The Essar Chester Literature Festival opened to a sell out audience with punk legend John Lydon.

Greeting fans at Chester Town Hall, the Sex Pistols frontman kick-started two weeks of famous faces, big names, TV stars, comedians, poets, politicians, historians, and internationally renowned writers and thinkers at the 2014 Essar Chester Literature Festival.

The opening weekend also saw a full size replica of Dylan Thomas’ writing shed pitch up in Town Hall Square. Visitors to the city were invited in to take a look around and make up their own new word for The Dictionary for Dylan.

Meanwhile, BBC’s Football Focus presenter Dan Walker presented his new book Thronkersaurus, Charles Spencer talked about his new work Killers of the King and June Mottershead discussed her memoir Our Zoo with broom-cupboard favourite Andy Crane.

The festival continues until Sunday, October 26 with more than 40 events, workshops, book signings, gigs, comedy, talk, lectures and even a poetry pub crawl!

Full listings online at www.chesterliteraturefestival.co.uk and on pages 46-47 of today’s Chronicle.