16–25 November folkestonebookfest.com
Creative Partner
Supported by
WELCOME TO THE FOLKESTONE BOOK FESTIVAL 2018 human rights lawyer Philippe Sands on the origin of the concept of genocide. The 2018 Folkestone Book Festival will be the most international ever with an Indian Day, an American Day and a Turkish night, not to be missed. There will be an eclectic range of talks from healthy eating to remaining sane in an increasingly difficult world, fighting plastic to fighting tax evasion, graphology, astronomy, politics, philosophy, art, and of course comedy. This will be my biggest festival with 50 events (including a fabulous kids’ programme). It should make you think, travel, discover new ideas, enjoy yourselves and want to continue the conversation. It will also be my seventh and last book festival and I want to thank you all for having been such a great and appreciative audience. I hope this year won’t disappoint! Geraldine D’Amico Curator, Folkestone Book Festival
Programming is a little like cooking a feast for people you like: you want something nourishing but not too filling, a mix of flavours, savoury, sweet, spicy, maybe a few surprises, but above all food that all your guests will enjoy. This year, we open the festival and the Christmas festivities with the inspiring novelist Kit de Waal. Half Irish, half Jamaican, her novels are beautifully humane and moving. We will be delighted during the week to welcome the great Jenni Murray, Britain’s best-loved cartoonist Posy Simmonds, former children’s laureate Anthony Brown, singer songwriter Viv Albertine, historian Bettany Hughes, to name but a few. History buffs will be able to choose from a number of talks ranging from Alison Weir on Jane Seymour, Lord Spencer on Charles I, Peter Hart on the end of WW1, Duncan Barrett on the occupation of the Channel Islands, Agnès Poirier on the Left Bank and the great
Take Advantage of our Great Pricing Offers! Folkestone Book Festival Pass please contact Quarterhouse box office on 01303 760750. You must still book your seat for the events you plan to attend.
EARLY BIRD
Purchase your Folkestone Book Festival tickets before and inclusive of Sunday 16 September 2018 and benefit from reduced prices. Concession/ Friends and group bookings discounts (see below) will not apply for this period.
INDIAN DAY PASS
To attend all 6 events of our Indian Day (Sun 18 Nov), you can now purchase a Pass for £40 or during the early bird period for only £30. For Friends & concessions the Indian Pass is £35. To purchase this Pass please contact Quarterhouse box office on 01303 760750. You must still book your seat for the events you plan to attend.
GROUP BOOKINGS
For those of you who want to purchase quite a few tickets we have put together a great offer! Purchase 6 or more full adult rate, concession/ Friends tickets for any Folkestone Book Festival events and receive a 10% discount on final price. To benefit from this offer please call Quarterhouse Box Office on 01303 760750. This offer doesn’t apply for free events or during the early bird period.
US DAY PASS
To attend all 6 events of our US Day (Sun 25 Nov), you can now purchase a Pass for £32 or during the early bird period for only £28. For Friends & concessions the US Pass is £30. To purchase this Pass please contact Quarterhouse box office on 01303 760750. You must still book your seat for the events you plan to attend.
CONCESSIONS
Concessionary rates apply where stated to under 21s, full time students, registered unemployed and registered disabled. Just show us a proof of status! FOLKESTONE BOOK FESTIVAL PASS
Enjoy unlimited access to all Folkestone Book Festival events (workshops not included) for only £160. You can purchase your Festival Pass for only £140 during the early bird period (see above). For Friends of the Book Festival, the Festival Pass is £130 (proof should be provided). To purchase your
SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS PROGRAMME
Every time you book your tickets online, over the phone or in person, please donate towards our programme of events for schools. Your support will ensure that we continue to offer these events for free to all primary schools. The festival is supported by the Canterbury Christ Church University Bookshop. Signed copies are available at almost all events, and key titles include a special discount for all festival goers. For more information – please contact booksellers who will be happy to help. @cccubookshop @ccculibrary www.canterbury.ac.uk/bookshop
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FRIDAY 16 NOVEMBER
SATURDAY 17 NOVEMBER
FICTION
FAMILY
Kit de Waal talks to Claire Armitstead about her Irish and Caribbean origins, why becoming a writer late was a good thing for her, campaigning for working class writers, love, loss and creativity. Kit de Waal grew up in Birmingham. She worked for fifteen years in criminal and family law, was a magistrate for several years and sits on adoption panels. Her first novel, My Name is Leon is a heartbreaking story of love, identity and learning to overcome unbearable loss. Her latest novel, The Trick of Time is an unforgettable tale of grief, longing and a love that lasts a lifetime. She used part of her advance to fund a scholarship to Birkbeck, University of London’s MA in Creative Writing for a writer who couldn’t otherwise fund their studies. 7pm / £10 / Friends & concessions £8 / Early bird £7
One of the world’s most celebrated creators of picture books, with classics such as Gorilla, Voices in the Park, Willy the Wimp and Zoo to his name. 11.30am / Adults £6 / Children £5 / Family £20 (2 adults, 2 children)
Kit de Waal
Anthony Browne
NATURE
Oceanopedia: 291 Extraordinary Things You Didn’t Know about the Sea Blowfish
The seas of our planet cover more than seventy percent of the Earth, but still remain shrouded in mystery. We know more about the surface of the Moon than we do about the lifeforms that have existed in the Earth’s oceans since long before humans became explorers of the deep. Blowfish, a marine biologist and star presenter of BBC Earth and ITV’s Fishing Impossible, reveals some of the fascinating facts that lurk beneath the waves, from the invisible world of meiofauna living in the sands of our beaches to a cephalopod called the ‘Vampire Squid from Hell’ stalking the lightless depths. 1.30pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6
CREATIVE QUARTER
