We are now on count down to the festival with only five weeks to go! And with the Easter holidays now out the way we are all focused on bringing you the best festival ever.

Things have been hindered somewhat this past month as Jo fell down the stairs in Barbados and broke her ankle in five places. After a very painful trip home she is now on the mend and sending plenty of emails to colleagues in the office, from her sick bed at home.

This time of year it’s all about getting contracts signed and organising accommodation and travel for our artists, whilst marketing for individual shows builds up speed.

The literature programme this year sees a diverse range of talks and readings. We have Patrick French who will discuss his authorised biography of local resident V. S. Naipaul, which has caused some controversy since its publication with revelations about Naipaul’s relationship with his first wife. This is contrasted by Antony Woodward and Robert Penn who give a light hearted and highly entertaining reading from their book The Wrong Kind of Snow which is a detailed compilation based on the British obsession with the weather. For the ever growing number of us that want to be green we have Crap at the Environment, featuring comedian Mark Watson and unreconstructed hippie Brig Oubridge, who take a look at Mark’s attempts to save the world which led to him being recruited by Al Gore to spread awareness of global warming. And the Green Food Debate which delves into the world of healthy and ethical eating.

As you can tell we’re all excited about the variety and diversity of this year’s festival and I hope you all are to.