Former Prime Minister, The Rt Hon Sir John Major KG CH, will join supporters and friends of the Wells Festival of Literature at a special evening on Monday, July 4 to mark 30 years since the very first Festival of Literature took place in Wells.

1992 was also a momentous and memorable year for the then Prime Minister who held his first general election in the role. Despite polls which put Neil Kinnock and Labour consistently in the lead, Sir John confounded the pollsters with an election win that was one of the most dramatic and memorable UK election results ever. The Conservatives received the highest number of popular votes in history, a record that has yet to be beaten.

Sir John has continued to sweep away all the preconceptions, becoming instead someone who surprises, defies and impresses. As Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997, he oversaw Britain's longest period of continuous economic growth, and the beginning of the Northern Ireland Peace Process.

At an exclusive event for Festival Friends and sponsors. Sir John will discuss the history of Music Hall, and the many characters who made it famous, referring to his book My Old Man. This will be followed by an audience Q&A.

The event takes place in July, three months before the Anniversary itself begins, and will serve as a thank you to all the many friends and sponsors who continue to support the Festival, allowing it to thrive and grow over the years, providing nine days of challenging and entertaining events whilst at the same time offering financial support to a huge range of educational projects in the local area.

The Festival this year will run fromOctober 14-22 during which the anniversary celebration theme will continue: Michael Morpurgo, marking 40 years since the wonderful War Horse was published, will be talking about that best-seller and his latest work; Max Hastings, with Abyss, looks back 60 years to the Cuban missile crisis; in the centenary of the death of the great Sir Ernest Shackleton, one of today's best-known explorers, Benedict Allen, explains his own Quest for Adventure and the Great Unknown; and Royal insider Robert Lacey celebrates Her Majesty's Jubilee.

There is still time to become a Friend and/ or a Sponsor – and receive an invitation to this very special pre-Festival event. To find out more, please go to the 'Support Us' page on the website, send an email to [email protected] or ring 0300 201 0211 and leave a message.

www.wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk