“A BOOK lover’s paradise”

is how the Oxford Literary Festival has been promoted and that’s how it has proved at Blackwell’s.

Book fans from across the globe have been enjoying debates, lunches, seminars and screenings with their favourite literary stars since Saturday.Staff at Blackwell’s Festival Marquee have been swept off their feet by the hundreds of visitors to the nine-day festival.

The book store has created a book lover’s paradise at the heart of the literary festival, with books penned by speakers on offer, as well as special events.

Blackwell’s deputy manager Zool Verjee, 39, said: “It’s been a really buzzing atmosphere.

Our top stories

“I think all the people I have been speaking to have said there has been so much to choose from and people have been really enjoying it.

“We have been calling it here a book lover’s paradise and that seems to be the atmosphere we have managed to create.”

Organisers of the 19th annual festival lined up more than 250 events, with 500 speakers from 20 different countries coming to the city.

More than 100 events are still set to take place over the next few days, with festival guests expected to pack city centre venues.

On Tuesday evening, actress Celia Imrie, who is in the current movie release The Second Best Marigold Hotel, appeared at the Sheldonian Theatre. The Olivier Award winner talked about her life on stage and screen, as well as her debut novel Not Quite Nice.

Yesterday, comedian Bill Oddie graced the Oxford Martin School, in Broad Street, recalling humourous stories about his bird-watching adventures.

Actress and television cook Madhur Jaffrey prepared a threecourse lunch for guests at The Old Bank Hotel, in High Street, before speaking of her love for food, culture and families.

Tickets can be booked online up to one hour before an event or at Blackwell’s bookshop in Broad Street between 10am and 4.30pm.

The Oxford Mail’s sister paper The Oxford Times is this year’s official regional partner and the Financial Times Weekend edition is the event’s main sponsor.