CELEBRITY names should draw people to more alternative events at this year’s Swindon Festival of Literature.

Dozens gathered at the Central Library to mark the launch of the festival yesterday and organiser Matt Holland was thrilled to announce a bumper line-up.

Now in its 20th year, the festival will run from Monday, May 6, to Sunday, May 18.

The growing reputation of the festival has attracted some big names including award-winning broadcaster and writer Clare Balding, as well as founder of ChildLine Esther Rantzen and former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone.

Matt, who is even more enthusiastic about the festival than he was 20 years ago, said: “What is great about this year is the range of events we have going on, running right from Clare Balding, a TV personality, to the scientist who discovered the black hole and everything you can imagine in between.

“At the heart of the festival is still ideas and people talking and learning, because if a person learns something then that makes them happy.

“The thing with celebrities is they get people talking about the festival, they are like my marketing team.

“I am thrilled to have some of these names come to Swindon. Clare Balding isn’t performing anywhere else this year. It means the festival has a good reputation, which has only taken 20 years to build up.

“All I can say is that I hope people get tickets before they sell out, and I want Swindon people to get the tickets, not people from Reading and Bristol and London, not that I don’t like those places, but I want Swindonians at the events.”

Council leader Rod Bluh spoke at the launch and said: “There are some interesting names this year. It is going to be difficult which ones not to go to.

“This is a fantastic event and Matt Holland deserves a lot of credit for this event.

“If I have one sadness, it is it is not well enough known about, not only by people outside of Swindon but also by people in Swindon.”

The festival is not only about books and celebrity speakers but also celebrates the creative minds of people in Swindon.

One event that brings this to the forefront is the Think Slam, to be held at the Arts Centre, on Friday, May 17.

Guests were treated to a mini Think Slam yesterday from Matt and compere Sara-Jane Arbury.

She said: “The festival is really good for Swindon. It has a great mix of events from the celebrity speakers to the ones where the public can get involved, like The Think Slam.

“There is a real buzz at the events and the people who come along don’t just stay for the event but hang around afterwards because they are interested in speaking to people and finding out more.”