It is with great sadness that we have to inform you that Mairéad, our Friends coordinator, is no longer with us as she passed away unexpectedly on May 23.  The Felixstowefriends@aol.co.uk email address is therefore currently out of service and any messages to it will not be read. Please direct any communication to Felixstowebookfestival@hotmail.com instead.

Mairéad is greatly missed by friends and family. Please click this link to her obituary for more information.

We apologise for the inconvenience and hope to get the Friends back on track as soon as possible.

Hello booklovers!

A very happy Friday to you all. As you can see, our theme for this week’s blog is Father’s Day. Throughout literature, fathers are portrayed in starkly differing ways. We have the witty Mr Bennet, or the paradigm of humanity that is Atticus Finch, not to mention the foolish King Lear and the mysterious Lord Asriel.  Let us not forget stern Uncle Quentin and Uncle Matthew, the lovely father substitute of Anne of Green Gables fame. And we have plenty of lovely dads out and about here in Felixstowe. With Father’s Day very much around the corner, read on for our guide to a few recommendations of events that dads from far and wide may enjoy!

Horatio Clare and Rose George – Inside Shipping

George’s Deep Sea and foreign Going: Inside Shipping, the Invisible Industry and Clare’s Down to the Sea in Ships are absorbing insights into the shipping industry from two writers who joined the crews of container ships. They reveal the secrets of this little known  world and also introduce you to their latest books, Clare’s Icebreaker: a Voyage far North and George’s Nine Pints. 

Sharif Gemie and Brian Ireland – The Hippie Trail

Authors Sharif Gemie and Brian Ireland share the stories in their book The Hippie Trail recounting the joys and pains of budget travel to Kathmandu, India, Afghanistan and other ‘points east’ in the 1960s and 1970s. A must for anyone interested in the Trail or the 1960s counterculture.

Christopher Matthew – The Old Man and the Knee

Although in his late seventies, Christopher Matthew feels he is still enjoying late middle age and making the best of while he can. In his new book, he offers a guide to life in the last lane and suggests that oldies may have more to look forward to than they might imagine. Suitable for dads and granddads alike!

Caroline Slocock – People Like Us

As a young civil servant, Caroline Slocock became the first ever female private secretary to any British Prime Minister, and was at Margaret Thatcher’s side for the final eighteen months of her premiership. A left-wing feminist, Slocock was no natural ally and yet she became fascinated by the woman behind the Iron Lady façade and by how she dealt with a world dominated by men.A remarkable political and personal memoir, People Like Us charts life inside Thatcher s No. 10 during its dying days and reflects on women and power then and now.

Oggy Boytchev – The Unbeliever

The Unbeliever  is a panorama of Cold War paranoia and intrigue spanning four decades , told through the life of one extraordinary – and real – spy. A story of love, loyalty, ambition and betrayal, it is a gripping and highly original debut novel by a journalist who was born behind the Iron Curtain.

Nikesh Shukla – The One who Wrote Destiny

Nikesh Shukla is a writer and social commentator. He is the editor of the essay collection, The Good Immigrant, where 21 British Writers of colour discuss race and immigration in the UK. His latest novel, The One Who Wrote Destiny, is a witty and wise novel about three generations of the same family, riven by feuds and falling outs, united by fates and fortunes.

Iain Maitland and Humphrey Hawksley – Two very different thrillers…

Two very different thrillers…. In Sweet William an aggrieved father separated from his precious child will do anything to get him back. In Man on Ice an incident in the snows of Alaska could trigger the outbreak of World War III and a small island community is suddenly caught between sabre-rattling big powers.

This is but a small selection of the vast array of literary offerings we have for you! Have a lovely Father’s Day weekend all, there will be festival news aplenty coming your way next week.

Bookish best,

 

Imogen and the festival team

 

 

 

STRONG TICKET SALES FOR FELIXSTOWE BOOK FESTIVAL 2018
With a fantastic range of events on offer, festival goers will be inspired by favourite authors at this year’s Felixstowe Book Festival, but with events selling fast, and several already sold out, the festival team is advising fans not to wait to buy tickets – we wouldn’t want you to be disappointed!

“As an avid book festival goer, I know what it’s like to plan your weekend only to find there are no tickets to hear an author you’ve wanted to see for months,” says Felixstowe Book Festival director, Meg Reid. “Now that the festival approaches, we’re encouraging everyone to book their tickets in good time. The excitement is growing by the day and I am so looking forward to welcoming everyone to the Orwell Hotel in Felixstowe at the end of the month,” she says.

Recently featured in a number of national newspapers, The Felixstowe Book Festival is a weekend in the company of some of the UK’s most inspiring writers, hand-picked by festival director, Meg Reid, for their ability to engage audiences. If you’re less familiar with an author, with Meg’s stamp of approval you can be confident they’ll send you away buzzing!

Why not try something new? Buy tickets to five events or more, and get £1 off each ticket! Book 1o or more and get £2 off the event price.

