Book festival will increase trade

6:00am Sunday 7th September 2008

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Traders in Woodstock are expecting a major increase in business from the town's annual books festival.

Woodstock Celebrates Books will see authors visit a number of different venues in the town, including the Orangery and the Marlborough Room at Blenheim Palace.

In previous years, hotels and shops have experienced a rise in trade over festival weekend as hundreds of people flock to the town.

The festival was launched four years ago by the organisers of the Oxford Literary Festival, who wanted to stage a smaller version of their event.

This year, the festival runs for three days from Friday, October 10. Chris Baylis, chairman of Wake Up to Woodstock, which represents traders in the town, said: "The books festival benefits hotels, shops and the local community - it is a win-win situation.

"We get people coming in and staying for the weekend - it definitely gives the town a real boost. Woodstock is becoming quite a Mecca for the arts - we had Woodstock Live, the music festival in the town centre on the August Bank Holiday and in late October we will be staging the second Art in Woodstock event."

Festival highlights include Tory leader and Witney MP David Cameron in conversation, and local author Julie Summers talking about her new book, Stranger in the House.

Crime writer PD James will talk about her new novel, The Private Patient, and journalist Ann Leslie will present her memoirs, Killing My Own Snakes.

Clive Aslet will discuss his new book, The English Country House, and there will be a black tie dinner with historian Richard Holmes. Authors who have previously appeared at the festival include Jeremy Paxman, John Mortimer and Geraldine McCaughrean.

A full programme of events is expected to be announced by the organisers of the festival next week.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF PD JAMES: CRIME novelist PD James was born in Oxford in 1920, the eldest daughter of an Inland Revenue official.

She worked for the National Health Service (1949-68) and the civil service until 1979, when she started writing full time.

Many of her novels feature the Scotland Yard policeman Commander Adam Dalgliesh.

She will be discussing her latest novel, The Private Patient, at the Woodstock festival.

She was awarded the OBE in 1983, and created a Life Peer in 1991. She was made an Associate Fellow of Downing College, Cambridge (1986) and an Honorary Fellow (2000).

In 1999, she received the Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Award for long-term achievement.