Octopus Publishing Group to become key sponsor of Abergavenny Food Festival

Octopus Publishing Group has announced that it will be a “prominent” sponsor of the Abergavenny Food Festival, which celebrates the food culture of Wales and beyond. Tom Parker Bowles will be among the authors appearing at the Festival in 2024, discussing his book Cooking and the Crown, which will be published by Aster on 26th September.

Charlie Bigham and Amelia Christie-Miller will also be at the festival, with further names to be announced. Book-ish, currently shortlisted for Independent Bookshop of the Year at the British Book Awards, will be returning as the festival’s official bookseller.

The event is due to take place in the Welsh Border town of Abergavenny over the weekend of 21st and 22nd September. The Dome at Abergavenny Castle will be transformed into the Octopus Books Dome for the weekend. Meanwhile, Radio 4’s “The Food Programme” and “This Natural Life” will be recorded in the Octopus Books Dome live on Saturday 21st September.

The festival brings together growers, producers, chefs, educators, writers and campaigners, attracting an average attendance of 28,000 visitors. The full guest line-up will be announced in early July.

“Octopus Publishing Group is very proud to be sponsoring The Octopus Books Dome at the peerless Abergavenny Food Festival, bringing an array of engaging events to the crowds that flock there from near and far,” said Anna Bond, managing director at Octopus Publishing Group. “Octopus aims to publish books that nourish and inspire, and having been lucky enough to attend the festival myself last year I can confirm that everything about it is both nourishing and inspiring, so I’m especially thrilled that we shall be partnering with the festival in this official capacity.”

Festival director Lucie Parkin added: “We have worked with Octopus Publishing Group for many years and are delighted to welcome them on board as official sponsor for this very special venue. The Octopus Books Dome is an arena for guest speakers to share their expertise and passion around food-related topical issues with an enthusiastic audience keen to engage. With Octopus Publishing Group as a key partner, we can continue to develop this important aspect of the Festival’s core programme.”