Christmas Lights Switch-on! Dig out your festive jumper, get Bublé back on your playlist and join us for the Creative Quarter Christmas lights switch-on! What better way to kick off the festive season in Folkestone’s Creative Quarter, than with an evening of light, song and cheer. This year we are delighted to welcome author of My Name is Leon, Kit de Waal, who will be counting us down to the big switch-on and launching Folkestone Book Festival 2018. To get you in the festive spirit, local choirs will be bringing the streets to life with song, our creative businesses will be stunning crowds with their Christmas window displays and shops will have extended opening hours – perfect for a spot of Christmas shopping! Join us for this thoroughly joyous evening, meeting at the top of The Old High Street on Friday 16 November at 5.30pm
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SATURDAY 17 NOVEMBER FOOD
The Angry Chef: Bad Science and the Truth about Healthy Eating
SATURDAY 17 NOVEMBER Block
WORSHOP
CUT GLUE MAKE DO
Anthony Warner
Never before have we had so much information available to us about food and health. There’s paleo, detox, gluten-free, alkaline, the sugar conspiracy, clean eating... Unfortunately, a lot of it is not only wrong but actually harmful. So why do so many of us believe this bad science? Anthony Warner is a professional chef and blogger. A regular contributor to New Scientist and The Pool, his blog has been featured in The Guardian, Mail on Sunday and other publications. In 2017, he was named on The Telegraph’s Food Power list of tastemakers changing the way we eat and drink. He lives in Nottinghamshire, blogs at angry-chef.com and you can follow him @One_Angry_Chef 3pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6 CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP
Word Play
Francesca Baker Words matter. But it’s important to also have a little fun. In this workshop we will do lots of short and snappy exercises to remind us to be a little playful with words. By the end of the session we will have written some spritely sentences, played with paragraphs – and smiled lots. 3pm to 5pm / Maximum 15 participants / £15 / Friends & concessions £13 / Early bird £12 (Not included in the Festival Pass)
Emily Martin
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Stamping stories! Make your stories and narratives come to life by creating your own stamps from polytiles and plasticine. 12pm–3.30pm, Free
HERstory
A History of Britain in 21 Women Jenni Murray
They were famous queens, unrecognised visionaries, great artists and trailblazing politicians. They all pushed back boundaries and revolutionised our world. Jenni Murray presents the history of Britain as you’ve never seen it before, through the lives of twenty-one women who refused to succumb to the established laws of society, whose lives embodied hope and change, and who still have the power to inspire us today. Jenni Murray is a journalist and broadcaster who has presented BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour since 1987. She is the author of several books, including Memoirs of a Not So Dutiful Daughter. 6pm / £10 / Friends & concessions £8 / Early bird £7 COMEDY
I’m a Joke and So Are You: A Comedian’s Take on What Makes Us Human
MENTAL HEALTH
Memory, Identity and Who We Become When We’re No Longer Ourselves
Robin Ince
Jules Montague
From dementia and brain injury to sleep disorders, coma, and multiple personality disorder, leading neurologist and journalist Dr Jules Montague explores what remains of the person left behind when the pieces of their mind go missing. She addresses questions about how we remember, think and behave. Why do some memories endure and others fade? Why do you sometimes forget why you went into a room? And what if rather than losing memories, your mind creates false ones – are they still yours, and do they still make you, you? 4.30pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6 Box Office 01303 760750
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Why do we make the choices we do in life? Where does anxiety come from? Why are we like we are? To try to understand the world around us and answer those questions, Robin Ince has spent decades mining our eccentricities and he has interviewed a bevy of A-list comedians from Jo Brand and Tim Minchin to Ricky Gervais – as well as neuroscientists, psychologists and doctors. Tonight he will offer some answers. 7.30 pm / £10 / Friends & concessions £8 / Early bird £7
Event supported by
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SUNDAY 18 NOVEMBER
INDIAN DAY PASS £40 / FRIENDS & CONCESSIONS £35 / EARLY BIRD £30
HISTORY
SUNDAY 18 NOVEMBER WORKSHOP
Railways and the Raj Christian Wolmar
India’s first line was not completed until 1853 but, by 1929, 41,000 miles of track served the country. This vast network was a means for the colonial power to govern the huge country, serving its British economic and military interests. The Indian Railways network remains one of the largest in the world, serving over 25 million passengers each day. Christian Wolmar examines the chequered role the railways have played in Indian history and the creation of today’s modern state. 11am / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6 FOOD
Flavours of India Chetna Makan
“Open Mouth, Story Jump out!” Storytelling for Beginners Nick Hennessey
Ever wondered what it would be like to tell a traditional story? Ever wished you had a story to tell? Then this workshop is for you – a complete beginner’s introduction to storytelling. Drawing on our inherent skills at spinning a yarn and focusing on traditional stories, we will look at language, rhythm and gesture to help you take your first steps in telling a story. It takes courage to invite the listeners’ attention and it takes skill to hold it. With care and support, Nick will lead you towards learning how to honour the listener and the story in equal measure. 2pm to 4pm / Maximum 15 participants / £15 / Friends, concessions £13 / Early bird £12 (Not included in the Festival or Day Pass)
The author of The Cardamom Trail and Chai, Chaat & Chutney talks about the history of Indian herbs and spices, and the incredible food she discovered while travelling around India. Chetna took part in the Great British Bake Off in 2014 and will tell us how to introduce Indian ingredients into traditional Western favourites. 12.30 pm/ £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6
FICTION & FILMS
Fictional India
Rachel Dwyer & Vaseem Khan Rachel Dwyer, professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema at SOAS, has recently completed Bollywood’s India: Indian cinema as a guide to modern India. Vaseem Khan is the author of the Baby Ganesh Detective Agency novels – a series of crime novels set in India. Both are fascinated by elephants. Chaired by Adrienne Loftus Parkins, a consultant to literary festivals, awards and the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, founder of the UK’s first pan Asian literature festival in London. 3.30 pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6
POLITICS
A Great Democracy?
