Hello booklovers!

A very happy Valentines day to you all. Whether you are spending today with loved ones or completely ignoring it, we have an event which may set your heart a-fluttering….

We are delighted to welcome Alison Weir back to our 2019 festival! As the top selling female historian in the UK, and a highly popular previous festival guest, we can’t wait to catch up with Alison and hear all about her latest work.

Along with her lovely self, Alison will be bringing Anna of Kleve: Queen of Secrets, the fourth book in her Six Tudor Queens series. Throughout this text Alison explores the true character behind the woman whose story is well fabled in our history. When researching our event, the childhood rhyme ‘divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived’ trundled through my head. Rejected and divorced for not living up to social standards of beauty: a startlingly relevant predicament in which Anna found herself, highlighting the centuries-long female struggle for women to separate their value as a person from their appearance. I’ve never felt much sympathy towards Henry VIII and, in my opinion, his treatment of Anna adds insult to injury. Yet, despite initial tensions and differences, Anna grew to be deeply loved by all who knew her, including King Henry himself.

To find out more about our event, click here. 

We hope you have enjoyed our little Valentine gift – look out for more ‘With love from FBF’ posts in the next few weeks.

With lots of love,

Imogen and the festival team x

Hello booklovers,

February is upon us, the month where tentative signs of Spring are appearing and romance is in the air… whether the mention of St Valentine strikes fear in your heart or reminds you of loved ones, we have some February gifts to present to you, with love from the Felixstowe Book Festival. Over the course of February we will be announcing a series of guests who will be coming to our festival this year.

First up is… Lucy Popescu in conversation with Hassan Abdulrazzack. Lucy, a writer and editor with a background in human rights, has published her second anthology of writings, A Country to Call Home, following the vast success of her first anthology, A Country of Refuge. A Country to Call Home focuses on the experiences of children and young adults in matters of asylum seeking, migration and refuge. Lucy will be joined by Hassan Abdulrazzack, a playwright with a history of fascinating works tackling these same issues, who is one of the many contributers to this anthology.

This powerful collection of writing is full of tales of home, separation, fear and danger, as well as depictions of hope, aspiration and bravery. We are proud to bring this event and these extraordinary speakers to our 2019 festival.

For further information about this event, take a look at the following link:

https://felixstowebookfestival.co.uk/events/19-17

With love from,

Imogen and the Felixstowe Book Festival x

Hello booklovers,

Just checking in after our post-Christmas break. We are so thrilled that you enjoyed our ‘carol-a-day’ Advent calendar. I can assure you it was great fun to compile and contribute to and the jolly festive feedback from you all made it all worth it. But now onto fresh New Year climes…

We have an exciting new festival programme to be shared with you later on in the year, chockablock with fiction, crime, historical and poetic treats to delight you all. To top it all off, as many of you may have noticed, we have a brand new book festival image, courtesy of artist Rebecca Pymar. A lovely combination of old fashioned railway posters and modern graphic design, our new image speaks of sunny summers spent reading many books. How appropriate!

So, keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks and months for fresh festival news – you won’t be dissapointed!

A very Happy 2019 to you all!

Bookish best,

Imogen and the festival team x

Hello booklovers,

Christmas Eve is here. One of my most favourite nights of the year, one of quiet and anticipation now that the rush is over. I want to thank you all for your support and appreciation of our festive efforts, I do hope you have enjoyed them. We are finishing our Advent calendar with a contribution from our wonderful committee member Anna who has written some lovely posts for the Christmas blog. Today Anna reflects on one of the most important aspects of Christmas, finding a moment of peace through listening to Christmas carols. Fittingly for our festive swansong, Anna has chosen ‘Once in Royal David’s City’.

Anna writes…

‘The sound of BBC Radio 4 has been a constant in the background for most of my life, as all those who know of my devotion to the Archers will testify. But as well as that daily comforting dose of an everyday story of country folk, there is a yearly treat that I try never to miss; a Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols held in Kings College Chapel, Cambridge, and broadcast on BBC radio since 1928.

