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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!

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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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