The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival 2018 Brochure

5–14 October 2018 Box Office 01242 850270 cheltenhamfestivals.com @cheltlitfest

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS Title Partners

Principal Partners

Major Partners

Strategic Partner

Official Hospitality Partner

Registered charity in England (No. 294344) and in Scotland (No. SC038885)

CONTENTS Page 4–5 Festival Village: Site & Venue Map Page 6–9 Activities, Bookshop & Catering On Site Page 10–14 Behind The Programme

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Page 15 Lit Crawl & Free Events ...around town Page 16–17 Supporting Emerging Talent Page 24–112 Festival Programme: Day-by-day Event Guide

Page 117 Acknowledgements Page 118–121 Index Page 122 Booking Information & Directions

WELCOME

Caroline Hutton Chair, The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival

I am very proud to welcome you to The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival 2018.

With hundreds of events for all interests and ages within a short stroll of each other in beautiful Cheltenham, the Festival is an unique opportunity to be inspired by the finest writers and speakers of our contemporary culture.

It is an absolute privilege to work with our participants, the Festival team, sponsors and you, our valued audience, who make each day at the Festival such a hugely enjoyable and exciting place to be. Have a wonderful time!

Programme Highlights Family Events

Great Nights Out

LF06 SPYDER page 38 LF18 A History Of Absolutely Everything page 41 LF55 The Quick Draw! page 101 LF62 Philip Pullman page 103 LF78 Ruby Redfort Show page 112

L022 Romesh Ranganathan page 28 L094 A Night Of Leonard Cohen page 50 L153 Jo Brand page 69 L251 Dinner With Oz Clarke page 88 L293 Marcus Brigstocke page 99

Fiction Greats

Unique Experiences

L044 David Mitchell page 34 L055 Sebastian Faulks page 36 L083 Elif Shafak page 48 L124 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie page 75 L280 The 2018 Man Booker Prize page 96

L025 David Attenborough’s Jungle Boogie page 28 L043 Celebrate With...Sebastian Faulks page 34 L194 A Sensational Lunch page 78 L273 The Cheltenham Booker: 1958 page 94 L316 Mostly Lit Live page 107

The Best For First-Timers

Current Affairs

Lit Crawl page 15 L010 Faber Proof Party page 26 L118 Graham Norton page 60 L277 Caitlin Moran page 95 L288 At Home With Honey & Co. page 97

L029 The Korean Peninsula page 31 L070 A Second Term For Trump? page 44 L085 #MeToo? page 48 L263 Is A Degree Worth the Debt? page 91 L272 Is Liberal Democracy Dying? page 93 03

Full site opens Friday 5 October, 11am Free entry

The Woodland Trust Wild Wood Daily, 10am–4pm

Spend some quality family time in the Festival’s lively woods. More on page 8.

Waterstones Children’s Bookshop Drop in to browse the bookshelves, meet authors and get your books signed.

More on page 7.

Beano Challenge Trail

Town Centre, Parabola Arts Centre, Hotel du Vin, Town Hall, No.131, House of Fraser, Lit Crawl ...around town

Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham, GL50 1UW

MONTP ELLIER WALK

FESTIVAL VILLAGE

Picnic Area

The Hive

The Woodland Trust Wild Wood

Buggy Park The Nook

Beano Challenge Trail The Inkpot Waterstones Children’s Bookshop The Den The Chatterbox

Main Entrance

The Times Literary Supplement

Box Office B John Lewis Nyetimber Bus Playground Skate Park

Daily, 10am–4pm

Join our comic trail – simply pick up a trail sheet from the Regent Arcade tent in The Woodland Trust Wild Wood.

A Beano Studios Product. © D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd 2018.

The Chatterbox Daily, 10am–4pm

Bring your imagination and pop in to make your very own origami chatterbox.

More on page 8.

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The Den

John Lewis

6–7 Oct & 13–14 Oct, 10am–4pm

Say hello to your new John Lewis. Enjoy a little hospitality and discover more about the exciting new shop opening in Cheltenham.

The Times Literary Supplement

Food & Drink

Brimming with drop-in activities for families on both weekends during the Festival. More on page 8.

Pick up your FREE copy of the special Festival edition of The Times Literary Supplement.

Relax and refuel with snacks and drinks in the Feast Café or grab some treats from our street food traders. More on page 6.

MONTPEL LIER SPA R OA

Other Venues The Swan

D

Cheltenham Town Hall

GL50 1QA Incl. Baillie Gifford Stage, Pillar Room, Waterstones Bookshop and Festival Box Office 0.3 miles / 5 minute walk

VIP Lounge

Baillie Gifford Prize Draw

In Association With Cunard

Take part in the prize draw at the Town Hall or in the Festival Village for your chance to win a luxury break to Edinburgh.

Drinking Water

The Times Forum

Feast Café Waterstones Bookshop The Huddle Festival Bar

The Bookstand

GL50 3AA 0.2 miles / 3 minute walk

House of Fraser

GL50 2AE 0.3 miles / 5 minute walk

Drinking Water Picnic Area a

No.131

The Daffodil

Bonne Maman Street Food

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre

Hotel du Vin GL50 3AH 0.3 miles / 5 minute walk

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre The Daffodil

The Gardens ardens Gallery Ga

GL50 1NW 0.1 miles / 2 minute walk

GL50 1HP 0.5 miles / 9 minute walk

Cheltenham College Chapel GL53 7LD 0.4 miles / 7 minute walk

The Swan GL50 1DX 0.6 miles / 11 minute walk

MONTPELLIER TERRACE The Huddle

The Bookstand

Bonne Maman

The place to grab a cuppa and continue those thought-provoking discussions or enjoy free pop-up performances and brain teasers.

More on page 9.

A cosy outdoor lounge, featuring book swaps and pop-up events.

Try Bonne Maman’s Madeleines, crafted from natural ingredients to a generations-old French recipe.

Waterstones Bookshop Pop along to book signings with your favourite authors and celebrities or lose yourself among the shelves. More on page 7.

Nyetimber Bus The luxurious top deck of The Nyetimber, a reimagined 1968 Routemaster bus, will provide the ideal spot from which to savour a perfectly chilled glass of Nyetimber.

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Food & Drink Whether you’re after a quick bite to refuel in between Festival events, fancy a relaxed meal, or want to be inspired by renowned chefs and authors in our series of scintillating food events, we’ve got you covered.

Feast Café If you’ve got food on your mind, drop in and enjoy a delicious selection of hot and cold food, pastries, cakes and more. A great place for your morning coffee with the newspaper, afternoon tea with a friend or a relaxed drink at the Festival Bar. Continue the discussions from our events and enjoy free pop-up performances in The Huddle.

Street Food At the heart of the Festival surrounding the cosy Bookstand, take your pick of cuisine from around the world brought to you by a range of food traders. Soak up the Festival atmosphere and relax underneath our picnic canopy, no matter what the weather.

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No.131

The Daffodil

In the heart of Cheltenham, No.131’s Georgian townhouse boasts eclectic and contemporary interiors. Delve into a menu that showcases No.131’s culinary vision surrounded by a strong portfolio of British artworks.

Check out the bespoke Festival lunch & supper menu at theluckyonion. com/litfest or call No.131 on 01242 822 939 and quote LiteratureFestival to book your spot.

This venue is a hidden gem, tucked inside an Art Deco former cinema.

Join our many Festival guests for a series of delectable events. Go on culinary adventures around the globe, discuss current affairs with The Times over breakfast or have a grand night out over three-course dinners with some of Britain’s best chefs.

IS PROUD TO SUPPORT

Waterstones Bookshop

Waterstones Bookshop In Cheltenham Town Hall

Situated at the heart of the Festival Village and with the very best selection of new books alongside classics and bestsellers, our Waterstones Bookshop is curated especially for this year’s Festival and the visiting writers. Browse the shelves between your Festival events, meet your favourite authors and celebrities and get your books signed.

You can also find us in Cheltenham Town Hall’s Drawing Room, where we invite you to browse the selection of Festival titles or have your book signed following events on the Baillie Gifford Stage and in the Pillar Room.

Waterstones Children’s Bookshop Especially for the Festival’s smallest visitors, our Waterstones Children’s Bookshop invites you to discover and rediscover the works from all your favourite children’s writers and illustrators – meet your hero at a signing or be entertained at one of our regular storytimes.

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Free Activities In The Festival Village As well as our packed programme of events, there’s plenty more to discover on site – and for FREE! Daily

Dancing Through The Rain Come along to an exhibition of poetry and photography from students participating in Beyond Words, a Cheltenham Festivals outreach programme. Students are from Gloucestershire Hospital Education Service and the University of Gloucestershire.

Daily

The Chatterbox Pop in and make an origami chatterbox, hang a leaf on our Tree of Hopes and Dreams and have fun coming up with ideas and answers to our curious questions – just bring your imagination!

Free Family Fun Spaces and places for families buzzing with free activities and pop-up events – perfect for a family day out!

Daily

Daily

The Woodland Trust Wild Wood

Beano Challenge Trail

Go on a Bear Hunt, meet favourite book characters, hear storytellers and visit the Woodland Trust Trailer for games, activities and more.

Celebrate 80 years of the Beano comic by following our poster trail through The Woodland Trust Wild Wood with fun activities to do along the way. Pick up a trail sheet from the Regent Arcade tent.

A Beano Studios Product. © D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd 2018.

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6–7 Oct & 13–14 Oct, 10am–4pm

The Den Colour, stick, cut, build, imagine and create your own fantastic dragons and decorations with Creation Station. Arty activities for ages 4–12 and their families.

The Huddle Whether you’re after stimulating talks or great entertainment, you’ll find a host of free events in The Huddle in our Feast Café.

8–12 Oct, 11am–12pm

8–12 Oct, 4.30–5pm

The Times Crossword

Cheltenham Writes!

Settle in as The Times Crossword Editor Richard Rogan takes you through the mysteries of the day’s crossword puzzles with a helping hand or a tantalising hint where needed!

To celebrate the incredible talent of our local authors, we’ve invited five of them to read from their books and talk about their experiences as writers.

8–12 Oct, 11.30am–12pm & 2.30–3pm

A Very Short Introduction To… Big topics, short talks. Join experts for concise and accessible intros to mind-expanding subjects.

In association with Oxford University Press.

Also Don’t Miss...

Daily

Daily

The Bookstand

Gardens Gallery

Take a break and grab a book in our cosy outdoor lounge in the middle of the Festival Village. Read the morning paper, swap some books or get a front row seat for pop-up performances throughout the Festival.

An exciting exhibition of contemporary designer-makers from The Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsmen. With daily demonstrations including bookbinding and calligraphy.

For more information visit gardensgallery.co.uk or guildcrafts.org.uk

WIN a £2,000 Travelbag Holiday Voucher Enter at The Huddle, Montpellier Gardens

book with the

WORLDWIDE EXPERTS

Visit your local Travelbag shop at 10-12 Pittville Street Cheltenham or visit travelbag.co.uk 09

FESTIVAL THEME: EAST MEETS WEST

Nicola Tuxworth Head of Programming, The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival

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For centuries we in the West have been fascinated by the culture and history of East Asia, from our early veneration of the fragility and beauty of Chinese porcelain to the tranquil and beguiling rituals of traditional Japanese society such as Hanuma – cherry blossom viewing. In 2018 we Brits are embracing Japanese and Chinese writing, film, design, food and theatre, and are travelling to both countries in increasing numbers to see for ourselves.

This year, in a programme packed with fascinating insights, the Festival looks East, far beyond our fractious and divided neighbours in Europe to a fascinating region which is changing rapidly and rising in global influence. We welcome a host of writers, experts and cultural commentators across our collections to bring you a unique programme of stimulating discussion, gloriously illustrated talks and to guide you through some of the best contemporary and classic writing from the region. Many have flown in specially to join us.

As ever, there is something for everyone in our East Meets West collection. In Art and Design we join the V&A’s curators to marvel at the fabulous treasures in the East Asian Galleries, and uncover the little-known story of Van Gogh’s obsession with Japanese woodcuts. In our Lifestyle events why not

travel around Japan tasting specially selected Japanese whiskies, understand the links between Zen Buddhism and Japanese garden design and experience the history of the ‘Disney of Japan’: Studio Ghibli? In Fiction we celebrate the work of the outstanding cult Japanese author Haruki Murakami and explore the East Asian canon more widely with authors such as Masatsugu Ono, Madeleine Thien, Sayaka Murata, Min Jin Lee and Xiaolu Guo. Our resident Haiku poet demonstrates the beauty and brevity of this succinct form. History buffs will be fascinated by the story of The Silk Road, the great trading route between East and West, the emergence of Japan from self-imposed isolation during the Meiji restoration and the amazing discovery of the iconic terracotta army. Travel events include a guide to the extraordinary metropolis of Tokyo with insiders Ian Buruma and Asa Yoneda.

Last year on these pages I wrote of ‘an unprecedented year of political turmoil’ but 2018 seems to laugh in the face of even that piece of hyperbole, with a disrupter in the White House and a seemingly ever-more entrenched and bitter political divide at home.

Our hugely popular collection of Current Affairs events brings an extraordinary cohort of experts and analysts to interrogate the state of the world and take the political temperature at home and abroad. Will peace break out on the Korean Peninsula? Is China the next superpower? Will the tragic conflict in Syria ever end? The sharp minds of our Times and Sunday Times journalists will be at work and on stage, cutting through the noise to tell you the real stories behind the news – and The Times Debate tackles a topic of huge significance: Is Liberal Democracy Dying?

So join us in Cheltenham in October as we look to new horizons.

Follow our theme badge through the Festival programme – from page 24.

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GUEST CURATORS

Box Office 01242 850270

At Cheltenham, we pride ourselves on bringing you a programme that you won’t find anywhere else. That’s where our Guest Curators come in.

Here’s our fantastic line-up for 2018.

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Sebastian Faulks

Scarlett Curtis

Tristram Hunt

One of Britain’s foremost novelists, Sebastian Faulks’ books range from the classics Human Traces and Birdsong through to more light-hearted ventures, such as the Ian Fleming centenary James Bond novel Devil May Care and a tribute to P.G.Wodehouse, Jeeves and the Wedding Bells.

Scarlett Curtis is currently contributing editor at Elle UK and writes a weekly column called The Generation Z Hit List for The Sunday Times Style magazine. In 2017, Scarlett co-founded The Pink Protest, a feminist activist collective committed to helping young people take action online and in real life.

Since his appointment as Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2017, Tristram Hunt has prioritised support for design education in UK schools, expansion of the photography department and encouraging debate around the history of the museum’s global collections. Prior to joining the V&A, he was a Labour MP and Shadow Secretary of State for Education.

”With so many new novels published every year, we’d like to look at which old books can still move us and ask which new ones might be escaping us – and why. As well as simply swapping enthusiasms for this unruly, occasionally transcendent form.”

“I truly believe books can be a “Bringing together leading powerful tool for activism, femi- curators and cultural experts, nism and are the most accessible we have developed a strand tool that young people have to of events that will celebrate the change the world. After I left rich history and culture of the school at fourteen and became Far East, inspired by the many confined to a wheelchair, fiction treasures housed at the V&A. saved my life in so many ways.

I look forward sharing some I can’t wait to bring this joy, highlights from the V&A’s education and inspiration to remarkable Asian Collection Cheltenham Literature Festival.” with Cheltenham.”

L042 Celebrate With...Sebastian Faulks page 34 L055 Sebastian Faulks page 36 L065 Heathcliff vs Darcy: Who’s The Bigger Sh*t? page 43 L074 Reading Europe: A User’s Guide page 45 L121 Words And Music Of War page 61

L236 This Book Saved My Life page 85 L254 Social Media: Find Your Tribe page 89 L274 Feminists Don’t Wear Pink (And Other Lies) page 94 L304 We Need To Talk page 106 L322 The Power Of The Teenage Girl page 108

L008 The Kimono page 26 L087 Tristram Hunt page 49 L106 The Art Of Diplomacy page 58 L201 Edmund De Waal: A History Of Porcelain page 78 L222 East Asian Treasures From The V&A page 83 L230 Contemporary East Asian Treasures From The V&A page 83

GUEST CURATORS

cheltenhamfestivals.com

Ensuring that we continue to bring the very best writers and thinkers to Cheltenham, they’ve helped us put together an outstanding and unique programme, lending their expertise to our fiction collection, a series of events discussing young people’s activism and mental health, and this year’s theme: East Meets West.

Peter Frankopan

David Karashima

Junko Takekawa

Peter Frankopan is Professor of Global History at Oxford University, where he is Director of the Oxford Centre for Byzantine Research and Senior Research Fellow at Worcester College.

He regularly writes for the national and international press and his book, The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, topped the non-fiction charts in the UK, India and China, and is a New York Times Top 10 bestseller.

Author, translator and associate professor of creative writing at Waseda University, David Karashima has translated into English works by authors such as Hitomi Kanehara, Hisaki Matsuura and Shinji Ishii, and has co-edited the Contemporary Japanese Novella Series and Keshiki Series celebrating new voices from Japan.

Junko Takekawa is the Senior Arts Programme Officer at The Japan Foundation London, Japan’s principal public body for international cultural exchange. She is responsible for supervising cultural events which aim to encourage UK audiences to create a gateway to Japanese culture and understand more about Japan.

“I am delighted to be working with Cheltenham this year. The Silk Road is the world’s central nervous system and where civilization itself began – I’m very much looking forward to exploring this fascinating region’s past, present and future at the Festival.”

“In recent years the UK has been embracing writing from Japan with renewed vigour and I’m delighted that many of these voices – new and not so new – will be represented this year at the UK’s longest-running literature festival.”

“I’m very honoured to be a guest curator and as a book lover myself, being associated with literature festivals is something more than just a job. It is very timely that Cheltenham Literature Festival features Japan at a time when Japanese books and culture have never been so popular in the UK.”

L242 The New Silk Road page 87 L261 Global China page 91 L299 The Missing Superpowers page 105 LF74 Family Event: Journey Along The Silk Roads page 112

L038 Your Name page 27 L039 Genki Kawamura page 31 L063 Writing Japan: A New Era page 43 L071 Sayaka Murata page 45 L333/L334/L335/L336 A Day of Japanese Cinema page 47 L278 Beyond Murakami: Japanese Literature Today page 95 L305 Masatsugu Ono page 106

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Off The Page

Eclectic, vibrant and bursting with spoken word, comedy and quiz nights, our Off the Page collection shakes up expectations of what you might find at a literature festival.

Catch gigs by ‘the bard of Wiltshire’ Nick Harper, pay homage to the world’s most beloved biologist in our David Attenborough-themed Jungle Boogie and unwind with a pint at the acclaimed shows by Edinburgh Fringe stars Tessa Coates and Rob Auton.