As a child I was happy to listen every year at 3pm on Christmas Eve, with my mum as she maybe sat for a moment during the hurly burly of the time before Christmas Day, to hear the opening carol gently easing us into the very special time to come. As an adult, taking on the organisation of Christmas myself, I realised (as I expect my mother did too), the importance of this moment of peace, to physically rest as I sit and listen, and more importantly as a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas for me. The opening carol is always Once in Royal David’s City, and the beauty of the first verse’s solo voice always has the capacity to still and calm me.

“For that Child so dear and gentle

 Is our Lord in heaven above.”

Christmas wishes,

Imogen x

Hello booklovers,

Two more sleeps to go… Our Christmas Eve Eve post comes courtesy of Hannah who wrote a lovely piece about ‘Silent Night’ a few weeks ago. Today she shares with us a festive classic, evoking memories of journeys and homecomings. We present to you ‘Driving Home for Christmas’.

Hannah writes…

‘Carol services have been attended, the presents are wrapped (hopefully) and fridges are filled to the brim. Christmas is almost here. For many this means packing up the car and braving the inevitable queues to make it back to the family home for the festive period. Today’s song therefore has to be Chris Rea’s 1988 classic ‘Driving Home For Christmas’.

My appreciation for this song has, unsurprisingly, grown since moving away from Felixstowe. Its merry introduction never fails to give me that warm, fuzzy, anticipatory feeling inside. If I’m nearing the end of the A14 and Chris Rhea’s dulcet tones serendipitously start oozing from my car radio then I cannot help but belt it out, tapping the rhythm on my steering wheel, a large grin on my face. On these journeys there is something heartening about glimpsing the ‘driver next me’ being ‘just the same’. All of us together hurrying to make it home to celebrate with family and friends, to have a rest from work and to find joy in deepest darkest winter.

Of course the fact that my end destination is Felixstowe makes all the difference. As all you festival-lovers know, this is a community with heart. All I have to do is wander into a few shops in town and I am sure to bump into someone I know and have a lovely little chat. And then there’s the sea. Can you beat a crisp, bracing walk along the prom in that soft winter sunshine? Though not technically my home any more, Felixstowe will always be where a little bit of my heart resides. ‘

I don’t know about you, but I may have shed a festive tear…

All the very Christmassy best, until tomorrow  x

Hello booklovers,

We are edging ever closer to Christmas and today marks three weeks since we first started our festival Advent calendar. This will be my last post as we have two more from our lovely festival committee members coming up over the next two days, and it was very difficult to select one carol to finish up with. After much deliberation, I have picked ‘As with Gladness Men of Old’ because it evokes the perfect sentiment for Christmastime: gladness. To me, Christmas truly is a time to be glad. Glad to have my lovely family who I will spend the day with. Glad for the safe place I live and the comfy bed that I sleep in. Glad for the wonderful meal we will share together on Christmas Day. For I know that not everyone is lucky enough to be given these gifts of love, comfort and safety and I am extremely lucky to have them myself.

‘As with gladness men of old,

did the guiding star behold;

As with joy they hailed its light,

Leading onward, beaming bright.’

The image of light in the darkness, of brightness in dark moments, is timeless. Whether this be the sight of Christmas tree lights twinkling through a neighbour’s window, or the light of a bonfire on a dark winter night, or the sight of that bright star leading the way towards the birth of a baby all those years ago… it is an image that we are all familiar with and evokes the same feelings within us now. Light and hope are inextricably linked. And today – the day after the solstice – means that lighter times will slowly return to us day by day, second by second. That’s something to be glad about, isn’t it?

All the most merry and festive best, until tomorrow.

Imogen x

Hello booklovers,

Welcome to the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year! As of tomorrow, bit by bit the days will start getting lighter. In this Pagan spirit, festival volunteer and visitor Elizabeth has chosen ‘The Holly and the Ivy’ as the carol behind Advent door number 21.

Elizabeth writes…

Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown!

