If you enjoy food, good conversation and books then the Wells Festival of Literature has just the events for you. Once again there will be the literary lunches, with an opportunity to meet the authors before they speak. There is also an exciting first for this year! There is to be a special event followed by a cream tea. Duncan Minshull will lead an hour long stroll around Wells, meeting in Waterstones pop-up bookshop at Cedars Hall for the start and then returning to Cedars Hall dining room for the cream tea. Information on all the Festival events, as well as purchasing tickets can be found at ww.wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk or you can ring the box office at Cedars Hall on 01749 834483 (weekdays 9:30am to 12:30 pm)

During the stroll around the beautiful city of Wells Duncan Minshull will discuss his latest book, 'Sauntering: Writers Walk Europe'. Through the words of literary walkers we come to know landscapes and cities we may never have the luxury to visit in person, from alpine ranges, arterial rivers and expansive coastlines to ancient cities and mysterious thoroughfares.

In his book Minshull introduces us to writers who wander. These include Petrarch climbing Mount Ventoux, D.H. Lawrence in Sardinia, Joseph Conrad in Krakow, Hans Christian Andersen in quarantine, Werner Herzog on a personal pilgrimage through Germany and Robert Macfarlane dropping deep into underground Paris. If you are interested in this event tickets are at a premium, as numbers are limited to 25, so you will need to be quick!

The first literary lunch is with Lucy Jago. Lucy is a writer, BBC documentary maker and National Biography prize winner. Her book, 'A Net for Small Fishes', is her first venture into historical fiction. The story is based on a true scandal which rocked the court of James 1. In it two very different women meet in strange circumstances and a powerful friendship sparks a marriage of their talents. The two women discover that what begins as a search for love, safety and a little happiness swiftly leads to desperate acts which could cost them everything.

If you are a fan of Charles Dickens you will not want to miss a literary lunch with John Mullan, after which he will be speaking about his book 'The Artful Dickens: The Tricks and Plays of the Great Novelist'. The richly diverse world created by Charles Dickens is still hugely popular with readers 150 years after his death. John Mullan is Professor of Modern English Literature at University College, a broadcaster and former Man Booker Prize judge. His book pays enthusiastic tribute to Charles Dickens and demonstrates how the author's supposed flaws often reflect his audacity, originality and comic genius.

The final literary lunch is with Dr. Lucy Pollock who reflects on the merits and pitfalls of getting older. Now that many of us are living to a great age, Lucy Pollock addresses the elephant in the room. A long life should be embraced and celebrated, but it's not always that easy. Getting older brings with it many challenges and raises questions which can be difficult to answer. However, even the most challenging situation can be helped by the right conversation. Fierce independence is a fine balance between admirable and irresponsible behaviour. Serious, funny, kind and knowledgeable, Lucy Pollock goes straight to the heart of what matters most about getting older and helps us all face those difficult questions.