Tickets are selling well for the first weekend of the Beverley Literature Festival 1-10 October. And no wonder! Louis de Bernières kicks off the festival at 7pm on Friday night, followed by an astounding performance of Mary Shelley’s classic horror story Frankenstein.
On Saturday, there is a chance to rethink all our assumptions about the Battle of the Somme with William Philpott, the supremely skilful author of a new book about this most emotive of battles. This fresh look at historic conflict is a theme that runs throughout this year’s festival. So if you are interested in the history of warfare and its aftermath, take a closer look at the programme.
The festival has always attracted top names in fiction and this year is no exception. Jim Crace, winner of the Whitbread (now Costa) first novel award, makes his first appearance at the festival on Saturday night, talking about his latest novel ‘All that Follows.’
Sunday will be an elegant and charming day at the festival. It starts midday with Don Paterson talking about Shakespeare’s Sonnets as well as reading from his own work. Then after lunch (and it could be tasty lunch as the Beverley Food Festival is in Beverley on 3rd October), there a performance of readings from Tristram Shandy set to live music by Stern’s contemporary Heinrich Abel. Then, to finish the day with a laugh, we have the brilliant comedy writer David Nobbs, who created the character Reginald Perrin, talking about his latest novel. You can catch his new sitcom for Radio 4, The Maltby Collection, on Wednesdays, 6.30pm.
After a weekend like that can there be more? Of course! We have Roy Hattersley on Lloyd George, Michèle Roberts and Jackie Kay, Polly Toynbee, BBC reporter Jill McGivering, and a superb final Sunday including the geologist Richard Fortey and other authors fascinated by the way we read the landscape.
And while you’re attending these events, you can send you children off to be entertained by some of the best authors and performers for children at our Children’s Literature Festival, which runs over the weekend of 9-10 October.
John Clarke, Festival director, said: “In the East Riding we are passionate about showing that our libraries are not only places to find brilliant books and get trustworthy information, but literary powerhouses dedicated to encouraging reading and writing for people of all ages. We’ve tried to put a programme together that celebrates all kinds of writing – drama, poetry, novels, autobiography, biography etc – and about subjects that will appeals to wide range of readers. We hope you enjoy it, and we hope that we do it in the spirit of our great British tradition of free lending libraries and self-education.
Booking line: 01482 392699
Tickets online at: www.bevlit.org
For all press enquiries: john.clarke@eastriding.gov.uk or mobile 07920 451010
Venues for the Beverley Literature Festival – The Treasure House
Toll Gavel Methodist Church – Toll Gavel, Beverley, East Yorkshire, HU17 9AA – 01482 865459