‘It still remains a mystery to me why, out of all the dressing up costumes a little girl could have, that at the age of 5 I expressed a wish to have my own Holly Fairy outfit. I can only conclude that it was the hours spent looking at the posters of Cicely Mary Barker’s ‘Flower Fairies’ that adorned my sister and mine’s bedroom wall, which ignited my desire to embody this particularly cheeky looking fairy. Little did I realise that such an outfit did not exist in high street stores but, fortunately for me, my mum had a talented friend who was able to make an exact replica – complete with wings, a cute hat and berries. The outfit was gleefully worn (along with bright red tights) to many a Christmas party at the local tennis club, until it was too small and was passed down to my little sister -much to my dismay.

In many ways it seems strange that it should be this dangerously sharp and unconventional looking plant which has become symbolic of Christmas festivities. Holly as a festive symbol, to be used on cards and decorations is a Victorian invention. However, its association with Christmas goes back to Pagan times, in which holly was seen as a symbol of fertility, and was hung in houses on Christmas Eve to ward off spirits and bad omens. Interestingly holly has also often been seen as a male plant, alongside the feminine ivy, a representation I am glad my 5-year-old self rejected! In Christian tradition, the Holly is said to represent Christ’s crown of thorns, and the red berries his blood. Despite the various symbols that the plant has, for me, a sprig of holly and red berries (along with its partner Ivy, which mustn’t be forgotten!) are representative of the joy that nature can bring us at this time of year. I remember my Nanan decorating her small and cosy home with sprigs of holly from the garden on the days building up to Christmas. The merry tune of the traditional folk song ‘The Holly and the Ivy’ certainly approves of this sentiment, and the lyrics conjure up many wonderful images of the outside world – in which I can imagine many holly fairies are dancing, alongside the running deer and the rising sun…’

What a joyful image to conclude with, perhaps giving some inspiration to future generations of small people entranced by the Holly fairy?

All the very merry best, until tomorrow! x

Hello booklovers,

Christmas is drawing every closer, I do hope you are still enjoying our festival Advent calendar. I mentioned in a previous post of mine the timeless memory of childhood Christmas plays, complete with tinsel halos floating above small heads, cotton wool beards adorning little Father Christmases and the strapping of tea towels around the heads of tiny shepherds. This brought me to my choice for today, ‘While Shepherd’s Watched Their Flocks by Night’, a carol depicting the scene of the Annunciation of the Shepherds. The words of this carol first appeared in 1700 in The New Version of the Psalms of David and at that point was the only hymn that was authorised to be sung by the Anglican Church. Since then variants of this tune developed in various counties, notably Cornwall, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

This dramatic scene of humble shepherds and their flock descended upon by a heavenly being is one of the most exciting in the Christmas story. It captures the awe, fear and anticipation of the night of Christmas Eve itself, whilst also emphasising the message that even the most lowly can play a significant role in such a significant event.

In our family (and I imagine in many others) we have a series of our own variations on this carol. Whilst not wishing to desecrate such a beautiful tune and lyrics, I feel that at Christmas it is important to have a good laugh. Thanks to a version which came from my Grandad, the laughs follow thick and fast.

‘While Shepherds washed their socks by night

All watching ITV,

The Angel of the Lord came down and switched to BBC!’

As an employee of a certain broadcasting establishment, he did not limit his enthusiasm to the workplace and as a result this ‘version’ of While Shepherds Watched is a firm family favourite. I hope this has put a smile on your face as much as it does every year on mine!

Yuletide felicitations, until tomorrow!

Imogen

Hello booklovers,

Behind door number 19 we have a delightful piece courtesy of lovely committee member Jez, also about the depiction of nature and wildlife in Christmas carols.

Jez writes…

‘I was minded to talk about nature in carols and Christmas songs and stories. It has been the custom for many centuries for greenery to be cut and brought into the house during the Winter Solstice/Christmas season to decorate windows and doors, and now, of course, we have the Christmas tree, and swathes of greenery on mantelpieces and all over the house. Holly, ivy and Christmas trees have been talked about by another contributor, but the other main winter plant is mistletoe, whose use dates back to the Druids, who considered it sacred and used it in sacrifices, and to the Norse invaders who believed that bringing mistletoe into the house brought good luck to the household and warded off evil spirits.