Cheltenham’s renowned for hosting the very best in poetry and spoken word.

Bang Said the Gun help us fire up our opening night. Luke Wright, Murray Lachlan Young and Salena Godden showcase their new shows, the Out-Spoken collective bring a fresh raft of poets and the New York storytelling sensation The Moth flutters in for one night of incredible true-life tales.

Feeling competitive? Test your punning skills at Pundemonium!, compete in our Secret Service Brainteaser Evening or bring a team to Robert Crampton’s ever-popular Quiz Night.

From the world of podcasts, Mostly Lit is bringing a live show as our first Podcast-In-Residence and The Guilty Feminist drops by with a live version.

Then give it a go yourself and get the scoop on starting your own channel in our Digital Content Workshop.

We can’t wait to see you there.

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...around town

brought to you by Cheltenham BID

Lit Crawl Returns...

Saturday 6 October, 5pm–late Charging into the third year, Cheltenham’s streets, bars and bookshops will once again burst at the seams with quirky literary happenings. Get ready for a fast-paced evening of comedy, readings, performances and parties in the hottest venues across town. This is literature done differently. Join us and get drunk on words.

All completely FREE. Look out for our ...around town flyer and check cheltenhamfestivals. com/around-town for our Lit Crawl schedule and participating venues.

Daily

Monster Story Trail Fun for all the family. Follow our Monster Story Trail across town and spot the giant book covers created by local schools. For more details visit cheltenhamfestivals.com

Lit Crawl in partnership with

Fri 5–Sat 6 & Fri 12– Sat 13 Oct, 10pm–1am

After Party @ Bottle of Sauce 8pm–late, Bottle of Sauce Round off your night on the Crawl at the coolest literary house party in town with music and spoken word to keep you going late into the night…

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

Festival Club @ Hotel du Vin When the Festival Village winds down, the Festival Club fires up. Join us afterhours at the Hotel du Vin for music, conversation and late night literary revelry. You never know who you’ll end up rubbing shoulders with…

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Supporting Emerging Talent As a registered charity we are committed to offering an inspirational year-round education programme and talent development opportunities for young people.

Nurturing talent begins in childhood; our inspirational schools programme develops reading and writing for pleasure, and impacts the lives of students, parents and teachers alike.

Year-Round Programmes Words That Burn Supporting students in secondary schools to explore human rights and express themselves through poetry.

The young people involved discover that their voice matters, and their words really do make a difference.

Reading Teachers = Reading Pupils Igniting a love of reading in children by creating spaces for primary teachers to share and discuss children’s books, RT=RP develops teachers’ knowledge and confidence, inspiring them to build reading communities in their schools.

Beyond Words Reaching out to young people unable to attend school due to physical or mental illness and empowering them to find their voices through a writer-in-residence programme.

In partnership with Gloucestershire Hospitals Education Service. See an exhibition of their work at the Festival.

Cheltenham Festivals First Story Placing acclaimed writers in local secondary schools and publishing their work in partnership with First Story. Severn Vale School students’ writing will be presented at the Festival.

Young Writers’ Showcase Friday 5 October, 2–3pm This celebratory event showcases talent unlocked through the Festivals’ year-round outreach programmes: Beyond Words, Words That Burn and Cheltenham Festivals First Story.

To find out more visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/ take-part

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Welcoming Schools To The Festival The Literature Festival welcomes more than 9000 students to be inspired by a host of writers, illustrators and professionals from the publishing industry including Anthony Horowitz, Sarah Crossan and Nadia Shireen.

Creating Opportunities The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival provides an invaluable platform for up and coming talent. Here are just some of the opportunities for emerging authors to showcase their skills.

Proof Parties

The Moth

Introducing upcoming debut novelists pre-publication. Audiences get a copy of the novel in proof form.

From ordinary folk to celebrities, everyone with a flair for the telling of stories is invited to share the stage in this special event.

Fiction @ 7 Focusing on debut or early career novelists.

Cheltenham Writes!

Celebrating the incredible writing talent of authors local to Cheltenham.

Locally Sourced Bringing local talent to the stage and addressing a diverse range of topics.

Lit Crawl

Creative Writing Workshops From story development to tips on how to write the perfect crime novel, budding authors learn from industry experts in our range of hands-on workshops.

To get regular updates about how you can get involved or support our talent development programmes register for our e-news at cheltenhamfestivals.com/ register

A diverse programme of events across Cheltenham town centre, giving a platform to comedians, authors, performers and poets.

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The David Vaisey Prize 2018 The David Vaisey prize will be awarded at this year’s Festival on Sunday 7 October

by Michael Morpurgo. The £5000 prize is for a Gloucestershire library that has increased the reading of books for all ages through an outstanding initiative.

It is the second year of this special prize which celebrates the vital role of libraries in society.

A distinguished panel of judges has considered the submissions from over 20 libraries, with a shortlist of four announced on 17 July.

David Vaisey was born in 1935 and is the son of a Gloucestershire gardener who won scholarships to Rendcomb College and Exeter College, Oxford, and dedicated his professional life to libraries, becoming Oxford Bodley’s Librarian in 1986.

In October 2019 we celebrate 70 years since Cheltenham’s (and the world’s) first ever Literature Festival opened its doors. We will be celebrating in style – and we want you to join us.

Do you have a story to tell us? Do you remember the early days, or do you have a relative who does? Did romance blossom for you at the Festival or did you hear (or even meet) a writer you will never forget? Have you brought school groups or your own children to the Festival? Let us know your funny, sad or surprising stories – we are all ears.

Email us at literature@cheltenhamfestivals.com and make your story part of our story.

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Knowledge and understanding are the water of life.

Libraries are our waterholes. We let them dry up at our peril.

Michael Morpurgo

Make A Difference One Membership supporting four extraordinary Festivals Join online today and enjoy: BRONZE £25 per year ✓ Priority booking Buy up to two full price tickets per event during priority booking.

SILVER £50 per year ✓ Priority booking ✓ Discounted tickets ✓ Third party offers Buy up to four tickets per event during priority booking (one discounted, three at full price).

GOLD £75 per year ✓ Priority booking ✓ Discounted tickets ✓ Third party offers Buy up to six tickets per event during priority booking (two discounted, four at full price).

16–25 Free ✓ Priority booking ✓ 50% discount on walk up tickets one hour before the event

cheltenhamfestivals.com/membership Terms and conditions apply – see cheltenhamfestivals.com

Safeguard the future of Cheltenham Festivals Please consider a gift in your Will By remembering Cheltenham Festivals in your Will you can ensure that future generations are as inspired by the Festivals as you are today.

Every year our charity relies on the generosity of our audiences, supporters and sponsors to enable us to craft our richly diverse programmes to bring the best from the worlds of arts and literature, create unique experiences, invest in and develop new talent and inspire young people through our year-round outreach programmes.

To talk in confidence about gifts in wills please contact Arlene McGlynn on 01242 537252, or email arlene.mcglynn@cheltenhamfestivals.com Charity No. 251765

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A FEAST OF FICTION If you’re a crime and thriller fan, you’re well catered for, with the irrepressible Anthony Horowitz introducing his second James Bond book, Forever and a Day, and the irresistible Ian Rankin discussing his Desert Island books. In one of three special Sunday Times Must Read events, Charles Cumming and Mick Herron are also at the Festival, to talk about the modern art of spy writing.

One of the best things about The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival is the breadth of its commitment to fiction. As this year proves once again, there’s something – and someone – for every taste in the ten days.

Literary fiction enthusiasts have lots of treats in store, with William Boyd, Sebastian Faulks, Pat Barker and Lionel Shriver all making appearances. Two events I’m particularly excited about are a rare UK appearance by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, author of the superb Americanah, and David Mitchell, who is accepting this year’s Sunday Times Award for Literary Excellence.

The Festival, to its great credit, again wanders widely around the world in its search for outstanding novelists. I’m especially looking forward to seeing the Japanese writer Sayaka Murata, whose Convenience Store Woman has won high praise in The Sunday Times, the Turkish novelist and commentator Elif Shafak, and the Canadian novelist Esi Edugyan, author of the Man Booker-favoured Washington Black.

And there’s much more: popular fiction with Ruth Jones and Graham Norton, plus the much-loved Joanna Trollope, Bernard Cornwell and Kate Mosse; two writers, Sarah Perry (The Essex Serpent) and Gail Honeyman (Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine), who have had great success with their latest books; and the unique Fiction at 7 slots, which are a great way to meet up-and-coming writers.

And finally, two special recommendations: one, for Sally Rooney, the young Irish writer whose first novel Conversations with Friends won the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award; and two, for Carys Davies, whose debut West is one of the most perfectly written books I’ve read in a long time, and would be very high on my list of 2018 novels.

Andrew Holgate Literary Editor, The Sunday Times

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TEN DAYS OF BRAIN FUEL FOR HUNGRY MINDS And you may well find the answers at this year’s Cheltenham Literature Festival, an upmarket version of Love Island for people who love books and intelligent discussion.

Is social media the curse of our age? Is liberal democracy dead? Can Islam and feminism mix? Who does Donald Trump’s hair? All good and burning questions, except maybe that last imponderable one...

There will be plenty of brain fuel at this October’s Festival. The great historians Antony Beevor and Max Hastings will be discussing two epic military failures, Arnhem and Vietnam. Andrew Roberts, too, will have plenty to say on Churchillian leadership. If you’re more cloak and dagger, Ben Macintyre and Christopher Andrew will be discussing the dark secrets of spying. You can also hear Mary Beard, a brilliant speaker, explain how women have wielded power from ancient times to today. And how true is Hilary Mantel’s depiction of Thomas Cromwell? Diarmaid MacCulloch has the answers.

There is a flash of Hollywood glamour, too. The Oscar-winning actress Sally Field will be there to discuss her life and career. Rose Tremain will divulge the childhood secrets that made the adult novelist. Whetted the appetite yet? If so, there’s a chance to have lunch with Nadiya Hussain or discuss recipes with Yotam Ottolenghi.

Intelligent debate doesn’t mean lemon-sucking seriousness. There is plenty of wit. Eric Idle will be there to tell us not to be silly chumps and talk about his life. The comic Adam Kay will be confessing what it is like to be a junior doctor (‘Eiffel Tower syndrome’ will make your eyes water). Romesh Ranganathan (‘the most in-demand, overweight, vegan, Sri Lankan comedian in Britain’) and the devilish Marcus Brigstocke will also be keeping it light.

So, if you’re in the mood for enlightenment, join me and my colleagues of The Times at Cheltenham.

Robbie Millen Literary Editor, The Times

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Love a good read?

Be well informed every day.

Our diverse team of journalists provide in-depth news and insight with balanced views to keep you well informed.

Read the stories that matter in The Times and The Sunday Times.

Every October in Cheltenham there is a mini-invasion of journalists from The Times and The Sunday Times.

Both newspapers are proud to be sponsors of Cheltenham Literature Festival and our writers enjoy the chance to take part in ten days of debate and discussion.

Our literary editors Andrew Holgate and Robbie Millen discuss their roles and share their favourite reads of the autumn. Further events include The Sunday Times travel experts on their top ten travel experiences, crossword masterclasses and Robert Crampton’s quiz night.

Catch up on the latest from the Brexit negotiations and the current business climate with Deputy Editor Emma Tucker and Sathnam Sanghera. Join Matt Chorley, editor of the Red Box morning email for a live podcast with Iain Martin, Lucy Fisher, Jenni Russell and Danny Finkelstein as they debate the big political issues. Sarah Baxter, Adam Boulton and the BBC’s Jon Sopel debate a second term for Trump.

Ben Macintyre interrogates the real meaning of the British Empire and how it should be taught to a new generation.

It’s a programme not to be missed – see detailed listings for all our events in the brochure.

We look forward to welcoming you to The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival.

Often outrageous, always hilarious, the No1 Sunday Times bestselling author Caitlin Moran talks about her new novel How to be Famous. And The Times critics reveal what they would pay to see.

23

FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

DAY PLANNER 10am

11am

12noon 1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

10pm

11pm

12pm

1am

The Times Forum L004

LF03

John Simpson

L016

James Campbell

L022

Robert Peston

Romesh Ranganathan

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage L001

Translating Shakespeare In China

L003

L007

Van Gogh And Japan

L018

Andrew Roberts

The Many Fictions Of William Boyd

Town Hall, Pillar Room L006

L011

Follow This Thread

L023

Found In Translation

Bang Said The Gun

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre L005

L009

Vienna’s Modernists: Klimt And Schiele

L014

Anthony Horowitz: James Bond Is Back

L019

Cumming And Herron

Around The World In 80 Days

The Inkpot L002

L008

Cheltenham’s Suffragettes

L013

The Kimono

L020

A History Of Japan And The West

Frankenstein And The Power Of Horror

The Hive LF01

Nick Cope’s Music Show

LS02

LF02

Young Writers’ Showcase

L017

There’s A Yeti In The Playground

Hollie McNish And Hera Lindsay Bird

The Nook L010

Faber Proof Party

L015

The Manga Phenomenon

L021

Debuts And Cocktails

Hotel du Vin L024

Festival Club

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre L038

Your Name

House of Fraser, Basement L025

Attenborough’s Jungle Boogie

24

FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

11am–12pm

L001

Classic Literature

Translating Shakespeare In China Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £8*

1–2pm

L003

Art & Design

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Shakespeare Folio Translation Project brings the two languages and cultures together to produce new Mandarin translations of Shakespeare’s plays.

Owen Horsley directed the first professional staging of Henry V in China.

He is joined by theatre translation expert David Johnston and movement director Polly Bennett – with a filmed contribution from translator So Kwok Wan and project manager Shihui Weng – to discuss how they conveyed the essence of the original text in collaboration with their Chinese cast. Chaired by the Shakespeare Institute’s Abigail Rokison-Woodall.

Programmed in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

11.45am–12.45pm

L002

Van Gogh And Japan Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10*

2–3pm

LS02

Locally Sourced

Vincent van Gogh’s encounter with Japanese ukiyo-e prints during his time in Paris was a defining moment, transforming the direction that his art would take in the years to come. Despite never visiting the country, the artist was captivated by the imagery and style found in the works of Japanese masters such as Hiroshige and Hokusai. Martin Bailey and Monika Hinkel explore the enduring influence of this far eastern country on van Gogh’s life, work and imagination with Christopher Harding.

1.30–2.30pm

L004

Young Writers’ Showcase The Hive £2* Poet and founder of critically acclaimed spoken word night Milk, Malaika Kegode hosts this celebratory event which showcases talent unlocked through Cheltenham Festivals’ year-round outreach programmes: Beyond Words (Gloucestershire Hospital Education Service), First Story (Severn Vale School) and students writing for Amnesty’s Words That Burn. Come and experience the best of our young writers.

2.15–3.15pm

L005

Locally Sourced

Fiction

Art & Design

Cheltenham’s Suffragettes

John Simpson

Vienna’s Modernists: Klimt And Schiele

The Inkpot £8* In a celebration of 100 years since some women first received the vote, Sue Jones speaks to Caroline Sanderson about the local women, and many men, from across the region who fought a valiant and dignified campaign to make their voices heard.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

The Times Forum £10* The BBC’s World Affairs Editor for over 30 years, John Simpson joins Georgina Godwin to discuss writing his first novel, the revelatory thriller Moscow, Midnight which draws upon a remarkable life at the forefront of world events.

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9* 1918 was a seismic year in Vienna. The deaths of two of its foremost artists, Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele, marked the end of an intense period of creativity that had blazed briefly but brilliantly across the city. 100 years on, writer and broadcaster Gavin Plumley explores the art and lives of these two extraordinary icons of modernism against the backdrop of the decadent and glamorous years of fin-de-siècle Vienna.

25

FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER 2.30–3.30pm

L006

L009

4.30–5.30pm

Classic Literature

Fiction

Follow This Thread

Anthony Horowitz: Found In James Bond Translation Is Back Town Hall, Pillar Room

Town Hall, Pillar Room £8* From Theseus’ defeat of the Minotaur in Greek mythology, through the poetry of Homer, Catullus, Virgil and Ovid, to works by Dante, Borges, Kafka and Kubrick, mazes and labyrinths have held an enduring appeal for generations of creatives and storytellers. Join acclaimed classicist and arts writer Charlotte Higgins (Red Thread) and Penguin Classics editor Henry Eliot (Follow This Thread) as they guide you through the history and psychology of these fascinating forms.

3–4pm

L007

History

Andrew Roberts Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £12* The award-winning historian introduces his masterwork Churchill: Walking with Destiny, a landmark reconsideration of the iconic war leader based on his exclusive access to extensive new material – from private diaries and letters to war cabinet meetings.

3.30–4.30pm

L008

Art & Design

The Kimono The Inkpot £8*

As the quintessential symbol of Japan, the kimono has played an important role in global fashion exchange throughout history. In this beautifully illustrated lecture, the V&A’s Anna Jackson explores the significance of this iconic Japanese garment and considers the influence of the kimono on western styles.

26

4–5pm

Box Office 01242 850270

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10* Anthony Horowitz brings James Bond back to life and back to the page in his latest blockbusting thriller Forever and a Day. He talks about the book and the legacy of Bond with Joe Haddow.

4–5pm

L011

Fiction

L010

Fiction

Faber Proof Party

£8* ‘Without translation, we would be living in provinces bordering on silence’ said George Steiner. Publisher and Editor-in-Chief at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Mark Polizzotti’s book Sympathy for the Traitor is an impassioned plea for recognising translation as more than the poor cousin of literature. Double Man Booker International-shortlisted translator Frank Wynne’s Found in Translation brings together 100 glittering stories of world literature. Together with the British Library’s Translator in Residence Jen Calleja they celebrate the art and power of translation.

The Nook £15*

Ticket includes refreshments and a goody bag of limited edition proofs.

Faber’s heritage includes T.S. Eliot, Sylvia Plath and Samuel Beckett. Now Cheltenham audiences get a first look at its 2019 debuts: Claire Adam’s Golden Child is a moving novel about fatherhood and longing for a better life; Bev Thomas brings A Good Enough Mother, a gripping exploration of the complex patient-therapist dynamic; and Claire McGlasson’s The Rapture tells a story of faith, madness, friendship.

Chaired by Caroline Sanderson.

5.30–6.30pm

L013

History

A History Of Japan And The West The Inkpot £8*

In 1853, East and West collided when Commodore Perry arrived off Japanese shores with his gunships, sparking a revolution that would culminate in Emperor Meiji entering Tokyo to herald the birth of modern Japan. Rapid modernisation and industrialisation followed, continuing a relationship with the west that has seen both success and resistance. Historian and writer Lesley Downer (The Shogun Quartet) and broadcaster and Senior Lecturer in Asian History Christopher Harding (Japan Story) trace this fascinating history of cultural exchange with Hashi Mohamed.

FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

6–7pm

L014

6.45–7.45pm

L016

7.15–9pm

Fiction

Current Affairs

Fiction

The Sunday Times Must Reads: Charles Cumming And Mick Herron

Robert Peston

The Many Fictions Of William Boyd

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8*

The Times Forum £14* The hugely popular broadcaster presents WTF, his trenchant and entertaining account of the people’s revolt against politics-asusual. Arguing with characteristic clarity, he looks at the mess facing liberal democracy and issues a passionate call to action.

Chaired by Hannah MacInnes.

Joe Haddow talks to two masters of the spy genre: Charles Cumming has been described as ‘the best of the new generation of British spy writers who are taking over where John le Carré and Len Deighton left off’, while Mick Herron’s hero Jackson Lamb is famed to be ‘the most fascinating and irresistible thriller series hero to emerge since Jack Reacher’.

Together they discuss their acclaimed works and divulge how they create their thrilling tales.

6.15–7.15pm

L015

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £15* In an entertaining, creatively intriguing and revelatory encounter, William Boyd talks about his life as a creator of many fictions, including that of entirely made-up American artist Nat Tate (1928–1960) and the art-world hoax that followed.

Including 15 minute interval.

7–8pm

L017

8–10.30pm

Art & Design

Off The Page

Stage & Screen

The Manga Phenomenon

Hollie McNish And Hera Lindsay Bird

Your Name

The Nook £8*

Manga is big business in Japan: comics make up nearly 40% of the sales of all publications and several weekly manga magazines have among the highest circulations of any magazines. Comics expert, curator and author of Mangasia: The Definitive Guide to Asian Comics Paul Gravett brings together manga artists Chie Kutsuwada and Fumio Obata whose work ranges from manga adaptations of Shakespeare to reportage manga about the aftermath of Fukushima.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

L018

The Hive £10* Superstar of the spoken word scene Hollie McNish returns with her poetry from the frontline of feminism and motherhood. In a rare UK performance she is joined by New Zealand poet Hera Lindsay Bird whose strikingly outspoken debut Hera, featuring the viral poem Keats is Dead So F*ck Me From Behind, has been the fastest-selling book of poetry New Zealand has ever published.

Expect a no-holds-barred hour of words and verse from two of poetry’s most brilliant women.

L038

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £10*

Part body-swap comedy, part timetravel romance, the 2016 film directed

by Makoto Shinkai Your Name broke box-office records to become Japan’s most successful film of all time, and the highest grossing anime film worldwide.

In a rare UK visit, we’re delighted to welcome the film’s producer, Genki Kawamura to introduce a special screening of the film followed by a Q&A.

27

FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER 8.15–9.15pm

Box Office 01242 850270

L019

Travel & Adventure

Mark Beaumont: Around The World In 80 Days The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9* Inspired by Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel, record-breaking endurance cyclist Mark Beaumont talks to Ben Tuxworth about his latest remarkable adventure: cycling over 200 miles a day to circumnavigate the world in less than 80 days.

9–10.30pm

Bang Said The Gun Town Hall, Pillar Room £12*

‘Like all the best things in life, Bang Said The Gun is done with commitment, belief and passion.’

Phill Jupitus

8.15–9.45pm

L021

Fiction

8.15–9.15pm

L020

Classic Literature

Frankenstein And The Power Of Horror The Inkpot £8* Two hundred years ago and countless adaptations later, Mary Shelley in Frankenstein created a monster that still walks among us today. Coupled with the fandom around shows such as Stranger Things and the commercial and critical success of recent horror films Get Out, A Quiet Place and Hereditary, it seems we can’t get enough of scaring ourselves.

‘Prof of Goth’ Nick Groom and Darryl Jones, author of Sleeping with the Lights On: The Unsettling Story of Horror, discuss why with Lliana Bird.

Debuts And Cocktails

The ‘fantastically raucous, irreverent and entertaining’ (Londonist) Bang Said the Gun were voted best UK poetry night by The Times. Expect a loud, boisterous, political, trivial and funny spectacle, described by Kate Tempest as ‘mud wrestling with words’, and by Andrew Motion as ‘a vortex of energy and enthusiasm’.

Guest poets to be announced on cheltenhamfestivals.com

The Nook £12* Ticket includes a drink on arrival.

It’s been a remarkable year for debuts; join us as we raise a glass to three of our favourites. Elaine Castillo’s America Is Not the Heart traces a Filipino immigrant family’s search for the American Dream; Sharlene Teo’s Singapore-set Ponti is a sweeping story of three generations of women and the guilt that ties them; and Imogen Hermes Gower’s The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock is a masterfully plotted story of mermaids, madams and intrigue in 1780s London. Chaired by Anna James.

10pm–1am

8.45–9.45pm

L022

Stage & Screen

Romesh Ranganathan

At the age of 9, Romesh Ranganathan delivered his first ever stand-up set at a Pontin’s Holiday Camp talent competition, smashing the only other competitor, a young girl playing the kazoo. He has since gone on to earn his place as the most in-demand, overweight, vegan, Sri Lankan comedian in Britain. He tells us the full story of how he got here.

L024

Off The Page

Festival Club Hotel du Vin FREE No ticket required See page 15 for details.

11pm–2am

The Times Forum £12*

28

L023

Off The Page

L025

Off The Page

David Attenborough’s Jungle Boogie House of Fraser, Basement (access via The Promenade) £10* Pay homage to the world’s most beloved biologist ahead of his much-anticipated Festival appearance in this David Attenboroughthemed jungle boogie rave! With projections of nature visuals playing behind a DJ who throws down samples of the 92-year old’s narration, ravers can don Attenborough masks, take photos with life-size cut-outs and dance the night away to house, funk and disco under the fake foliage of our Festival jungle. Animal dress-up encouraged!

FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

10–10.45am

LF01

Nick Cope’s Music Show The Hive £6* Ages 2+ 5–6pm

Acclaimed children’s singer-songwriter Nick Cope is a huge hit with kids and parents alike. Singing songs from his new books Why is the Sky Blue?, I Don’t Wanna Do That and The Very Silly Dog, join Nick for a musical session of fun lyrics and catchy melodies.

LF03

James Campbell Stand Up Comedy Show For Kids The Times Forum £6* Ages 6+ and the whole family 4.30–5.30pm

LF02

There’s A Yeti In The Playground!

The Hive £6* Ages 6+ Join Blue Peter Book Award winning author Pamela Butchart as she introduces her brand new book There’s a Yeti in the Playground! Be sure to bring your imagination to make up your own story, find out where Pamela gets her ideas from and perhaps even learn to speak Dundonian.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

Hold onto your socks, take the banana out of your ears and enjoy the best comedy for kids from the man who invented it. James Campbell’s show will find the funny things in everything from pets, couscous, making your own yoghurt, bees or why we have hair, to questions like: Do sausage dogs eat sausages? Or do they just look at them and say, ‘I’m not eating that – it looks like my granny.’

After the event, James will be signing copies of his new children’s book The Funny Life of Pets in the Waterstones Book tent.

29

SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

DAY PLANNER 10am

11am

12noon

1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

10pm

The Times Forum L029

L034

The Korean Peninsula

L040

Kate Atkinson

L049

David Attenborough

L055

Women And Power

L060

Sebastian Faulks

Michael Parkinson: The Best Years

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage L030

L035

Neil MacGregor

L041

Paintings To See Before You Die

L047

Ruby Wax

L053

Prue Leith

L059

The Election Generals

Susan Calman

Town Hall, Pillar Room L026

L031

Once Upon A Time In The East

LF15

Rob Auton’s Talk Show

Young Samurai

L043

L051

L050

Reading Korea

Divided Lands And Family Ties

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre LF04

Anthony Horowitz: Alex Rider

LF11

L037

L044

L032

LF79

L045

Harry Potter

Antony Beevor

David Mitchell

L058

When 26.2 Miles Just Isn’t Enough

A Very British Man

The Inkpot LF05

A Secret Seven Adventure

Islam And The ‘F’ Word

Favourite Childhood Reads

L054

Sarah Perry

David Mitchell / David Peace

The Hive LF06

LF10

SPYDER

LF14

I Bet I Can Make You Laugh

LF17

Little Miss Inventor

LF19

Amelia Fang

L057

Magnificent Magical Stories

The Hansard Report

The Nook L039

Genki Kawamura

L033

L028

David Peace

L046

Ray Antrobus And Rosy Carrick

Critics Of Colour

L052

Donkor And Shukla

The Daffodil L027

L036

The Pool Party

L056

Lunch With Nadiya Hussain

A Taste Of Morocco

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre LF07

LF12

Women Who Made History

LF16

Supertato And Friends

LF18

Astrosaurs vs Cows In Action

A History Of Absolutely Everything

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio LF08

Animal Origami

LF13

LF09

Writing Funny with Miranda Walker

Animal Origami

Hotel du Vin L042

Sebastian Faulks

30

L061

Festival Club

11pm

12pm

SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

10–11.30am

L027

Lifestyle

The Pool Party The Daffodil £20*

Ticket includes brunch.

Smart and witty, The Pool is the online platform producing inspiring and original content for women who are too busy to browse. Start your weekend in the company of three of its most popular contributors: Yomi Adegoke, author of the inspirational guide to life for black women Slay In Your Lane, Style’s former dating columnist Dolly Alderton, whose memoir Everything I Know About Love chronicles her rambunctious, roaring twenties and award-winning journalist Poorna Bell (Chase the Rainbow) join co-founder Sam Baker for brunch.

10–11am

L026

Current Affairs

Once Upon A Time In The East: Xiaolu Guo And Sarah Howe Town Hall, Pillar Room £8*

Once Upon a Time in the East, written after a decade living in Europe, saw Xiaolu Guo revisit her childhood in rural China where she was given away at birth and only met her parents at the age of seven. Chinese-British poet Sarah Howe’s T.S. Eliot award-winning The Loop of Jade is a journey back to Hong Kong in search of her roots and goes to the very heart of her own, her mother’s and China’s recent past. With Arifa Akbar they discuss navigating dual heritages, searching for one’s roots and the powerful interplay of East and West in their lives and writing.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

10.15–11.15am

L039

Fiction

Genki Kawamura

10.30–11.30am

L029

Current Affairs

The Korean Peninsula: Peace At Last?

The Times Forum £10*

For decades the Korean peninsula has lived in the shadow of unresolved conflict and an escalating nuclear threat from the hostile and paranoid regime in the North. Following the extraordinary Trump/Kim summit in Singapore, can the international community relax and look forward to peaceful coexistence with a born-again North Korea? Chatham House Director Robin Niblett brings Jieun Baek, author of North Korea’s Hidden Revolution, author and Korea watcher Paul French and Korea specialist Hazel Smith of SOAS to the table to debate the possible outcomes.

The Nook £8* 10.30–11.30am

L030

Faith

On a special UK visit, we’re delighted to welcome Japanese writer, film producer and Fujimoto Prize-winner Genki Kawamura. Regarded as a leading light among Japan’s younger generation of creatives, his novel Sekai kara neko ga kieta nara (If Cats Disappeared from the World) – to be published for the first time in the UK this September – has sold over a million copies in Japan and his film Your Name has become the highest grossing anime film of all time. He discusses his remarkable body of work to date.

Neil MacGregor: Living With The Gods Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* With characteristic verve, the former Director of the British Museum brilliantly turns a kaleidoscope of objects to discover how rituals and shared narratives have shaped our societies, and explores humanity’s enduring need to believe and belong.

31

SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

12.30–1.30pm

L034

Fiction

12–1pm

L032

Faith

12–1pm

L031

Off The Page

Rob Auton’s Talk Show

Islam And The ‘F’ Word The Inkpot £8*

Town Hall, Pillar Room £10* Award-winning stand-up comedian and poet Rob Auton (Dave’s Funniest Joke Of The Fringe award-winner, Glastonbury’s Poet In Residence) returns with his new show The Talk Show.

Following five-star shows at the Edinburgh Fringe on hair, sleep, water, faces, the sky, beards and yellow, Rob turns his attention to talking because he is ready to talk. ‘ One of my absolute favourites’ Daniel Kitson ‘ Just sad’ Vanessa Feltz

How do you negotiate feminism within a faith that critics regard as inherently patriarchal? Sherin Khankan (Women are the Future of Islam) founded the first mosque for women in Europe and is one of the few female imams worldwide.

Ex-Muslim Aliyah Saleem (Leaving Faith Behind) exposed her conservative Islamic school for its sharia-style rules and the blinkered education it provided.

With legal anthropologist Ziba Mir-Hosseini they discuss whether Islam can cater to a progressive feminist agenda.

Kate Atkinson The Times Forum £10* One of the country’s most extraordinary novelists discusses her new novel Transcription with The Pool’s Sam Baker.

Set in the 1940s and 1950s, Juliet, 18, gets sucked into the world of MI5, not knowing which secrets of the war will come back to haunt her.

12.30–1.30pm

L035

Art & Design

David Peace

Paintings To See Before You Die

The Nook £8*

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £12*

12.15–1.15pm

L033

Fiction

In a visit from Tokyo, author of The Damned Utd, Red Riding Quartet and Tokyo Trilogy David Peace joins Christopher Harding to discuss his acclaimed writing, his long-standing fascination with Japan and his new novel Patient X, inspired by one of Japan’s great writers Ryunosuke Akutagawa.

32

Featuring some of the world’s most celebrated, influential and iconic artworks, the much-loved art historian and broadcaster Andrew Graham-Dixon (Art) shares his definitive guide to the must-see pieces to seek out in your lifetime.

SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

1–3pm

L036

2–3pm

L037

2–3pm

LF79

Lifestyle

History

Classic Literature

Lunch With Nadiya Hussain

Antony Beevor

Brought Up By Books: Favourite Childhood Reads

The Daffodil £35*

Ticket includes a two-course lunch and a glass of wine.

Our favourite Bake Off winner and bona fide national treasure Nadiya Hussain returns to our screens this year with her new BBC Two cookery show and accompanying book Nadiya’s Family Favourites. Join her for a delicious lunch as she shares the food she loves to cook and eat with her family and friends.

With her trademark warmth and wit, she talks to Julia Leonard about juggling work and family, and paints a vibrant portrait of modern, multicultural, busy British life.

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9* In this gripping account, the renowned historian Antony Beevor discusses the terrible reality of Arnhem: The Battle for the Bridges, 1944. He dispels the myths of heroic failure and uncovers the truth about this doomed venture.

The Inkpot £10* Which children’s book was your favourite?

Did you delve into wardrobes looking for magical lands? Or follow rabbits in search of Wonderland? In this celebration of childhood reading and children’s books, bookworms Lucy Mangan (Bookworm), Anna James (Tilly and the Book Wanderers) and librarian Jake Hope talk with Dad Rules columnist and author Andrew Clover (Rory Branagan) about the books they loved and the ones they would and wouldn’t pass on.

2.15–3.15pm

L028

Off The Page

Raymond Antrobus And Rosy Carrick The Nook £8* Hackney-born British-Jamaican poet Raymond Antrobus’ new collection The Perseverance explores the d/Deaf experience, the death of his father and the failure to communicate.

Quick-witted and charismatic, Rosy Carrick’s darkly comedic style and forceful imagery have cemented her place as one of the UK’s most unusual and exciting contemporary poets. She performs from her new collection Chokey. Don’t miss these extraordinary performers.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

33

SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

4–5pm

L043

Fiction

Reading Korea Town Hall, Pillar Room £8*

2.30–3.45pm

Hwang Jungeun, one of the brightest talents of Korean literature whose first novel won the Hankook Ilbo Literary Award and the Korean Booksellers’ Award, launches I’ll Go On, a tender story of love and growth. Discussing the exciting landscape of Korean fiction and translation today, she is joined by translator Emily Yae Won, who also translates works by Ali Smith and Deborah Levy into Korean, and Deborah Smith, Tilted Axis Press founder and Man Booker International-winning translator of Han Kang’s The Vegetarian. Chaired by Rosie Goldsmith.

L040

Nature

Emma Freud Meets... David Attenborough The Times Forum £55*

Ticket includes a signed copy of the new edition of Life on Earth, RRP £25.

Please note that ticket limits per person apply. Visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/ Terms for details.

Forty years since the original publication, David Attenborough discusses his completely new edition of the groundbreaking Life on Earth with journalist and broadcaster Emma Freud.

In association with

Celebrate With...

Sebastian Faulks Hotel du Vin £30*

As Birdsong celebrates its 25th anniversary, Festival-goers are given a rare chance to be part of an intimate audience with Sebastian Faulks as he looks back on his landmark novel, set in France before and during the First World War, with Clare Clark.

L041

Psychology

Ruby Wax Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £12* Whether it’s our bodies, relationships, children or future, we always seem to be chasing what’s ‘better’. Fusing neurology, spirituality and her trademark wit, Ruby Wax (How to be Human: The Manual) shares her wise and practical guide to living well. Chaired by Matthew Stadlen.

34

L042

Fiction

Ticket includes two glasses of fizz and nibbles.

Supported by

2.30–3.30pm

3–4.15pm

4–5pm

L044

Fiction

The Sunday Times Award For Literary Excellence: David Mitchell The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9* David Mitchell, the acclaimed author of The Bone Clocks, Cloud Atlas and Slade House accepts the prestigious prize and joins an elite list of winners that includes Ted Hughes, Muriel Spark, Kazuo Ishiguro, Seamus Heaney, Margaret Atwood and John Le Carré. He is interviewed by The Sunday Times Chief Fiction Reviewer Peter Kemp.

SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

4–5pm

6–7pm

L045

L050

Fiction

Sport

Sarah Perry

When 26.2 Miles Just Isn’t Enough

The Inkpot £10*

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9*

The author of the phenomenally successful The Essex Serpent talks to The Pool’s Sam Baker about her highly anticipated new novel Melmoth, a dazzlingly inventive and deeply moving novel that speaks urgently to our times.

4.15–5.15pm

L046

Stage & Screen

Critics Of Colour The Nook £8* Diversity is a hot topic in the cultural world right now with various schemes working to ensure BAME writers, directors and performers are represented on the UK’s pages and stages. And yet arts critics, those who often play a crucial role in making or breaking work, remain overwhelming white and male. Sarah Howe, Sabrina Mahfouz and Bridget Minamore from The Ledbury Emerging Poetry Critics and The Critics of Colour discuss how they’re working to address these imbalances in arts criticism and offer tips for getting into the industry.

