Guildford Book Festival announces 2012 programme
Wednesday 12 September 2012
Organisers of the annual Guildford Book Festival are setting the stage for another memorable celebration of literature. During the ten days packed with events, audiences can expect to see some of Britain’s finest writers and household names discussing everything from fiction, history and biography to comedy, current affairs and crime. Children can also look forward to some colourful events.
The line-up includes writer and comedian Sandi Toksvig, ex-ITN newscaster John Suchet, actor and comedy writer Ben Miller, BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz and writer, navigator and explorer Tristan Gooley. The programme also features hugely popular crime writer Peter James, author and queen of daytime television Judy Finnigan, botanist, gardener and broadcaster James Wong, comedy writer and novelist Kathy Lette and novelist and stand-up comedian Jenny Eclair.
The opening event of the 2012 Festival will feature restaurateur, food writer and journalist Prue Leith who will present her autobiography Relish – My Life on a Plate, a fascinating and candid account of her colourful life. To conclude the day, an event in the company John Suchet, now recognised as a leading authority on Beethoven, arguably the world’s greatest composer. In his new illustrated book he brings fresh understanding to this difficult and complex character.
The Festival will also turn its attention to the art world. Recently voted one of the world’s top 50 creative thinkers by New York’s Creativity Magazine, BBC Arts Editor and ex-Director of the Tate Will Gompertz promises a dazzling tour of modern art that will change the way you look at it forever. He will introduce his new book, What are You Looking At? 150 years of Modern Art in a Nutshell, and explore what modern art is, why we either love it or loathe it and why it is worth so much money.
Continuing the art theme, Henrietta Garnett and Sue Bradbury will be discussing the private lives of the Pre-Raphaelites. This event is a must for art lovers and anyone who enjoys a good story of friendships and feuds, jealousy and love. Then in the surroundings of the Watts Gallery’s ‘Dickens and the Artists’ exhibition, Lucinda Hawksley will be talking about the life of her great-great-great-grandfather, Charles Dickens.
Fiction, as always, is at the heart of the Festival. Having championed so many now-famous writers, Judy Finnigan gives us her own first novel, Eloise, a compulsive and haunting story of a woman drawn ever deeper into a friend's secret past, while bestselling author Salley Vickers, author of Miss Garnet’s Angel, introduces her beguiling new novel, The Cleaner of Chartres. The ever popular Readers’ Day, which celebrates fiction and is a great chance to meet an eclectic mix of authors, will be held on Saturday 20th October. This year it features, among others, Clare Clark, Sadie Jones, Roma Tearne, Katharine McMahon, Steve Mosby and Andrew Martin.
Crime fans have always been richly rewarded at the Festival and this year is no different. Among the line-up are bestselling crime writers Ann Cleeves, Peter James, Tania Carver, Nicci French, Sophie Hannah and R J Ellory.
Comedy at the Festival comes courtesy of three household names who will each offer a unique introduction to their latest novels – Kathy Lette (The Boy Who Fell to Earth), Jenny Eclair (Life, Death and Vanilla Slices), and making a special appearance at G Live, Sandi Toksvig (Valentine Grey).
The University is the venue for the Festival’s celebration of science, with particle physicist Ben Miller (one half of Armstrong & Miller) on – in his words – the ‘best bits of science’ and Professor Jim Al-Khalili on science’s greatest enigmas.
Also featuring in the programme are six historical authors who offer new insights into the culture and history of Japan, the Middle East and England. In Samurai, Geisha, Ninja bestselling author Lesley Downer and historian and travel writer John Man unveil the mysteries of these Japanese cultural icons, while Tom Holland covers the collapse of Roman and Persian power in the Near East, and the emergence of Islam. Closer to home, Harry Mount presents his witty and accessible book How England Made the English and explains how our national characteristics – our sense of humour, hobbies, favourite foods and our behaviour with the opposite sex – are all defined by our nation's extraordinary geography, geology and climate. Audiences will also have the chance to meet and hear the Sunday Times bestselling author of Roman historical fiction, Lindsey Davis, along with Simon Scarrow, himself a great chronicler of the Romans.
Other Festival highlights include a special event at Polesden Lacey with William Shawcross, who will be talking about the witty, vivid and revealing letters of the Queen Mother, never before published, and An Audience with Mary Berry at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre. To mark Alan Turing’s centenary, the Apollo Theatre Company, featuring former Guildford School of Acting students, will stage a dramatised reading of Hugh Whitemore’s compelling Breaking the Code. For budding writers, there is a range of writing workshops, including ones on self publishing, writing erotic fiction and how to plot.
Finally, for children, there is a chance to join Puffin as he celebrates his 45th birthday on Saturday 20th October at the Radisson Blu Edwardian. Join favourite children’s author Andy Stanton and illustrator Emma Dodd with books, balloons and birthday cake galore. Celebrations continue on Saturday 27th October with a Puffin Post Family Day at The Electric Theatre, with events and fun for all the family. Meet the authors, discover new books, try your hand at drawing and storytelling, and find out who has won the national Puffin Birthday Card Competition.
As part of the Festival’s ongoing community involvement, author events will also be staged in local schools and HMP Send.
Log on to the Festival website www.guildfordbookfestival.co.uk for full programme details.
All events are bookable online and via the Festival Box Offices from early September.
Box Office numbers are 01483 444789 or 01483 444334.
Editors' Notes
Please visit www.guildfordbookfestival.co.uk for more information on the latest events.
High resolution photographs and press releases will be available to download on the Press Area of the Festival website.
Festival brochures will be available to view online from early September, as well to pick up from The Electric Theatre, Guildford Tourist Information Centre, libraries and many other places.
Established in 1989, the Guildford Book Festival is staged annually across venues within the town over 10 days. It receives core funding from Guildford Borough Council and the University of Surrey, as well as support from a number of key local businesses.
The festival boasts the following Patrons: Elizabeth Buchan, Michael Buerk, Adele Parks, Michael Rosen, Sandi Toksvig, Fay Weldon, Timothy West and Jacqueline Wilson.
Guildford Book Festival became a registered charity in 2009 (Charity Number 1131040).
Media Enquiries
Peter La, Press Office at the University of Surrey, Tel: +44 (0)1483 689191, or Email mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk
