Despite the island having most of the social restrictions lifted and life seemingly turning to normal, a popular annual literary event has had to cancel its forthcoming event.

The organisers of the Manx Litfest, a week-long festival dedicated to the written word which regularly attracts a wide range of famous and respected authors, performance story-tellers and illustrators to the island, has been forced to cancel the event for this year.

Despite the lifting of restrictions on social distancing, the fact that the borders are remaining closed for the foreseeable future means it is impossible to predict if the featured guests for this year’s festival will be allowed to travel to the island.

Although the festival had only announced two of this year’s guest authors, Sophie Hannah and Dame Sue Black, festival organiser John Quirk said that many of them had agreed to come over to the island for Litfest 2021.

’When the island went into lockdown in March, we wanted to wait and see how things developed and review the situation in June,’ said John.

’While at present the situation in the island is fairly positive, there is still too much uncertainty for the months ahead, which makes planning the festival an impossible task.

’For that reason, we have decided to cancel this year’s event and focus all our efforts on organising next year’s festival.

’On a positive note, the majority of the authors, illustrators and poets who were to visit us this year, are happy to come across for Manx Litfest 2021, while the others are interested, but can’t commit to it at the moment.

’We have also spoken to island-based writers who were to be involved this year, and invited them to take part next year.

’We are keen to support Isle of Man writers during the months ahead, as it has been a difficult time for book publishers and bookshops. We would like to hear from any writer who has a book being published and we will do what we can to help support and promote it for them.’

Members of the Manx Litfest team have been busy during the lockdown period, with a regular online Facebook group, the ’Book Lovers’ Isolation Support Society’.

Also, they have been running the Manx Lockdown Fiction competition, which encourages people to send in stories written during the current period of restrictions.

’Having seen the festival become a popular regular feature in the Isle of Man’s cultural calendar, we are sad to have to miss this year, but the team is already eagerly looking ahead to next year,’ said John.

Manx Litfest is supported by the Isle of Man Arts Council and Culture Vannin.