Words by the Water book festival returns to Keswick for the first time since Covid

ITV Border's Katie Templeton-Knight went to meet some of the people organising and attending the festival

A literary festival has returned to the Lake District for the first time since Covid.

Words by the Water is hosted by Theatre on the Lake and first started 23 years ago.

After being cancelled due to the pandemic and the cost of living crisis, the festival will return to Keswick for the first time since 2019.

The festival will run from Wednesday 5 June to Sunday 9th June 2024 and will include a range of events including workshops and theatre performances.

Author, Marie-Elsa Bragg, who is co-president of the festival with her father Lord Bragg, said that she was glad to see the festival return to Keswick.

She said: "We don't really write in isolation, so it's really important for us to be able to come and talk to the people we write for and listen to other authors."

Festival director Leah Varnell welcomed the partnership with local bookshop Bookends.

She said: "We've really missed putting on events like this with the pandemic and then the cost of living crisis.

"Everything in the arts generally has just been so squeezed.

"We’re really delighted to be working with Bookends in partnership at the local bookshop to bring back such an enormous event."

The event attracts visitors from near and far.

Janet Denny, travelled from Sussex and said: "My friend and I are both published authors but we're here now to listen to other authors, gain ideas and enjoy the fellowship that we find at this event every year.

"We're so pleased it's back."

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