STUDENTS of all ages from Monmouth Comprehensive School, Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls and Monmouth School had the opportunity to meet or listen to a variety of authors, poets and actors as part of Monmouth Literary Festival. 

Performers and writers including The Goethe Institute, The 2 Steves, Creative Writing Workshops, the Usk Astronomical Society, Slambassador Joelle Taylor, author Sam Hay, columnist/travel journalist Dave Smith, author Cathy Farr with Mojo the wolfhound (pictured), author Gemma Malley, GB Theatre Company, author Daniel Morden and poet/musician Rhian Edwards visited the schools to speak to pupils.

In local venues The 2 Steves, Eddie Butler, Owen Sheers, Chris Wakling, Julia Gregson, Abbie Ross and Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy with John Sampson gave talks, performances or read their works. 

Students also "popped up" in various locations during the week, offering a selection of poems as part of the festival.

The whole event was sponsored by the Monmouthshire Beacon, the Rotary Society, Monmouth's Shire Hall, the NUT, the Goethe Institute, the Savoy Theatre, Monmouth Town Council, Rossiter Books, The Nimbus Foundation, Monmouth Comprehensive Friends Association, The Book Trust, The Punch House, Border Marches and The Blake Theatre. 

Now in its second year, the Literary Festival has provoked discussion on the BBC website, asking the question – Is Monmouth the new mini-Hay? 

Pupils from the organising committee certainly hope so.