HAR R OG ATE
Raworths Harrogate
literature festival
17 - 20 OCTOBER 2019 | THE CROWN HOTEL
Box Office | 01423 562 303
| harrogateinternationalfestivals.com
2019 | Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival
programme at a glance Thursday 17 October 12pm 4pm 6pm 8pm
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Yorkshire Post Literary Lunch: Simon Weston CBE Sadie Jones: The Snakes Julian Norton: On Call with The Yorkshire Vet David Cameron: For the Record*
Friday 18 October 9.30am 11am 12.30pm 2pm 3.30pm 5pm 6.30pm 8pm
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Ayisha Malik: This Green and Pleasant Land Kate Bradbury: The Bumblebee Flies Anyway Peter Hanington: A Single Source Philip Collins: Start Again Damien Lewis: SAS Shadow Raiders Sir Tim Waterstone: The Face Pressed Against A Window Louise Minchin: Dare to Tri Matt Coyne: Man vs. Baby
Saturday 19 October 9.30am 11am 12.30pm 2pm 3.30pm 5pm 6.30pm
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Rhik Samadder: I Never Said I Loved You S.G. Maclean: The Bear Pit Jessica Fellowes: Bright Young Dead Thomas Grant: Court Number One Jon Bentley: Autopia John Craven: Headlines and Hedgerows Lauren Booth: Finding Peace in the Holy Land
Sunday 20 October 10.30am | Onyeka Nubia: England’s Other Countrymen 12pm | Tracy Borman: Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him 1.30pm | Mark Austin: And Thank You For Watching 3pm | Music in the ‘60s and ‘70s with Stuart Cosgrove, Ken McNab and Tom Doyle 4.30pm | Trevor Eve: Lomita For Ever 6pm | Tom Bradby: Secret Service 7.30pm | Nikki Welch: The Pocket Guide to Beer Events unless otherwise stated take place at The Crown Hotel, Crown Place, Harrogate, HG1 2RZ. * Event venue to be confirmed. All events are unreserved seating. #RaworthsLitFest
Booking Fees Apply | harrogateinternationalfestivals.com
2019 | Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival
welcome
Taking over the Crown Hotel’s beautiful and intimate settings for the ninth year, the Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival once again presents a star-studded line-up of fascinating literary names. This October, ‘One of the UK’s Best Literary Festivals’ returns with an excellent range of best-selling authors, leading political figures, charismatic journalists, war reporters with incredible stories, knowledgeable historians and stars of the screen to share their stories. From former Prime Ministers to inspirational gardeners and speech writers to tech journalists, our line-up has never been more varied. With a programme designed to entertain, inspire and educate, why not stop by our on-site Waterstone’s bookshop and find a new author or book to fall in love with?
sponsors and supporters Title Sponsor
Community Partner
Regular Funder
Premier Partners
THE GROUP
Festival Partners
Major Supporter
Thursday 17 October
4 4pm | Sadie Jones: The Snakes Few writers tip the literary world on its head with a debut novel as well as Sadie Jones. After years of failed attempts at screenwriting, her revelatory debut, The Outcast, won critical acclaim winning the Costa Book Prize and was adapted for television by the BBC.
12pm | Yorkshire Post Literary Lunch: Simon Weston CBE In 1982 the Sir Galahad was destroyed in Bluff Cove on the Falkland Islands. On board was Welsh Guardsman, Simon Weston, a name that was going to become well known for his struggle to overcome his injuries (46% burns) and redefine his role in life. Join Simon as he discusses achievement, triumph over adversity, and seizing the moment. Tickets £40 Includes 2 course lunch and glass of wine
Now known for her provocative and astute writing style, Sadie has since published two further novels: Small Wars, set in 1956 Cyprus, and her ghostly novel The Uninvited Guests. Her fourth and most recent novel The Snakes, revisit the themes of isolation, shame and estrangement. Tickets £15
6pm | Julian Norton: On Call with The Yorkshire Vet Julian Norton isn’t your average vet – he’s The Yorkshire Vet, best known for his appearances on the Channel 5 TV series of the same name. A local man, on top of his veterinary duties Julian has quite a few sporting achievements under his belt, including representing Team GB. Candid and heart-warming, his Yorkshire Vet books offer a fascinating insight into his eventful life among the fauna of the Dales. Tickets £15
Booking Fees Apply | harrogateinternationalfestivals.com
Thursday 17 October
5
8pm | David Cameron: For the Record The former Prime Minister joins us in conversation with the BBC’s James Langdale, to discuss his extraordinary memoir For the Record. Revealing the battles and achievements of his life and career in intimate and frank detail, he will also provide, for the first time, his perspective on the EU referendum and his views on the future of Britain’s place in the world in the light of Brexit.
