, The School, Out Like A Lion, Fixers, Les Cadets, UTE, Oui Messy, Divine Secret, Echo Empire, Charley Coombs & The New Breed, Daisy Chapman, Matthew Kilford, Aspen Sails, Mechanical Owl, The Jon Trowbridge Band, Thom Kirkpatrick, Spring Offensive, The Bronze Medal, The Scholars, Islet, Babel, and Kill It Kid. Find out more.

More Comedy

We can finally announce the addition of Christian Steel and Matt Richardson to the comedy line up. Matt is one of the hottest thing to come out of Didcot since they first fired up the cooling towers of Didcot-A. With observations and quips that put his experiences far in advance of his age, Matt can please all audiences. Christian (also a star of stage and screen landing a part in Shackleton with Kenneth Branagh)  is pretty much Sting, only a mini-me version, with a good combo of his own material and audience participation, Christian is a festival comedy-goers dream. Find out more.

Cinema and Kids Lit Fest Additions

Our final additions to the Cinema and Kids Literature Festival are now in. From our friends at the Cheltenham Film Festival, who are curating our Cinema yet, we are pleased to announce The original 1960 The Little Shop of Horrors, and some classic Sinatra for you with The Man with the Golden Arm. Find out more.

Our final addition to the Kids Literature Festival this year will be John Dougherty- the author of books such as the hilarious Zeus stories, Niteracy Hour, the tales of Monster Investigator Jack Slater, and Bansi O’Hara and the Bloodline Prophecy; he’s also a poet and songwriter, and has been described as “One of the very best authors…for both schools and festival events”. John used to be a teacher in London, but as soon as his first book, Zeus on the Loose, was shortlisted for the prestigious Branford Boase award for an outstanding first novel for children, he ran away to the Cotswolds and has been living in Stroud ever since, writing more books in a shed. Find out more.

Healing Gardens

There is just so much going on at Wychwood and we wanted to bring to your attention our special spot of tranquility, our Healing Gardens. Relax and chillout, while pampering yourself with one of the wonderful treatments on offer there to help you relax your mind, body and soul. You can choose from Reflexology, Indian Head Massage, Holistic Palmistry, Thermo Auricular Therapy (Hopi), Reiki, Chakra Balancing, Osteopathy, Sound Therapy, Swedish Massage, Seated Massage, Thai Massage and Homeopathy. Please visit our Healers Page for more information, and from where you can email us to pre-book a treatment time. Find out more.

Ticket Info Tickets

Tickets are selling faster than ever this year. You can still reserve tickets in advance for pick up at the Festival Box Office on the day by calling us on 01993 772580. A number of our agents also offer an over the counter pick up option. Get your tickets now.

That’s it for now, see you next week!

The news is still pouring in as to who’s going and what’s going on- have you got your tickets yet? They are selling quicker than ever before, we have already outsold the weekend sales of last years’ festival.

Latest Artists
We are proud to be extending our band list again this year. Martha Tilston will be joining the mainstage line up on Sunday- a captivating performer, an enchanting singer-songwriter blessed with a gloriously clear and seductively beautiful voice. Rusty Shackle will be opening up the Big Top on Friday – Formed in early 2010 the Shackle create a rustic old time sound that conjures up imagery of Mississippi steam boats, seedy show girls and bar room brawls.

This year we’ve also managed to cram even more bands in with The University of Gloucester who will be hosting sessions up on the Green each evening. On The Pomme Stage you can enjoy La Heroine the Tom Hollister, Ryan Martin & The North Ship and Coxon’s Riot on the Friday, The Joe Summers Band, Men Diamler, Alexander John, Gareth Candidate and Amy Spencer on the Saturday, and Thrill Collins, Not In My Nature, Hats Off To The Big Man, and Macaroni Wood on Sunday! Find out more.

Next week we’ll be announcing the entire line up for the BBC Introducing Stage, now that Tom Robinson and the judges have made their final selections!

First Comedy Announcements
We are delighted to be able to announce that Silky is joining us on Saturday night to preside over the evening events. Silky has performed internationally, and is also the evil mastermind behind the Kill for a Seat Comedy clubs across the UK, and has performed with the Comedy Store’s MEN at Work satirical team and Monkey Lab Improv. A tall, versatile, funny and very likeable performer, whether you need an MC, an extended set, or simply something down from the top of a cupboard! Find out more.

