WHAT Lisa Ventura – organiser of the inaugural Worcestershire Literary Festival – cannot believe is that no one thought of it before.

She first began thinking about the city hosting a literary festival back in 1999, while working on the Three Choirs fringe festival.

She said: “I began thinking that Worcester really needs something to encompass books, writing and literature – I had no idea why it didn’t.

“But then, other things, such as work, got in the way.”

Clearly, the idea had continued to niggle throughout all that time and 11 years later, Ms Ventura set up a Facebook group with a very simple question: Worcester literary festival – good idea/bad idea?

Within 24 hours, she had 200 members and a full wall of posts – and an overwhelming yes.

And so the Worcestershire Literary Festival (WLF) was born – more than 100 events in just 10 days starting on Friday, June 17, and running until Monday, June 27.

Although it started life as a citywide festival, it has been expanded to the entire county with talks, book signings and workshops in an impressive 36 venues.

The scope of the festival – and the fact that a first-time event has managed to stretch itself to 10 days, packed with events – is thanks to the community who have got behind it.

The first public meeting, which was held last year, attracted more than 70 people, all interested in getting involved.

“Georgia Smith, of Visit Worcester, told me she goes to a lot of these things when they start and it is always the same faces,” said Ms Ventura. “At the WLF meeting, there were only a couple she knew.

“I never expected the kind of response that it got. It seems to have brought out a whole set of people you don’t usually see.”

Indeed, the festival has certainly lit a torch under a lot of different people, who all seem to be saying the same thing: Why hasn’t this been done before?

One of the answers could be the amount of planning it has taken.

At the WLF’s heart is Ms Ventura and a team of 22 core volunteers who work from an office in St Mary’s Street, Worcester, organising the events, getting sponsorship and raising awareness of the festival.

A quick peruse of the brochure shows how much the group has achieved in a relatively small space of time.

The festival has grown so much and had so much packed into it, the event will have its own information point during the 10 days in CrownGate Shopping Centre, Worcester, to help people find out what’s on and where.

And there will be something for everyone – from teenagers with a passion for writing to a talk on the history of being a war reporter to open mic sessions for those wanting to share their musings.

But what Ms Ventura seems particularly excited about is the final of the Bard for Worcestershire competition to find the county’s first-ever poet laureate, which will reach its climax during the opening event at Worcester Cathedral on Friday, June 17, when the winner will be selected from a group of 10 finalists.

“The standard of writing was really high,” said Ms Ventura.

“But it is not just about the writing. We also need them to stand up and deliver their poetry in a confident manner. We want them to really be an ambassador for Worcestershire.”

But the idea of the festival has always been bigger than just one event or even all the events.

Its slogan – be inspired, be entertained, be part of it – is not simply for the 10 days of the festival but is rather an entire philosophy they hope will run on after the final poetry reading has been given.

“The Worcestershire Literary Festival is committed to giving writers a voice and showcasing their work, not just during the festival but throughout the year,”

she said.

“We hope it will be something that will encourage people to write or simply pick up a book. We want people to come away, really having got something out of it.”

􀁥 We have two pairs of tickets to give away to the official launch of the WLF on Friday, June 17. To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer the following question: Where is the launch being held?

Entries can be sent to fd@worcesternews.co.uk along with your contact details. The competition closes on Monday, June 13, at 5pm. To find out more about the festival, visit worcslitfest.com or call the festival office on 0845 6520621.