Events & Entertainment | Posted on June 14th, 2024 | return to news
Whodunnit at Sturminster Newton?
The organisers of Sturminster Newton Literary Festival are asking visitors to solve a fictional murder using clues placed within shops in the town.
The organisers of the festival, which runs until Sunday 16 June, say the Cluedo-style ‘whodunnit’ murder mystery competition can be solved by searching for clues placed within six shops in the town.
The competition – devised by Rachael Rowe who is programme manager for the festival – challenges participants to identify the killer of an elderly man in Sturminster Newton.
The clues feature a bizarre selection of murder weapons, including a sack of Thomas Hardy novels, a flagon of cider and a butter knife. The murder suspects include Dr Lime, Miss Scarlett and Farmer Grey.
The first four winners pulled out of a hat – who have successfully identified who did it, which weapon was used, where the crime took place and what the motive was – will receive book tokens.
Bellway Wessex, which is building new homes at Corallian Heights in the town, has donated £150 to help fund prizes in the free crime mystery challenge.
Sturminster Newton Literary Festival celebrates three famous writers associated with the town – Thomas Hardy, William Barnes and Robert Young – as well as current Dorset and Wessex writers and aspiring writers of the future. The nine-day celebration, which ends this weekend, has a range of talks, workshops, guided walks and collaborative events with local businesses to promote writing from the region.
Rachael said: “When Bellway agreed to sponsor part of the festival, we were absolutely delighted that such a prestigious company would get involved. This is our fifth year, and we can only carry on putting on a good festival attracting lots of visitors if we are sponsored by local businesses.
“Bellway has sponsored the murder mystery competition which I created as a way of engaging visitors and getting them to pop into six shops in the town. It is based on the board game Cluedo and asks people to turn detective to solve this heinous crime. It’s just a bit of fun.”
Rachael Rowe and festival chairman Pauline Batstone visited Corallian Heights, off North Fields, to receive the cheque from Bellway.
For more information about the festival visit https://sturlitfest.com.
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