Cinema
We are very pleased to announce our partnership with the Cheltenham Film Festival, and UK Film Council, to bring you a full weekend’s worth of classic movies, new breakthrough movie shorts, and some of the best horror from the last 65 years of celluloid to keep you entertained into the small hours. Films include: The Life Aquatic, The House on Haunted Hill, Finding Neverland, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and many many more. for a full film listing visit our cinema page.

http://www.wychwoodfestival.com/line-up/cinema

Authors
Adding to the list of kids authors we have coming along to give talks and run workshops to inspire your budding JK Rowlings… we are delighted to welcome Katharine Hollabird on Sunday. Best known for her multi-award winning creation Angelina Ballerina, Katharine is also the author of books about a little boy called Alexander and his many entertaining adventures. Inspired by her own two daughter’s love of dancing, Angelina Ballerina has in turn motivated many youngsters to start ballet.

We also welcome Justin Richards on Sunday- Justin loves writing Science Fiction books with ‘The Invisible Detective’ being his first series. As well as writing, Justin has worked closely with the BBC as the creative director of the very successful ‘Doctor Who’ children’s books. Justin’s most recent novel is ‘The Parliament of Blood’ which brings us vampires, mysteries and forgotten legends – Something that all the family can enjoy.

Also on Sunday, Alexander Gordon Smith who co-wrote ‘The Inventors’ which was shortlisted for the 2005 ‘Wow factor award’. Alexander’s most recent series is called ‘The Furnace’ and has had one of the five books already published, with the second being published this year. Finally, we welcome Guy Bass on Saturday- Guy started life with the ambition of becoming a superhero, even owning his own Spiderman costume. Since then he has outgrown his costume and is now the successful author of the ‘Dinkin Dings’ and ‘Gormy Ruckles’ series’. Guy has recently won the ‘2010 Blue Peter Book Award- most fun with pictures’ for his book ‘Dinkin dings and the Frightening things’.

http://www.wychwoodfestival.com/line-up/kids-literature/

Ticket Info
Weekend Tickets are selling incredibly quickly – please buy now to avoid disappointment. Please visit our Ticket Page for more information and ways to purchase. Day tickets are also available.

That’s it for now, thank you for reading! More news next week!

The BBC Introducing Stage

We are very pleased to announce that our third stage will be partnered with BBC Introducing to provide a unique platform for emerging artists at the festival. BBC stations in the six counties that border Gloucestershire have submitted bands from their Introducing shows on BBC Radios Oxford, Bristol, Wales, Warwick & Coventry, Wiltshire, Hereford & Worcester and, of course, Gloucester.

The judges who include BBC 6Music’s Tom Robinson and BBC Radio 1’s Bethan Elfin, will pick the final line-up of 28 bands from the 70 submitted. Find out more here.

The partnership is the first time that a number of regional BBC Introducing outlets have joined forces to provide through the judging panel a direct route for emerging artists to BBC Introducing at a national level- and alongside that an opportunity to be included in the line-up at the festival. BBC Radio Gloucester’s Introducing presenter Rob Champion said, “We’re so happy to be working with the Wychwood Festival as well as our colleagues from the six bordering BBC regions on such an innovative partnership. I can’t think of a better opportunity, not only for our up and coming artists in Gloucestershire, but for those in the wider area. Wychwood is a big deal for local bands here, it represents a major achievement to play at such a prestigious, vibrant and eclectic festival and I can’t wait to be there!”

We’ll be announcing the final line up in just a few weeks time!

More Band Announcements

We have yet more bands to announce! The Geees emerged from the Oxford Canal at Wolvercote, a hairy band of narrow-boaters brandishing strange instruments including bagpipes and percussion. The band pride themselves on their ability to get people dancing and will be performing in our Big Top on Sunday as does Noush Skaugen; Take smooth British nuance combined with passion reminiscent of Joan Jett, and you get the mesmerising style and sound of Noush Skaugen. Noush was recently crowned the number one Independent/Unsigned artist on Twitter and has over one million online followers. She was awarded ‘Alternative Pop Artist of The Year’ at The Los Angeles Music Awards, and ‘National Independent Rock EP of The Year’ at The Hollywood Music Awards. “From the opening chords, the reasons behind her million strong Twitter following quickly became apparent”, The Daily Mirror.

