Felixstowe Book Festival

Another wonderful session at Cuppa…

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Hello booklovers,

Once again we are blown away by your wonderful and enthusiastic support of the Felixstowe Book Festival Cuppa Book Club. We do hope you enjoyed the spooky theme of this week’s session with some literary treats in the form of Haverscroft by S.A. Harris and Ghostland by Edward Parnell. Another round of applause to the lovely Cuppa cafe for their great venue and delicious provisions.

Charlotte Amelia Poe with their book, How to be Autistic

Our next session will be held on April 7th at Cuppa and we will be reading How to be Autistic by Charlotte Amelia Poe. Charlotte’s urgent, entertaining and sometimes shocking book is an enlightening account of what it is like to live with autism, alongside an insightful commentary on gender, mental illness and sexual identity. We look forward to seeing you all again for what will prove to be a fascinating evening.

Bookish best,

Imogen and the Festival Team x

News of Cuppa Book Club and quizzes!

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Brighter seaside days soon!

Hello booklovers,

We are steadily edging towards the end of February – I hope you are all surviving the absolute weatherly lashing we have been receiving over the past few weeks. Hopefully some exciting news of some upcoming festival events will stoke you up for better (and brighter!) things to come…

Firstly we are very much looking forward to the next Cuppa Book Club which will be held on Tuesday 3rd of March at the delightful Cuppa Cafe – we are still utterly over the moon at the support we have received from you lovely booklovers and we look forward to seeing you all again next week. This month’s theme is ghost stories and we will be looking at Haverscroft by S.A. Harris and Ghostland by Edward Parnell. Look to our lovely local bookshops, such as Stillwater Books, Poor Richard’s and the Treasure Chest, to get your mitts on some copies soon.

Time to warm up those brains as we are gearing up to host the 2020 Felixstowe Book Festival quizzes. Your are most cordially invited to join us on the 27th of March and the 19th of June at Broadway House, for an evening of quiz fun and a posh ploughman’s supper. Teams are made up of 6 people with a ticket cost of £8 per person. Be there or be square for a 7.30 start! To book your team, call 01394 549567 or email vivienne.aspinall@yahoo.co.uk.

Bookish best,

Imogen and the Festival Team x

 

Books you LOVE…

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Hello booklovers,

Wishing you all a very Happy Valentine’s Day! Why not show your love through sharing a good story with loved ones or trying out a tale that you haven’t encountered before?

If you are struggling for inspiration, look no further than the Felixstowe Book Festival blog: we asked you a few weeks ago for stories that you love and you gave us some rather wonderful examples. Read on to find out more…

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

‘Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.’

Whilst I certainly wouldn’t aspire to the disturbing extremes of the passion of Cathy and Heathcliff, their love cultivated on those wild Yorkshire moors is undoubtedly the stuff of romantic legend. A thrilling tale mixing intrigue and gothic overtones is well worth an atmospheric read.  

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien was not noted for interesting depictions of his female characters, however one of our lovely festival fans quite rightly pointed out the ‘understated love’ of one of the novel’s heroes, Aragorn, for the Elvish Lord Elrond’s daughter Arwen. Tolkien’s depiction of love in his adventurous trilogy lies also in the depiction of binding friendships and the importance of home to those who wander far from it.

The Unseen by Katherine Webb

This was suggested to us by one of our fans purely because she found the story ‘gripping, the characters are so interesting and it’s so beautifully written, as are all of Katherine Webb’s books’. What an excellent recommendation!

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks 

‘You are, and always have been, my dream.’

This truly is an ultimate and sumptuous love story, packed with drama and romance, separation and grief, but ultimately fortitude and what it is for a couple to grow old together. Set from the Second World War to many years later, this truly is a novel to be swept away in.

We hope you have enjoyed our little guide to the books that our festival fans love – they just go to show that love can be found in all sorts of different forms. Maybe you have found some inspiration for your next read?

It seems appropriate to conclude our Valentine’s blog post with a quote from one of our best beloved authors, Jane Austen.

‘There is no charm equal to tenderness of the heart.’

Have a good weekend!

All our love,

the Felixstowe Book Festival team x

 

A date for your diary featuring festival patron Terry Waite!

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Hello booklovers,

January is finally coming to an end and we are rounding it off with a treat for our festival-goers. Festival patron Terry Waite will be on board Suffolk cruise ship  The Orwell Lady  on Sunday 17th May at 2pm to talk to guests about his time spent as a Hostage Negotiator.

With his usual wit and warmth, Terry will discuss figures he has met during his career, as well as providing insight into the five years he spent in solitary confinement. Join us on the River Orwell for what will prove to be a fascinating few hours.

Tickets are priced at £35 – for further details, please follow this link to take you to the Orwell Lady website: https://orwellrivercruises.com/booking-terry-waite/

We do hope you can join us. In the mean time, don’t forget that our next book club will be held at Cuppa Café on Tuesday 4th of February – doors will open at 6.30 for a 7.15 start, do come along to join in on all the literary fun!

