Devon's biggest literary festival's future 'remains precarious'

Ways With Words is set to return for its 30th year in July

Devon's biggest literary festival's future "remains precarious" due to low ticket sales.

It comes as the cost of living casts uncertainty over a range of summer events across the region.

The director of event management company Miss Ivy Events said a lot of traders are pulling out this year.

Leah Varnell, managing director of Ways with Words, said the festival - set to return for its 30th year in July - was "not out of the woods yet".

She said: "The future remains precarious, but we will do we all we can to ensure Ways With Words is here for another 30 years."

Leah Varnell said she would do all she can to make sure the festival keeps going

The festival's founders, Kay Dunbar and Stephen Bristow, said Ms Varnell had gone to "superhuman efforts" to make it possible for Ways With Words to emerge post-pandemic in 2021.

They said it was "vital" people continued to support the festival and secure its future.

Jo Macaskie, director of Miss Ivy Events, said she hoped the businesses "pausing" would come back "when it was more profitable" for them.

Miss Ivy Events, based in Mary Tavy, is one of the South West's biggest event management companies and works with about 500 traders annually.

Ms Macaskie said: "Quite a lot of traders just had to give up and go back to work.

"They're pausing their businesses, hopefully to come back to it when it's more profitable.

"The general feel is they're 30 to 50% down on their takings from last year."