'' ▁from ▁its ▁design ation . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁vis its ▁increased ▁to ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁Bern hard ▁Sch link ▁was ▁the ▁ke yn ote ▁speaker , ▁and ▁the ▁Big ▁Ide as ▁at ▁the ▁R MIT ▁Capit ol ▁Theatre ▁hosted ▁such ▁guests ▁as ▁Christ ine ▁N ixon , ▁Tony ▁Abb ott , ▁Paul ▁Kelly , ▁Bob ▁Stein , ▁Bill ▁Kel ty ▁and ▁Anton y ▁Be e vor . ▁The ▁schools ▁program ▁grew ▁from ▁ 1 0 , 7 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 2 , 0 0 0 ▁students , ▁and ▁a ▁song writ ers ▁stream ▁took ▁place ▁at ▁To ff ▁in ▁Town . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁Steve ▁Gr im w ade ▁became ▁the ▁Festival ' s ▁Director ▁through ▁until ▁his ▁last ▁M WF ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁saw ▁M WF ▁host ▁about ▁ 4 0 0 ▁writers ▁and ▁count ▁over ▁ 5 4 , 0 0 0 ▁attend ances . ▁Festival ▁Director , ▁Lisa ▁D emp ster ▁shift ed ▁the ▁Festival ' s ▁focus ▁to ▁' dem ocrat ising ▁literature '. ▁ ▁‘ ‘ I ▁am ▁all ▁about ▁– ▁hopefully ▁not ▁sound ing ▁too ▁grand io se ▁– ▁the ▁dem ocrat isation ▁of ▁literature . ▁Capital ▁' L ' ▁literature ▁is ▁very ▁important ▁and ▁it ’ s ▁long ▁been ▁fost ered ▁by ▁M WF ▁but ▁people ▁read ▁in ▁all ▁different ▁kinds ▁of ▁ways ▁in ▁this ▁day ▁and ▁age , ▁so ▁I ▁really