WATCHET is gearing up for a ‘creative explosion’ when the third Words in Watchet festival of books and the spoken word comes to town from Friday, February 20, until Sunday, February 22.

Attractions include crime fiction, fantasy writing, poetry, history. and local nature, plus writing workshops for all abilities, while aspiring writers can learn about DIY publishing.

The Friday will be all about family fun as Watchet Boat Museum hosts a series of activities.

Visitors can write a message in a bottle, help create a sea monster, learn how to write a zine, or spot the mud monster.

On the Saturday, Helen Riebold and Anna Buttimore will encourage would-be writers.

On Sunday morning, there will be two workshops concentrating on writing poetry, with Hamish MacNeil, of The Jawbone Collective, and Watchet’s Jill Newton talking about illustrating children’s books in Gallery 13, in Anchor Street.

In other highlights, Dr Lucy Pollock will introduce her book ‘The Golden Rule’, a guide to aging well, caring for loved ones, and living later life with confidence.

East Quay will host talks about fantasy, games books, and video games with Josh Ogilvie and Jonathan Green, and local journalist Martin Hesp speaks at a lunch at The Spice Merchant restaurant.

Award-winning thriller writer Chris Ewan discusses his books and on Saturday evening Fiona Benson reads her poetry in the Methodist Church.

Winners of the Words in Watchet 2026 competition will also be there as well as Hazel Prior with her popular Penguin stories and harp music.

On Sunday, BBC World Service broadcaster Nick Nugent talks about his book ‘The Spice Ports: Mapping the Origins of Global Sea Trade’, and Nigel Phillips will talk about the nature of the Quantock Hills.

Words in Watchet closes with a talk by Terrence Sackett about the birth of photography.