Noush Skaugen Also in the Big Top on Sunday we welcome Baraka, the Bristol-based world music band who take their inspiration from the music of West Africa, South Africa, The Caribbean and Ireland, to produce an diverse and original sound. Their music is a heady mix of global beats, intricate rhythms and soaring melodies. “It’s a blue-skied blend of calypso, gentle reggae, jazzy highlife and lilting soca”, Venue Magazine.

Rob Cowen & the Dissidents join us in the Big Top on Saturday with their infectious, impassioned epic folk. Their debut single ‘Heartache’ smashed its way onto Radio 1, Xfm and 6Music, with support from Huw Stephens, Kissy Sell Out, Bethan Elfyn, and Tom Robinson. “A rollercoaster across the English landscape seen through a poet’s heart”, BBC Radio 2.

In the Big Top on Sunday, we also welcome Theo Altieri who started song writing whilst in a band at the age of 8 and soon went solo with a collection of his own songs. “At just twelve years old, Theo Altieri, has within him the ability to embarrass the rest of the music industry with his astoundingly developed talent for songwriting and performing”, efestivals.co.uk.

Finally for this edition we also welcome to the Big Top on Saturday, Senegalese master musician Jali Fily Cissokho. Jali Fily comes from a family of musicians, the skills and traditions passed down from generation to generation. Yet, as a citizen of 21st Century, he is also attuned to the rhythms of the present and future, creating a unique natural musical blend that spans centuries and continents. He has just finished a recording session with top Bollywood music producer and composer A R Rahman.

Also a quick congratulatory mention for The Leisure Society, who you can see on our mainstage on Friday, who were nominated for yet another Ivor Novello Award yesterday for their song “Save it for Someone Who Cares” from the band’s debut album.

Workshop News

As always, there will be plenty to keep all ages entertained in our workshop area; in this newsletter we would like to highlight just one of the 4 venues up on ‘The Green’. Alongside all the other workshop venues, ‘Hawthorn’ is our ‘Performance Cafe’. Along with a gallery, comfy sofas and an interactive art exhibition (working alongside Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum) it will have a full programme of shows (including Sir Randolph Ramsbottom), singers (like Nick Cope), puppetry (eg Mouse Tale – with Wink Taylor who writes for Basil Brush, Sooty and CBBC) and storytelling.

A place to kick back, relax and be entertained in the daytime, the mood changes in the evening with a jam session, live bands and finally poetry performance into the early hours.

Elsewhere on ‘The Green’ we have lots of new additions and old favourites for you to enjoy. New additions for 2010 include The Poetry Pod – an interactive silver caravan where experienced poets will help you find your muse and The Yarnsmith’s Medievil Storytelling Tent with a rolling programme of exciting stories. We also welcome for the first time the Silly Science workshop – create a rocket with fizzy pop power alone and Contemporary Dance workshops. For the Circus Skills workshops we welcome Circus Kaos for the first time and Mirage Belly Dancers will get you shaking your stuff. Also look out for Electric Cabaret’s Pop Up Circus making it’s UK festival debut.

New workshops this year include Samba with Bath School of Samba, sessions in Musical Theatre for all you fans of Saturday evening TV shows and Ukelele workshops too.

We also welcome back some regular favourites – Inta Africa’s Drum Circle, Tango, The Musiclab Open Mic Sessions, Folk Unplugged, Static Trapeze, Computer Animation and more. And that is before we get to the making/craft tent with 10 different interactive activities! Find out more here.

Ticket Info

If you haven’t purchased your tickets yet, you can find out how by visiting our ticket page.

Remember under 10s are free, and we’ve got special prices for 10-15 years olds and concessions too – Day and Weekend Tickets are now available.

Alternatively you can call us direct on 01993 772580 to order now.

More news to follow in early May!

Known for classics like Pure, The Life of Riley, Sense, Lucky You, Sugar Coated Iceberg and, of course, the England World Cup anthem Three Lions- The band have been hailed as the perfect pop project.

