Penzance Litfest 2026

WORD PLAY, WITH JAMES GEARY AND WILL JELBERT

James Geary, author of The World in A Phrase: A Brief History of the Aphorism, joins forces with Will Jelbert, writer of Word Wise: Say What you Mean, Deepen Your Connections, and Get to the Point. James’ book will take you on an entertaining tour through the wisest and wittiest sayings in the world, starting in ancient China and ending with contemporary meme-makers. Be prepared to juggle words, ideas – and juggling balls! Will Jelbert has been called the ‘Marie Kondo for language’ and offers humourous and concrete recommendations for improving our vernacular. The English language contains more than half a million words, yet we often struggle to find the right ones. Instead we use ‘word trash’ – filler words, unnecessary adverbs and adjectives – words that mask our meaning and disconnect us from each other. If you love words, you are in…