ORGANISERS of Marlborough’s LitFest are already brimming with excitement for next year’s event after hundreds attended the festival this weekend and filled the town with a buzz about books.

International best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith, journalist Jon Snow and BAFTA-award winning director of the Wolf Hall series Peter Kosminsky were among the names to make an appearance at the event.

There were more than 25 author talks and activities taking place in venues around Marlborough.

Magna Carta expert Sean McGlynn kicked off the event on Friday evening at the Town Hall, followed by Salley Vickers, the Golding Speaker, who spoke to a sell-out audience about the psychology of writing and being a reader and how “you are never alone with a book”.

Now in its sixth year, LitFest offered everything from new and established fiction and non-fiction authors to poetry, creative writing workshops, a Big Town Read for book groups, a Big School Read for schools, a birdwatching walk in the Savernake Forest, as well as a packed children’s programme.

A highlight for many was the discussion on Sunday afternoon between Wolf Hall director Mr Kosminsky and Channel 4 broadcaster Mr Snow about the recent TV adaptation.

A sell-out crowd in the Assembly Rooms at the Town Hall heard Mr Kosminsky explain the background to the making of the show, from the difficulties in condensing two books into six hours of TV, the casting using the same agency that has been working on Game of Thrones and the latest Star Wars film, creating the right mood for the series using natural candlelight without causing a fire hazard on set and the difficulties in editing and leaving key scenes and actors on the cutting room floor.

Veteran television journalist Mr Snow also had an interesting talk with Mr Kosminsky about recent Government discussions of slashing BBC budgets and how this would affect the future quality BBC dramas.

Straight after the Wolf Hall discussion was author of The No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series Alexander McCall Smith, who entertained a packed audience with his tales of the background to his popular novels set in Botswana as well as his 27 children’s books and short stories.

St John’s sixth formers also professionally and seamlessly filled a gap at St Mary’s Church Hall when author Adam Thorpe pulled out of the festival, with a debate on books, reading and other topics.

Bestselling children’s author, Ian Whybrow, had both children and parents practising their best dinosaur noises, while Jasper Fforde entertained his audience with his trademark zany humour.

Man Booker prize longlister and contemporary Scottish novelist Andrew O’Hagan mesmerised his audience with his recital; bestselling historian Alison Weir gave an eloquent, rapid-fire history of Tudor princess the Countess of Lenox and wowed the audience with her knowledge.

The annual Poetry in the Pub was well attended at the Green Dragon pub in the High Street. Hosted by local poet, Alex Hickman, it gave a platform for poets, amateur or published, to read their works aloud.

LitFest’s festival finale was the Welsh National Poet Gillian Clarke at a packed Memorial Hall, Marlborough College.

LitFest chairman, Jan Williamson, said: “It is been a thrilling and exciting weekend. We have had many truly memorable talks and packed audiences, all thanks to our authors, sponsors and hard-working volunteers. We are looking forward to next year.”