Tickets £34 Includes a hardback copy of For the Record
Event venue to be confirmed.
harrogateinternationalfestivals.com
Friday 18 October
6
11am | Kate Bradbury: The Bumblebee Flies Anyway
9.30am | Ayisha Malik: This Green and Pleasant Land The adage goes, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” After Ayisha Malik complained to her publishing house colleague that she wasn’t seeing any books about normal everyday Muslims, she set about writing her own. Ayisha’s first novel, Sofia Khan is Not Obliged, explored one Muslim woman’s attempts to simultaneously navigate the dating and literary worlds to great acclaim. Light-hearted, funny and fresh, Ayisha’s modern comedies focus on manners, British culture, and life as a Muslim woman in today’s society. Tickets £12
Are you green-fingered, or green with envy at your neighbour’s garden? Passionate about organic, wildlife-friendly gardening, Kate Bradbury is an award-winning author and journalist whose educational and uplifting writing has been a source of inspiration to millions of amateur gardeners across Britain. Kate’s evocative and nostalgic novel, The Bumblebee Flies Anyway tells the story of transforming a tired north-facing patio garden into a wildlife oasis, hoping to attract her first love: bees. Tickets £12
12.30pm | Peter Hanington: A Single Source They always say, “Write about what you know,” and Peter Hanington is the perfect candidate: having worked as a journalist for over twenty-five years, Peter put pen to paper to create William Carver, a veteran but unpredictable BBC hack who loves dangerous situations. A Single Source takes William Carver to the centre of the dramatic and world-changing Arab Spring protests. Join Peter as he draws on his past experience and brings it to the centre of his storytelling. Tickets £12
Friday 18 October
7
2pm | Philip Collins: Start Again Ever caught yourself tongue-tied? Philip Collins is just the man for the job. Sharp and well-informed, Philip spent years in Tony Blair’s inner circle as his chief speech writer, penning Blair’s farewell speech as Leader of the Labour Party. Speeches don’t just have a political use; they can change the world, and Philip knows just that, offering analysis of major speeches for The Times. His book Start Again: How We Can Fix Our Broken Politics, is a rallying cry for a better kind of politics. Tickets £15
3.30pm | Damien Lewis: SAS Shadow Raiders Some people make a career change; Damien Lewis made a career leap. An accidental author, Damien only penned his first book when a publisher asked if he would want to commit the TV documentary he was making to paper. After a twentyyear stint as a war reporter, it was time to make the change. Focusing on war, espionage and military operations, Damien’s works are grotesque, glorious, and mesmerising. SAS Shadow Raiders takes its readers along a top-secret mission to intercept coded German messages during the height of WWII. Tickets £12
5pm | Sir Tim Waterstone: The Face Pressed Against A Window Very few business titans make it to ‘household name’ status like Sir Tim Waterstone. Having founded the bookselling chain Waterstone’s in 1982, it was Europe’s largest bookselling group just 10 years later. Never getting bored of books, he has published four novels and one semi-autobiographical business book, and was knighted in the 2018 Birthday Honours for services to bookselling and to charity. Both nostalgic and a fascinating insight into his incredible rise, The Face Pressed Against A Window is his memoir. Tickets £15
Booking Fees Apply | harrogateinternationalfestivals.com
Friday 18 October
8
6.30pm | Louise Minchin: Dare to Tri We all know and enjoy Louise Minchin on BBC One’s Breakfast over a slice of toast and a cup of tea, but did you know Louise holds a secret? She’s a triathlete, competing at a worldwide level. But it’s not always been that way! An inspirational love letter to the joy of competitive sport, Dare to Tri: My Journey from BBC Breakfast Sofa to GB Team Triathlete tells us how a fun television cycling challenge culminated in Louise Minchin wearing the colours of Great Britain at the World Triathlon Championships. Tickets £17