4.30–5.30pm

L047

Lifestyle

Prue Leith Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £12* The new grande dame of the Bake Off tent celebrates a lifetime of cooking for family and friends with her first cookbook in 25 years (Prue) and candidly shares stories from her extraordinary life with broadcaster and food critic William Sitwell.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

4.45–5.45pm

L049

History

Women And Power

They are an almost-impossible test of the human body and spirit, yet ultramarathons are more popular than ever. BBC Radio 2 sports presenter Vassos Alexander (Running Up That Hill) who completed the legendary Dragon’s Back mountain race, Ben Smith (401) who ran 401 marathons in 401 days and BBC News presenter Sophie Raworth, who recently completed the Marathon des Sables, all attest to the transformative power of endurance running.

They explore what keeps ultra-distance runners going, mile after mile after mile.

The Times Forum £12* From the classical world to the modern day, from Medusa and Athena to Theresa May and Hillary Clinton, Mary Beard dissects the cultural underpinnings of misogyny and discusses how we can change the narrative around women and power with Georgina Godwin.

6–7pm

L051

Fiction

Divided Lands And Family Ties Town Hall, Pillar Room £8*

Clare Clark hosts a unique conversation between two acclaimed KoreanAmerican writers: Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko – one of The New York Times 10 Best Books of 2017 – is an epic tale of family, identity, love, death and survival set between Korea and Japan across eight decades and four generations. Mary Lynn Bracht’s White Chrysanthemum is a heartbreaking story of the treatment of Korean women prostituted by Japanese soldiers during WW2 and the redemptive bond of two sisters separated by war.

35

SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER 6.30–7.30pm

Box Office 01242 850270

L054

Fiction

West Meets East: David Mitchell & David Peace The Inkpot £8* 7.30–11pm

6.15–7.15pm

L052

Fiction

Michael Donkor And Nikesh Shukla The Nook £8* Hashi Mohamed chairs two brilliant writers whose new novels explore the joys and complexities of family life. Michael Donkor’s powerful coming of age novel Hold moves between Ghana and London as a wayward girl finds kinship with a sensible teenager.

Novelist and editor of the phenomenally successful The Good Immigrant, Nikesh Shukla’s The One Who Wrote Destiny depicts a Yorkshire town where a Kenyan family makes a home only to be riven by feuds and fall-outs.

6.30–7.30pm

A Taste Of Morocco The Daffodil £50*

Ticket includes a three-course dinner and a drink on arrival. Live music, bar open until late.

Named as this year’s Rising Star for Food

by The Observer, Nargisse Benkabbou (Casablanca) is leading Britain’s modern Moroccan food revolution. Woven through with aromatics and spice, her cooking captures the spirit of a culture influenced by many civilisations – Berber, Persian, Arab, Jewish, Ottoman and French. She takes this heritage and gives it a twist, adopting a contemporary approach to breathe new life into the cuisine. Join her in conversation with Julia Leonard for an evening of fine food, plus infectious rhythms and North African fusion beats from Takaleed.

L053

Current Affairs

The Election Generals Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £12* Now established as a much-loved fixture on our programme, we welcome back the Broadcasting House regulars Peter Hennessy and John Sergeant and their host, broadcaster Paddy O’Connell, as they take a look at the year in politics and draw on their long experience to map the twists and turns ahead.

36

A chance to see two inventive writers, close friends and fellow Japanophiles in conversation. David Mitchell spent his formative years as a writer in Tokyo and Hiroshima, the settings of his first novels Ghostwritten and number9dream and critics have noted the influence of Japanese authors including Murakami on his writing. David Peace moved to Japan in 1994 and still lives there today.

Together they discuss their work, their creative processes and the influence Japan has had on their writing. Chaired

by Rosie Goldsmith.

L056

Lifestyle

6.45–7.45pm

L055

Fiction

8–9pm

Sebastian Faulks

Current Affairs

The Times Forum £10* Guest Curator and the bestselling author of Birdsong and Where My Heart Used to Beat talks about Paris Echo – his urgent and enthralling new novel set in early 21st century France.

L058

The Life And Times Of A Very British Man The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10* BBC Economics Editor Kamal Ahmed’s childhood was ‘British’ in every way – except that he was brown. He discusses his heartfelt, witty and profound memoir with the barrister and broadcaster Hashi Mohamed.

SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

8.15–9.15pm

L057

Current Affairs

5pm–late

The Hansard Report

Lit Crawl FREE No ticket required

The Hive £8*

Lit Crawl returns! Charging into our third year, we again take over the streets of Cheltenham for a fast-paced evening of pop-up events and quirky literary happenings. For one night only and all completely FREE.

Hansard is the public record of the UK’s Houses of Parliament, published in paper form since the 17th century. But how is it written, and who reads it? And what does this unique and fascinating archive tell us about the decision-making processes and the changing language of government? We are joined by Andrew Prescott, Professor of Digital Humanities at the University of Glasgow, Marc Alexander, lead researcher on the Huddersfield-based Hansard project, and the BBC’s Parliamentary Correspondent Susan Hulme to share their insights.

8.45–10pm

L060

Stage & Screen

Michael Parkinson: The Best Years The Times Forum £14* The chat show legend once described mercurial footballer George Best as being ‘like the fifth Beatle…a pop idol of his time’. In conversation with his son Mike Parkinson and accompanied by classic clips from the Parkinson archive, he recalls their numerous encounters and the unique friendship that developed: an extraordinary and lasting bond that weathered Best’s tumultuous life.

10pm–1am

Then round off your night with the coolest literary house party at The Bottle of Sauce.

Created in San Francisco in 2004 and now in Boston, Brooklyn, Portland, Chicago, New Zealand and beyond, Lit Crawl blends a bar crawl with bookish content – a riotous evening of the written and spoken word in some surprising spots …around town.

This is literature done differently. Join us and get drunk on words.

Visit cheltenhamfestivals.com for the full line up, schedule and participating venues.

L061

Off The Page

Festival Club Hotel du Vin FREE No ticket required 8.30–9.30pm

L059

Psychology

Susan Calman Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £12*

When the Festival Village winds down, the Festival Club fires up. Join us after-hours at Hotel du Vin for music, conversation and late-night literary revelry. You never know who you’ll end up rubbing shoulders with…

Having danced across our screens and into our hearts on Strictly Come Dancing, the comedian tells BBC presenter Fi Glover about her mission to persuade our cross and shouty nation to embrace kindness and spread joy (Sunny Side Up).

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

37

SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

10–11am

LF06

SPYDER The Hive £6* Ages 4+

10–11am

LF04

Anthony Horowitz: Alex Rider The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8* Ages 9+ The world’s greatest teenage spy is back.

Can Alex Rider fight the past – even when it holds a deadly secret? Anthony Horowitz, one of the country’s most prolific and versatile writers, talks about the inspirations and passions behind his phenomenally successful Alex Rider series with author Steve Cole (Young Bond).

10–11am

LF05

A Secret Seven Adventure

It’s not easy being a super special secret agent when you’re little… it’s even harder when you’ve got eight legs! Meet Matt Carr, the award-winning creator of SUPERBAT and SPYDER, to learn what it takes to be a super spy. Learn how to draw everyone’s favourite eight-legged agent and some spider-iffic fun facts too.

The Inkpot £6* Ages 7+ Enid Blyton’s much-loved detective club are back in the superbly entertaining adventure Mystery of The Skull. A huge fan of Enid Blyton, prize-winning author Pamela Butchart (Baby Aliens series) was inspired to create a new mystery for the Secret Seven to solve. Let’s get detecting!

10–11am

LF07

Fantastically Great Women Who Made History!

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £6* Ages 5+ Stand tall with suffragette Flora Drummond for VOTES FOR WOMEN! Send secret messages with brave WWII undercover radio operator, Noor Khan.

Search for treasure with pirate queen, Sayidda Al-Hurra and meet a whole host of other women who made history with author and illustrator Kate Pankhurst.

38

SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

11am–12pm 3.30–4.30pm

LF08 LF09

Workshop Animal Origami Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio £10* Ages 7+

Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult at no additional charge.

11.45am–12.45pm

LF10

12–1pm

LF12

I Bet I Can Make You Laugh

Supertato And Friends

The Hive £6* Ages 8+

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £6* Ages 4+

Joshua Seigal received rave reviews for his children’s poetry show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and was shortlisted for the Laugh Out Loud Award. Come and enjoy this feast of rhyme, rhythm, rap and randomness as words are brought to life by this dynamic performance poet.

Roll up for Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet’s brand new singing-and-prancing family show. Supertato and his old gang are back and this time they are joined by a new friend, Cake. Find out more about their fun-filled stories in this mad-cap interactive performance.

Join origami expert Yoko Takenami for an amazing workshop on how to make 13 of your favourite animals come to life!

Fold along with Yoko as she shares her top tips on creating beautiful origami models from National Trust: Nature Origami, and find out fun nature facts as you craft.

12–1pm

LF11

The Magical World Of Harry Potter The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £6* Ages 8+ and the whole family Are you a fantastically beastly fan of the Harry Potter books? Join Fleurble Laffalot on a new family friendly journey through J.K. Rowling’s much loved books. Discover fun facts and take part in key elements of life at Hogwarts – the sorting ceremony, Care of Magical Creatures, spells, potions and much more. A funny, silly event for anyone who has ever wanted to explore the magical world of Harry Potter books!

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

39

SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER

2–3pm

Box Office 01242 850270

LF79

Brought Up By Books: Favourite Childhood Reads 1–2.30pm

LF13

Workshop Writing Funny With Miranda Walker

Town Hall, Pillar Room £6* Ages 10+

Have your ninja skills tested to the limit as we celebrate 10 years of the bestselling series Young Samurai. Meet author Chris Bradford and discover the skills needed to become a young samurai, witness an authentic sword display, enjoy a dynamic all-kicking, all-punching exclusive preview of the last Young Samurai book and explore Japan with a video tour of Chris’s research trips.

See page 33 for details.

Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult at no additional charge.

1.30–2.15pm

LF14

Little Miss Inventor The Hive £6* Ages 4+

Ticket includes a character meet and greet.

Meet a new Little Miss who is intelligent, ingenious and inventive! Little Miss Inventor loves to surprise her friends with new creations, but her latest challenge has her stumped: what could she invent for Mr Rude?! Join us for an interactive storytelling event that’s guaranteed to inspire the next generation of inventors.

40

LF15

Young Samurai

The Inkpot £10*

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio £10* Ages 10+

If you like to write and laugh, this is the workshop for you! Industry professional Miranda Walker (Diddy TV, CBBC, Gigglebiz, CBeebies, The Now Show & The News Quiz, BBC Radio 4) passes on comedy writing tricks, tools and techniques. Have a go at writing gags, dialogue and sketches, find your inner comic voice and let it out to play!

2–3pm

SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

2–3pm

LF16

Astrosaurs vs Cows In Action Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £6* Ages 7+ Want to kick-start kids’ creative writing and a love of books? Steve Cole (Astrosaurs) leads audiences on a laugh-a-minute, ukulele-accompanied masterclass in ‘chucking imagination at words’ (aka telling stories). Steve shares secret writing tips, quick and easy ways to start story ideas and reveals the origins of some of his own loopy characters.

3–4pm

LF17

Amelia Fang The Hive £6* Ages 7+ Go on a fangtastic adventure with author and illustrator Laura Ellen Anderson to meet a brave young vampire with the cutest pet pumpkin you’ll ever see, a yeti who dances elegantly and a grim reaper who’s scared of unicorns. A barbaric, fun-filled hour of stories, drawings and repugnant recipes!

4–5pm

LF18

A History Of Absolutely Everything Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £6* Ages 8+ and the whole family Christopher Lloyd celebrates his latest world history book Absolutely Everything: A History of Earth, Dinosaurs, Rulers, Robots and Other Things Too Numerous to Mention. Join him for a roller-coaster ride through the history of the world using 20 everyday objects, a coat of many pockets and a giant eight metre long timeline.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

5–6pm

LF19

Magnificent Magical Stories The Hive £6* Ages 9+ Magic, mystery and marvel prevail in these wondrous books from emerging new children’s writers. P.G. Bell (The Train to Impossible Places), Catherine Doyle (The Storm-Keeper’s Island) and Jessica Townsend (Nevermoore) talk with author and journalist Anna James (Tilly and the Book Wanderers) about their imagined worlds, writing books and sharing their stories with readers for the first time.

41

SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

DAY PLANNER 10am

11am

12noon

1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

10pm

The Times Forum L065

L070

Heathcliff vs Darcy

A Second Term For Trump?

L076

L080

L086

L095

L077

L081

L087

L094

The Legacy Of Empire

Jon Sopel: On The Road With Trump

A Celebration of Haruki Murakami

Gary Barlow

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage L066

L072

The Spy And The Traitor

Pat Barker And Mary Beard

The Crash: Ten Years On

Sarah Dunant: The Borgias

Tristram Hunt

A Night Of Leonard Cohen

Town Hall, Pillar Room L063

LF26

Writing Japan: A New Era

LF30

Super Sleuths

L083

Abi Elphinstone

L089

Elif Shafak

Pundemonium!

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre L062

L069

How To Read A Latin Poem

L074

Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca At 80

Reading Europe: A User’s Guide

LF32

L085

L091

L079

L084

L093

LF33

LF35

L092

Michael Morpurgo

#MeToo?

Ruth Jones

The Inkpot LF20

L068

Once Upon a Time: Enchanting Stories

L075

Left Bank: Art, Passion And The Rebirth Of Paris

The Magic of Studio Ghibli

The C Word: Writers And Class

Women In The Wilderness

The Moon

The Hive LF22

LF23

Paddington Bear

LF28

Paddington Bear

LF29

Rumi Tales

Unicorns, Ladybirds And Magic Shoes

A Suitcase Of Songs

We Come Apart

Soul Food

The Nook L067

L071

Kit de Waal And Emma Healey

L078

Sayaka Murata

L082

Stories From The North

Frankie Vah

By Luke Wright

L088

Gloucestershire Writers’ Network

The Daffodil L064

L073

Geoff Dyer: Cheltenham To California

L048

John Torode Takeover: Discover The Far East

Mark Kermode

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre LF21

LF27

The 104-Storey Treehouse

George’s Amazing Adventures

LF31

The World Of Mr Gum

LF34

Gaspard The Fox

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio LF24

RSC Introduce A Christmas Carol

42

LF25

RSC Discover A Christmas Carol

L090

John Torode Takeover: Travels In The Far East

SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

10–11am

L062

Ancient World

How To Read A Latin Poem The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10* Back by popular demand, the Classics dons Mary Beard and Llewellyn Morgan join author and classicist Peter Stothard to consider two poems on the theme of promiscuity: Ovid’s Amores/Love Poems II, 4 and one of the most famous medieval Latin poems, the heretical Confession of the Archpoet. Translations are provided and only minimal knowledge of Latin is required.

10–11.30am

L064

Fiction

Geoff Dyer: Cheltenham To California

10.30–11.30am

The Spy And The Traitor

The Daffodil £20*

Ticket includes brunch.

10–11am

L063

Fiction

Writing Japan: A New Era Town Hall, Pillar Room £8*

There is a hugely exciting new wave of writing coming out of Japan and women writers are at the heart of it. Author of the phenomenally successful Convenience Store Woman Sayaka Murata, her Japanbased translator Ginny Tapley Takemori, who has translated fiction by more than a dozen early modern and contemporary Japanese writers, and Bristol-based translator Polly Barton, who has brought works by Tomoka Shibasaki, Misumi Kubo and Aoko Matsuda to UK readers, discuss this new era with Rosie Goldsmith.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

Part travel writer, part philosopher, diarist, novelist and voracious consumer of culture, the extraordinary work of Cheltenham-born Geoff Dyer defies characterisation, including books such as White Sands, Yoga For People Who Can’t Be Bothered To Do It and Jeff in Venice. In this rare trip to his hometown, timed with the publication of his new book Broadsword Calling Danny Boy: On Where Eagles Dare, he joins us over brunch for witty, wide-ranging conversation across the physical and cultural landscape with The Times Deputy Editor Emma Tucker.

10.30–11.30am

L066

History

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* Times columnist and broadcaster Ben MacIntyre tells the true story of the KGB double agent Oleg Gordievsky, one of the greatest spies of the twentieth century, and the extraordinary episode that changed the course of the Cold War forever.

L065

Classic Literature

Heathcliff vs Darcy: Who’s The Bigger Sh*t?

The Times Forum £12* Is Heathcliff a tragic victim of overwhelming passion or a vicious sociopath? Is Darcy a cold, controlling snob or an honourable, intelligent hero who recognises his equal in Elizabeth?

Festival Curator Sebastian Faulks is joined by novelists Philip Hensher and Sarah Moss, and Sunday Times dating columnist Dolly Alderton to go head to head in a literary tussle over the real nature of two of the canon’s most notable romantic heroes. Sparks will fly.

43

SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER 10.30–11.30am

Box Office 01242 850270

12.30–1.30pm

L067

Fiction

The Sunday Times Debate: A Second Term For Trump?

Kit De Waal And Emma Healey The Nook £10* Kit de Waal and Emma Healey’s first novels, My Name is Leon and Elizabeth is Missing were enormous successes, both becoming international bestsellers and earning spots on top prize lists. How to follow this success? Together with Francesca Beauman, they discuss their experiences of penning their second novels, de Waal’s The Trick to Time, an unforgettable tale of grief, longing and a lifelong love, and Healey’s Whistle in the Dark, a gripping story of a daughter’s disappearance and its aftermath.

11.45am–12.45pm L068 Art & Design

Left Bank: Art, Passion And The Rebirth Of Paris The Inkpot £8* Through a cast of characters including Simone de Beauvoir, Samuel Beckett, Pablo Picasso and Juliette Greco, Agnès Poirier presents a captivating portrait of those who flourished in post-war Paris and whose intellectual and artistic output still influences us today. Chaired

by Georgina Godwin.

12–1pm

L069

Classic Literature

Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca At 80 The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10* ‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again…’ As Daphne du Maurier’s gothic tale of love, secrets and jealousy turns 80, we celebrate the beloved novel and examine its impact on a legion of writers and fans with author, broadcaster and critic Sarah Dunant, author of The Essex Serpent and Melmoth Sarah Perry and thriller writer Sabine Durrant. Chaired by The Pool’s Sam Baker.

44

L070

Current Affairs

The Times Forum £12* One year on, our panel of experienced America watchers reassembles to discuss the extraordinary phenomenon of the disruptive Trump presidency and its impact both in the US and globally. As he faces his first big electoral test in the midterms, what are the likely outcomes? Join Sunday Times columnist Adam Boulton, Deputy Editor Sarah Baxter and BBC North America Editor Jon Sopel (If Only They Didn’t Speak English).

SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

1–3pm

L073

Lifestyle

John Torode Takeover: Discover The Far East The Daffodil £30* 12.30–1.30pm

L071

Fiction

Ticket includes a two-course lunch and a glass of wine.

Sayaka Murata The Nook £8*

In a special UK visit, we welcome one of Japan’s most exciting authors, Sayaka Murata. Winner of both the Mishima Yukio Prize and the prestigious Akutagawa Prize, she joins us to present her novel Convenience Store Woman – a fresh, charming portrait of an unforgettable heroine that recalls Banana Yoshimoto, Amélie and Eleanor Oliphant. Chaired by Anna James.

Celebrating his first culinary love – the street food of Asia – the master chef of the Far East joins us for a two-part takeover at The Daffodil. Starting with a two-course lunch, he leads us on a gastronomic tour of the region with recipes taken from John Torode’s Sydney to Seoul. Sharing memories from his travels with Julia Leonard, he captures the spirit of local markets and introduces vibrant, flavourful dishes; his knowledge, passion and adventuring spirit will inspire you to head out there to explore for yourself.

2–3pm

L074

Fiction

Reading Europe: A User’s Guide The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10* In these fraught times with so much talk around borders, walls and divisions, it feels more important than ever to be thinking and reading widely. In what may well be our last Festival still in the EU, Guest Curator Sebastian Faulks assembles a crack team of translators, writers and publishers committed to getting us to read beyond our borders: novelist and Man Booker International judge Elif Shafak, acclaimed translator Daniel Hahn, European literature specialist Rosie Goldsmith and publisher Christopher MacLehose, who is responsible for introducing authors as diverse as Haruki Murakami, Javier Marías, Henning Mankell and Stieg Larsson to British readers.

John continues his takeover at The Daffodil this evening. See page 49 for details.

12.30–1.30pm

L072

Fiction

Pat Barker And Mary Beard Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* Booker Prize-winning Regeneration author Pat Barker, one of the great contemporary writers on war, discusses The Silence of the Girls with Mary Beard, her powerful reimagining of the most famous of all conflicts in literature: the Trojan War.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

45

SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

2.30–3.30pm

L077

Current Affairs

The Crash: Ten Years On Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10*

1.45–2.45pm

2018 marks ten years since the traumatic financial meltdown that engulfed the world.

The former Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling, BBC Economics Editor Kamal Ahmed and Rachel Lomax, former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, join Chatham House Director Robin Niblett to recall the events of 2008, the shocking speed at which the crisis deepened and the hastily-agreed multi-billion dollar rescue packages. As the global economy continues its cautious recovery, are memories of the recent past starting to fade, and could something like this happen again?

L075

Stage & Screen

The Magic Of Studio Ghibli

2.30–3.30pm

The Inkpot £10*

The Legacy Of Empire

Founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, we celebrate the powerhouse of Japanese animation that has produced such classics as Grave of the Fireflies, My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away. Film critic and fan Mark Kermode and Japanese cinema academic Rayna Denison with Christopher Harding discuss the studio that has produced beautiful and fantastical films that have stood the test of time, transcended language barriers and provided a world of inspiration and magic for grown-ups and children alike.

46

L076

History

The Times Forum £10* Nearly 70 years after the sun set on it, the legacy of the British Empire is still highly controversial. Did it spread democracy and the rule of law around the world?

Or did it exploit and enslave millions of indigenous people? The historian and broadcaster Ben Macintyre joins Professor of Postcolonial Studies at the University of Sussex, Gurminder K. Bhambra, the writer and former politician Trevor Phillips and Nigel Biggar, director of the Ethics and Empire project at Oxford University, to debate the real meaning of the British Empire and how it should be taught to a new generation.

2.30–3.30pm

L078

Fiction

Stories From The North The Nook £10* Acclaimed author of The Tidal Zone and Nightwaking, Sarah Moss presents Ghost Wall: a powerful rendering of a teenage girl’s summer spent with an abusive father in the shadow of Hadrian’s Wall. Andrew Michael Hurley, author of the thrilling and unsettling The Loney which was praised by Stephen King and won Book of the Year in 2016, returns with Devil’s Day, a tale of gothic ritual and horror set in the Lancashire uplands. With Rosie Goldsmith they discuss their foreboding tales in remote Northern settings.

SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

4–5pm

Stage & Screen

A Day Of Japanese Cinema

L333 L334 L335 L336

The Swan

L079

For full listings, please visit cheltenhamfestivals.com

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

L081

The Cheltenham Lectures

The C Word: Writers And Class

Sarah Dunant: The Borgias

The Inkpot £8*

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10*

A recent study found that almost half of all authors and those working in publishing hail from professional, middle-class backgrounds, compared with only 10% of those with a working class upbringing. Kit de Waal, author of My Name is Leon and the force behind the crowdfunded anthology Common People, and Kerry Hudson, author of the upcoming memoir Lowborn, discuss the risk we run of losing working class voices from fiction and how to redress the balance with Cathy Rentzenbrink.

They were history’s most notorious family, but were the Borgias really so bad? Sarah Dunant (Blood and Beauty, In the Name of the Family) reveals all in this stunning illustrated lecture drawn from her sparkling Renaissance novels.

4.30–5.30pm

L080

Current Affairs

Join us at The Swan for a day of specially picked films celebrating Japan on screen.

Including the Studio Ghibli co-produced animated fable The Red Turtle, hailed

by Mark Kermode as ‘a masterpiece’, and Big in Japan, a delightfully madcap documentary following three Australian mates trying to crack Japan’s foreign fame market with their oddball friend Dave.

4.30–5.30pm

Fiction

Jon Sopel: On The Road With Trump The Times Forum £10* The BBC’s North America Editor Jon Sopel (If Only They Didn’t Speak English) flies in to update us first-hand on an extraordinary year in US politics, including the Trump/Kim summit, the continuing Muller investigation and the crisis at the Mexican border. In conversation with Georgina Godwin.

4.30–5.30pm

L082

Off The Page

Frankie Vah

By Luke Wright The Nook £10* We all want something to believe in. It’s 1987 and Frankie Vah gorges on love, radical politics and indie stardom. But can he keep it all down? Following the multi award-winning What I Learned From Johnny Bevan, Luke Wright’s second verse play deals with love, loss and belief against a backdrop of skuzzy indie venues and 80s politics. Expect frenetic guitars, visceral verse and a Morrissey-sized measure of heartache.

‘A gorgeously worded powerhouse of a play’ Broadway Baby

47

SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

6–7pm

L085

Current Affairs

#MeToo? The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9*

5–6pm

L083

Fiction

Elif Shafak Town Hall, Pillar Room £10* The award-winning novelist and most widely read female writer in Turkey Elif Shafak joins Daniel Hahn to discuss her remarkable writing including her most recent novel, the intelligent, fierce and beguiling Three Daughters of Eve.

4.30–6pm

L048

Stage & Screen

6.30–7.30pm

Mark Kermode

A Celebration Of Haruki Murakami

Ticket includes a glass of beer or wine and bar snacks.

Following a formative encounter with the British pop movie Slade in Flame in 1975, Mark Kermode decided that musical superstardom was totally attainable. Join him for beer, music and a dose of nostalgia as he talks to Matthew Stadlen about his memoir How Does it Feel?, a riotous and self-deprecating account of a bedroom dreamer’s attempts to conquer the musical world with nothing more than a chancer’s enthusiasm and a simple philosophy: how hard can it be?

L086

Fiction

The Daffodil £20*

48

Since the Weinstein scandal broke, millions of women have used the #MeToo hashtag to share their experiences of sexual harassment and abuse. Does this movement represent a watershed moment for women’s rights or does it only empower a small segment of society? Laura Bates talks to Chinese feminism specialist Leta Hong Fincher, activist and author Helen Pankhurst and French journalist Agnès Poirier to explore how different cultural perspectives inform responses to movements like #MeToo and to consider how we diversify the conversation to ensure a global change that works for even the most vulnerable women.

6–7pm

L084

The Times Forum £10*

Travel & Adventure

Women In The Wilderness The Inkpot £10* There’s a big world out there: meet the women inspiring fellow women to get out and see it. Travel writers and adventure experts Anna McNuff (The Pants of Perspective: One Woman’s 3,000km Running Adventure Through the Wilds of New Zealand) and Phoebe Smith (Wilderness Weekends, Extreme Sleeps and Wild Nights: Camping Britain’s Extremes) discuss breaking down the barriers facing women in the outdoors and offer practical tips for building an adventurous life, whatever your circumstances.

Murakami’s latest novel broke Japan’s internet pre-order records and Tokyo book shops opened at midnight to lines of eager fans. In this very special event, we present the first look at the highly-anticipated Killing Commendatore two days before its UK release with its translator Ted Goossen, a long-term reader and collaborator of Murakami’s, plus writer friends and fans David Mitchell, David Peace and Evie Wyld and readings from a special guest.

Chaired by Georgina Godwin.

SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

6.30–7.30pm

L087

7–9pm

L089

Art & Design

Off The Page

Tristram Hunt

Pundemonium!

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10*

Town Hall, Pillar Room £10*

As the world’s leading museum of art and design, the V&A is home to over 5,000 years of human creativity. Showcasing the V&A’s commitment to design, education and industry across the globe, Director Tristram Hunt shares the museum’s international story, from its foundations in the 1851 Great Exhibition and the East India Company to last year’s opening of the new V&A Gallery at Design Society, Shenzhen.

Are you into innuendo? Dabble in double entendre? Then be pun-ctual for a Cheltenham literary-special of London’s competitive cult comedy hit, Pundemonium! Festival guest pundits including writers, performers, comedians and poets compete alongside members of the public in a hilarious game show full of punishing linguistic challenges.

A live game show by Rachel Mars and Daniel Pitt, for compulsive punners and their carers.

L091

Fiction

Ruth Jones

Interested in competing? Email pundemoniumlive@gmail.com in advance with Cheltenham in the subject line.

7.30–10pm

8–9pm

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10* L090

Lifestyle

John Torode Takeover: Travels In The Far East

The Gavin and Stacey co-writer and star of Stella discusses her career to date with Hannah Beckerman and reflects on turning her hand to novel writing, with her Sunday Times No 1 bestseller Never Greener.

The Daffodil £50*

Ticket includes a three-course dinner and a drink on arrival. Bar open until late.

6.30–7.45pm

L088

Locally Sourced

Gloucestershire Writers’ Network The Nook £10* Local writers and winners of the Gloucestershire Writers’ Network competition present a collection of writing inspired by the Festival theme of East Meets West. The entries are judged by Kim Fleet and Anna Saunders.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

In the second part of his takeover at The Daffodil, the master chef of the Far East John Torode continues his gastronomic tour of the region, showcasing the rich variety and vibrant flavours found in Asian street food.

Join him for a three-course dinner inspired by John Torode’s Sydney to Seoul, the culmination of a lifetime of travels around the east of the continent, his Australian heritage and the conversations with street sellers and local chefs who have influenced his recipes.

Chaired by Julia Leonard.

See page 45 for details of the first part of John’s takeover at The Daffodil.

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SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER 8–9pm

Box Office 01242 850270

L092

Locally Sourced

Soul Food The Hive £8* Food feeds our mind, body and soul. Its purpose goes far beyond nourishing our bodies – it helps us celebrate success, cheers us up when we’re down and comforts us when we’re sick. GP and contributor to Maggie’s Recipes To Remember Sarah Jarvis, chef Ryan Riley and foodie Vanessa Kisuule explore the emotional connection we have to food, its power to conjure memories and its ability to bring people together. Chaired by Rosie Goldsmith.

8.30–9.30pm

L095

Stage & Screen

Gary Barlow 8.30–10.30pm

L094

Stage & Screen

A Night Of Leonard Cohen Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £12* 8–9pm

L093

Science & Tech

The Moon The Inkpot £8* The moon has fascinated humankind since the beginning of history. Far from being just a rock in space, it holds phenomenal power over the earth and its people, inspiring artists, poets, scientists, writers and musicians the world over. Scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock (The Sky at Night: Book Of The Moon), astronomer Paul Murdin and art historian Alexandra Loske take us on a journey around the moon, considering its ethereal power and historical, cultural and scientific significance. Chaired by Andy Rea.

50

When Leonard Cohen died in 2016, accolades poured in from around the world with musicians and writers paying tribute to his immense talent as a poet and lyricist. We’re honoured to be the UK launch for The Flame – a collection of his last poems and writings selected by Cohen himself in his final months. Join us for a special evening with readings and discussion from Ted Goossen and Laura Barton, and rousing performances of Cohen’s music from The Fantasy Orchestra. Hosted by BBC Radio 4’s John Wilson.

The Times Forum £35*

Ticket includes a signed copy of A Better Me, RRP £20.

Gary Barlow talks to Emma Freud about his autobiography A Better Me. In a remarkably frank interview he talks of his battles with weight, stress, fitness and depression, and how he staged one of the most thrilling professional comebacks in years.

SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

10–11am

LF21

The 104-Storey Treehouse Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £6* Ages 8+ Ready to roll around on the floor laughing? Join Andy Griffiths, award-winning Australian author of the bestselling Treehouse series, for hilarious tales, ridiculous jokes and side-splitting laughs. Climb into the 104 Storey Treehouse, the much-anticipated new book in the wild and wacky series.

11.30am–12.15pm

LF24

Workshop RSC Introduce A Christmas Carol

10–11am

LF20

Once Upon a Time: Enchanting Stories The Inkpot £6* Ages 8+ Bestselling adult author Jessie Burton (The Miniaturist, The Restless Girls) and Carnegie Medal winner Sally Gardner (Mr Tiger, Betsy and the Blue Moon) talk with writer and editor Daniel Hahn about the enduring appeal of fairytales, challenging stereotypes and their new children’s fairytales packed with wonder, wisdom and enchantment.

10–10.30am 11–11.30am

LF22 LF23

A Bear Called Paddington The Hive £5* Ages 5+ Everybody’s favourite bear and Darkest Peru’s most famous export comes to life in this interactive Paddington storytelling session. Discover how he met the Brown family, became friends with Mr Gruber and got to know his new home in this celebration of 60 years of Paddington!

There is no character meet and greet at this event.

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio £8* A ges 4–8 and parents 2.30–4pm

LF25

Workshop RSC Discover A Christmas Carol Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio £15* A ges 8–12 and parents Introduce the love of theatre to your family with our fun active session on the Royal Shakespeare Company’s family production of A Christmas Carol, and work as an actor does: on your feet. No previous knowledge required.

The work of the RSC Literary Department is generously supported by THE DRUE HEINZ TRUST.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

These are family events in which adults and children work together. All children must be accompanied by a participating adult with a ticket.

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SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER 12.15–1.15pm

Box Office 01242 850270

LF28

Rumi Tales The Hive £6* Ages 4+

12–1pm

LF26

Step back in time to experience the ancient practice of pardekhani with storyteller Alia Alzougbi. Discover the epic tales of The Parrot and the Merchant and The Jackal Who Thought He Was a Peacock by the legendary Persian poet Rumi and create your own puppet parrots to take home.

Super Sleuths Town Hall, Pillar Room £6* Ages 9+ Missing mums, dads, pet-owners and a spooky sweet factory! Actor and author Andrew Clover talks with authors David O’Connell (The Dundoodle Mysteries), Lauren St John (Kat Wolfe Investigates) and Lisa Thompson (The Light Jar) about the secrets of writing mysteries from choosing a victim to planting clues, surprising plot-twists and daring detectives.

2–3pm

LF31

The World Of Mr Gum 12–1pm

LF27

George’s Amazing Adventures Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £6* Ages 3+ Ever wondered what a giant’s favourite treat is or how to find a fairy’s missing wand?

Go on a magical adventure with Adam and Charlotte Guillain (Molly’s Magic Wardrobe, Jellybeans for Giants) in this lively performance of storytelling, puppets and songs. Be ready to laugh and sing along.

52

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £6* Ages 7+ Join the ridiculously funny Andy Stanton for an hour of joyous nonsense as he talks about the best-selling, multi awardwinning Mr Gum series, as well as his new book, Natboff! One Million Years of Stupidity. There’ll be plenty of laughter, silly voices and horrible, horrible singing – in short, business as usual!

2–3pm

LF29

Unicorns, Ladybirds And Magic Shoes The Hive £6* Ages 4+ Go on an adventure with a girl, a bear and some very special shoes. See ladybirds, unicorns and a host of glittering characters and sparkling stories come to life in this interactive storytelling and live drawing session with Lydia Monks, bestselling illustrator of Julia Donaldson’s What the Ladybird Heard stories.

SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

3–4pm

LF30

Abi Elphinstone Town Hall, Pillar Room £6* Ages 9+ Catapult into adventure with Abi Elphinstone! Abi will take you behind the scenes of her most exciting tales: Recently back from living with the Kazakh Eagle Hunters in Mongolia and hunting out the northern lights in the Arctic, she will share photographs, stories and props as she brings her latest book, Sky Song, to life.

4–5pm

LF32

4–5pm

Michael Morpurgo

A Suitcase Of Songs

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8* Ages 9+ and the whole family

The Hive £6* Ages 3+

From the nation’s favourite storyteller comes Flamingo Boy, set during WWII in the South of France where a young autistic boy lives on his parents’ farm.

Michael Morpurgo talks with his editor Nick Lake about his remarkable novel of hope, love and unexpected friendships.

LF33

Follow illustrator Tim Hopgood on a lyrical journey with Moon River, Singing in the Rain and What a Wonderful World – the colours of the rainbow have never looked prettier! Take part with songs, props, drawing and make your own rainsticks. Accompanied by pianist and singer Sara Colman.

There will be no signing after this event but book-plates with a printed signature will be available in the bookshop.

4–5pm

LF34

Gaspard The Fox Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £6* Ages 5+ and the whole family One evening, a little fox appeared outside BBC Radio 4 broadcaster Zeb Soanes home – now people all over the world send messages to Gaspard! Meet Zeb and illustrator James Mayhew as they chat about their warm-hearted animal story and the real fox that inspired it, find out foxy facts and draw your own curious fox.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

6–7pm

LF35

We Come Apart The Hive £6* Ages 13+ Carnegie winning novelist Sarah Crossan (Moonrise) and Costa Children’s Book Award winner Brian Conaghan (The Weight of a Thousand Feathers) first met at an awards dinner and began to write We Come Apart together, a novel told in verse. Sarah and Brian explore verse novels, the collaborative writing process and their individual writing with author Phil Earle (Mind The Gap).

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Box Office 01242 850270

WEDNESDAY 10

MONDAY 8

TUESDAY 9 10–10.45am

LF40

There’s a Pig Up My Nose The Hive £6* Ages 3+ 10–10.45am

LF36

LF38

Fairytale Pets

Mr Panda

The Hive £6* Ages 3+

The Hive £6* Ages 3+

When Goldilocks asks Bob to look after her grumpy baby bear, the fairytale chaos begins. Spot your favourite characters misbehaving in an all-star cast with author Tracey Corderoy (Fairytale Pets) and make your own grumpy bear in this story and craft event.

