However, May's planned visit of biographer Andrew Lownie will be going ahead.
‘This has been a difficult decision to make, said Isabel Picornell, founder of the festival which has been running annually since 2014 – with the exception of 2021 during the Covid lockdowns.
‘The problem is we have reached the stage where it is not possible to get the guest authors and professional support staff, as well as our regular festival-goers with 80% coming from off-island, here on schedule.’
She added that many world-renowned authors wanted to visit the island, as well as regulars from overseas and the other Channel Islands, and she knew that many would be disappointed.
There is a chance that next year’s festival might suffer the same fate, too, since the future of Alderney airport’s runway is uncertain and if – and when – work takes place, the airport would need to close for periods.
The festival has traditionally taken place in the shoulder months of the summer season when there are fewer tourists, but there are fewer flights in these months.
By way of an alternative, Alderney’s Literary Trust is hoping to arrange more single author visits, with the next one scheduled to be Mr Lownie, who will be visiting on 30 May to launch the updated version of his biography of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
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