Nearly all Christian churches ban mistletoe because of the Pagan legacy but every year the Dean of York Minster dons ceremonial gloves to hang mistletoe on the high altar. A proclamation is then made for “public and universal liberty, pardon and freedom to all wrongdoers”, a custom dating back to the Middle Ages.

Mistletoe features in several modern Christmas songs, probably the best-known being Cliff Richard’s “Mistletoe and Wine” and Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe”, and in a folksong, “The Mistletoe Bough”, in which a young bride wearies of dancing at her wedding and suggests a game of hide and seek in her father’s castle. She hides in an old chest which locks and traps her, and it is not until many years later that her skeleton in her bridal gown is discovered.

Animals and birds feature in many carols and stories. Apart from Rudolph and Little Donkey, other animals, particularly sheep, oxen and asses, appear in several carols and Christmas poems, including “While Shepherds Watched their Flocks”, “Little Drummer Boy”, “Bethlehem Down”, “My Dancing Day” and Thomas Hardy’s poem “The Oxen”. This retells the legend that the ox and ass in the Bethlehem stable knelt down to worship the Baby Jesus, and this story is also mentioned in his novels “Tess of the D’Urbervilles” and “Under the Greenwood Tree”. *

The wren was hunted and killed in England and Ireland on St Stephen’s Day (26 December) in ancient times. The reasoning was that the wren was a traitor and a cheat because its song had betrayed a priest, and it had ridden on the back of an eagle in order to win a contest to see who could fly highest. The story of the hunt became popular at the time of the Peasants’ Revolt, with the wren symbolising baronial property to be seized by the peasantry. In the folksong “The Cutty Wren”, men go out to catch a wren which they take round to the local gentry asking for money. Gradually, the practice of killing the wren was replaced by a ritual enactment. Carol Ann Duffy’s book “The Wren Boys” is a modern take on this story. On St Stephen’s evening at Middleton, near Leiston, the Old Glory Molly Dancers and musicians sing the old wren-hunting songs and then take a wooden wren in a cage in procession by candle and torch light through the village, ending with more song and dance at the Bell Inn.

A charming Czech carol, which I remember from primary school, is “From out of the wood did a cuckoo fly” in which the cuckoo, pigeon and dove celebrate Jesus’ birth singing cuckoo, vrer-croo and tsu-croo respectively. Parts of the melody were used by Sir Arthur Sullivan for the song, “Tit Willow” in the Mikado.

The Twelve Days of Christmas” features a grand total of 23 birds of 6 varieties: swans, geese, colly (or calling) birds, French hens, turtle doves and of course the partridge, as well as whatever beasts the maids were milking – probably cows or maybe goats. John Julius Norwich wrote an hilarious take on the song, illustrated by Quentin Blake, consisting of a series of thank you letters from an increasingly frazzled young woman to her admirer. A brilliantly funny book which would make a great Christmas present if you are still searching for that elusive something special!’

After having read this, I feel inspired to go for a long wintry walk and take in all the beauty of nature that surrounds me, even at the cold and dark time of year.

Yuletide wishes until tomorrow!

Hello booklovers,

What brilliant contributions we have been having from our wonderful volunteers over the past two weeks of Advent. Today it is my turn to pick our festive tune. On the week before Christmas, I thought ‘Away in a Manger’ would be perfect as the carol hiding behind today’s Advent door.

‘Away in a Manger’ always conjures up in my mind an image of extremely solemn school children concentrating intently on their Christmas play. It takes me back to the days of angels with tinsel halos, shepherds with tea towels tied round their heads and Father Christmases with cotton wool beards, all singing their hearts out to this well known tune. Geraldine Kaye depicts the hilarity and chaos of preparing for the school nativity perfectly in her story ‘Eight Days to Christmas‘ Home-made costumes, errant kings, miserable angels and a real baby portraying the baby Jesus capture all the magic and fun in waiting for Christmas Day.

When I was at infant school we were taught sign language to accompany the lyrics so that everyone could join in, impressing upon me and my peers from a very young age the inclusive power of music and performance.

‘Away in a manger, no crib for a bed.

The little lord Jesus lay down his sweet head.

The stars in the bright sky

Looked down where he lay.

The little lord Jesus asleep on the hay.’

All the very festive best,

Imogen x