Wells festival adds Coast star Nicholas Crane
By Laura Linham 2nd Jun 2026
Wells Festival of Literature has announced another trio of names, with Nicholas Crane, Daisy Fancourt and Rachel Seiffert joining the latest line-up.
Crane, star of the BAFTA-winning television series Coast, will appear with his latest book, The Path More Travelled.
The book explores the coast-to-coast history of footpaths, from stone age routes walked by European migrants 12,000 years ago to the industrial revolution and the rise of maps and walking apps.
Along the way, Crane takes readers through some of his most memorable walks, including Hadrian's Wall Path, the outer reaches of the Cairngorms, and the banks of the Severn.
Scientist Daisy Fancourt will bring a different kind of journey to Wells Festival of Literature, with her work on how art affects the brain.
Her best-selling book Art Cure looks at how taking part in the arts — from classical music to salsa, poetry to pop, and galleries to graffiti — can support health and happiness.
Fancourt explores how songs support the development of children's brains, dance builds new neural pathways for people with brain injuries, and creative hobbies help brains stay resilient against dementia.
This year's festival Book Group choice is Rachel Seiffert, whose Once the Deed is Done looks back to 1945 with a German wartime story of compassion and danger.
The novel is described as a tale of the effects of war on children.
There is also still time to become a Friend of the festival and receive an invitation to a special Friends event on 9 July.
The event will feature cosy crime author Jayne Chard, who will talk about her move from theatre and TV producer to novelist.
Invitations are only available to those who sign up as a Friend by 30 June.
People can still become Friends after that date, with benefits including priority booking and discounted ticket prices.
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