Mukulika Banerjee & Salil Tripathi India is the largest democracy in the world with more than 800 million people eligible to vote out of a population of 1.3 billion but how successful is it? It has been marred by corruption and violence and its current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is feared to favour Hindu extremists. Dr Mukulika Banerjee is associate professor, director of the South Asia Centre at LSE and author of Why India Votes? which offers a fascinating account of the Indian electorate through a series of comprehensive ethnographic explorations conducted across the country. Salil Tripathi has been a foreign correspondent in Singapore and a contributing editor to Indian publications. He now works at a human rights organization in London and has been a visiting fellow for business and human rights at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. 2pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6 Box Office 01303 760750
INDIAN DAY PASS £40 / FRIENDS & CONCESSIONS £35 / EARLY BIRD £30
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SUNDAY 18 NOVEMBER
INDIAN DAY PASS £40 / FRIENDS & CONCESSIONS £35 / EARLY BIRD £30
LITERATURE
MONDAY 19 NOVEMBER HISTORY
Amit Chaudhuri in conversation with Mukulika Banerjee
To Catch a King Charles Spencer
In January 1649, King Charles I was beheaded in London and Britain became a republic. When his eldest son, Charles, returned in 1651 to fight for his throne, he was crushed by Cromwell’s armies. Charles Spencer, bestselling author of Killers of the King, uses Pepys’ account and many others, to retell this epic adventure of his amazing flight. 12 noon / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6
Award-winning author of elegant novels; exquisite poet; influential essayist and literary critic; editor of the Picador Book of Modern Indian Literature; singer in the North Indian classical tradition and music composer, Amit Chaudhuri was born in Calcutta but brought up in Bombay and now lives in India, the UK and France. He will tell us about his India, his love of experimental music, as well as literary activism. 5pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6
PSYCHOLOGY
Reading Between the Lines Emma Bache
Handwriting is as unique as a fingerprint and is a fine motor co-ordination between the brain and the hand. It is an extension of our body language and reveals a plethora of information about the writer, both long established character traits but also transitory emotions and behaviour. Emma Bache tells us what our handwriting reveals about us. She will give a short presentation of what graphology is about and do some on the spot analysis. You may be surprised by how much she can read between the lines. 2pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6
PERFORMANCE
Kali – The Story of the World’s Wildest Goddess Emily Hennessey & Sheema Mukherjee
From demure housewife to bloodthirsty goddess, gurgling infant to elephant man, meditating sage to cosmic fire-eater, Hindu mythology illuminates a mindblowing world of radical transformations. Kali is one of the wildest shapeshifters of all. Demon-slayer, life-saver, supreme-mother, destruction-dancer, this goddess is truly awesome. Join storyteller, Emily Hennessey and sitar player extraordinaire, Sheema Mukherjee on a white-knuckle tuc-tuc ride through sun-kissed palaces, fiendinfested forests and every cacophonous saffron-scented marketplace in between. 7pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6 Box Office 01303 760750
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HISTORY
Hitler’s British Isles Duncan Barrett
Duncan Barrett is the internationally bestselling author of The Sugar Girls, GI Brides and The Girls Who Went to War. For his new book, he interviewed more than a hundred men and women who lived through the German occupation of the Channel Islands during WW2. In this talk he shares some of their remarkable tales – the true stories behind the fiction of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. By turns tragic, heroic and hilarious, they shine a light on what life was like for the only British population to live under the Third Reich and offer a glimpse into the alternate history we might have lived through if Hitler’s invasion of mainland Britain had gone ahead as planned. 4pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6 11
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MONDAY 19 NOVEMBER PHILOSOPHY
How the World Thinks Julian Baggini
Philosopher Julian Baggini has travelled the globe to find out how our ancient philosophical traditions both shape and reflect how we think today. He has ended up with a hugely wideranging map of human thought covering the West, East Asia and the Muslim world and the oft-neglected philosophies transmitted in oral traditions, with particular focus on Africa and Australia’s first peoples. Interviewing thinkers from all around the world, he asks why, for instance, is the West seen as more individualistic than the East? Why is secularism not as powerful a force in the Islamic world as in Europe? Why has China been able to resist pressures for greater political freedom? He argues that by gaining greater knowledge of how others think, we can also understand ourselves better. 6pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6
TUESDAY 20 NOVEMBER SCHOOLS
Gillian McClure Gillian McClure is an author and illustrator with a Primary Teaching Diploma. She has many years’ experience of doing fun, hands-on illustration and writing workshops in Primary schools using her own stories and pictures to inspire pupils’ own creativity. 11.30am & 1.30pm HISTORY
Left Bank: Art, Passion and the Rebirth of Paris 1940-50 Agnès Poirier
A captivating portrait of those who lived, loved, fought, played and flourished in Paris between 1940 and 1950 and whose intellectual and artistic output still influences us today, among them Norman Mailer, Miles Davis, Simone de Beauvoir, James Baldwin, Juliette Greco, Alberto Giacometti, Saul Bellow and Arthur Koestler. 3pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6
TECHNOLOGY