NOT SURE WHAT’S ON?
Our programme will help you to plan your weekend of books by the sea.
Find our full programme by clicking here.

HOW TO BOOK
When you have made your choice, click on the date of the event on our website (www.felixstowebookfestival.co.uk).
This will take you to the booking page, where you can pay online.

If you have any questions our wonderful ticket partners at the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, will be pleased to help. Just call their box office on 01473 295900.

Alternatively, buy tickets from Felixstowe Library on Tuesday 19th June, and Tuesday 26th June from 10am–12 noon – cash sales only.

SPECIAL OFFERS
We also have an 2 for 1 ticket offer with Greater Anglia. Quote code GREATFBF241 at the checkout, and bring a valid train ticket to show at the festival door. You’ll get into your second event for free, or why not take a friend? Your tickets will work out at about £5 each!

Get more information about our Greater Anglia train offer by clicking here. 

With the festival hosted in the Edwardian elegance of the Orwell Hotel, just over the road from the town’s station, and Felixstowe only a 25 minute ride through the Suffolk countryside from Ipswich, the train is a great way to immerse yourself in a weekend of books and writing.

BUY TICKETS FOR FIVE EVENTS AND GET A £1 OFF
Book 5 events or more and get £ 1 off each ticket. Book 10 or more events and you will even get £ 2 off each ticket!

Hello booklovers!

I hope this week has seen you well. Hopefully the contents of this post will improve things a little further!
We have Amanda Craig and Salley Vickers coming to the festival this year. Sally will discuss her new novel ‘The Librarian’. Author of a number of other wonderful pieces of literature, including ‘Dancing Backwards’ and ‘The Other Side of You’, we are delighted that she is joining us on the 27th of June.

We are equally delighted by the arrival of Amanda, also on the 27th of June. Amanda will be discussing her latest tome, ‘The Lie of the Land’. A dark and witty look at the English Countryside and those who dwell in it, this is an event not to be missed for those who are a fan of family sagas and a spot of black comedy.

In honour of the occasion, we have expanded our location – both Amanda and Sally will be chatting to us from no place other than the Palm Court room in Harvest House. A beautiful old building, and an imposing piece of architecture that overlooks the seaside, Harvest House has had a chequered history – originally opening as the Felix Hotel in 1903, Harvest House epitomised the image of the quintessential Edwardian seaside holiday destination. Fifty years later the buildings became offices  and were then converted into retirement apartments. It was also notoriously the holiday destination of one Wallis Simpson.

So don’t hesitate to come along to Sally and Amanda’s events – not only will there be fascinating  literary discussion but also a chance to have a look round one of Felixstowe’s oldest and most interesting buildings.

 

Bookish best,

Imogen and the Festival Team

 

Good evening booklovers!

A very happy Wednesday to you all! Half way through the week, ceaselessly pushing on towards another bank holiday weekend. What sort of plans do you have? Personally I intend to do a lot of lounging on the beach, book-reading and… perusing the festival poetry events, of course!

“I saw the gooseflesh on my skin. I did not know what made it. I was not cold. Had a ghost passed over? No, it was the poetry.”

So said the ever wonderful Sylvia Plath. To me, she really hits the nail on the head – poetry can produce in us all sensations that we did not realise would be provoked by reading a poem. The wordplay, contrasting poetic forms  and startling images created are fascinating. Poetry is proven to fight loneliness and isolation: reading a poem about an event or a feeling that you previously thought you alone had experienced creates a sense of community and kinship. And that is why, here at the Felixstowe Book Festival, we are keen to provide you with some wonderful poetry events to inspire, cheer and soothe.

We are lucky enough this year to be joined by local poets Alexandra Davis and Emily Hasler. The lovely ladies will be  hosting their event ‘Coming Home, Making Home: Poetry and Place’, an hour of conversation and poetry discussing notions of home and belonging, and much, much more.

We will also be welcoming poet, novelist and critic Blake Morrison. As a co-editor of The Penguin Book of Contemporary British Poetry, his wisdom as a writer of both poetry and prose will be inspirational to many of our festival guests.

On a high from their immense success opening our 2017 festival, Martin Newell and the Hosepipe Band will be returning to the stage at the Orwell Hotel. Martin will be performing his poetic travelogue ‘The Jigsaw Coast’, mapping a journey from Essex to Norfolk. He will be accompanied by some beautiful Old English music performed by the wonderful Hosepipe Band.

Check out our programme here for more inspiring events!

We’ve made it half way through the week readers, not long ’til the weekend now! Tickets are selling out fast, so get booking while they’re still about.

Bookish best,

Imogen and the Festival Team

 

Good evening booklovers!

I do hope you have been soaking up the sun and enjoying the glorious weather. Despite being stuck in the office all day, I did manage to sneak a little walk along our beautiful seafront this afternoon!