Lighting Seeds join our other artists already confirmed for the mainstage on Saturday, Happy Mondays, Toumani Diabaté, Pauline Black of The Selector, Goldheart Assembly, One String Loose and Sleeping with the Fishes.

We welcome back Piney Gir to the Big Top on Saturday. Her album “Hold Yer Horses” was selected as one of the top five albums of the year by Phill Jupitus in his music column for the Radio Times magazine, stating that “the stomp and twang of these songs of love and life are unmissable”.

Also added to the Saturday bill in the Big Top is The Lucinda Belle Orchestra. Lucinda was first spotted last year as a backing singer and harpist for Robbie Williams. BBC Radio 1 DJ Fearne Cotton noticed Belle playing with Williams at the BBC Electric Proms and invited her on to the show, which in turn led to a record deal. Now the singer-songwriter is putting her family laundrette business up for sale to focus on her music!

Also joining us in the Big Top on Saturday, The Outcast Band, an alternative roots rock band from Surrey who will be playing a mixture of old favourites and brand new songs- their sound is as intense and driven as ever, and The Crowd, four down-to-earth lads who live for music, and represent everything that’s mainstream in Gloucestershire.

Lucinda, Piney, The Outcast Band and The Crowd join already confirmed artists for the Big Top on Saturday, John Smith, John Otway, Beth Jeans Houghton and Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer.

The Epstein, will be playing our Big Top on Friday following the release of their highly successful debut album ‘Last of the Charanguistas’, which Huw Stephens made his Album of the week on the Radio 1 introducing show when it was released.

The Epstein join already announced bands, Levellers, Justin Currie, The Leisure Society, The Travelling Band, Arcadian Kicks and Tunnelmental Experimental Assembly.

In the Big top on Sunday you’ll also find Rook and the Ravens, part of a recent wave of Americana-indie that’s been emerging from Manchester. “Rook and The Ravens impress with a versatility reminiscent of The Byrds and Traffic”, The Independent; From Austria, we welcome J.O.E.L. a rip roaring rock band that reiterate all that’s good with pop, crossing over the vibe of Greenday with the Offspring in a fresh live show that bursts with energy; and local Pop-punk band The Echoes, one of the most popular local bands in Cheltenham.

They all join our Sunday line up already including Seth Lakeman, The South (Formerly The Beautiful South), Adrian Edmondson & The Band Shepherds, Kila, Dreadzone, King Creosote, Oxford Imps, 6 Day Riot, 12 Stone Toddler, and of course Justin Fletcher, AKA Mr Tumble!

View the full line-up. Still to be announced our final bands plus the full line up in the BBC Introducing Stage, coming soon!

Headphone Disco

Each evening from 11pm till 3am we welcome The Headphone Disco to the Big Top. It’s exactly the same principal as The Silent Disco that has been so enjoyable over the last few years- 2 DJs battling it out for your attention through your headphones! The DJs from Headphone Disco are up and chatting on our Facebook, so why don’t you join in and put in some early requests!

They also have a free Mix Tape on their website at the moment which you can download, with some of the most popular requests they’ve received recently.

Stewarding at Wychwood

Just a quick note to those of you who are planning to be part of our Steward Team at Wychwood this year- our Stewards Manager asked us to let you know that applications are coming in thick and fast, so please don’t delay sending yours in, to avoid disappointment! More information on being a Steward and to download an application form can be found here.

Tickets

If you haven’t purchased your tickets yet, you can find out how by visiting our Ticket Page.

Remember under 10s are free, and we’ve got special prices for 10-15 years olds and concessions too – Day and Weekend Tickets are now available.

Alternatively you can call us direct on 01993 772580 to order now.

More news to follow in April!

Justin Currie and his band will be playing songs from his eagerly awaited new album ‘The Great War’ (released May 3rd) together with some classics from the Del Amitri archives.

We welcome one of Ireland’s most innovative and exciting bands, Kíla, to the mainstage on Sunday afternoon. Playing together for more than 20 years, Kíla have created their own distinctive style of world music, which has won over audiences around the world through their spectacular live performances. Recently nominated for an Oscar for their music on Bruno Coulais animated feature film, “The Secret of Kells”, these folk legends will also be headlining the St Partick’s day celebrations in Trafalgar Square this year.

