ORGANISERS of the Oxford Literary Festival say this year’s event was ‘probably the most successful ever’.

The festival has been running for more than two decades and thousands of guests book in to stay every year so they can attend author talks and events.

There were more than 200 events at this year’s festival, which ran for nine days until last Sunday.

Among the speakers were celebrity chef Rick Stein, political commentator Robert Peston, children’s author Judith Kerr, novelist Ian McEwan and biographer Claire Tomalin.

Festival spokesman Tony Byrne said: “The number of people attending has gone up in recent years and this time it was 27,000 – a tremendous success and probably the most successful ever.

“There were 450 speakers from 30 countries and it must be the biggest event in Oxford’s cultural calendar.

“On one day we had four Booker Prize winners; Ben Okri, Penelope Lively, Anne Enright and Ian McEwan, and audiences were packed out for lots of events including Richard Dawkins, Ruby Wax and Robert Peston.”

Mr Byrne said the Sheldonian Theatre provided a large venue for popular speakers and added there was a varied programme of events for young readers.

Blackwell’s marquee bookshop, next to the Sheldonian, provided one of the focal points for the festival.

Comedian and writer Ruby Wax talked about her new manual for mental health, How to be Human.

And former cabinet minister Alan Johnson discussed his multi-award-winning series of autobiographies and the future of the Labour Party.

One of the key events took place on the first day of the festival – the presentation of the Bodley Medal to Claire Tomalin.

The medal is awarded to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the worlds in which the Bodleian is active, including literature, culture, science and communication.

Ms Tomalin was at the Sheldonian Theatre in conversation with Bodley’s Librarian Richard Ovenden.

The biographer last year published her own memoirs, in which she recalled her wartime childhood, the death of her journalist husband Nicholas Tomalin on assignment, bringing up four children on her own, success as a literary editor and discovering her true vocation.

Previous recipients of the Bodley Medal include Peter Carey, Alan Bennett, Oliver Sacks, Hilary Mantel, Nicholas Hytner, Ian McEwan, Prof Mary Beard and William Boyd.

Fantasy author Philip Pullman praised the Oxford Mail’s photographer KT Bruce for her efforts.

He said: “Being photographed by KT is a pleasure.

“Unlike most photographers she treats the activity like a form of communication between two people, rather than a technical exercise.”

People visited the festival from around the world, giving hotels and restaurants a boost.