Orange Prize winner attending Porlock Arts Festival

A FOUR-day feast for culture vultures gets underway with the return of one of the West Somerset’s best-loved literary celebrations next month.
Porlock Arts Festival, which runs from September 11 to 14, is playing host to leading lights of literature and media from across the country.
Arts festival organiser Tony Pinnington said: “We are delighted with this year’s line-up.
“We have attracted leading figures from the literary and media worlds and it promises to be a fantastic festival.”
This year’s Orange Prize winner, Rose Tremain, along with renowned author Dame Margaret Drabble and Fleet Street columnist and biographer Valerie Grove will be sharing their experiences and talking about their work during a friendly and informative evening.
Sunday Times columnist Roland White, Dan Hall, a former BBC commercial executive and now head of development for Dangerous Films, and BBC crime correspondent and author of murder mysteries Simon Hall will host a fun and thought-provoking afternoon discussion with the audience on the topic ‘Who Do We Believe?’.
The unspoilt historic village of Porlock will be buzzing as artists and craftspeople throw open the doors of their studios and showrooms.
Artisans will display their techniques, work, and collections, including silver jewellery, basket making, pottery, blacksmith’s art, wood sculptures, paintings, textiles, and felting.
There will also be a Pelham Puppet exhibition and demonstration, as well as glass blowing demonstrations.
Journalist and popular author Tony James will entertain as he draws from a lifetime of heroic failure in meeting his life plans, followed by gentle jazz in a bistro setting.
Famed author Sir Christopher Ondaatje, who lives locally, will also host a wine and cheese evening where he talks about his books.
More information on the Porlock Arts Festival or where to stay can be obtained by logging on to http://www.porlockfestival.org/ or emailing porlockci@somerset.gov.uk or telephoning 01643 863150.

• Our photographs show (TOP) a view of Porlock and (BELOW) author Dame Margaret Drabble. Photos submitted.