Peaceful and sleepy, Felixstowe seems a far cry from the setting of any crime novel… nonetheless we are very proud of our finely selected crime fiction events at this year’s festival. We are welcoming back festival old-timer Oggy Boytchev , here to chat about his new book ‘The Unbeliever’. Set with the backdrop of the Cold War, Oggy’s thrilling tome tells a true story of danger, loyalty and love in a very cold climate (apologies Nancy M…).

The action doesn’t stop there – this year we are lucky enough to host some dynamic duos.Writers  Iain Maitland and Humphrey Hawksley will be speaking at our ‘Two Very Different Thrillers’ event. Iain’s novel ‘Sweet William’ is a family affair, detailing the story of a father desperate to reclaim his estranged son, no matter what the cost. By contrast, Humphrey imagines a world of near peril as one tiny event threatens the face of humanity. I don’t know about you, but I feel on the edge of my seat just thinking about these thrilling stories! If you are looking for a good crime series to get stuck into then why not come along to see Quentin Bates and Barbara Nadel in conversation with Rachel Sloane- Quentin will be chatting about his series of Icelandic crime novels and Barbara will be shedding light on her ‘Cetin Ikmen’ crime series, as well as her ‘Hakim and Arnold’ novels. 

Last but not least, this year we will also be joined by crime writer Mark Billingham. Mark first appeared in the limelight of the writing world in 2001 when he published his first bestseller ‘Sleepyhead’. Since then, he has created the hugely popular world of Detective Tom Thorne. The latest of this series, ‘The Killing Habit’, will be published in June 2018, coinciding with our festival!

Not long to go now, so keep perusing and get booking! We have so many wonderful events to offer you, I hope you are all suitably excited…

Bookish best,

Imogen and the Festival Team

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Good afternoon book lovers, and a very happy Friday to you all!

What are you plans for the bank holiday weekend? Maybe you could spend some time exploring our programme and booking your tickets for our festival weekend! Have a butchers at our little ticket purchasing guide:

You can buy your tickets IN PERSON thanks to our lovely bunch of  volunteers who are stationed in Felixstowe Library from 10am to 12 noon every Tuesday. Cash only please!

If you are an internet whizz and want to book ONLINE, each event has a ‘book here’ button. Select this button and it will pass your transaction on to the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, who will deal with your request and sort your tickets for you. If you have any issues, don’t hesitate to call up their box office on 01473 295900.

Did you know that we are treating all our wonderful visitors to a rather special deal this year? If you book at least 5 events, you will get £1 off each individual ticket price. Book at least 10 events and you will get £2 off each ticket. Such fun!

Happy ticket-booking!

Imogen and the Festival Team

Happy Monday booklovers!

Here at the Felixstowe Book Festival we pride ourselves on our varied programme. Not only do we provide a fantastic array of talks and interviews about fiction – we are also treating you all to a variety of non-fiction events.

Should your interests lie with the world of the Impressionists, then look no further than Ross King who will be delivering a fascinating talk about Claude Monet. Ross’s book ‘Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies’ details, in particular, the context surrounding these glorious paintings, mostly surrounding the artist’s fraught personal life and the historical moment in which his masterpieces were created.

Over the festival weekend we will be joined by authors Sharif Gemie and Brian Ireland, here to chat about their new collaboration ‘The Hippie Trail’. A memoir of a trip around India, Afghanistan and various other locations in the ’60s and ’70s, this will be perfect for travel enthusiasts, aswell as those with an interest in 1960s counterculture in the East. For those with travel interests slightly closer to home, don’t miss poet and author Damian le Bas, as he discusses his first book ‘The Stopping Places’, a work which delves into Damian’s gypsy roots in various locations around the UK.

Adventurers aside, we are also holding host to thespians aplenty. Have you heard that Stephen McGann, Call the Midwife’s Dr Turner, will be visiting to talk to us all about ‘Flesh and Blood’, a McGann family memoir? Or that Timothy Bentinck, AKA David Archer of Brookfield farm, will be joining his sister Anna Bentinck in the Elizabeth Suite of the Orwell Hotel? Guests will be treated to a chat about Timothy’s book ‘Being David Archer and Other Unusual Ways to Earn a Living’, and the siblings will discuss their careers as actors. Exciting stuff!

Bringing us back to current affairs, we are lucky enough to present writer Ilan Zvi Barpon. His latest book ‘How to Save Politics in a Post-Truth Era’ will no doubt provide a topical and though provoking theme for discussion. As, I’m sure, will Caroline Slocock. Ex Private Secretary to Margaret Thatcher, Caroline will be joining us to discuss her new book ‘People Like Us’, a book which documents life inside Number 10 in the last days of Margaret Thatcher’s role as Prime Minister.

I have detailed but a small selection of all the events on offer – check them all out here, or pick up a copy of the programme at Felixstowe Library! Looking forward to seeing everyone in 2 months time!

Bookish best,

Imogen and the Festival Team