What would Mr Panda’s friends do without him? Whether it’s learning to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, being patient or getting ready for bed, Mr Panda is there with good advice and even better manners!

Meet his creator Steve Antony and explore the importance of good manners, good fun and really great stories.

4.30–5.30pm

LF37

Dirty Bertie The Hive £6* Ages 5+ Calling all Dirty Bertie fans! Chaos returns in the latest instalment of this bestselling series of wickedly funny stories for young readers. Join author Alan Macdonald for a good dose of comic chaos mixed with fun and laughter, and find out all about Bertie’s latest entertaining escapades and disgusting habits.

54

10–10.45am

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

4.30–5.30pm

LF39

You’re Safe With Me The Hive £6* A ges 4+ When the moon rises high and stars twinkle, it is bedtime for the animals of the Indian forest. Join author and storyteller Chitra Soundar (You’re Safe With Me, You’re Snug With Me) as she shares her stories and then get busy making stars and snowflakes with illustrator Poonam Mistry.

What do you do when you get a pig stuck up your nose? You’re guaranteed to laugh – and oink! – out loud as Natalie and her class try to find the best way of getting the farmyard animal out. Join author John Dougherty and illustrator Laura Hughes for a delightfully silly reading, music and live drawing.

cheltenhamfestivals.com

THURSDAY 11

4.30–5.30pm

LF41

10–10.45am

FRIDAY 12

LF43

Secrets Of A Sun King

Fairytale Hairdresser

The Hive £6* Ages 9+

The Hive £6* Ages 3+

Emma Carroll shares her latest historical adventure Secrets Of A Sun King, based on the true discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. She’ll be talking magic, gold, curses and exploration and considers what the real King Tut was like, why his burial appeared to be rushed and what body parts were unusually missing from his corpse.

Abie Longstaff is every little girl’s dream fairy godmother. Enter a modern fairy tale world where the Big Bad Wolf runs the opticians (all the better to see you with...) and Red Riding Hood has a skateboard shop. Abie reads her newest Fairytale Hairdresser story and brings along dolls for everyone to practise hairdressing themselves!

5–6pm

4.30–5.30pm

LF42

Chris Hoy And The Flying Fergus Team The Inkpot £8* Ages 5+ and the whole family Olympic cyclist Chris Hoy, co-author Joanna Nadin and illustrator Clare Elsom introduce their action packed series Flying Fergus. Hear about Fergus and his friends as he travels to a parallel universe called Nevermore, where cycling is banned and his dad is trapped by the evil King Woebegot – expect fun, facts and live illustration.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

10–10.45am 11.30am–12.15pm

LF45 LF46

Olobob Top The Hive £6 child/£4 adult* Ages 2+

LF44

Billy And The Beast The Hive £6* Ages 4+ BookTrust’s Writer-Illustrator in Residence Nadia Shireen invites you to a noisy storytime session with live drawing. Get to know Norman, The Bumblebear, cute calf Dave (The Cow Who Fell to Earth) and Nadia’s latest characters Billy and the Beast. An event brimming with ideas for creating your own stories and animal characters.

The exciting world of Olobob Top (CBeebies) comes in all shapes, colours and sizes. Olobobs know imagination and inventiveness can solve anything!

Come along and celebrate all things Olobob with author and illustrator Leigh Hodgkinson, and enjoy games, prizes and creativity.

4.30–5.30pm

LF47

The Infinite Lives Of Maisie Day The Hive £6* Ages 9+ It’s Maisie’s birthday and she can’t wait to open her presents. But she wakes to an empty house and outside the front door is nothing but a terrifying, all-consuming blackness. Trapped in an ever-shifting reality, Maisie will have to use the laws of the universe and the love of her family to survive. Join author Christopher Edge to explore the real-life science behind this mind-bending mystery.

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MONDAY 8 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

DAY PLANNER 10am

11am

12noon

1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

The Times Forum L108

L112

What’s Russia Up To?

L118

Agatha Christie: Queen Of Crime

Graham Norton

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage L098

L106

The Spying Game

L012

The Art Of Diplomacy

Anthony Sher: The Lear Diaries

Town Hall, Pillar Room L096

L102

The Story Of The English Garden

L120

Nietzsche Study Day

Secret Service Brainteaser Quiz Night

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre L100

L110

The Terracotta Warriors

L116

Thomas Cromwell: A Life

L125

Serene Beauty: The Japanese Garden

Robin Ince

The Inkpot L107

L111

The Haiku: Beauty And Brevity

The Sunday Times Travel Top Ten

L115

L123

How The World Thinks

Larkin’s Letters

The Hive LF36

LF37

Fairytale Pets

Dirty Bertie

L117

How Freakin’ Zeitgeist Are You?

The Nook L119

Raven Books Proof Party

The Huddle L099

L109

VSI: Miracles

L114

VSI: Miracles

Cheltenham Writes!

Feast Café Bar L097

The Times Crossword

The Daffodil L101

Lunch With Joanna Trollope

L113

Zen And The Philosophy Of Tea

L122

Knackered Mums’ Night Out

Cheltenham College Chapel L121

Words And Music Of War

56

MONDAY 8 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

10–10.45am

LF36

Family

L098

History

The Spying Game

Fairytale Pets

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10*

The Hive £6* Ages 3+ See page 54 for details.

11am–12pm

11.30am–12.30pm

L096

Locally Sourced

The Story Of The English Garden Town Hall, Pillar Room £8*

Suborning traitors, deciphering private messages, cleverly-placed spies: throughout history governments have used covert methods to obtain political and military intelligence to outmanoeuvre the enemy at home and abroad. Former MI5 Officer Annie Machon (Spies, Lies and Whistleblowers), intelligence historian Christopher Andrew (The Secret World), Associate Professor of International Relations Rory Cormac (Disrupt and Deny) and BBC Security Correspondent Gordon Corera (Secret Pigeon Service) explore the mysterious world of espionage past and present. Chaired by journalist Oliver Balch.

Gardens tell us about people – how they live, what they believe in, how they see the world and how they want to change it. Ambra Edwards and Vanessa Berridge explore the love affair between the English and their gardens. From tiny medieval gardens to vast Georgian parks, Victorian glasshouses crammed with exotic specimens to the elegant outdoor ‘rooms’ of the Edwardians and the functional, ecologically aware gardens of today, they uncover a fascinating story of passion, power and politics. Chaired

by Tim Hubbard.

11.45am–12.45pm

L100

Ancient World

The Terracotta Warriors The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10*

Edward Burman provides an intriguing, original account of the most astounding archaeological find of all time, revealing new discoveries and guiding us through the ancient Chinese concept of longevity and the afterlife, essential to an understanding of the mausoleum.

12.30–2.30pm

L101

Fiction

11am–12pm

L097

The Times Crossword Feast Café Bar FREE No ticket required Make yourselves comfortable as The Times Crossword Editor Richard Rogan takes you through the mysteries of the day’s crossword puzzles with a helping hand or a tantalising hint where needed.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

11.30am–12pm 2.30–3pm

L099 L109

A Very Short Introduction To… Miracles The Huddle FREE No ticket required From a chicken nugget shaped like Jesus, Mohammad splitting the moon in two and a Japanese doll whose hair grows, Yujin Nagasawa considers reported miracles in ancient scriptures and modern day life, and uses cutting-edge scientific research on belief formation to address some of our most fundamental questions concerning miracles.

Lunch With Joanna Trollope The Daffodil £30*

Ticket includes a two-course lunch and a glass of wine.

Her absorbing, wise stories dramatise the dilemmas we face and with An Unsuitable Match she brings us an uplifting story of love, family and second chances. The Gloucestershireborn bestselling author chats to Cathy Rentzenbrink over a delicious lunch as she celebrates the publication of the latest of her popular contemporary novels.

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MONDAY 8 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

1.30–2.30pm

L106

Current Affairs

The Art Of Diplomacy Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £8*

1–5.30pm

L102

Classic Literature

Nietzsche Study Day

Cultural diplomacy enables a worldwide exchange of ideas, culture and learning, strengthening international connections and enriching society across the globe. V&A Deputy Director and COO Tim Reeve shares details of the V&A’s Shenzhen gallery – an exciting new project that will bring exhibits from the museum’s London collection to Chinese audiences – and discusses the important role of cultural exchange in developing and strengthening foreign relations.

Town Hall, Pillar Room £35* Ticket includes four events and afternoon refreshments.

Whether you’re familiar with Nietzsche’s philosophy or merely recognise his name, our special series of events provides a fascinating insight into who he was and what he thought.

1–2pm

I Am Dynamite!

What do we really know about Friedrich Nietzsche, beyond the moustache, the scowl and a vague feeling he’s pretty sinister? Sue Prideaux sets the tone for the afternoon with an introduction to this brilliant, eccentric and much misunderstood man.

2.15–3.15pm

There Are No Facts ‘That which does not kill us, makes us stronger’. Like Shakespeare, Nietzsche’s facility with words means that his phrases have passed into the fabric of our language. Philosopher Julian Baggini (How the World Thinks) and biographer Sue Prideaux (I Am Dynamite!) unpack some of the most widely recognised Nietzsche aphorisms and explain the philosophy behind them.

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3.30–4.15pm

Without Music, Life Would Be A Mistake Not many people know that philosophy was second best for Nietzsche – he really wanted to be a composer. He adored Wagner and his work inspired both Strauss and Mahler. Broadcaster Stephen Johnson (How Shostakovich Changed My Mind) explores Nietzsche’s passion for music, with a live performance.

4.30–5.30pm

Nietzsche And Fascism The rise of Trump and resurgence of the far right who take inspiration from Nietzsche’s philosophy makes the need to engage with his ideas urgent again. Political theorist Hugo Drochon (Nietzsche’s Great Politics) and cultural historian Lucy Hughes-Hallett (The Pike – Gabriele d’Annunzio) interrogate his influence on fascist ideology, his notoriety in political discourse and the question of how responsible he was for those who twisted his philosophy to suit their aims. Chaired by Oliver Balch.

1.45–2.45pm

L107

Poetry

The Haiku: Beauty And Brevity The Inkpot £8*

Now a global poetry, the haiku originated as a Japanese verse form that flourished from the 16th to 19th centuries. While generally known for its brevity and its use of natural imagery to make Zen-like observations about reality, the haiku is much more: it can be erotic, funny, crude and mischievous. Adam Kern, Japanese scholar and editor of The Penguin Book of the Haiku, and renowned haiku poet Paul Conneally talk to Nicolette Jones about this misunderstood art form.

MONDAY 8 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

3.45–4.45pm

L111

Travel & Adventure

2–3pm

L108

Current Affairs

What’s Russia Up To?

The Sunday Times Travel Top Ten

Zen And The Philosophy Of Tea

The Inkpot £9*

The Daffodil £25*

Join Sunday Times travel experts as they reveal their top ten travel experiences to try next year. From short-hop to long-haul, splurge to spend – something for every taste and budget. Chaired by The Sunday Times Travel Editor Martin Hemming.

4–5pm

L113

Lifestyle

The Times Forum £10* From the annexation of Crimea to the intervention in Syria, accusations of election-rigging and the poisoning of defectors, what are the motivations behind Russia’s growing hostility towards its global neighbours? Foreign policy and energy security expert Nazrin Mehdiyeva (Beyond Blood Oil), journalist and former PR adviser to the Kremlin Angus Roxburgh (Moscow Calling) and media and communications expert Martin Moore (Democracy Hacked) examine the power and politics of an increasingly bold Russia and consider Putin’s long-term strategy when it comes to international relations, with The Sunday Times Foreign Editor Peter Conradi (Who Lost Russia?).

4–6pm

Ticket includes tea tasting and afternoon tea with a selection of finger sandwiches and cakes.

Tea drinking as an elite ‘awareness’ experience was spread across China by Buddhist monasteries, later becoming popular amongst Japanese warrior classes.

By the 18th century the British had adopted the elegant Chinese social ritual. East Asian scholar Bruce Ginsberg began his Zen training in the monastery Daitokuji, where the tea ceremony originated 500 years ago.

Join him to sample a selection of rare handmade teas as he explores the philosophy of ancient tea culture and its relevance to painters, poets, musicians and garden makers. Chaired by Julia Wheeler.

L112

Classic Literature

Agatha Christie: Queen Of Crime The Times Forum £10*

3.30–4.30pm

L110

History

Thomas Cromwell: A Life The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8* In this fascinating illustrated account, the distinguished academic and author Diarmaid MacCulloch discusses the ruthless, powerful Tudor fixer who ran England for the ‘terrifyingly unpredictable’ Henry VIII, revealing his true place in history.

‘This is the biography we have been awaiting for 400 years’ Hilary Mantel

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

The world’s best-selling novelist, outsold only by Shakespeare and the Bible, still holds us enthralled after more than a century. Sophie Hannah, who has resurrected Hercule Poirot in her continuation novels (The Mystery of Three Quarters), BAFTA nominated screenwriter Sarah Phelps, whose superb BBC TV adaptations reinvent ‘cosy Christie’, and New Zealand poet and Christie super fan Hera Lindsay Bird explore her extraordinary contribution, enduring appeal and continuing relevance. Chaired by Cathy Rentzenbrink.

4.30–5pm

L114

Locally Sourced

Cheltenham Writes!

The Huddle FREE No ticket required To celebrate the incredible writing talent of authors local to Cheltenham, Jonathan Cranston reads from his book The Travelling Vet and talks about his experience as a writer.

59

MONDAY 8 OCTOBER 4.30–5.30pm

LF37

6.30–7.30pm

Box Office 01242 850270

L116

Family

Lifestyle

Dirty Bertie

Serene Beauty: The Japanese Garden

The Hive £6* Ages 5+ See page 54 for details.

5.45–6.45pm

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9* L115

Faith

How The World Thinks The Inkpot £8*

All cultures have their own ways of thinking. Julian Baggini explores the roots of Eastern and Western philosophies and shows that it’s easier to accept different cultural attitudes if we understand the philosophical histories that underpin them.

The Japanese concept of garden design originated in China centuries ago and has been developed into a unique form of high art, a sacred craft simultaneously representing Japan’s culture, history and deep connection with Zen Buddhism.

East Asian scholar and Zen practitioner Bruce Ginsberg, Vice President of the Japanese Garden Society Graham Hardman and Robert Ketchell, Japanese garden consultant to Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, unlock the secrets of these esoteric gardens and discuss their global appeal with cultural historian and novelist Lucy Hughes-Hallett (Precious Ground).

7–8pm

5.30–6.30pm

L012

Stage & Screen

Antony Sher: The Lear Diaries Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* The acclaimed actor discusses Year of the Mad King: The Lear Diaries, his account of researching, rehearsing and performing what is arguably Shakespeare’s most challenging role, known as the ‘Everest’ of acting, with leading Shakespeare scholar Jonathan Bate.

60

L117

7–8pm

Graham Norton The Times Forum £25*

Ticket includes a signed copy of The Keeper, RRP £15.

In 2016, Graham Norton burst onto the fiction scene with his debut novel Holding. He once again demonstrates his understanding of the darker side of flawed human nature as he discusses his second novel A Keeper with Julia Wheeler.

7–8.15pm

Off The Page

Fiction

How Freakin’ Zeitgeist Are You?

Raven Books Proof Party

The Hive £8*

The Nook £15*

Ignoring the boundaries between poetry, rockn-roll and comedy, BBC 6 Music’s poet-inresidence Murray Lachlan Young became the first poet to sign a £1m recording contract in the late ‘90’s and is a Glastonbury regular. He performs from his definitive collection that echoes the great rhymers Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll and Gilbert and Sullivan, along with contemporary influences of Grandmaster Flash, Ian Dury and Tom Waits.

‘A rock ‘n’ roll poet of our time’ Chrissie Hynde

L118

Fiction

L119

Ticket includes refreshments and a goody bag of limited edition proofs.

Bloomsbury’s newest imprint specialising in literary crime, thriller and suspense, Raven Books is the home for those who like their books with a touch of the dark side. Editorial director Alison Hennessey presents the new Queen of Gothic Laura Purcell, author of the Zoe Ball Book Club selected The Silent Companions and the forthcoming The Corset; former human rights lawyer Alice Clark-Platts, whose novel The Flower Girls is Raven Books’ biggest launch for 2019; and investigative journalist and To The Lions author Holly Watt.

MONDAY 8 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

7.30–9.30pm

L120

7.30–10pm

L122

7.45–8.45pm

L123

Off The Page

Lifestyle

Poetry

Secret Service Brainteaser Quiz Night

Knackered Mums’ Night Out

Larkin’s Letters

The Daffodil £20*

Town Hall, Pillar Room £15*

Ticket includes a glass of wine or beer and bar snacks. Bar open until late.

Have you ever daydreamed of being approached to be a secret agent? Fancied yourself being propelled into an elegant and dangerous world of spies? Whether you have a linguistic flair, an instinct for technology or good old common sense, join host Sinclair McKay (Bletchley Park Brainteasers) for an evening of Secret Service brainteasers where you can pit your wits against some of the greatest minds of our time with ingenious puzzles, brainteasers including secret languages, sabotage-themed brain bogglers and hidden codes.

Book the babysitter and join us to unwind with a large glass of vino in the company of our funny, feisty panel as they chart the ups and downs of sharing life with tiny humans.

Award-winning Vlogger Emma Conway (brummymummyof2), journalist and TV presenter Amy Nickell (Confessions of a Single Mum) and The Pool’s Up With The Kids columnist Robyn Wilder chat to Cathy Rentzenbrink about how to maintain your identity and define your own imperfect (but perfectly fine) path through motherhood.

The Inkpot £8* Phillip Larkin: Letters Home is the last outstanding unpublished facet of Larkin’s writing life – his correspondence home to his father, mother and sister. Edited by Larkin scholar and former his colleague at the University of Hull, James Booth, it completes the portrait of this most cherished of English poets. Joined by poet, critic and close friend of Larkin Anthony Thwaite, together they discuss a remarkable poetic legacy with Nicolette Jones.

Prizes include dinner for two at The Ivy Montpellier Brasserie.

7.30–9.45pm

L121

Classic Literature

Words And Music Of War Cheltenham College Chapel £20* The Great War had a profound effect on our literary sensibilities: from the protest poetry of the trenches, through the modernists who voiced the spiritual bankruptcy of the post-war years to its resonating influence on contemporary fiction. Classical music also evolved to commemorate, inspire and mourn.

