The historic seat of the Earl of St Germans gets all creative for the weekend as Cornwall’s annual literary fest returns. Now in its ninth year, the Port Elliot Festival has continued to grow in stature, not least due to its idyllic location in the grounds of the Grade One listed stately home, and now threatens the more sedate Hay for the crown of being the UK preeminent learned love-in.

Highlights for 2011 include James Flint’s current novel-in-progress, a chapter from which he reads every year, in what is claimed to be the slowest serialisation ever. Erudite heavy weights such as Hanif Kureishi, A.C.Grayling and author of ‘The Men Who Stare at Goats’, Jon Ronson, are included in the line-up, although whether Ronson will be reading from his latest work or just checking out the domestic livestock has yet to be confirmed.

What sets Port Eliot apart from the Hay is the fact that the organisers know that all work and no play makes Johnny a bad boy, and the weekend’s itinerary includes such alternative entertainment as the One Minute Disco, which, depending on your slick moves, may be too long or too short. British Sea Power will be selling their unique brand of rock’n’roll in the Caught By The River Tent along with a whole host of other artistic
nearly-knowns.

Port Eliot Festival 21-24th July 2011, porteliotfestival.com.