8pm | Matt Coyne: Man vs Baby Matt Coyne’s biggest piece of advice? “Embrace the chaos, embrace the madness, stay sane.” No, he isn’t a war reporter; he’s the father to a young child. Matt is the face behind the astonishingly popular Man vs. Baby blog. Having started it in 2015, Matt has covered everything: from monsters under the sofa (he’s called Brian, actually), to nappy disasters and ‘Profanity Bingo’, he offers a brutally and refreshingly honest, no-holds- barred account of fatherhood – swears included. Tickets £15
Booking Fees Apply | harrogateinternationalfestivals.com
Saturday 19 October
9
9.30am | Rhik Samadder: I Never Said I Loved You Magnetic, a joker, and a celebrity favourite, Rhik Samadder is an author and journalist as charismatic as they come. But behind closed doors, Rhik struggled with depression for many years. When Rhik finds himself on an unlikely backpacking trip with his mother, he seizes the opportunity: to own his depression, to understand it, and to find out where it came from. Join Rhik as he discusses his journey of investigation, healing and recovery. I Never Said I Loved You is the powerful and poignant story of how Rhik learned to let go, and then keep going. Tickets £12
11am | S.G. Maclean: The Bear Pit Cast your mind back to 17th century England, where conspiracy is rife, and fearsome officer of Thomas Cromwell’s Protectorate, Damian Seeker, is solving a murder mystery, to great critical acclaim. Not all graduates get to use their degrees, but S.G. MacLean puts her PhD in history from the University of Aberdeen to good use. Combining her love of Scottish history and her crimewriting finesse, S.G. Maclean pulls the reader back to the atmospheric setting of 17th century London during the tumultuous period of Thomas Cromwell and the Royalists. Tickets £12
12.30pm Jessica Fellowes: Bright Young Dead Jessica Fellowes is no stranger to the glitz and glamour of the 1920s. Niece of Julian Fellowes, Jessica wrote several of the official companion books to the TV series Downton Abbey, and then embarked on The Mitford Murders, bringing the sumptuous sparkle and blissful escapism of the Golden Age back into the 21st Century with a crime fiction twist! Bright Young Dead brings the inspiration for Downton Abbey to the forefront with her knowledge of the era which brought us flapper dresses and Bright Young Things. Tickets £12
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Saturday 19 October
10
2pm | Thomas Grant: Court Number One Order! Thomas Grant QC is a practising barrister and the Sunday Times bestselling author of Jeremy Hutchinson’s Case Histories. As a professional barrister, who was made a QC in 2013, Thomas had to balance his commercial chancery workload with putting his first book together. Both educational and astonishing, Court Number One: The Old Bailey & The Criminal Trials That Made Modern Britain, tells the story of the venue of some of the most sensational human dramas ever to be played out in a criminal trial; it would be criminal to miss it. Tickets £12
3.30pm | Jon Bentley: Autopia Starting his career behind the camera lens, tech expert and petrolhead Jon Bentley took the wheel as Executive Producer of BBC2’s Top Gear (ever seen a celebrity take the Bentley Bend on the Top Gear test track? Yep, that’s named after him!) and later produced Fifth Gear. He moved in front of the camera as one of the presenters of The Gadget Show and has been one of the faces of the UK’s best-known tech consumer show ever since. Join Jon as he combines his two great passions to discuss Autopia: A Tour of the Future of Cars. Tickets £12
Booking Fees Apply | harrogateinternationalfestivals.com
Saturday 19 October 5pm |
11 John Craven: Headlines and Hedgerows
John Craven is arguably one of the UK’s best-loved broadcasters. A local lad and a TV icon, John was born in Leeds and started his journalistic career as a junior reporter on the Harrogate Advertiser. He later joined the BBC and in 1972 launched the world’s first news bulletin which was accessible enough for children: Newsround. After more than 3,000 editions, John left in 1989 to present Countryfile where he has remained ever since, championing the countryside and investigating rural issues. Headlines and Hedgerows is John’s first and only memoir, detailing the extraordinary and entertaining ups and downs of his long-lasting career. Tickets £17
6.30pm
| Lauren Booth: Finding Peace in the Holy Land