6 Day Riot will be taking to the mainstage on Sunday too. The band were named as one of the top 10 “pop picks of 2009” in The Times and their latest single has received National radio play on Radio 1, Radio 2, 6 music and XFM. Tracks from 6 Day Riot’s ‘Have A Plan’ album are also due to be featured on series 4 of Skins.

On the mainstage on Saturday we welcome Goldheart Assembly. This London-based six-piece have only been together for a year, but their immaculate folk-pop choruses have gained them much praise with their debut single selling out in a day. “They take a joyous acoustic beardy bunch of ideas and mess around with them like a cat playing with a ball of string”, Steve Lamacq.

In the Big Top on Saturday will be another rising star, Beth Jeans Houghton, with her alternative blend of experimental folk, Beth has been hailed by the NME as “a Joni Mitchell for the anti-folk generation”. At last year’s Greenman Festival Devendra Banhart invited Beth to play one of her songs during his set on the main stage to an 8000 strong crowd describing her as, ‘very lovely, a musical magician’.

Back by popular demand after his stunning session on Tom Robinson’s stage at Wychwood 2009 is Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer, on a one-man mission to introduce Hip-Hop to the Queen’s English, Mr. B is delighted to present Chap-Hop. Having spent the best part of a decade bringing some manners back to popular culture, this dopiest of fellows will entertain and amuse you with his ingenious stylings.

We also welcome Arcadian Kicks to the Big Top on Friday. The band draw inspiration from right across the musical spectrum fusing old and new styles, giving rise to beautifully crafted pop songs which maintain a rocky and soulful edge. Imagine a concentrated soundscape of relentless rhythm, soaring melody and distinctive harmony colliding into a beautifully balanced and deeply perceptive approach to modern music.

More Comedy

We have another raft of names to announce for the Comedy stage in association with eFestivals.co.uk

Tony Cowards, originally from sleepy Suffolk but now an adopted “cocker-knee”, has been performing his particular brand of hilarity all over the country since 2004. A genial gagster whose material covers a wide spectrum (mostly semi-autobiographical and observational with a pinch of topicality). Tony recently made the breakthrough into TV as a football pundit on “Anglia News”, and appearances on BBC’s Celebrity Scissorhands and “The One Show” and film (in the demanding role of “Comedy Club Customer #2″ in the horror classic “Hellbride”). Tony will be performing on Sunday night.

Ben Davids, hailing from deepest, darkest Tamworth, Ben Davids has established himself as one of the brightest new acts on the circuit in recent years. His act is a barrage of non-stop gags and one-liners that range from the silly to the very silly indeed, and that will provide something a bit different for any comedy night. Ben was a finalist in the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year Award, as well as winning ‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go’ Gong Show, Champion’s Final in 2009 and a finalist for the English Comedian of the Year Award 2009. Ben will be performing on Friday night.

Also performing on Friday is Darren Harriott, one of the ‘Brum Pack’ of young, exciting stand-up’s from Birmingham and the West Midlands, who are currently making a great impression in comedy clubs across the UK and on Saturday, Award-Winning Comedian, and star of Paramount’s “The Nathan Caton Show”, Nathan Caton. “Caton’s a slick performer with an unbeatable stage attitude and the confident air of someone much more experienced”, Chortle.

In the Big Top on Sunday you can also see improvisational comedy from The Oxford Imps- reviewed as “the best improvised comedy show I have ever had the pleasure to witness” by Edinburgh Fringe festival magazine. They have extensively toured all over Europe and appeared on BBC2 quiz show Eggheads in 2009. Find out more about the comedy line-up.

Workshops

Once again Wychwood Festival is so much more than great music. We are planning an even more exciting, innovative, interactive and entertaining programme up on ‘The Green’ in 2010 than ever before. Four venues and a big outdoor area bursting with over 100 activities, workshops, shows, demonstrations and crafts for all ages, with an emphasis on the kids. We are especially excited about having English National Ballet involved – expect inspiring dance workshops for budding ballerinas of all ages and abilities based around their 2010 repertoire including Swan Lake and Cinderella.

