One of the many highlights of the 2024 Farnham Literary Festival was a sell-out talk by actor and author Hugh Bonneville.

In an amusing and fascinating interview conducted by the filmmaker Jack Jewers, Hugh Bonneville shared anecdotes from his career and clips from films in which he has starred.

The only disappointment of the evening was when the star quashed rumours by confirming there will be no new series of Downton Abbey!

Speaking after his talk, Hugh Bonneville said: “I’ve just had a splendid evening here at St Andrew’s Church as part of the Literary Festival. This is the third iteration of the festival and it’s going from strength to strength, and I wish it every success for the future.”

As well as events which were for pure entertainment, the festival included many moments of enlightenment. At History Day at Farnham Castle, best-selling author Alison Weir talked about the wives of Henry VIII and shared the surprise fact that the former King of England kept his mistresses at Farnham Castle.

Commenting on modern-day matters, Instagram sensation and local ‘mumfluencer’ Louise Boyce regaled a sell-out audience with her humorous account of raising children through the school years. 

Councillor Kika Mirylees, Farnham Town Councinl’s lead member for community, said: “Farnham Literary Festival prides itself on offering something for everyone and this year was no exception.

“Over ten days, we arranged 40 separate events. The festival was a fantastic success and we’ve received excellent feedback from both authors and people who attended.”