Hotels near the The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival

Cheltenham's huge annual literary festival features talks and workshops with some of the biggest names in the business. There are also creative writing courses, literary walks, performers and special themed events.

More than 400 novelists, storytellers, poets, politicians, artists and filmmakers visit the picturesque Gloucestershire town every year for the Cheltenham Literature Festival - past visitors have included Gordon Brown, Tony Benn, Phillip Pullman, Kate Adie, Julian Barnes, Harold Pinter, Alexei Sayle and Douglas Hurd.

Begun in 1949, the festival has come a long way since the nine events it hosted then. Now more than 100,000 visitors enjoy hundreds of events each year, but the original purpose remains unchanged - at its heart the festival still rejoices in the joy of books, the thrill of debate and the unique interaction between writer and reader.