Ruth Jones, Pam Ayres and Ian McEwan helped turn Lavenham Literary Festival into a best-seller.

East Anglian Daily Times: Neil Clayton, left, with Ian McEwan and Susan Burton, director of Lavenham Literary Festival Picture: HEATHER CRAIKNeil Clayton, left, with Ian McEwan and Susan Burton, director of Lavenham Literary Festival Picture: HEATHER CRAIK (Image: Heather Craik)

Delighted organisers said the three-day weekend festival had been a huge success with many of the events completely sold out.

It started on Friday with Ruth Jones, creator and star of Gavin and Stacey, in conversation with fellow author Hannah Beckerman in a literary dinner at The Swan Hotel.

She spoke about her debut novel Never Greener and also about the forthcoming Gavin and Stacey TV Christmas special.

Another highlight of the weekend was a conversation between author Ian McEwan and his former English teacher Neil Clayton.

East Anglian Daily Times: Widget Finn of Lavenham Literary Festival Picture: HEATHER CRAIKWidget Finn of Lavenham Literary Festival Picture: HEATHER CRAIK (Image: Heather Craik)

Ian was a pupil at Woolverston School in Ipswich where Neil inspired him with a love of English and encouraged his career as one of the country's leading authors.

Other familiar names at the Festival included the country's favourite poet Pam Ayres, who entertained an audience at the village hall with her poems ranging from the current gastro fashion of serving food on slates to looking after one's teeth.

Festival spokesman Widget Finn said: "We're delighted, the festival has been a huge success this year.

"The whole aim is to make Lavenham a centre for literary festivals, we want to get people reading and you do that by getting the best writers to come and talk about their work."