Beverley Literature Festival begins in just over two weeks and this year the festival showcases literary delicacies to suit every possible taste – from fiction, politics, biography, theatre and history to comedy, storytelling, writing workshops, ukuleles, illustration and food.
Councillor Richard Burton, portfolio holder for civic wellbeing and culture, said:
“This year’s Festival has a superb programme which should suit all tastes. Tickets are going very quickly for many of these great events, so don’t miss out! I urge people to come along to see this truly unmissable line-up.”
This year’s festival has been part funded by Arts Council England along with East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and the children’s programme is supported by the Beverley Building Society.
The festival begins on 1 October with the East Riding premiere of John Godber’s new play, Who Cares. A collaboration between Wordquake, Hull University and the multi-award-winning playwright, the performance will tour libraries and venues across Hull and East Yorkshire throughout October.
Feisty, outspoken and irrepressible, Kathy Lette appears on October 3, bringing her own inimitable brand of humour to Beverley for one night only to talk about her new novel Courting Trouble.
Author’s of bestsellers such as Foetal Attraction and Puberty Blues will guarantee you an evening of outrageous humour and entertainment (men in touch with their feminine side are also more than welcome!).
Crime – the reality versus fiction – gets interrogated by our crime panel on Saturday 4 October. Local crime writer and former crime reporter with the Yorkshire Post, David Mark, hosts a fascinating discussion with crime writers Mari Hannah and Anya Lipska, under the unwavering eye of former DI Mo Dowdy from the Northumbria Serious Incident squad.
Man Booker and Orange Prize shortlisted author; Sarah Waters also joins the festival on October 4 to talk about her much-anticipated new novel The Paying Guest – one of only a handful of appearances this year by the bestselling author.
Sharp-tongued food critic and columnist Jay Rayner appears on October 5 as part of Beverley Food Festival. Combining hardnosed journalism with his unique brand of witty memoir, Jay will be taking the audience on a journey through the world’s edible landscapes….with a few surprises along the way.
Tuesday 7 October brings an exclusive treat for lovers of Scandi fiction – Tore Renberg, author of See You Tomorrow joins the UK and Beverley for one night only to talk about the runaway success of his latest novel (and the first to be translated in to English). Considered by many to be a literary sensation, Tore has a cult following in his home country of Norway as a writer, broadcaster and musician. He is also one of top Scandi novelists, Jo Nesbo’s favourite authors.
Journalist, broadcaster and writer Penny Junor appears on October 10 to discuss her new biography on Prince Harry. Her rigorous research, sharp observations and robust opinions make this a formidable event for lovers of current affairs, Royalty and the political landscape.
Shirley Williams, one of UK’s most loved and respected political figures, closes the festival on October 11 with a moving talk about her mother, Vera Brittain. Vera’s actions and poignant memoir helped shaped the political landscape in the early years of the 20th century and still resonates today.
But it’s not all just about the adults; children are well catered for at this year’s festival with their very own packed programme of events over October 4 and 5.
Alongside performances from the renowned Stephen Joseph Theatre Outreach department, illustration workshops from The House of Deadleg, writing for the web workshops and drop-in art sessions, big and little kids will be delighted to her former Hull sensation and ex-Housemartin Stan Cullimore, who joins the festival to answer the universal question – what happens to ex-popstars who fail to grow up?
In this case they embark on a mission to bring sing-a-long silliness to the nation with a ukulele.
An author with strong local links, Stan studied maths at the University of Hull before answering a local newspaper advert placed by Paul Heaton that asked for street musicians from the city. Paul and Stan – along with others – then went on to form one of Hull’s greatest exports – 80’s band, The Housemartins.
He has since gone on to become an author of over 120 children’s books as well as composing music and songs for children’s television, including Nickelodeon.
So if you’ve ever fancied writing a catchy pop song, like singing or playing the uke…. or even listening to OTHER people singing and playing the uke… then this is the show for you (and your mum and dad!).
The Beverley Literature Festival Children’s Programme also welcomes Nick Toczek on October 4, a breakneck one-man show featuring jokes, poems, magic, acting and puppets.
Not only has Nick made over 40,000 public appearances and sold over half a million books, he’s also a professional magician, storyteller, novelist, puppeteer and stand-up comic who’ll have you laughing and holding your breath at the same time.