THE final chapter of this year's Swindon Festival of Literature has come to an end.

After 13 days and 60 events, festival organiser Matt Holland said this year's event had exceeded all his expectations.

"After the success of last year's festival, I didn't think we could top that, but this year we have done just that. Today the festival is about more than just literature,'' he said.

"It has become a festival of ideas ideas which people will take away with them and return next year."

This year was not just about big names. Local performers, international experts, and writers on obscure subjects really caught the imagination of the audiences, and many shows were packed out.

"It is difficult to make a choice of the highlights, in my notes about 18 or 20 of the events I rated highly," said Mr Holland.

"For me the most enjoyable event was Ride On which was a poem, film and musical experience which was absolutely extraordinary and the Arts Centre was absolutely full.

"Marina Lewycka with her book A Short History Of Tractors In Ukrainian was also fantastic.

"People like Kate Adie and Ann Widdecombe, do exactly as they say on the tin and, having spent five years trying to get him to come to Swindon, Nick Hornby was just delightful.

"It had taken a lot for him to come to Swindon, because he had been in tears when Town beat his team Arsenal in 1969, but now he has forgiven Swindon for that."

Mr Holland said he had been amazed by the turnout to the Dawn Chorus on the first morning of the festival when more than 300 people turned up on the Old Town Lawn in the pouring rain to watch the sun or rather lack of it, because it was behind overcast cloud.

"One of the nicest comments made was from a woman from I believe America who told me that she almost no longer needs to go to the Hay-on-Wye festival because of what she had seen in Swindon. That's a big confidence booster and now all I need to do is get rid of that almost' and we will be competing with some of the best known festivals in the country."

Mr Holland has already started to plan next year's festival and has authors in the pipeline.