How to Be Human in the Age of the Machine Hannah Fry
Welcome to the age of the algorithm, the story of a not-too-distant future where machines rule supreme, making important decisions – in healthcare, transport, finance, security, what we watch, where we go, even who we send to prison. So how much should we rely on them? What kind of future do we want? Hannah Fry takes us on a tour through the good, the bad, and the downright ugly of the algorithms that surround us. Dr Hannah Fry is an associate professor in the Mathematics of Cities at the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis at UCL. She regularly appears on radio in the UK including on her long running BBC Radio 4 show The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry. 7.30 pm / £10 / Friends & concessions £8 / Early bird £7
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HISTORY
Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen Alison Weir
Alison Weir draws on new research for her portrayal of Jane Seymour, the third of Henry’s queens, casting fresh light on both traditional and modern perceptions of her. A woman of courage and compassion, coming from a family tainted by scandal, Jane was driven by the strength of her faith, and a belief that she might do some good in a wicked world. Bringing new insight to this compelling story, Weir marries meticulous research with gripping historical fiction to re-create the dramas and intrigues of the most renowned court in English history. 4.30pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6 13
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TUESDAY 20 NOVEMBER
WEDNESDAY 21 NOVEMBER
HISTORY
SCHOOLS
The Last Battle: Endgame on the Western Front
Piers Torday
Peter Hart
By August 1918, the outcome of the Great War was not in doubt: the Allies would win. But what was unclear was how this defeat would play out – would the Germans hold on, prolonging the fighting deep into 1919, with the loss of hundreds of thousands more young lives, or could the war be won in 1918? Peter Hart brings to life the dramatic final weeks of the war, as men fought to secure victory, with survival seemingly only days or hours away. Peter Hart is the oral historian at the Imperial War Museum and has written several titles on the First World War. His latest books for Profile are Gallipoli, The Great War and Voices from the Front. 6pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6 SCIENCE
The Book of Humans Adam Rutherford
Humans are the slightest of twigs on a single family tree that encompasses four billion years and a billion species. All of those organisms are rooted in a single origin, with a common code that underwrites our existence. This paradox – that our biology is indistinct from all life, yet we consider ourselves to be special – lies at the heart of who we are. Geneticist Adam Rutherford explores how many of the things once considered to be exclusively human are not: we are not the only species that communicates, makes tools, utilises fire, or has sex for reasons other than to make new versions of ourselves. Evolution has, however, allowed us to develop our culture to a level of complexity that outstrips any other observed in nature. 7.30pm / £10 / Friends & concessions £8 / Early bird £7
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Piers will explain how he became an author, and what inspired him, including a chance encounter with Roald Dahl when he was a child. Students can hear the real life childhood adventure which later inspired The Last Wild trilogy, as well as find out more about the environmental themes behind the book. He also talks about the importance of stories, and tells the very personal one which led to There May Be A Castle. 11.30am & 1.30pm INTERNATIONAL EVENING
Turkish Evening
Zenne Dancer A feature film about a German photo-journalist in Istanbul without much knowledge about Turkish values; a flamboyant, out and proud male belly dancer with lots of love and support from his family; and Ahmet, born to an eastern and conservative family whose quest for honesty and liberty results in a tragic end. Controversial and groundbreaking, Zenne Dancer is inspired by the true story of a gay man, who was probably murdered by his father in 2008. It was shown round the world to considerable acclaim. Directed by Caner Alper and Mehmet Binay. Runtime 103 minutes. 2012 4pm / £5 / Friends & concessions £4 Jeremy Seal, Barbara Nadel & Alev Scott with Lennox Morrison Turkey is a beautiful and fascinating country, with an extraordinary history, a rich culture, a bridge between Europe and Asia, geopolitically and strategically essential. It radically embraced modernity with Atatürk. The country has had to deal with terrorism and mass migration, as well as wars on its borders. It is a secular, parliamentary republic, yet, today, one may wonder whether president Erdoğan’s nationalist policies could put its democracy in peril. Our three speakers know the country inside and out. Barbara Nadel is an award-winning crime-writer. Her Inspector Ikmen series is set in Turkey. Journalist Alev Scott explored what it meant to be Turkish in Turkish Awakening. Ottoman Odyssey reveals the legacy of its influence on people from the Balkans to the Levant and the integral diversity threatened amid rising nationalism. Jeremy Seal is a travel writer, journalist, book reviewer, sometime broadcaster and tour leader. Meander: East to West Along a Turkish River recounts his journey by foldable canoe down the river Meander. 7pm / £10 / Friends & concessions £8 / Early bird £7 15
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THURSDAY 22 NOVEMBER
FRIDAY 23 NOVEMBER
MENTAL HEALTH
HOBBIES
Christina Patterson
Simon Garfield
The Art of Not Falling Apart Christina Patterson’s life has not gone as she wished. She fought serious illness, lost her job as a journalist and never found everlasting love. She was angry but never gave up and decided to understand how we can, not just survive, but celebrate life as an adventure. She will share with us some of her findings and inspire us to learn how to ditch our expectations, raise a glass and prepare for a rocky ride. 1.30pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6 HEALTH
