Literary festival keen to add more Friends

HENLEY Literary Festival has this week launched its annual Friends membership scheme for 2016-17 ahead of next October’s event.

New partner organisations that have come on board for the 2017 festival are Café Buendia, Stonor Park and Café Rouge.

Friends of the Festival pay an annual membership fee of £35 and receive priority booking and exclusive offers for the autumn event.

This year, Friends were the first to book for more than 60 sold-out events — including Michael Heseltine, Victoria Hislop, David Essex and Jeremy Paxman.

Membership cardholders also save throughout the year at festival partners the River and Rowing Museum, Stonor Park, Gower Cottage Brownies and WIGG Hairdressing, as well as at Henley restaurants Café Buendia, Café Rouge, CAU, Hotel du Vin, the Quince Tree and Strada.

Festival director Sue Ryan said: “We’re delighted to have a great mix of local and national partners on board for the year ahead and are already thinking of ways of making the 2017 festival the best yet.”

Running from Monday to Sunday, the 2017 Henley Literary Festival will take place at venues across the town from October 2 to 8.

To help promote it, on Wednesday, December 7, the festival joins forces with Hobbs and the Chocolate Cafe in Thames Side to host that evening’s Living Advent Calendar event aboard the New Orleans.

Friends memberships can be purchased online at www.
henleyliteraryfestival.co.uk or by calling (01491) 575948.