Bookish best,

The Felixstowe Book Festival Team

Photo credit: Gemma Levine

A great big Cuppa WOW…

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Hello booklovers,

I think it is safe to say that our first ever Cuppa Book Club, which took place last Tuesday, was a barnstorming success. Thanks to you lovely lot we had about 40 booklovers attend, showing a wonderful amount of support for our festival and the cracking Cuppa Cafe! We would like to wish Sarah of Cuppa fame an enormous thank you for providing such a brilliant venue, it truly was a fantastic evening.

Our next session will be on Tuesday 4th February at Cuppa – doors will open at 6.30pm for a 7.15pm start. The February theme will be biography, with particular attention paid to Loves and Lives of the Mountbattens by Andrew Lownie. Hope to see you all there!

Bookish best,

The Felixstowe Book Festival Team x

Your best books of the past 10 years…

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Hello booklovers,

Here we are, steadily crawling through January 2020. It may be a little early for nostalgia for 2019 and the past decade so forgive me for what is to follow! Last week we asked you for your best reads of the past ten years. In a bid to brighten up this dreary January Monday, we have compiled a list of some of your suggestions…

Brightfire by P. M. Sabin Moore, 2010

Brightfire depicts key events that occurred during the rule of Raedwald, the Saxon King of our local historic treasure Sutton Hoo and is a sequel to Storm Frost (2009). Dealing with both historical and religious issues, this is a fascinating fictionalised account of events which shaped Suffolk and the rest of East Anglia.

When God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman, 2011

In this novel we follow the life of Elly from childhood to adulthood, with all the pitfalls, joys and tragedies along the way. ‘God’ in fact is the name of Elly’s pet rabbit, given to her by her beloved older brother, who accompanies her through her experiences. A quirky and powerful read.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, 2013

This extraordinary tale details the life of a young woman born in 1910. She is living through a time of world wars, suffrage, a rise in socialism and fascism, revolutionary art, fashion and music. Without wishing to give too much away, our central character Ursula manages to live a life after a life after a life, where her future takes on multiple versions due to individual events and many near misses which change her future forever, many times over.

The Good People by Hannah Kent, 2016

Set in the countryside of Ireland in the 19th century, The Good People is the tale of  three central female characters, grandmother Nora, her friend Mary and local healer Nance. In her novel, Kent depicts the constraints and prejudices dominating society, as well as the fierce bonds of grief and love that tie families and communities together.

Machines like Me by Ian McEwan, 2019

In an alternative 1980s, London is the battleground of Tony Benn and Margaret Thatcher and Alan Turing lives to invent a brand new form of artificial intelligence, a synthetic human. Our central character Charlie, besotted with the unattainable Miranda and newly flushed with funds, decides to purchase a new synthetic human named Adam. Charlie and Miranda design Adam’s personality and cultivate his tastes and interests, until they reach a moral problem which is, despite everything, incredibly human. McEwan drives us to ask what makes us authentically human…

The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human, and How to Tell Them Better by Will Storr, 2019

A truly engrossing read about how throughout the history of humanity we have always depended on stories, from ancient scriptures to children’s picture books, from the first novel to the current trend for boxed sets. Will Storr uses a captivating mix of neuroscience, psychology and historical and contemporary research to show how, with a bit of help from the oldest tools in the business, the art of storytelling is far from dead. Well worth a read for those with good intentions for the new year!

I hope this has provided sufficient literary inspiration booklovers and has showcased the bookish delights that we have been able to enjoy over the past ten years. Who knows what further brilliance the next decade will bring?

Bookish best,

Imogen and the Festival Team x

 

Happy New Year! Have you thought about trying our CUPPA book club?

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Hello booklovers,

Wishing you all a very happy 2020! We hope here at the Felixstowe Book Festival that you have enjoyed the festive season. Now we enter a new year and a new decade – what better way to start than by joining the CUPPA book club?

We mentioned this a few weeks ago, during the merry craziness of book Advent – read on for a gentle reminder…

We are delighted to present to you, new for 2020, the CUPPA Book Club. Situated in the CUPPA Cafe (located at 81 High Road West), in conjunction with the Felixstowe Book Festival, join us for monthly meetings lead by wonderful local authors Ruth Dugdall and Liz Rastrick.

Our first meeting is on January 7th at 7pm, kicking off with Harriet Tyce’s Blood Orange and Nicola Upson’s Sorry for the Dead. Click here for information about further book club meetings: https://felixstowebookfestival.co.uk/6205/exciting-news-for-2020

There is no charge to attend, but we do encourage you to treat yourselves to a cuppa!

We look forward to seeing you there.