The Language of Kindness: A Nurse’s Story Christie Watson in conversation with Francesca Baker
Christie Watson was a nurse for twenty years. Taking us from birth to death and from A&E to the mortuary, she gives us an astonishing account of a profession defined by acts of care, compassion and kindness. 3pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6
In Miniature Why are we so fascinated by model villages, miniature food and the flea circus? Part of the answer lies in our desire to control an unruly world, while another part may be found in our obsessive human desire to achieve perfection. Simon Garfield is the author of 18 hugely varied books of nonfiction, including the bestsellers Just My Type, On The Map and Mauve. In this richly illustrated talk, he explains how to see, learn and appreciate more with less. 12 noon / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6 GRAPHIC NOVEL
Cassandra Darke Posy Simmonds
SCIENCE
Astronomy
Posy Simmonds’ graphic novels have always put a magnifying glass on British society and domestic life. Her new book, Cassandra Darke, is the story of a mean, selfish art dealer, living in Chelsea in a house worth £7 million, convicted for fraud and forced to venture out of her rich enclave. Posy Simmonds is the author of many books for adults and children, including Gemma Bovery, Lulu and the Flying Babies and Fred, the film of which was nominated for an Oscar. She has won international awards for her work. Both Gemma Bovery and Tamara Drewe have been made into successful feature films. 1.30pm / £10 / Friends & concessions £8 / Early bird £7
Jane Green
In this talk, Jane Green, Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, presenter, author and broadcaster, challenges our perceptions of the other ‘stars’ behind some of astronomy’s most revolutionary discoveries. It is a powerful, revelatory tale of ‘secret’ pioneering women, starting with Wiltshire-based Caroline Herschel, and casts light not only on other female ‘computers’ and scientists but also on their wondrous celestial milestones. It is a story where strength has no gender, imagination no race and courage is without limit. 5pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6 AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Viv Albertine in conversation with Melita Dennett
To Throw Away Unopened is the follow up to the best-selling Clothes, Music, Boys by punk pioneer (of The Slits), artist and writer Viv Albertine, in which she has reinvented the memoir genre with her unflinching honesty. A fearless dissection of one woman’s obsession with the truth about family, power and her identity as a rebel and outsider. With the inimitable blend of humour, vulnerability, and intelligence that makes Viv Albertine one of our finest authors working today, To Throw Away Unopened smashes through layers of propriety and leads us into a new place of savage self-discovery. 7.30pm / £10 / Age 14+ (under 16s to be accompanied by an adult) Box Office 01303 760750
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FRIDAY 23 NOVEMBER
SATURDAY 24 NOVEMBER
ART FILM
FAMILY
WORKSHOP
Followed by a Q&A with Jake Auerbach + Tom Phillips
Matt Haig
Gwen Ramsay
Tom Phillips’ Personal Portrait of a Place Each spring, artist Tom Phillips walks a nine mile circle taking photographs in 20 specific places. These photographs are, as far as is possible, taken from the same spot in the same direction with the same framing. The project was begun in 1973 and over the years some views have changed dramatically while others seem virtually untouched by time. The photographs, when seen together, reveal the quirky and sometimes inexplicable effect of human beings on their surroundings. The result is an eternal, evolving portrait of Phillips’ neighbourhood in South London. 3pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6
Father Christmas
My Folk Story
Matt presents his third book in his charming festive series: Father Christmas and Me. Will Amelia and the elves be able to stop the jealous Easter Bunny from stopping Christmas? For anyone who believes in the impossible... 10.30am / Adults £6 / Children £5 / Family £20 (2 adults, 2 children) / Age 7+
Using old books, screen prints and spray paint, we will make and illustrate our own stories. Experiment with blow pens, spray paint machines and stencils, to create book covers that tell your stories. 11am–3pm, Free
ENVIRONMENT
Turning the Tide on Plastic Lucy Siegle
ART CRITICISM
Forms of Enchantment Marina Warner
In this illustrated talk, Marina Warner shares her passion for art and explores some of the stories and symbols to which artists – Louise Bourgeois, Damien Hirst, Joan Jonas and Kiki Smith – allude in their work. She argues that art and aesthetics increasingly fulfil a magical social function and unite the imagination of the artist, writer and reader. 5.30pm / £10 / Friends & concessions £8 / Early bird £7 HISTORY/HUMAN RIGHTS
On the Origins of “Genocide” and “Crimes Against Humanity” Philippe Sands
MENTAL HEALTH
Notes on a Nervous Planet
Matt Haig in conversation with Susanna Howard
The international rights lawyer explores how personal lives and history are interwoven. Drawing from his acclaimed book, East West Street – part historical detective story, part family history, part legal thriller – he explores the emergence of the concepts of crimes against humanity and genocide, the events that overwhelmed his family during the Second World War, the legacy of 1945 and the power of memory and imagination. His talk will throw new light on our understanding of history and how civilization has tried to cope with mass murder. East West Street won the 2016 Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction. Philippe Sands is Professor of Law at University College London and a practising barrister at Matrix Chambers. 7pm / £10 / Friends & concessions £8 / Early bird £7 Box Office 01303 760750