Guest Curator and author of Birdsong Sebastian Faulks, biographer and broadcaster Kate Kennedy and the Cheltenham College Schola Cantorum trace how the British experience of the war has been remembered and raged against – as well as celebrated – in music and literature.

This event will include a 30 minute interval.

With thanks to Cheltenham College.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

8.30–9.30pm

L125

Psychology

Robin Ince: I’m A Joke...

And So Are You The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9* Connoisseur of comedy, Robin Ince (The Infinite Monkey Cage) gives us his take on what it means to be human, asking: why do we make the choices we do in life? Where does imagination come from? And do our parents really f*&k us up?

61

TUESDAY 9 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

DAY PLANNER 8am

9am

10am

11am

12noon

1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

10pm

The Times Forum L135

L140

Corbyn’s Labour: Poised For Power?

L153

NHS: 70 Year Health Check

Jo Brand

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage L127

L134

30 Years Of Countryfile

L139

Secret Houses Of The Cotswolds

L148

Mary Shelley: A Life Of Men And Monsters

This Is Going To Hurt

Town Hall, Pillar Room L130

L143

The Art Of Influence

L160

Ambrose Parry

A Love That Never Dies

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre L157

L142

With The End In Mind

L149

Homes Of The Bloomsbury Group

L154

Royal Shakespeare Company In Rehearsal

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

The Inkpot L132

L158

Jane Glover On Handel

L146

Death Cleaning

Walking The World

The Hive LF38

LF39

Mr Panda

L150

You’re Safe With Me

(Un)Heard Voices

The Nook L145

L151

Secrets And Lies

Fiction At 7: The Lost Art Of Letters

L155

Brookmyre And Billingham After-Hours

The Huddle L131

VSI: Translation

L156

L138

Last Wishes

L136

VSI: Translation

Cheltenham Writes!

L159

Death Cafe

Feast Café Bar L128

The Times Crossword

The Daffodil L126

Breakfast With The Times: Brexit And Business

L133

L141

How To Eat A Peach

Alan Johnson’s Jukebox

Hotel du Vin, Sinners Enclosure L137

Twist In The Tale

62

L152

Robert Crampton’s Quiz Night

TUESDAY 9 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

8.30–10am

L126

Current Affairs

Breakfast With The Times: Brexit And Business The Daffodil £20*

10–10.45am

LF38

Family

Mr Panda The Hive £6* Ages 3+ See page 54 for details.

Ticket includes a full English breakfast.

Relax over a delicious breakfast and catch up on the latest from the Brexit negotiations, the mood in the business community and more, with The Times business columnist and novelist Sathnam Sanghera and Deputy Editor Emma Tucker.

11am–12pm

L127

Nature

30 Years Of Countryfile Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £12* For 30 years, Countryfile has brought the people, places and stories from the heart of the British countryside into our homes. With clips and archive footage, series producer Joanna Brame and presenters John Craven and Anita Rani discuss how Countryfile has transformed since its first broadcast in 1988, reflect upon their favourite moments from the show and celebrate the enduring success of one of the nation’s best-loved programmes. Chaired by Tim Hubbard.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

11am–12pm

L128

The Times Crossword Feast Café Bar FREE No ticket required Make yourselves comfortable as The Times Crossword Editor Richard Rogan takes you through the mysteries of the day’s crossword puzzles with a helping hand or a tantalising hint where needed.

11.30am–12.30pm L130 Art & Design

The Art of Influence Town Hall, Pillar Room £8*

Designed to stir hearts and minds, from the Soviet Union to communist China and North Korea, the art of revolutionary societies projects an official portrait of a nation both at home and abroad. In this beautifully illustrated discussion, writer Nick Bonner (Made in North Korea) and Soviet and Asian political art specialist Mary Ginsberg (Communist Posters), explore the strikingly distinct aesthetic shared by different regimes, and consider the insight that state-controlled artwork can give us about life as an ordinary citizen. Chaired by Rosie Goldsmith.

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TUESDAY 9 OCTOBER 11.30am–12pm 2.30–3pm

Box Office 01242 850270

1.30–2.30pm

L131 L138

Corbyn’s Labour: Poised For Power?

A Very Short Introduction To… Translation

The Times Forum £10*

The Huddle FREE No ticket required Translation is everywhere: giving us dubbed films, access to foreign news and the literature of other cultures. Considering subtitling, interpreting and adaptations, Matthew Reynolds reveals how translation is changing radically in the new age of electronic media.

12.30–2.30pm

L133

Lifestyle

How To Eat A Peach The Daffodil £30*

Ticket includes a two-course lunch and a glass of wine.

12–1pm

L132

Stage & Screen

Jane Glover On Handel The Inkpot £8* The celebrated conductor and biographer talks to James Long about Handel in London: the Making of a Genius, a fascinating account of Handel’s remarkable journey from his arrival in London from Germany as a 27-year-old self-taught composer to his life at the heart of London’s musical scene for the next four decades.

64

L135

Current Affairs

Creating a menu is Diana Henry’s favourite part of cooking. A menu can transport you to an afternoon at the seaside in Brittany or a sultry evening eating mezze in Istanbul; allow you to revisit favourite places or discover those you’ve never seen before. Over a specially devised lunch, the awardwinning food writer tells Julia Wheeler how the regions and countries she has lived in or loved to travel to – from New York to Bordeaux, Catalonia to Piedmont and Mexico – have shaped her cooking.

1–2pm

L134

Lifestyle

Secret Houses Of The Cotswolds Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* Architectural historian Jeremy Musson takes us on a beautifully illustrated tour of the most beguiling castles, estates and manor houses in the Cotswolds – most privately owned and not usually open to the public – revealing their history, architecture and interiors.

Idolised by some, demonised by others, Jeremy Corbyn has ripped up the rule book since becoming leader of the opposition.

Editor of the New Statesman Jason Cowley (Reaching for Utopia), author and political adviser Liam Young (Rise), national coordinator of Momentum Laura Parker and Labour MP Nick Thomas-Symonds explore why Corbyn’s Labour has captured the imagination of so many, consider whether his policies present a viable alternative for Britain and discuss the challenges that must be overcome if Corbyn is to successfully bring this radical new Labour into government.

2–3pm

L145

Locally Sourced

Secrets And Lies The Nook £8* It’s hard to think of two more evocative subjects for novelists to explore. Join local author Amanda Reynolds (Lying To You) and Cheltenham Festivals’ writer-in-residence Jane Bailey (Lark Song) as they talk about their new novels and what inspired them.

Chaired by Caroline Sanderson.

TUESDAY 9 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

2–4pm

L137

Creative Writing Workshops

Twist In The Tale

12.45–10pm

Let’s Talk About Death

Hotel du Vin, Sinners Enclosure £45*

Join the growing social movement encouraging open discussion about death and how we remember our loved ones.

Bestselling crime writer Mark Billingham shares his secrets for plotting the perfect crime novel. In this fascinating and informative creative writing workshop, he will set out the rules for writing crime fiction and explain why you should probably ignore them.

12.45–1.45pm

Ticket includes light refreshments.

L156

Lifestyle

Last Wishes The Huddle FREE No ticket required Knowing that your final wishes are in place frees you to enjoy life to the full. Fran Glover and Carrie Weekes from A Natural Undertaking demystify funeral planning and guide you through the many options available.

2–3pm 3–4pm

L139

Classic Literature

Mary Shelley: A Life Of Men And Monsters Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* On the 200th anniversary of Frankenstein, biographers Fiona Sampson (In Search of Mary Shelley) and Miranda Seymour (Mary Shelley) bring to life a woman whose dark and brilliant imagination created a myth still haunting us today. Her experience of motherhood and the influence of her absent mother, radical feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, shaped her life and work. In her tragic story of flawed relationships and overlooked struggle, all too relevant for our #MeToo era, we discover a Mary Shelley for our times.

Chaired by Nicolette Jones.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

5.30–6.30pm

L159

Death Café The Huddle FREE No ticket required Grab your cup of tea and join our informal chat about life’s end, your options and how to stay in charge. Fran Glover and Carrie Weekes of A Natural Undertaking guide your discussions.

L157

With The End In Mind The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10* We have lost our way with death. Medical advances have led us to believe that if we can prolong a life, we should do so at all costs. Palliative medicine pioneer Kathryn Mannix (With the End in Mind) and actor and producer Greg Wise (Not That Kind of Love) talk to Cathy Rentzenbrink about the power of approaching death not with trepidation but with openness, clarity and an understanding that a good death is just as important as a life well lived.

3.30–4.30pm

L158

Death Cleaning The Inkpot £8* How do you go about dismantling the material evidence of a life well lived?

Margareta Magnusson (The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning) advocates the proactive clearing out of possessions before death. Susannah Walker (The Life of Stuff) spent months clearing her mother’s home of hoarded rubbish. They explore our sentimental attachment to possessions and how to deal with the emotions at play – grief, nostalgia, guilt – when the time comes to dispose of them.

8–10pm

L160

A Love That Never Dies Town Hall, Pillar Room £10* Psychotherapist Jane Harris and BAFTA award-winning documentary maker Jimmy Edmonds’ son Josh died six years ago whilst travelling in South-East Asia. In honour of his memory, they set off on their own road trip across the USA to find out why, in a world where death will always make front page news, real-life conversations about death, dying and bereavement are so hard to broach. The result is a poignant and deeply moving tribute to their son and other young lives lost. Cathy Rentzenbrink is joined by Jane and Jimmy following the screening to discuss A Love That Never Dies and to consider how, as a society, we might encourage more open conversations about grief and loss.

For more information about Jane and Jimmy’s charity The Good Grief Project visit thegoodgriefproject.co.uk

65

TUESDAY 9 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

4.30–5.30pm

LF39

You’re Safe With Me The Hive £6*

Limited availability. Ages 4+ See page 54 for details.

4–5pm

L140

Current Affairs

NHS: 70 Year Health Check The Times Forum £10* In 1947, the NHS had 35,000 beds for TB patients; today it has 35,000 beds for dementia patients. Jennifer Dixon of The Health Foundation, former doctor and author Adam Kay (This is Going to Hurt), clinical lead for innovation at NHS England Tony Young and writer and broadcaster Vivienne Parry reflect on its founding values, discuss the impact of today’s challenges of growing obesity, an aging population and increased mental health illness, and look at innovation in health technology to offer a prognosis for a 21st century health service still free at the point of delivery.

No appointment necessary.

66

4–5.30pm

L141

4.30–5.30pm

L142

Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Alan Johnson’s Jukebox

Homes Of The Bloomsbury Group

The Daffodil £25*

Ticket includes afternoon tea with a selection of finger sandwiches and cakes.

From being captivated by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly on the radio as a small child in ungentrified West London in the 1950s, to going out to work as a postman humming Elvis Costello, music has been a constant companion to Alan Johnson (In My Life). From Dylan, Bowie and Springsteen to the Beatles, he transports us to a world of Dansettes and jukeboxes, of smoky coffee shops and dingy dance halls. He shares the soundtrack of his life with Becky Milligan.

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10* Vanessa Bell’s granddaughter Virginia Nicholson (Charleston: A Bloomsbury House and Garden) and Nino Strachey, descended from a family at the heart of the Bloomsbury group (Rooms of Their Own), join architectural historian Jeremy Musson to explore the interiors created by these cultural pioneers and transgressives. Accompanied by stunning illustrations, this is not only an insider story of four houses – Charleston, Knole, Monk’s House and Sissinghurst – it’s also one of experimental love and the quest for beauty against a backdrop of colourful décor, creative spaces and personal drama.

TUESDAY 9 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

4.30–5.30pm

L143

Fiction

Ambrose Parry Town Hall, Pillar Room £8*

6.30–7.30pm

Scotland’s hottest new crime-writing partnership also happens to be a husband and wife team. Chris Brookmyre’s storytelling genius meets consultant anaesthetist Marisa Haetzman’s PhD research into Edinburgh’s history of medical innovation to create a riveting tale of medicine and murder on the streets of 1840s Edinburgh. Together they present The Way of All Flesh, written under the pen name Ambrose Parry, and discuss with Rosie Goldsmith the challenges and pleasures of writing together for the first time.

This Is Going To Hurt Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* Welcome to 97-hour weeks, life and death decisions and a constant tsunami of bodily fluids. Comedian and former junior doctor Adam Kay gives a hilarious, horrifying and heartbreaking account of his time on the NHS front line.

6–7pm

L146

Travel & Adventure

4.30–5pm

L148

Science & Tech

L136

Locally Sourced

Cheltenham Writes!

The Huddle FREE No ticket required To celebrate the incredible writing talent of authors local to Cheltenham, John Wood Phillips reads from his book Is It Me Or My Age? and talks about his experience as a writer.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

‘Painfully funny’ Stephen Fry

Walking The World The Inkpot £8* After years of severe mental illness, Guy Stagg (The Crossway) embarked on a 5,500km walk along medieval pilgrim paths from Canterbury to Jerusalem, hoping that the journey would heal him.

In 2016, adventurer and filmmaker Leon McCarron (The Land Beyond) travelled 1,000 miles on foot through the Middle East, tracing ancient pilgrimage routes and new hiking trails. Together with Julia Wheeler they discuss the transformative power of walking and what role pilgrimage and slow travel have in our contemporary turbulent world.

67

TUESDAY 9 OCTOBER 6.30–7.30pm

L149

6.30–7.45pm

Box Office 01242 850270

L150

Classic Literature

Locally Sourced

Royal Shakespeare Company In Rehearsal

[Un]Heard Voices

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10* Gain a unique insight into the creative process as the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Deputy Artistic Director Erica Whyman brings a Romeo and Juliet rehearsal to life with cast member Charlotte Josephine. Together they will demonstrate some of the discussions and experiments that take place, offering an exclusive glimpse behind the scenes of this contemporary, gender-fluid version of the play as it transfers to the Barbican Theatre for the RSC’s London Season.

The Hive £8* How do we give a voice to the unheard?

Local playwright Martin Lytton has been working with Gloucestershire’s homeless and vulnerably housed people to create a performance that aims to change the conversation around homelessness. The play, which is written, directed and performed by the participants of the programme, will be followed by a discussion with members of the cast, chaired by the Bishop of Gloucester, the Right Revd Rachel Treweek.

Programmed in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

7–8.15pm

The RSC Acting Companies are generously supported by THE GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION and THE KOVNER FOUNDATION

Fiction At 7: The Lost Art Of Letters

L151

Fiction

The Nook £10*

Ticket includes a glass of wine.

One of the most talked about debuts of 2018 and already optioned for a TV adaptation, Dear Mrs Bird by AJ Pearce is a love letter to female friendship, Blitz spirit, the kindness of strangers and the art of letter-writing itself. Helen Cullen’s The Lost Letters of William Woolf is a life-affirming love story set in a dead letter office. They discuss their remarkable debuts and the power and art of letters with Steven Gale.

68

TUESDAY 9 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

8.15–9.15pm

L153

Stage & Screen

Jo Brand The Times Forum £12* When the much-loved comedian hosted Have I Got News For You late last year, her calm explanation of the effects of sexism on women to a bemused all-male cast turned into a viral phenomenon.

Born Lippy gathers together everything she has learned about how to ‘do female’.

8.30–9.30pm

L154

Fiction

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8*

7.30–10.30pm Lifestyle

L152

Robert Crampton’s Quiz Night The Daffodil £80* for a team of 4.

Ticket includes a fish and chip supper.

Bar open until late.

A firm Festival favourite, The Times columnist Robert Crampton returns to preside over his legendary evening of frivolity and general knowledge. Come and test your capacity for factual recall after a few drinks...

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine has spent much of 2017 and 2018 at the top of the book charts.

Join the author for a review of its extraordinary success and find out what’s next. Chaired by Caroline Sanderson.

9–10.15pm

L155

Off The Page

Brookmyre And Billingham After-Hours The Nook £12* Like a dog to its vomit, these two notorious crime writers return to the scene of a past atrocity with fresh filth to once again bring down the tone of the entire Festival with their unflinchingly sweary two-man show.

69

WEDNESDAY 10 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

DAY PLANNER 10am

11am

12noon

1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

The Times Forum L168

L175

Rachel Treweek

L178

Oscar Wilde: The First Celebrity

L184

Frida Kahlo

How To Ride A Bike

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage L166

L172

Bernard Cornwell

L179

The Voyages Of Captain Cook

L185

Pam Ayres

L124

Yotam Ottolenghi

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Town Hall, Pillar Room L162

Into The Woods

L167

L176

The Original Wild Swimmers

L181

Marina Warner: Forms Of Enchantment

L330

How To Be Happy

The Poetry Pharmacy

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre L169

Do Memories Make Us Who We Are?

L329

L180

Bushido: The Samurai Spirit

L186

The Jumping Game

Anna Murphy: The Clothes We Stand Up In

The Inkpot LS06

L173

Frankenstein: The Monster Of All Monster Books?

LF42

Future Politics

L187

Chris Hoy And The Flying Fergus Team

The Art Of Not Falling Apart

The Hive LF40

LF41

There’s a Pig Up My Nose

Secrets Of A Sun King

L182

Loki: A Poverty Safari

The Nook L170

L183

I’m Champion, Call Me Bob

Fiction At 7: Writing Wild Places

The Huddle L165

L174

VSI: Modern Drama

VSI: Modern Drama

Feast Café Bar L164

The Times Crossword

Hotel du Vin, Sinners Enclosure L161

Where Do I Start?

How To Write Your Story

No.131 L163

Ultimate Autumn Style With Anna Murphy

70

L171

Beauty Salon At No.131

L177

Cheltenham Writes!

WEDNESDAY 10 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

10am–12pm

L161

Creative Writing Workshops

Where Do I Start?

How To Write Your Story Hotel du Vin, Sinners Enclosure £45* Ticket includes light refreshments.

Do you want to write about your life? This workshop by bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink will give you impetus to start your own story or the encouragement and energy to pick up the pen for an ongoing project.

10–10.45am

LF40

There’s a Pig Up My Nose The Hive £6* Ages 3+

11am–12pm

L162

Nature

Into The Woods Town Hall, Pillar Room £8* From folklore to literature, the magic and mystery of the woods are embedded in our culture, and spending mindful time around trees can help both our mental and physical health and wellbeing.

Despite this, many of our precious woodlands have been lost. Writer Peter Fiennes (Oak and Ash and Thorn) and forest bathing practitioner Faith Douglas talk to Woodland Trust Programme Manager Claire Martin to explore how we can reconnect with our woodlands and ensure that they continue to promote health and happiness for generations to come.

11am–12pm

L164

The Times Crossword Feast Café Bar FREE No ticket required Make yourselves comfortable as The Times Crossword Editor Richard Rogan takes you through the mysteries of the day’s crossword puzzles with a helping hand or a tantalising hint where needed.

