This year’s Garden Party is again a little different – we’re taking up residence at the Dickens Festival from 3-5 June, with activities ongoing throughout the three days to celebrate our most famous writer.

During each afternoon between 1-4pm, we have slots available for 2 featured writers, poets, singers or musicians – or anyone else with a creative idea – to perform for between 15-30 minutes. However, the work must be inspired by Dickens in some way, to tie in with the weekend’s theme.

We don’t have a great budget for it I’m afraid – up to £10 each to cover expenses – but if you’ll be coming along to the festival at some point across the weekend anyway, and would like to take part, then drop us a line at rochesterlitfest@gmail.com with details of what you’d like to do and on which day, with a link to a sample of your work. 

If you’re visiting the festival just for the fun of it, we’ll be on hand with our Dickens Name Game too – come along and find out your name, then write a biography or short story based on who your character might be. There will be time during the afternoon for you to read your work aloud, or, if you’re too shy, we can do it for you.

And our Poetrees will also be dotted around, which are always popular with younger visitors, so do drop in with the whole family.

It’s going to be a long weekend for us, so anyone who’d like to come along as a volunteer – even if just for an hour or two – would be wonderful. Email us at the above address and we’ll keep in touch to let you know exactly where we’ll be.