Without big action, at the current rate, pieces of plastic will outnumber fish in the ocean by 2050. That is the legacy we are leaving our children and grandchildren. Journalist, broadcaster and eco lifestyle expert Lucy Siegle provides a powerful call to arms to end the plastic pandemic along with the tools we need to make decisive change. She provides a clear-eyed, authoritative and accessible guide to help us take decisive and effective personal action. If only 12 of us adopt Lucy’s ‘reduce, rethink, refill, refuse’ approach, we could potentially ditch 3K–15K single items of plastic in a year. When we consider our power as influencers – whether at school, the hairdressers, at work or on the bus – we suddenly become part of something significant. 12 noon / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6
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Rates of stress and anxiety are rising. We are more connected, yet feel more alone, and we are encouraged to worry about everything from world politics to our body mass index. How can we stay sane on a planet that makes us mad? How do we stay human in a technological world? How do we feel happy when we are encouraged to be anxious? After experiencing years of anxiety and panic attacks, Matt Haig began to look for the link between what he felt and the world around him. This is a personal and vital look at how to feel happy, human and whole in the twenty-first century. 1.30pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / early bird £6 19
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SATURDAY 24 NOVEMBER
SATURDAY 24 NOVEMBER
PHILOSOPHY
POLITICS
Edith Hall
Oliver Bullough
Aristotle’s Way: How Ancient Wisdom Can Change Your Life Aristotle was an extraordinary thinker, perhaps the greatest in history. His deepest belief was that we can all be happy in a meaningful, sustained way – and he led by example. In this handbook to his timeless teachings, professor Edith Hall shows how ancient thinking is precisely what we need today, even if you don’t know your Odyssey from your Iliad. Life deals the same challenges – in Ancient Greece or the modern world. Aristotle’s way is not to apply rules – it’s about engaging with the texture of existence and striding purposefully towards a life well lived. 3pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6
From ruined towns on the edge of Siberia, to Bond-villain lairs in Knightsbridge and Manhattan, something has gone wrong with the workings of the world. Investigative journalist Oliver Bullough shows us how the institutions of Europe and the United States have become money-laundering operations, undermining the foundations of Western stability. He also presents the heroic activists around the world who are fighting back. This is the story of wealth and power in the 21st century. It isn’t too late to change it. 6pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6
HISTORY
Istanbul
Bettany Hughes
POLITICS
How Democracy Ends
“I first travelled to Istanbul 30 years ago – and was immediately enraptured. This metropolis has been a cornerstone of the most powerful of civilisations – and has fuelled and dashed the dreams of women and men across millennia… As Istanbul races up the modern political agenda, new archaeology is allowing us, for the first time, to piece together the full story of a brilliant and a brutal, history-making settlement, inhabited since 6000 BCE.” Join award-winning historian, author and broadcaster, Bettany Hughes, as she discusses her latest book, Istanbul, a Tale of Three Cities. 7.30pm / £10 / Friends & concessions £8 / Early bird £7
David Runciman
Democracy has died hundreds of times, all over the world. We think we know what that looks like: chaos descends and the military arrives to restore order, until the people can be trusted to look after their own affairs again. However, there is a danger that this picture is out of date. Until very recently, most citizens of Western democracies would have imagined that the end was a long way off and very few would have thought it might be happening before their eyes. David Runciman, one of the UK's leading professors of politics, surveys the political landscape of the West, helps us to spot the new signs of a collapsing democracy and advises us on what could come next. Sponsored by the Friends of the Book Festival in memory of Nick Spurrier 4.30pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6 Box Office 01303 760750
Moneyland: Why Thieves and Crooks Now Rule the World and How to Take it Back
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SUNDAY 25 NOVEMBER
US DAY PASS £32 / FRIENDS & CONCESSIONS £30 / EARLY BIRD £28
READING GROUP
SUNDAY 25 NOVEMBER
US DAY PASS £32 / FRIENDS & CONCESSIONS £30 / EARLY BIRD £28
ECONOMY
Celebrate the Sisterhood: 150 Years of Little Women Dr Stefania Ciocia
What is the secret of the enduring popularity of Little Women? Why does the March sisterhood inspire such fierce loyalty in its fans? Come and join our book-club for a lively, wide-ranging discussion about Louisa May Alcott’s classic coming-of-age narrative and your own relationship with Little Women. This event welcomes readers of all ages, genders and persuasions regarding who the best March sister is (though we all know it’s Jo, really). The discussion will be led by Dr Stefania Ciocia, reader in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Canterbury Christ Church University, who has been under the spell of Little Women since she first read it as a child. 10.30am / £5 / Friends & concessions £4 FAMILY
Pinkerton Mystery and How to Write a Great Story
The Almighty Dollar: Follow the Incredible Journey of a Single Dollar to See How the Global Economy Really Works Dharshini David
It’s not always easy to grasp the complex forces that are shaping our lives. But by following a dollar on its journey around the globe, we can start to piece it all together. The dollar is the lifeblood of globalisation. Economist Dharshini David lays bare these complex relationships to get to the heart of how our new globalised world works, showing who really holds the power, and what that means for us all. 2pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6
Caroline Lawrence
