Taunton Literary Festival 2026
Our Grateful Thanks for the help and support of Taunton Town Council, Climate Action Taunton & Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre for the promotion and delivery of this festival
Marc Burrows – The Story of the Christmas No. 1 : Mistletoe and Vinyl
Mon 16 Nov 2026,7 pm. Venue: Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER
This is the story of a national obsession: the annual race for the festive chart crown, and what it reveals about British culture, identity, and the ever-changing music industry. From The Beatles to glam rock, from Do They Know It’s Christmas? to reality-TV winners, novelty records, charity campaigns and viral streaming sensations, Marc Burrows uncovers the fascinating, funny and occasionally absurd stories behind the songs we love—and love to argue about. Marc Burrows is an award-winning author, comedian and musician.. He writes regularly for The Independent, Big Issue, The New Statesmen and many more and is working on a new stand-up show.
Tickets: £8
For further information/to book, click here or visit: Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742
Elizabeth Delo – Writing Workshop: Captivating Characters
Tue 17 Nov 2026,7 pm. Venue: Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER
A compelling protagonist is the beating heart of a good story. Creating a character that your readers believe in and care about means they will want to follow them to the very last page. In this workshop you will be guided through a series of exercises to help you create memorable, three-dimensional characters and begin to identify their motivations, desires and fears. You will learn about the shape of stories, giving you the tools to build a convincing character and develop their narrative.
This workshop is suitable for all levels, from beginners to more experienced writers.
Elizabeth Delo is an award-winning writer with an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University.
Tickets: £10
For further information/to book, click here or visit: Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742
Sara Hudston – A Life Outside: Hope Bourne on Exmoor
Thu 19 Nov 2026, Venue: 7 pm Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER
Hope Bourne (1918-2010) was one of the twentieth century’s most extraordinary nature writers. Forgotten for many years, Bourne’s life and work is now being rediscovered by a new generation of readers, who are increasingly enthralled by her writing and ideas. Her remarkable ecological awareness, rejection of materialism, and close relationship with the natural world were decades ahead of their time A Life Outside is the first biography of her life and work. Sympathetic, critical and honest, it draws on detailed original research in The Exmoor Society’s archive and interviews with people who knew her well. “A masterpiece of detective work.The story is beautifully told and relentlessly fascinating.” Charles Foster. Tickets: £8
For further information/to book, click here or visit: Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742
Michael Smith – Towards the Coldest Place: The Long March to the South Pole
Tue 24 Nov 2026, 7 pm.Venue: Temple Methodist Church, Taunton, Taunton, TA1 3PY
Best-selling author Michael Smith chronicles the 2,000 year quest to stand at the South Pole, starting with the ancient Greek scholars and reaching a dramatic climax with the triumph and tragedy of the race between Captain Scott and the Norwegian Amundsen. Smith recounts the epic struggles and appalling hardship, generations of colourful characters and the soaring ambition of explorers who battled the frozen wastes to be first to stand at the end of the earth. Michael Smith is a best-selling author whose books about Antarctic and Arctic exploration have sold over 300,000 copies across the world, have been translated into German, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Italian and Irish and assisted with the development of film dramas and documentaries. Tickets: £10
For further information/to book, click here or visit: Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742
Kate Lord Brown & Sarah Easter Collins
Thu 26 Nov 2026, 6.30 pm Venue: Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER
Please note, this event was originally to take place on Tue 27 oct at the The Library.
Join authors Kate Lord Brown and Sarah Easter Collins who will talk about their latest books and their respective publishing journies. Silver Thread by Kate Lord Brown: A sweeping story of a patient and everlasting love – and the moments that tie people together forever. Things Don’t Break On Their Own by Sarah Easter Collins: She could be you. Nobody ever found out what happened to Laika Martenwood, the girl who vanished without a trace on her way to school one morning. But for her sister Willa, life shattered into tiny pieces that day, and she has never been able to put them back together again. Tickets: £5
For further information/to book, click here or visit: Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742
Murky Waters: The Fourth Elliot Todd Mystery
Mon 30 Nov 2026, 6.30 pm. Venue: Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER
A period of snow and the arrangement of a visit by his friend Cameron to launch his new book helps lift Elliot Todd’s New Year blues. Life at the bookshop seems to be going along on an even keel.
Then one of the traders disappears from the quaint street in which Elliot Todd’s bookshop is located. Elliot and Esther, his bookshop assistant (and the subject of his unrequited love) just cannot help getting involved…’
The fourth in the Elliot Todd Mystery series featuring an accidental bookseller sleuth and his sidekick Esther.
Tickets: £5. Book and Ticket: £10.99
For further information/to book, click here or visit: Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742
Christian Wolmar – Fast Track: The Extraordinary Story of High Speed Rail
Fri 4 December , 7 pm. Venue: Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER
NB This talk was originally arranged for Friday 27 November
Sleek, comfortable, accessible, and sustainable, high-speed rail is the future. Since Japan’s Bullet Train first sped down the track in the sixties, it has become a global icon, as famous for its punctuality as for its speed. The French TGV, or Train à Grande Vitesse, established a template that was soon followed across Europe, in Italy, Germany and Spain. But with a remarkable 30,000 miles of track built in fewer than twenty years China has become the world leader. How can this be? In Fast Track, Christian Wolmar, our leading railway writer, tells the story of the irresistible rise of high-speed rail around the world. This is a story of big personalities, bold decisions, cutting edge technology, and soaring ambition. All aboard! Tickets: £9 Book and Ticket: £30
For further information/to book, click here or visit: Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742
Christmas Stocking – With Imogen Smith and Yvette Staelens
Saturday 12th December 2026 Venue: Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER
Imagine a cosy, intimate evening gathered together with a small group of fellow spirits, enjoying mulled wine and mince pies with rousing songs and ‘laugh out loud’ readings about Christmas and the cold dark winter nights.
Ah, just like Christmas used to be!
Well, you can be part of that evening at Brendon Books. The entertainment will be led by character actor Imogen Smith and the well-known singer and folk historian Yvette Staelens.
Expect a wonderful array of seasonal songs from Somerset and the English countryside, as well as readings that will bring a tear to your eye one moment and make you laugh out loud the next! And, of course, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a wintry Victorian ghost story!
For further information/to book, click here or visit: Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742