We’re looking forward to a visit from Justin Fletcher from Cbeebies and we welcome back the Roald Dahl Museum with their storytellers and activities. We don’t know of a festival the size of Wychwood with so many things to try. Find out more about our workshops and events.

Tickets

Less than three months until the next fun packed Wychwood Festival – have you purchased your tickets yet? Please visit our ticket page to purchase yours now! Remember under 10s are free, and we’ve got special prices for 10-15 years olds and concessions too. What’s more if you are thinking of bringing a group to Wychwood we do have a groups discount rate for orders of 10 or more paid tickets – you’ll be entitled to 10% off. For group bookings please call the office direct on 01993 772580.

We also welcome cult hero John Otway to our Big Top on Saturday. John is renowned for his surreal sense of humour and the manic energy he puts in to his live performances. In 1999 the BBC ran a poll to find the greatest lyrics of the millennium, and Otway was a surprise entry at number 7 with his song ‘Beware of the Flowers’, and in 2002 John’s single Bunsen Burner reached number 9 in the singles chart. Opening up the mainstage on Saturday will be melodic Liverpool rockers Sleeping with the Fishes, who join artists already announced including Happy Mondays, Pauline Black of the Selector, Toumani Diabaté with many more still to come.

“Crunk Folk” stars The Travelling Band, will be opening up our mainstage on Friday- one of the hottest emerging talents in the country, having won the Glastonbury New Talent title, they join the mainstage line up of already announced Levellers and Leisure Society, with one more name to come. Los Angeles based Tunnelmental Experimental Assembly , will be flying in to play their experimental electronic rock in the Big Top on Friday- their lead singer hails from Cheltenham and in former years was a steeplechase jockey who won there, so this will be a momentous return for him!

Robin Ince and Comedy

We are delighted to welcome back comedian, actor and writer Robin Ince to our headline comedy slot on Saturday night. Robin started his career as a comedy writer, working on V Graham Norton and Alistair McGowan’s Big Impression and won the Time Out Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy. In 2010 Robin will also host Nerdstock: 9 Lessons and Carols for Godless People for BBC Four.

Your MC for Saturday night will be Rob Broderick- one of the most exciting comics on the circuit, Broderick’s explosive energy will illuminate the stage and raise the roof of any venue. He improvised his way into the final of the prestigious So You Think You’re Funny competition at the 2005 Edinburgh Fringe and in 2008 appeared in three shows each day! “Very funny, fresh and endlessly creative… A star-of-the-future”, Time Out.

On Sunday, the very talented Pete Johansson will be taking to the stage. Hailing all the way from Canada, Pete has burst on to the UK comedy scene with some gusto. His Debut show “Naked Pictures of My life” was nominated for the highest award of Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2009. There is much more to come from Pete in the world of comedy, and you have the chance to see him perform at Wychwood.

More Authors

For our kids literature festival, and joining the already announced Ian Whybrow, we welcome back the wonderful Philip Ardagh, the award-winning author of the Eddie Dickens adventures, currently available in over 30 languages. He wrote BBC Radio’s first truly interactive radio drama, collaborated with Sir Paul McCartney on his first children’s book and is a ‘regularly irregular’ reviewer of children’s books for the Guardian. Married with a son, he divides his time between Tunbridge Wells and Grubtown, where he cultivates his impressive beard!

We also welcome Linda Chapman, author of the phenomenally successful My Secret Unicorn series, the Stardust series, the Not Quite a Mermaid series and two novels for Puffin- Bright Lights and Centre Stage. More than 1.5 million of Linda’s titles have been sold to date! Linda will be bringing her brand new series, the very sparkly “Skating School” to Wychwood this year.

Also joining us this year will be the Cheltenham-based author and illustrator Sally Grindley. Sally has always been involved with children’s literature, first as editor and then as an award winning author. Her 2004 novel Spilled Water won the Smarties Book Prize Gold Award and was considered for the Carnegie Medal. Sally’s latest novel Bitter Chocolate is out in June 2010. Bitter Chocolate is a story of friendship and survival, set in the cocoa plantations of West Africa.

Ticket Information

Weekend tickets are selling phenomenally well at the moment. We are also now on sale with day tickets. Please visit our Ticket Page for information, prices and ways to purchase.

http://www.wychwoodfestival.com/tickets.html