Express & Star comment: Wolverhampton Literature Festival showcases all that's best about our city

After a fantastic first year in 2017, there were those who asked the question: "How can it get any better?"

Anyone who attended any of the dozens of events over the weekend will know the answer.

The festival has managed to grow, while at the same time it has maintained the intimate charm that makes it such a great representation of the region's talents.

The old cliché 'there's something for everyone' really does ring true.

Only Fools and Horses star John Challis was a major hit, having his audience in fits of giggles with tales of his time in show business.

Self-confessed 'slacker and a procrastinator' Jonn Penney also went down a storm, interspersing acoustic versions of Ned's Atomic Dustbin songs with stories from the band's past.

Unsurprisingly, the city's Art Gallery was packed to the rafters for Don Powell's memories of Slade, while Peter Rhodes' reflections of a career in journalism also went down a storm.

Elsewhere the Slade Rooms saw 22 poets deliver their work back-to-back in a rapid-fire 90 minutes, and there were sessions on creative writing, comic book illustration and hypnotherapy among other things.

The debate on the legacy of Enoch Powell's Rivers of Blood speech was also a major triumph.

Powell's speech is still the subject of much discussion some 50 years after he delivered it.

Those in attendance deserve great credit for their involvement in what was a fascinating discussion.

In particular, the excellent panel should be praised for their handling of such a controversial issue.

Wolverhampton – and indeed the wider region – should be proud that it now has a festival that can rival any similar event in the country.

Of course, it would be nothing without the performers, many of whom gave up their time free of charge.

The organisers successfully managed to put on a series of events that cater for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Their challenge now is to make next year's festival even better.

We hope the Literature Festival continues to pack them in venues across the city for many years to come.

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