Hello booklovers,
It’s Christmas Eve! Sending you all lots of love and bookish thoughts during yet more odd times. I’m sure we’ll all agree that great solace has been found in reading this year – I intend to embrace this further going into the new year. I’m currently tingling in anticipation of which books may be waiting for me under the tree as I write…
Over the course of December we have delivered slices of festive cheer in the form of our Comfort and Joy blog series. Each week a variety of authors and other bookish folk have shared with us their Christmas traditions and musings, with the aim to provide some merry distractions and bring a bit of joy to the build up to a rather odd Christmas.
And so here we have a compilation of each entry for you to peruse, in the manner of a box of cherry liqueurs or marzipan fruits (or, for the Edmund Pevensies amongst us, Turkish Delight…), over the Christmas break.
Meg Reid, our festival director, shared with us her favourite Christmas books: Comfort and Joy with our Festival Director (felixstowebookfestival.co.uk)
Children’s author Sophie Green evoked the scent of Christmas: Comfort and Joy with Sophie Green (felixstowebookfestival.co.uk)
Biographer Nick Holland brought to life Christmas as the Brontë parsonage: Comfort and Joy with Nick Holland (felixstowebookfestival.co.uk)
Author Louise Millar shared with us the music of her family Christmases past and present: Comfort and Joy with Louise Millar (felixstowebookfestival.co.uk)
Local bookseller Helen Bott reflected on a favourite childhood novel that always makes her feel festive: Comfort and Joy with Helen Bott (felixstowebookfestival.co.uk)
Writer Esther Rutter shared a precious family Christmas item that brings a little magic into the celebrations: Comfort and Joy with Esther Rutter (felixstowebookfestival.co.uk)
FbF blog writer Elizabeth Carpenter whisked us away to the wilds of wintery Russian literature: Comfort and Joy with Elizabeth Carpenter (felixstowebookfestival.co.uk)
Children’s author Francesca Armour-Chelu welcomed us into one of her family Christmas traditions: Comfort and Joy with Francesca Armour-Chelu (felixstowebookfestival.co.uk)
Local author Ruth Dugdall transported us around the world via her Christmas Tree decorations: Comfort and Joy with Ruth Dugdall (felixstowebookfestival.co.uk)
FbF volunteer and blog writer Anna Tink mused on the significance of Christmas trees and the beautiful things that bedeck them: Comfort and Joy with Anna Tink (felixstowebookfestival.co.uk)
Writer Elly Griffiths shared with us her family Christmas eve tradition: Comfort and Joy with Elly Griffiths (felixstowebookfestival.co.uk)
We do hope this project has brought a little joy, comfort and familiarity to a year such as 2020 and that it brings you a smile in the days to come. Now it’s time to sit back with a mince pie and something mulled and enjoy what the festive season brings, in whichever shape or form that may be. From the bottom of our bookish hearts we wish you a merry and peaceful Christmas with hope for a brighter new year ahead.
Merry Christmas everyone!
With love,
Imogen and the Felixstowe Book Festival Team x