Cheltenham literary director says the word literature 'frightens people' and appeals to book festivals to 'stop knocking each other'The cross-border debate over whether celebrities should appear at book festivals continues this week. Nick Barley, director of the Edinburgh international book festival, recently singled out Cheltenham and Hay festivals for being too concerned with famous names. He prides himself on refusing to pay large sums for stars without books. The majority of people who commented on our blogpost last week said they supported his stance. He pointed out that last summer Cheltenham Literary Festival put on headliners who didn't have new books. It also has a food day and comedy arena featuring the likes of Johnny Vegas, Dave Gorman and Frank ...