Bookish best,

The Felixstowe Book Festival Team x

December 24th… The Christmas Book by Dick Bruna

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Hello booklovers,

It’s Christmas Eve! On the final day of our festival Advent calendar we bring you a much loved book about the most important story of all…

“On a dark night long ago, and in a far country, some shepherds were keeping watch over their sheep. Suddenly a bright light shone on them. It was an angel, who told the shepherds that a baby had been born in Bethlehem – a baby called Jesus who would bring happiness to the world. They would find him in a stable, lying in a manger.”

And so begins The Christmas Book by Dick Bruna. I am not going to make a big song and dance about this lovely book, its simplicity is the key to its effectiveness.

The greatest story ever told is contained here in a few simple pages, charmingly supported by Mr Bruna’s trademark illustrations.

Over the last 50 odd years, I have had this book read to me, I have read it to myself and I have read it to my children.

For me, this is the one book that captures the essence of what we celebrate each year.

“All over the world people tell the story of the bright star which guided the shepherds and the three kings to the stable where Jesus was born.  And that is the story of Christmas.”

Wishing you all a happy and hopeful Christmas. Thank you all for your support and enthusiasm in 2019 and we look forward to reuniting in the new year!

Merry Christmas booklovers!

Festive wishes,

Anna, Imogen and the Festival team x

December 23rd… Letters from Father Christmas by J. R. R. Tolkien

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Hello booklovers,

One of the many things I adore about Christmastime is letter writing and the sending and receiving of Christmas cards. There is no feeling quite equivalent to the sight of brightly coloured envelopes and the news and voices of friends and family they contain inside. It’s a wonderful time of year to reach out and let someone know you, where most of our communication occurs via a screen it is infinitely more satisfying to rake your eyes over a handwritten note, complete with ink smudges and sometimes illegible handwriting…

Of course children all over the world will have been writing their own letters to someone who will be very busy indeed at the moment – Father Christmas! The children of J.R.R. Tolkien were lucky enough to receive letters back from Saint Nick himself, which have all been compiled into a fabulous festive book, Letters from Father Christmas. 

Upon reading these beautifully written and illustrated letters we are transported to Tolkien’s fantastical world of the North Pole, the naughty polar bear and the antics of elves and goblins. Father Christmas comes across as a frazzled but relentlessly optimistic chap, traits I’m sure we can all recognise in ourselves at this busy time of the year.

Tolkien’s letters are utterly absorbing and immersive, adding some extra magic and mystery for generations of children and their parents past, present and future. Even to the very last letter where Father Christmas bids his farewell, he assures the Tolkien children that he will write to them again in the future when they have children of their own. Such sentiment seems particularly fitting at Christmas where families repeat their own traditions and rituals and share songs and stories passed down from generation to generation. It is a time for familiarity and reconnecting with old friends and family, whether face to face or through the arrival of those brightly coloured envelopes on the door mat. Letters from Father Christmas is a timely reminder of the power of the (hand)written word.

Wishing you the very merry best,

Imogen and the Festival Team x

December 22nd… Tidings: A Christmas Journey by Ruth Padel

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Hello booklovers,

Prize winning poet Ruth Padel (the great great granddaughter of Charles Darwin no less) certainly takes us on an emotive and thought provoking journey through London and across the world on Christmas Eve in her epic poem Tidings. 

We all know that Christmas Eve is an enchanted night. Father Christmas is busy doing his rounds and, as detailed by Beatrix Potter in The Tailor of Gloucester, at midnight all the animals of the world can talk to each other. Joining them in speech in this particular work is Charoum, the Angel of Silence who for this night only can speak. And with a powerful voice Charoum tells us the story of a little girl, a homeless man and a fox as we follow their experiences this Christmas Eve.

Our central characters are Holly and Robin. Holly is a little girl excited for the fun and frolics that Christmas Day will bring. Secretly she would love to have a puppy for Christmas. We first meet Holly and her mum as they hurry towards the children’s Christmas Eve service at St Pancras Church in London.

As Holly and her peers sing out to ‘The First Nowell’ we pan across to a very different scenario of a very different life. We meet ‘mad homeless Robin’ who has ‘quarreled with the world’. We find out that he has endured a childhood lacking in the love devoted to Holly, that he has not spoken to another person or touched another person for years. But he has tamed a young fox who has become his sporadic companion.

Tidings accompanies our girl, man and fox through Christmas night, and Angel Charoum takes us on a voyage to Christmases all over the globe. Our poem concludes with all the most relevant aspects of Christmas, of longing, loneliness, compassion and connection. We as readers have a duty to take these tidings into the coming year as they all culminate into the essential feeling of the lives of all – hope.

‘Let that hope shine on, like the wheel

of a rare fire rainbow in a circumhorizontal arc

above the sleeping harbour, while I fall

silent and you step back into the dark

transforming world where time, once more, is real.’

All the very festive best,

Imogen and the Festival Team x

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