Literature festival returns to give writers from diverse backgrounds spotlight

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Festival director, Alice Hardacker, who took on the role in April, described the weekend as one “to fall in love with.” She hopes people feel inspired and supported by what they see at The Primadonna Festival, which was created as a space where people from all walks of life can feel included and welcomed in the world of books. The lineup deals with everything from sex-writing to growing your own writing community, but it also offers an opportunity for aspiring writers to network with publishers and editors, and therefore the chance to walk away from the “weekend of joy” with their first book deal as numerous people have in the past. ‘Happiness’ is the theme for this year’s book festival, with Ms Hardacker saying people need books for a sense of escapism and getting new perspectives in a year that has had “a lot going on for a lot of people.” They will have a ‘happiness disco’, which Ms Hardacker summarised as “a playlist full of bangers” for people to let loose to, and a bee meadow where they can treat themselves to massages and facials.