Lauren Booth has had a taste of celebrity: in the 1990s, as ‘Tony Blair’s sister-in-law’, Lauren wrote for The New Statesman and The Mail on Sunday, even appearing on I’m A Celebrity...! Yet, as an infrequent churchgoer, she was drawn to the Holy Land too. Given the chance to visit Palestine, she was astounded by the hospitality she found and became embroiled in the people’s struggle. Lauren converted to Islam in 2010. Join Lauren as she discusses finding faith, love and generosity in one of the world’s most hostile war zones. Tickets £15
Booking Fees Apply | harrogateinternationalfestivals.com
Sunday 20 October
12
10.30am | Onyeka Nubia: England’s Other Countrymen
12pm | Tracy Borman: Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him
Forget pop culture depictions of Tudor Britain: gory, backwards, white.
Divorced, beheaded, died… we all know the rhyme. For centuries, King Henry VIII has been defined by his infamous relationships with his six wives, but what can Henry’s relationships with the men in his life tell us?
A pioneering and internationally recognised historian, Dr Onyeka Nubia’s original research has lifted a veil on the relationship between historic Britain and Africa. He found that Tudors from many walks of life regularly interacted with people of African descent, both at home and abroad, and offers an entirely new perspective on otherness, colonialism, imperialism and the Black British contribution to World Wars I and II. England’s Other Countrymen is a brave and eloquent forgotten history of diversity and cultural exchange and casts a new light on our own attitudes towards race. Tickets £12
Expert historian and Chief Curator for the Historic Royal Palaces Tracy Borman brings her love of history and a fresh perspective to reveal more than ever about one of our best-known Kings in all his multi-faceted, contradictory glory.
Tickets £15
1.30pm | Mark Austin: And Thank You For Watching What can you tell the man who has seen it all? For over thirty years, Mark Austin has covered the biggest stories in the world for ITN and Sky News. As a foreign correspondent and anchorman he has witnessed first-hand some of the most significant events of our times, from losing a friend in ‘friendly fire’ during the Iraq War to covering the end of apartheid in South Africa. And Thank You For Watching is Mark’s candid and revealing insight into the anchorman’s life on the road, and the highs and lows behind the camera that the viewers rarely get to see. Tickets £17
Sunday 20 October 3pm
13
| Music in the 60’s and 70’s:
Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll? It’s all just background noise to this incredible trio of music experts. Join Stuart, Ken and Tom to discuss the music scene in the 60’s and 70’s. On what they learnt, the stories they can tell and how it informed their books. Stuart Cosgrove, originally from Perth, was a fanzine writer on the northern soul scene before rising through to become media editor with the NME and a feature writer for a range of newspapers and magazines. Stuart’s latest book Harlem 69: The Future of Soul focus’ on an important year in the Harlem music scene with the arrests of 21 Black Panther party members and one of the most controversial trials of the era to the return of Jimi Hendrix. Ken McNab is a well-respected journalist with Scotland’s Evening Times and a lifelong Beatles fan. Ken released The Beatles in Scotland in 2012 and his new book, And In The End, tells the story of the last acrimonious days of the Beatles, reconstructing for the first time the dramatic events of 1969. Tom Doyle is an acclaimed music journalist, author and longstanding contributing editor to Q, whose interviewees include Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Kate Bush, Elton John, REM and U2. Tom’s latest book Captain Fantastic: Elton John’s Stellar Trip Through the ‘70s is an intimate look at the rise, fall and rise again of John’s fame-and-drug fuelled decade, with a final section bringing his life up to the present. Tickets £12