In a lively talk illustrated by images from her books, including The Pinkerton Mystery, a new series set in the Wild West, packed with danger and deadly desperados, million-selling author Caroline Lawrence shares some of her best writing tips. From how to get an idea for a story and the secret ingredient of a good hero, to how to create the other characters and build a powerful plot line. Pure gold for wannabe writers aged 8 – 80... 11am / Adults 6 / Children £5 / Family £20 (2 adults, 2 children) (Not included in the Festival and Day Pass) SOCIOLINGUISTICS
The Prodigal Tongue: The LoveHate Relationship Between British and American English Lynne Murphy
The English language is a beautiful thing, but it suffers under relentless assault from Americans who want nothing more than to corrupt the mother tongue. That’s what we’re told. But what’s the truth? And whose language is it anyway? 12.30pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6 Box Office 01303 760750
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POLITICS
The Despot’s Apprentice: Trump’s Attack on Democracy Brian Klaas
Donald Trump isn’t a despot, but he is increasingly acting like a despot’s apprentice. Whether it’s attacking the press, threatening the rule of law, or staffing the White House with family members and cronies, Trump is borrowing moves from the world’s dictators. An expert on authoritarianism, Brian Klaas argues forcefully that with every autocratic tactic or tweet, Trump further erodes democratic norms in the world’s most powerful democracy. He explores the unique threat that Trump poses to global democracy – and how to save it from him before it’s too late. 3.30pm / £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6 23
www.folkestonebookfest.com
SUNDAY 25 NOVEMBER
US DAY PASS £32 / FRIENDS & CONCESSIONS £30 / EARLY BIRD £28
HISTORY
COMPETITIONS AND OTHER EVENTS FOLKESTONE WRITERS
Behold, America: A History of America First and the American Dream
Short Story Competition FOLKESTONE WRITERS are running their annual competition in connection with The Folkestone Book Festival for stories of 1500 to 2000 words. See how to enter on the book festival website. Readings of the winning stories and prize giving on Wednesday 21 November at 3.00 p.m. at Sunflower House, 45 Foord Road, Folkestone. Free event.
Sarah Churchwell
What does it mean to put America first and what exactly are Americans supposed to be dreaming of – personal wealth, public power, racial equality, political refuge, individual freedoms? What happens when these values collide? ‘America first’ and the ‘American dream’ were born nearly a century ago and instantly tangled over capitalism, democracy and race. Invoked most recently in Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, they came to embody opposing views in the battle to define the soul of the nation. As America struggles again to project a shared vision, Professor Sarah Churchwell argues that these terms need to be understood afresh so that the true spirit of America can be reclaimed. 5pm/ £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6
CHRISTMAS @ CREATIVE QUARTER
The Secret Postcard Show
The Creative Quarter’s Secret Postcard Show returns for its third year. Inspired by the longestablished RCA show, artists, designers and makers are invited to create new, thoughtprovoking work in the form of a postcard! Every original artwork will be available to purchase for £30 each, with money raised donated to a local charity. All of the artworks are anonymously displayed, but expect to see lots of familiar artists. Arrive early to avoid disappointment. Friday 16 – Sunday 25 November, 12–5pm. Launch: Thursday 15 November, 5–7pm. Location to be revealed. For more information visit www.creativequarterfolkestone.org.uk
PERFORMANCE
Woody Guthrie and the Dust Bowl Ballad: Words & Music Nick Hayes & musicians
Forged in the Dustbowl of the 1930s, in an America crippled by the Great World Recession, Guthrie found solace in song, and soon those songs became the voice of the people – men and women who had seen their lives deracinated and destroyed by the vicissitudes of global economic forces beyond their control. Guthrie’s influence lives on, a touchstone for Bob Dylan, The Clash and the protest singers of the Occupy movement today. In this talk interspersed with tunes, Nick Hayes brings a legend to life and shows how music refuses to obey the arbitrary borders set out by states, and how culture steals and appropriates as part of its organic growth. 6.30 pm/ £8 / Friends & concessions £7 / Early bird £6
Box Office 01303 760750
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CHRISTMAS @ CREATIVE QUARTER
Creative Quarter Carol Service Don’t miss the Creative Quarter’s third carol service in partnership with St Mary and St Eanswythe’s Church. This special evening is the perfect opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate the festive season over a mince pie and a warming glass of mulled wine. As well as traditional Christmas carols, the service also features a programme of live music, readings and performances by members of the creative community. St Mary and St Eanswythe’s Church, Wednesday 12 December, 7pm. Free and open to all. For more information visit www.creativequarterfolkestone.org.uk 25
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All details are correct at time of publishing (July 18). The Creative Foundation reserves the right to change the programme and introduce special offers and discounts without prior notice. These will not apply to tickets already purchased before the announcement. Updates will Sbe andgavailable on the Folkestone Book Festival and Quarterhouse ate Hill websites and at the Quarterhouse Box Office. Latecomers will not be allowed into their seats until a suitable break in the performance. Audio recorders, cameras and mobile phones may not be used in Cliff Road the venue. The management reserves the right to refuse admission. All tickets are non-transferable and will be void if re-sold. Some performances may contain strong language and adult themes, The Grand we reserve the right to decline refund requests on the basis of The Leas event content being deemed inappropriate.
