Top authors set to feature at Stonyhurst Festival

Curator Jan Graffius ready for the festival

The Stonyhurst Literature and Film Festival will attract visitors from around the country, offering guests a chance to meet renowned authors and key speakers, whilst being surrounded by the glorious unspoilt landscape of the Ribble Valley and its wonderfully rich heritage.

The event has been co-ordinated by Stonyhurst Enterprises, who aim to replicate the prestigious Oxford and Blenheim Literature Festivals, in the North of England.

During the two-day event, running Friday 16th and Saturday, August 17th, the programme of events will include a number of authors, literary critics and speakers who will be conducting a variety of seminars, workshops and Q&A panels.

The festival will culminate in an open-air screening of the Oscar-winning film “Bohemian Rhapsody”, set against the backdrop of the magnificent building, overlooking the beautiful Ribble Valley.

John Browne, headmaster at Stonyhurst College, said: “Stonyhurst’s fascinating history makes it the perfect setting for what we hope will be the finest Literature and Film Festival in the North of England.”

Stonyhurst, which is stepped in literary history, boasts a number of famous alumni, including Sherlock Holmes creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The college is also rumoured to have ties to J. R. R. Tolkien, who penned the “Lord of the Rings” series and “The Hobbit”.

Jan Graffius, Curator at the Stonyhurst Museum, said: “Over the last 400 years, Stonyhurst has been home to, and the inspiration for, some of the literary greats. The Stonyhurst Literature and Film Festival provides the perfect platform to share with visitors the College’s strong literary connections.”

Festival partners and sponsors will have the opportunity to support the event and be part of showcasing what the Ribble Valley has to offer.

Tickets are expected to go on sale in June. Tickets to the open-air cinema can be purchased now through the Stonyhurst Enterprises website: https://enterprises.stonyhurst.ac.uk/literature-film-festival/outdoor-cinema/