G

oing to a festival doesn’t necessarily mean ear-bleedingly noisy rock music you know. Especially if you head to Latitude in Suffolk. As the name suggests, this rather civilised gathering offers a wide range of alternative stimulants – in the form of literature, debate and live poetry readings.

It harks back to a time before Glastonbury sold out (on all counts), combining hippie vibes with super hot bands and discussions from the likes of Richard Curtis or Louis de Bernieres.

Make no mistake, though: there’s plenty to rock out to here. In 2010, New York Afrobeat hipsters Vampire Weekend were headlining, along with Florence And The Machine and high energy Latin guitarists Rodrigo y Gabriela. Even Tom Jones dropped by for a midnight performance in the woods.

But it’s the other stuff that we love. Like Sebastian Faulks and New York bad boy author Brett Easton Ellis giving everyone their two pennies’ worth in the literary arena. Your typical summer festival this is not…