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Group bookings For those of you who want to purchase quite a few tickets we have put together a great offer! Purchase 6 or more full adult rate, concession/Friends tickets for any Folkestone Book Festival events and receive a 10% discount on final price. To benefit from this
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Access Quarterhouse is a fully accessible venue. Please inform the Box Office of your requirements.
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Support our Schools Programme Every time you book your tickets online, over the phone or in person, please donate towards our programme of events for schools. Your support rdens will ensure that we continue to offerGthese rimston Gaevents for free to all primary schools.
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US Day Pass To attend all 6 events of our US Day (Sun 25 Nov), you can now purchase a Pass for £32 or during the early bird period for only £28. For Friends & concessions the US Pass is £30. To purchase this Pass please contact Quarterhouse box office on 01303 760750. You must still book your seat for the events you plan to attend.
Refunds We regret that tickets cannot be exchanged or money refunded, except in the case of a cancelled event.
Early Bird Purchase your Folkestone Book Festival tickets before and inclusive of Sunday 16 September 2018 and benefit from reduced prices. Concession/Friends and group bookings discounts (see below) will not apply for this period.
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Ticket Collection Tickets that are paid for in advance can be collected on the day, up to 30 minutes prior to the event. Tickets can also be posted to you at an additional charge of 50p. Please check your tickets on receipt.
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Indian Day Pass Cheri ton R oad all 6 events of our Indian Day (Sun 18 Nov), To attend you can now purchase a Pass for £40 or during the early bird period for only £30. For Friends & concessions the Indian Pass is £35. To purchase this Pass please contact Quarterhouse box office on 01303 760750. You must still book your seat for the events you plan to attend.
Taxis JJ’s Taxis: 01303 244 442 Premier Cars: 01303 270 000
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Payment Cheques to be made payable to the Creative Foundation and can only be used in person at the Box Office. Credit and debit cards carry a £1.00 fee per transaction.
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Telephone 01303 760750
Parking Parking is available at Quarterhouse (50 Spaces). Parking permits can be purchased from the pay and
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Opening times Monday to Saturday – 10am to 5pm Sunday – Closed (except on event days) Box Office reopens at 6pm on event nights
By Car From the M20, turn off at junction 13 and follow signs to the Harbour. SAT NAV USERS – CT20 1BN
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In Person Quarterhouse Box Office Quarterhouse Mill Bay, Folkestone, Kent CT20 1BN
By Bus or Coach A direct National Express coach service runs from London Victoria Coach Station to the main bus station in Bouverie Square, Folkestone. Stagecoach operates a network of routes linking local towns and villages to Folkestone.
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Folkestone Book Festival Pass Enjoy unlimited access to all Folkestone Book Festival events (workshops not included) for only £160. You can purchase your Festival Pass for only £140 during the early bird period (see above). For Friends of the Book Festival, the Festival Pass is £130 (proof should be provided). To purchase your Folkestone Book Festival Pass please contact Quarterhouse box office on 01303 760750. You must still book your seat for the events you plan to attend.
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Please click on the event name and then BUY TICKETS to be taken through to our secure online ticket office.
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Concessions Concessionary rates apply where stated to under 21s, full time students, registered unemployed and registered disabled. Just show us a proof of status!
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Online Buy tickets online from: www.quarterhouse.co.uk www.folkestonebookfest.com
display machine located in the Quarterhouse car park. Prices are £1 per hour, up to £5 for the day. Parking is free after 6pm. For more information please call Quarterhouse Box Office. Other parking includes, Tram Road (2mins), Payers Park (2mins) and the Harbour car park (5mins). All council car parks charge daily fees starting from £1 per hour.
How to find Quarterhouse By Train High speed trains run regularly from London St Pancras International (journey time 57 Minutes). The last return train from Folkestone to London is at 22:56. Folkestone Central Station is a short walk from the centre of town and approximately 15 minutes from Quarterhouse. National Railway Enquiries – 08457 484 950 or www.nationalrail.co.uk
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BOOKING TICKETS
offer please call Quarterhouse Box Office on 01303 760750. This offer doesn’t apply for free events or during the early bird period.
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VIV ALBERTINE ANTHONY BROWNE KIT DE WAAL HANNAH FRY MATT HAIG BETTANY HUGHES ROBIN INCE CAROLINE LAWRENCE JENNI MURRAY BARBARA NADEL ADAM RUTHERFORD PHILIPPE SANDS POSY SIMMONDS CHARLES SPENCER MARINA WARNER ALISON WEIR
www.folkestonebookfest.com Facebook: /FolkestoneBookFestival Twitter: @FstoneBookFest
Join the Friends Sponsor the Festival and enjoy the benefits The Friends are a sociable group of people who offer support and sponsorship to Festival events. Your membership of the Friends is an important element in ensuring the future success of the Book Festival. For an annual membership fee of £10 single, £15 double (couples/friends) you can enjoy the following benefits and make a vital contribution to the Folkestone Book Festival. — Sponsorship of Festival events — Concessions on Festival tickets — Newsletter — Book groups — Opportunities to meet new people and make new friends To join the Friends please email info@bookfestfriends.com