FRIDAY 8 OCTOBER
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11 Town Hall 5-6pm £7 Following mayflies dancing above the water and otters slipping through reeds, Philippa Forrester and Charlie Hamilton James’ Halcyon River Diaries captures their family’s experience of life on the riverbank. The awardwinning wildlife filmmakers join us for a beautifully illustrated, intimate portrait of a secret world.
Horizons: Writers in Residence
CREATING IMAGINARY LANDSCAPES
Nalo Hopkinson, Shandi Mitchell & Lisa Moore 12 Town Hall 5-6pm £6 Award-winning writers Nalo Hopkinson, author of The Salt Roads and The New Moon’s Arms, Lisa Moore, author of Open and February, and Shandi Mitchell, author of Under This Unbroken Sky, are three of Canada’s leading novelists, whose work shares singular vision and intensity. They discuss the key decisions they make when starting a novel, and how those decisions influence the development of plot, character and language. And what are the key pieces of advice each would give to new or aspiring writers? Join them to find out.
13 Town Hall 6.30-7.30pm £9 From the shrieking, door-slamming ghost of Hinton Manor to the headless bear of Kidderminster, the English reputedly see more ghosts than any other nation. In this spine-tingling event, renowned novelist and historian Peter Ackroyd joins us to discuss The English Ghost, his chilling new compilation of spectre sightings through the ages.
16 Everyman Theatre 7-8pm £7 Res The Reader by Bernhard Schlink, a novel about the legacy of the Holocaust, has enjoyed global renown since it was first published in 1995. In a rare UK visit and Festival exclusive, its acclaimed author joins us to discuss his writing, including his latest novel, The Weekend.
BERNHARD SCHLINK
JOHN BOYNE & JOSEPH O’CONNOR
19 The Inkpot 8.45-10pm £7 Res Join two acclaimed Irish novelists as they discuss how they translate fact into fiction. John Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, explores the last years of the Romanovs and the outbreak of the Russian Revolution in The House of Special Purpose, while in Ghost Light, Joseph O’Connor, author of Star of the Sea, explores the life and relationships of playwright J M Synge.
Hauntings
GUILLERMO DEL TORO
14 Town Hall 7-8pm £7 Multi award-winning Guillermo del Toro, writer and director of Pan’s Labyrinth and the Hellboy series, is one of the most visionary and inventive filmmakers working today. He joins us in a Festival exclusive to discuss his brand new novel, The Fall, the sequel to his acclaimed debut The Strain, which forms part of his modern-day vampire trilogy, co-authored with Chuck Hogan.
JAMES ELLROY
17 Everyman Theatre 8.45-10pm £8 Res Celebrated for his laconic prose style, James Ellroy is the bestselling author of L A Confidential, The Black Dahlia and Blood’s a Rover. He joins us on a rare visit from the US and reflects on his memoir, The Hilliker Curse, which takes an unflinching look at his shattered childhood, delinquent teens, breakdowns and love affairs. Chaired by Ramona Koval.
SIMON HOGGART
ANDREW MARR
A Long Lunch
18 Main Hall 8.45-10pm £12 Res We are delighted to welcome celebrated journalist and presenter Andrew Marr for an exclusive Festival event. Exploring the impact of technology on our consumption of journalism, he joins us to consider the impact of the Internet on the reporting of current affairs and asks what is the future of news?
15 Town Hall 7-8pm £8 One of our wittiest political commentators, Simon Hoggart shares some of his funniest memories in his hilarious memoirs A Long Lunch. What really happened at the Lady Chatterley trial? What exactly did Enoch Powell say to Bill Haley? And just why did John Sergeant drive a flight attendant to fury? Find out the answers to all these and more as he looks back on forty years of journalism.
MARK KERMODE
20 Garden Theatre 9-10pm £9 Res Outspoken, opinionated and never lost for words, Mark Kermode is the UK’s leading film critic. Join the famed quiffwearer, Exorcist enthusiast and sometime cult figure for some wittertainment as he discusses the reel life adventures of a film obsessive, and to find out why sometimes It’s Only a Movie.
THE UK ALL STARS POETRY SLAM! QUALIFIER 21 HSBC Book It! Tent 7-8.30pm £4 Fancy a starring role in the UK’s slam extravaganza (event 60)? Then take a stanza on stage and see if your poetry and performance has what it takes. Or come and join the applaudience – there’s all to cheer for! Twenty poets only, first come first served, contact Marcus Moore on 01285 640470 or email spielunlimited@gmail.com
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HALCYON RIVER DIARIES
Horizons
PETER ACKROYD
Marcus Moore
HI
Secret Gardens
Hauntings
Mark Kermode
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B31 HSBC Book It! Tent Age 13+ 5-6pm £6 (£4) Acclaimed author, Sharon Dogar, will be discussing her much talked about new novel, Annexed, and answering questions on this poignant comingof-age story. A unique opportunity to explore the fictionalised account of Peter van Pels’ journey from life in the Annexe with Anne Frank to his tragic end in the concentration camps.
James Ellroy
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ANNEXED
Andrew Marr
11
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10 Everyman Theatre 5-6pm £8 Res Melvyn Bragg is familiar to millions, both as the presenter of the thoughtprovoking In Our Time on BBC Radio 4, and for the long-running arts documentary series, The South Bank Show. He joins us to look back over his long and distinguished career as broadcaster and writer.
Joseph O’Connor
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MELVYN BRAGG
John Boyne
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Bernhard Schlink
ME MB
Guillermo del Toro