Literature lovers across Yorkshire have just two weeks to wait until the tenth Beverley Literature Festival gets under-way.
Organised by the East Riding Library Service, this year’s programme is packed full of events to suit all tastes and ages, ranging from readings and performances to workshops and activities for children.
Festival directors Lara Goodband and Rebecca Jenkins are really looking forward to this year’s event, saying: “We’re delighted that so many fine authors are making the trip to Beverley this year. We’ve great fiction from Michele Roberts and Peter Hobbs, a fantastic crime night with David Hewson and Mari Hannah and a whole host of children’s events.
“We’re lucky too that the award-winning biographer and celebrated novelist A.N Wilson will be talking about his new book on the Wedgwoods which has had rave reviews. You’ll want to stay the whole weekend.”
The festival will take place over a long weekend, from Thursday, 11 October until Sunday, 14 October, with the first reading in Beverley Art Gallery on Thursday at 7pm, with authors Stephen May and Monique Roffey.
Stephen, who is based in West Yorkshire, will be talking about his book Life! Death! Prizes!, a novel about 19-year-old Billy and his little brother, Oscar, who are coming to terms with their mother’s death in a bungled street robbery. Lara’s read the book and can vouch for its immediacy, hilarity and emotional intensity, saying: “Stephen’s an author to look out for.”
The Orange Prized-shortlisted author of the White Woman on the Green Bicycle, Monique Roffey, will also be discussing her third novel, Archipelago, a story about man, a little girl and their dog who sail away from one archipelago to another, finding new perspective on the way.
Lara said: “This book is a moving account of a man finding himself through a long sailing trip, the atmosphere Monique creates is overwhelming and you come away haunted by a vision of the ocean. I can’t wait to hear what she says about her influences.”
Tickets are priced at £5 but can also be bought as a combined evening ticket for just £8 for those who also want to attend the 8.30pm reading and performance by Kirsty Gunn and Tim Sutton.
This event will be completely unique to Beverley as Tim is composing music to sit alongside the reading of Kirsty’s novel, The Big Music. Rebecca has curated this event. She said: “Kirsty’s book has been described as “A masterpiece”, by The Independent, and “Remarkable” by The Financial Times and at Beverley we will get to hear it alongside the musical “Lament” which inspired it.”
For further information or to book tickets, visit www.bevlit.org or call (01482) 392699.