4.30pm | Trevor Eve: Lomita For Ever Some people know what they want to be when they grow up from the word go; Trevor Eve studied at the Kingston School of Architecture for three years then suddenly decided to become an actor. A double Olivier Award winner, he has had a stellar career in theatre, film, and television, working with many of the greatest directors on the planet. He became a household name in 1979 playing the BBC detective, Shoestring, which was regularly watched by 23 million people, and has continued wowing audiences in Waking the Dead and Kidnap and Ransom. Rich in wisdom and sympathy, Lomita For Ever is Trevor’s remarkable writing debut. Part noir-thriller, part oddball-romance, part philosophical investigation into the nature of the human soul, Lomita For Ever is rich with wisdom and sympathy. Tickets £12
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Sunday 20 October
14
6pm | Tom Bradby: Secret Service Is there anything Tom Bradby can’t do? Editor, author, journalist, screenwriter and presenter, Tom moved from covering politics, to worldwide events in Asia, to becoming the royal correspondent for ITN – you might even recognize him from News at Ten and political discussion series The Agenda with Tom Bradby. Witnessing seismic events first-hand as a reporter means his several acclaimed novels are gripping, enthralling, and timely. Join Tom as he discusses the highs and lows of his incredible and varied career. Tickets £15
7.30pm | Nikki Welch: The Pocket Guide to Beer Do you know your Pilsner from your Pale Ale? Your Stout from your Saison? Perhaps you’re tired of your usual tipple and need something different? The Pocket Guide to Beer will point your taste buds in new directions. Climb aboard and join Nikki Welsh along a journey using the BeerTubeMap, a unique flavour map that links beers by taste and style. Tickets £15
Booking Fees Apply | harrogateinternationalfestivals.com
How to Book
15
By Phone: 01423 562 303 Online: harrogateinternationalfestivals.com In Person: Harrogate International Festivals, 32 Cheltenham Parade, Harrogate, HG1 1DB Opening Times: Monday to Friday, 10am – 5pm Payment: Harrogate International Festivals Box Office accepts all major credit/debit cards (except American Express), cash and cheques. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Harrogate International Festivals’. Booking Fee: Please note that all transactions are subject to a £1.75 booking fee. Programme Changes: Harrogate International Festivals reserve the right to make alterations to the programme as become necessary including event cancellations. Ticket Delivery: If required, we will endeavour to post all tickets out within 2 working days of making a booking. Tickets will be posted by Second Class Post at a cost of £1.50. Tickets can also be left at the relevant Box Office for collection. Please bring along the order number and any proof of eligibility for any discounted tickets/concessions. Tickets on the door: Subject to availability tickets will be available to purchase on the door 30 minutes prior to the event starting. Be aware events can sell out in advance. Early booking is recommended. Booking fees still apply. Refunds: The Box Office cannot refund money or exchange tickets except in the case of an event cancellation. Harrogate International Festivals will not store your credit or debit card details and payments will be taken on a per transaction basis, as indicated by the card holder via phone or: www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com Please note, full Terms and Conditions can be viewed on our website, alongside our Privacy Policy.
Multibuy Offer… Bundle up to take advantage of our Multibuy Offer. You can now enjoy more events throughout the weekend for less. Book 5 events - receive a 5% discount Book 10 events, receive a 10% discount Book 20 events, receive a 20% discount *Valid for all events excluding the Yorkshire Post Literary Lunch. Not applicable with any other discounts or offers. Please contact the Festival Office for more details or book online and the offer will automatically update when you check out. Harrogate International Festivals is a registered charity, no. 244861. All information correct at time of going to print.
HAR R OG ATE
dates for your diary 2020
Harrogate International Sunday Series January - April Harrogate Music Festival July Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival 23 - 26 July HIF + Across the Year
HIF Presents Across the Year Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival 22 - 25 October To find out more and for our full programme of events please visit
| harrogateinternationalfestivals.com