75588-55PLANS for a literary festival in Highworth have been announced. The summer literature festival is being organised by former town mayor Lynn Vardy.

Lynn a trained actress and stage manager is planning drama work-shops, poetry readings, an open-air celebration of Shakespeare and story-telling sessions.

She is also hoping a well known actress friend will take part, although this hasn't yet been con-firmed.

Local authors will also be invited to speak.

"We're hoping events will be spread out over two weeks at the end of May and beginning of June," said Lynn, who is still on the town council.

"We performed excerpts from Shakes-peare at last year's Highworth Festival and it was a huge success.

"Highworth's a good community, but like many smaller towns it's becoming less cohesive and needs events like this to bring people together.

"Swindon has a liter-ature festival and I'm also a regular visitor to the Cheltenham festival.

"Ours won't be on that scale but it will be a good community event."

Lynn is leading a small team of organisers, including local actors and drama teacher John Williams.

She is keen for youngsters to get involved and is planning to hold special children's story-telling sessions as part of the event.

A visit by performers from the Newbury's Windmill Theatre company is also planned.

Any profits will be donated to the Prospect Hospice.

It is hoped that more concrete details will be available by February.

Lynn, who admits having a lifelong love of books and drama, trained at Birmingham Theatre School and later work at Birmingham Rep.

At Christmas, she helped organise a production of Roald Dahl's classic the Witches, in aid of Mencap.

Now she is hoping to enter it for Swindon's One Act Play Festival next month.

Anyone who wants to help plan the festival should call Lynn on 01793 762521.

Tamash Lal