See page 54 for details.

10–11am

LS06

Locally Sourced

Frankenstein: The Monster Of All Monster Books?

The Inkpot £2* Which book deserves to be called the Monster of All Monsters? Five secondary schools – Archway, Chipping Campden, Dene Magna, Severn Vale and The Crypt – discuss five shortlisted novels with award-winning writer Emma Carroll (Strange Star) to determine which is the most monstrous book of all.

Supported by our programme partner Gloucestershire Library Services

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

11am–12pm

L163

Lifestyle

Ultimate Autumn Style With Anna Murphy No.131 £40*

Ticket includes a light lunch, which follows the event.

Do you want to liven up your wardrobe but need some inspiration? Join Anna Murphy, Fashion Director at The Times and author of How Not to Wear Black, and Style Editor Prue White as they pick out their favourite trends from the season’s catwalks and show you how to make them work in the real world. Sharing top tips and styling tricks, they’ll suggest some easy ways to add a splash of brilliance to your autumn look.

71

WEDNESDAY 10 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

2–3pm

L169

Science & Tech

Do Memories Make Us Who We Are? 1–2pm

L167

Classic Literature

The Original Wild Swimmers Town Hall, Pillar Room £8*

11.30am–12pm 2.30–3pm

L165 L174

A Very Short Introduction To...

Modern Drama The Huddle FREE No ticket required Exploring the new note of artistic hostility between dramatists and their audience, Kirsten Shepherd-Barr draws on a range of theories and performances to reveal what makes modern drama ‘modern’.

12.30–1.30pm

72

L168

Originally published in 1992, Charles Sprawson’s Haunts of the Black Masseur is a dazzling cultural history of swimming and water worship. Charting his own obsession, and dripping with references to literature, art and mythology, it ushered in a new way of writing about swimming and nature. Alex Preston, who recently swam the Hellespont in homage to Sprawson, joins Sprawson’s longstanding literary agent David Godwin and Jenny Landreth (Swell: A Waterbiography) to share their passion for this cult classic.

After the event, join our panel for a swim at Cheltenham’s beautiful lido; present your ticket for a reduced entry price of £2.70. With thanks to Sandford Parks Lido.

‘An exhilarating plunge into some of the deepest pools inside our heads’ J.G. Ballard

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8* When memories disappear, what happens to the person left behind? Wendy Mitchell (Somebody That I Used To Know) was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s at 58 and soon noticed changes in her personality, tastes and everyday life. She joins neurologist Jules Montague (Lost and Found) as they take a philosophical look at the human brain and the impact a misbehaving mind can have on our sense of self. Chaired by James Long.

2–3pm

L170

Sport

I’m Champion, Call Me Bob The Nook £10* Bob Champion’s 1981 Grand National victory on Aldaniti remains among the most emotional triumphs in Aintree history. Bob has since raised millions of pounds to fund cancer research. He shares his remarkable life story with broadcaster Jill Douglas.

Kindly supported by Tania Hitchins.

12.30–1.30pm

L166

2.30–3.30pm

L172

The Cheltenham Lectures

Fiction

Travel & Adventure

Rachel Treweek

Bernard Cornwell

The Times Forum £8*

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10*

The Voyages Of Captain Cook

In the centenary of the Representation of the People Act 1918 and the great struggle for change that preceded it, the first female diocesan bishop reflects on her own story, and on the divisions which exist between people in this country. How can we live out who we truly are, for good, and embrace the difference around us?

The master storyteller Bernard Cornwell returns in conversation with Julia Wheeler to discuss how England was made, and talk about his new book War of the Wolf.

It’s the eleventh book in The Last Kingdom series, which is now a major TV serialisation on Netflix.

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £8* It’s 250 years since the Endeavour set sail from Plymouth, visiting Pacific islands unknown to European geography and charting New Zealand and the eastern coast of Australia for the first time. Peter Moore, author of Endeavour: The Ship and Attitude That Changed the World, and Laura Walker, co-curator of the celebrated British Library exhibition James Cook: The Voyages, join Steven Gale to discuss Cook’s remarkable journeys and what would become the most significant ship in the history of British exploration.

WEDNESDAY 10 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

2.30–3.30pm

L173

History

Future Politics

Bushido: The Samurai Spirit

The Inkpot £8*

2–5pm

L171

Lifestyle

Beauty Salon at No.131 No.131 £45*

Ticket includes two events, a glass of fizz and nibbles.

2–3pm

More Than Skin Deep As the beauty industry peddles creams and expensive procedures, Fashion Director at The Times Anna Murphy (How Not to Wear Black) talks to our panel of skincare experts who believe in a different approach. Founder of Pure Massage Beata Aleksandrowicz, Chinese medicine practitioner Katie Brindle and sought-after facialist Alexandra Soveral (Perfect Skin) offer practical guidance on ageing beautifully. Get it right on the inside, and looking as good – or better! – at 60 as at 30 can be a reality.

Following the event, join the panel for fizz, nibbles and a chance to put your questions to them and purchase products.

4–5pm

Pretty Iconic: Beauty Products That Changed The World Britain’s most trusted beauty writer Sali Hughes shares her pick of the best and most influential products. She chats to Nadia Shireen about which muchhyped beauty buys are worth the buzz and who they might be best suited for.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

4–5pm

Current Affairs

From artificial intelligence to virtual reality, rapid technological innovation is changing the way we live together. Author and barrister Jamie Susskind (Future Politics) talks to Tom Baldwin (Ctrl Alt Delete) about why he believes those who control these systems will soon set the limits of our liberty, resolve vital questions of social justice and decide the future of democracy and how we can take back control.

3.30–4.30pm

L175

Classic Literature

Oscar Wilde: The First Celebrity The Times Forum £10* Known for his biting wit and flamboyant style, Oscar Wilde rose to become one of the most iconic figures of the fin de siècle. His genius for self-promotion arguably made him the inventor – and ultimately a victim – of celebrity culture.

Biographers Matthew Sturgis (Oscar) and Michèle Mendelssohn (Making Oscar Wilde) explore the playwright’s meteoric rise and catastrophic fall from grace with publisher and philanthropist William Sieghart.

L329

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8* From ritual disembowelment to kamikaze fighter pilots, voluntary death in Japan has been romanticised as a tragic, yet honourable act. Historian Stephen Turnbull (Samurai: Legendary Warriors of Japan) and Oleg Benesch (Inventing the way of the Samurai) explore whether modern day Japan’s high suicide rates are reflective of the samurai tradition of Seppuku and to what extent bushido, a code of ethics for samurai, exists in modern day Japan. Chaired by James Long.

4–5pm

L176

Art & Design

Marina Warner: Forms Of Enchantment Town Hall, Pillar Room £8* In this beautifully illustrated lecture, the celebrated writer and critic explores stories and symbols in artists’ work and considers the role art plays in shaping values, socially and psychologically.

4.30–5pm

L177

Locally Sourced

Cheltenham Writes!

The Huddle FREE No ticket required To celebrate the incredible writing talent of authors local to Cheltenham, Angela France reads from her book The Hill and talks about her experience as a writer.

73

WEDNESDAY 10 OCTOBER 4.30–5.30pm

Box Office 01242 850270

6–7pm

LF41

Secrets Of A Sun King

The Jumping Game

The Hive £6* Ages 9+

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10*

See page 55 for details.

The prospect of saddling a winner fuels the fire of every National Hunt trainer. Five-time champion trainer Nicky Henderson and Henrietta Knight, who trained the great Best Mate to win three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups, reveal what it takes to succeed in their tough and competitive industry. With access to unique photographs from private albums, they explore the extraordinary characters at the heart of jump racing, and their single-minded ambition to win, with presenter and former National Hunt jockey Alice Plunkett.

5–6pm

LF42

Chris Hoy And The Flying Fergus Team The Inkpot £8* Ages 5+ and the whole family.

See page 55 for details.

4.30–5.30pm

L179

Poetry

Pam Ayres Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £12* Pam Ayres has been making the nation laugh for over 40 years. Her charming understated manner belies a rare comic precision. Pam will be reading her latest book The Last Hedgehog and other poems, old and new.

5.45–6.45pm

L178

Art & Design

Frida Kahlo The Times Forum £10* Artist. Activist. Feminist. Icon. Frida Kahlo’s powerful self-portraits, interwoven with the myth and vibrancy of Mexico, are some of the most celebrated of the 20th century. Kahlo’s personal story and unique sense of style have endured as much as her paintings, leading her to become a global cultural phenomenon.

Claire Wilcox, co-curator of the V&A’s acclaimed exhibition Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up, cultural critic and writer Marina Warner and columnist and author Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett explore her life, work and legacy with Rosie Goldsmith.

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L180

Sport

6.15–7.15pm

L181

Ancient World

How To Be Happy Town Hall, Pillar Room £10* What do you and an ancient philosopher have in common? It turns out, much more than you might think. Life presents the same challenges, in Ancient Greece or the modern world. Professor Edith Hall and comedian Natalie Haynes explore the idea that ancient wisdom is precisely what we need to be happy today.

6.30–7.30pm

L182

Off The Page

Loki: Poverty Safari The Hive £8* Winner of the Orwell Prize for political writing and earning praise from JK Rowling and Irvine Welsh, Loki, aka Scottish rapper Darren McGarvey’s Poverty Safari is a mix of memoir and polemic that explores the anger of Britain’s underclass. He joins us for conversation and performance.

WEDNESDAY 10 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

8.15–9.15pm 6.30–7.30pm

L185

The Poetry Pharmacy: Prescriptions For The Heart, Mind And Soul

Lifestyle

Yotam Ottolenghi Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* Fresh from the launch of his new restaurant ROVI this summer, the Israeli-born chef known for bold flavours and irreverent combinations of ingredients shows in Simple how easy it can be to make vibrant food part of your everyday, in conversation with Julia Leonard.

7–8.15pm

L183

Fiction

Fiction At 7: Writing Wild Places The Nook £10*

Ticket includes a glass of wine.

The acclaimed travel writer known for his non-fiction on islands and landscapes, Malachy Tallack turns to fiction with The Valley at the Centre of the World set on his home island of Shetland. Melissa Harrison is a powerful fiction and nature writer whose new novel All Among the Barley is described by Helen Macdonald (H is for Hawk) as ‘a work of rare magic’. They discuss their stunning renderings of the natural world with Julia Wheeler.

7.30–8.30pm

L184

Sport

How To Ride A Bike The Times Forum £12* Six-time Olympic gold medallist Chris Hoy recalls his astonishing track career and what drove him to succeed, and shares advice on how to achieve your best performance with broadcaster Jill Douglas.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

L330

Poetry

Town Hall, Pillar Room £8* 8–9pm

L186

The Cheltenham Lectures

Anna Murphy: The Clothes We Stand Up In The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10* What was Marks & Spencer’s bestselling item of clothing in the 1920s? The apron. Times have changed. While fashion is often dismissed as frippery, it is also anthropology. In an era when women have moved into the workplace and the world like never before, our clothes tell our story. Drawing on fashion history and contemporary insight, the Fashion Director of The Times sheds fascinating new light on why, as Mark Twain once wrote, ‘There is no power without clothes’.

In the years since he first had the idea of prescribing short, powerful poems for all manner of spiritual ailments, William Sieghart has taken his Poetry Pharmacy around the length and breadth of Britain, prescribing poems to combat loneliness, lack of courage, heartbreak, hopelessness and more. He joins Rosie Goldsmith in conversation about the impact of the project and offers up special poetic prescriptions for audience members.

8.30–9.30pm

L124

Fiction

8–9pm

L187

Psychology

The Art Of Not Falling Apart The Inkpot £8* As the old proverb says, we plan and God laughs. But when something does go wrong we usually don’t find it in us to laugh along.

Broadcaster Christina Patterson (The Art Of Not Falling Apart) joins comedian Aaron Gillies (How To Survive The End Of The World When It’s In Your Own Head) to celebrate life as an adventure, one where you ditch your expectations, raise a glass and prepare for a rocky ride. They join Steven Gale to discuss practical tips for surviving and thriving when life seems to be against you.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* Award-winning author of Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED talk ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ started a worldwide conversation. On a UK visit to receive the PEN Pinter Prize, she speaks about the remarkable impact of her work.

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THURSDAY 11 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

DAY PLANNER 9am

10am

11am

12noon

1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

10pm

The Times Forum L193

L199

The Conservatives

L205

Darkest Hours

L212

Syria: The Dynamics Of War

L219

Crumbling Britain?

Richard Herring

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage L189

L195

Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy

L201

Forsyth And Gardner

L209

Edmund de Waal:

L216

Nicholas Hytner

Red Box Live

Town Hall, Pillar Room L196

L191

Refugee Stories

L220

Scandi and Nordic Noir

Mercy On Me: Drawing Nick Cave

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre L198

Living With Leonardo

L204

Monty Don’s Paradise Gardens

L211

L218

Rose Tremain

Aardman: An Epic Journey

The Inkpot L197

Kate Mosse

L203

L210

Take Nothing With You

L217

Why Learn A Language?

Åsne Seierstad: Two Sisters

The Hive LF43

LF44

Fairytale Hairdresser

Billy And The Beast

L213

Windrush Journeys

The Nook L207

Unbound Proof Party

L214

Fiction at 7: Writing Motherhood

The Huddle L192

L200

VSI: English

L206

VSI: English

Cheltenham Writes!

Feast Café Bar L190

The Times Crossword

The Daffodil L194

A Sensational Lunch

L202

L215

Life Lessons From Literature

Russell Norman’s Venice

Hotel du Vin, Sinners Enclosure L188

Novel Writing: The Essential Guide

No.131 L229

Gizzi Erskine

76

THURSDAY 11 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

9.30am–3pm

L188

Novel Writing: The Essential Guide

L190

Feast Café Bar FREE No ticket required

Hotel du Vin, Sinners Enclosure £70*

Ticket includes refreshments and a light lunch.

Join the writer and tutor Greg Mosse in a collaborative and supportive story development workshop for writers at all stages of the writing journey. He’ll help you develop characters, setting, dialogue and plot, giving handy tips on how to drive the story forward, deliver challenges for your characters and integrate subplots. The session will include a look at how to get started or move on with your writing, and how to ensure creative and professional development.

10–10.45am

11am–12pm

The Times Crossword

Creative Writing Workshops

Make yourselves comfortable as The Times Crossword Editor Richard Rogan takes you through the mysteries of the day’s crossword puzzles with a helping hand or a tantalising hint where needed.

L192 L200

A Very Short Introduction To… The English Language The Huddle FREE No ticket required How has the English language evolved into the version we know today? How will it develop in the future? Simon Horobin outlines these often heated debates, setting them in a historical and linguistic context.

LF43

Family

Fairytale Hairdresser The Hive £6* Ages 3+

12.30–1.30pm

L193

Current Affairs

See page 55 for details.

10.45–11.45am

11.30am–12pm 2.30–3pm

L189

History

11.30am–12.30pm L196

Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy

Current Affairs

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* Historian and journalist Max Hastings presents his masterful new chronicle of one of the most devastating international conflicts of the 20th century which proved a tragedy for the US, but above all for the Vietnamese people.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

Refugee Stories Town Hall, Pillar Room £8* Refugees are often described as a collective, with the voices of individuals lost. Sulaiman Addonia (Silence Is My Mother Tongue) and Olivier Kugler (Escaping War and Waves) have both set out to tell stories about the courage and humanity of individuals whose lives have been impacted by conflict. They join Lliana Bird to share their tales from the frontline and discuss the role of writing and reportage in illuminating personal stories.

The Conservatives: Beyond Brexit The Times Forum £10* Post-Brexit, what will the Conservative Party seek to offer voters? The Times Columnist Daniel Finkelstein joins conservative thinker, MP and historian Jesse Norman (Adam Smith), and Isabel Hardman (Why We Get the Wrong Politicians) to discuss the different ideas that should drive party policy post March 2019. Will so-called big state conservatives prevail over those who seek to roll back the state? And where are the big ideas to appeal to our diverse electorate?

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THURSDAY 11 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

2.30–3.30pm

L199

History

Darkest Hours: Speaking Truth To Power The Times Forum £10* 12.30–2.30pm

L194

Lifestyle

A Sensational Lunch

1.45–2.45pm

The Daffodil £35*

The Inkpot £10*

Kate Mosse

Ticket includes a four-course tasting menu and a glass of wine.

In the Western world we have very few words to describe the texture of food, while the Japanese have hundreds. Is it time to pay more attention to texture as being integral to taste and our enjoyment of food? Join food writer Sybil Kapoor (Sight Smell Touch Taste Sound), psychologist Charles Spence (Gastrophysics) and Kitchen Theory founder Jozef Youssef (Molecular Gastronomy at Home) for a delicious and thoughtprovoking lunch with BBC R4’s Kitchen Cabinet sensory expert Barry Smith.

1–2pm

L195

Fiction

Frederick Forsyth And Frank Gardner Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* The man who created the thriller genre when he wrote The Day of the Jackal Frederick Forsyth (The Fox) and BBC Security Correspondent turned thriller writer Frank Gardner (Ultimatum) talk to Julia Wheeler about their new edge-of-the-seat novels.

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L197

Fiction

Bringing 16th century Languedoc vividly to life, Kate Mosse talks to James Long about The Burning Chambers, a gripping story of love and betrayal, mysteries and secrets; of war and adventure, conspiracies and divided loyalties.

Should political leaders intervene in military decisions? And what if military leaders want to escalate? Starting from the ill-starred Norwegian campaign of 1940, which almost cost Churchill the Admiralty but ended up bringing him the premiership, former British army general John Kiszely, former Foreign Secretary and Defence Minister Malcolm Rifkind and Karin von Hippel, DirectorGeneral of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, discuss the inherent tensions in the political-military relationship in time of war. Chaired by The Times contributor Allan Mallinson.

3–4pm

L201

Art & Design

1.45–2.45pm

L198

Art & Design

Living With Leonardo The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9* World-renowned da Vinci expert and art historian Martin Kemp shares the story of his 50-year relationship with Leonardo.

Weaving personal reflections with historical research, he explores the life, work and legacy of one of history’s most intriguing figures, whose unique artistic genius and extraordinary creativity continue to inspire and delight to this day.

Chaired by broadcaster Libby Purves.

Edmund De Waal: A History Of Porcelain Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10*

Tracing its journey from 18th century China to Europe, the acclaimed ceramicist and writer shares the rich and fascinating history of porcelain and explores his own decades-long relationship with the decorative arts.

THURSDAY 11 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

4.30–5.30pm

L205

Current Affairs

Syria: The Dynamics Of War 3.30–4.30pm

The Times Forum £10*

L191

Fiction

In Cold Blood: Scandi And Nordic Noir

4–5pm

Patrick Gale The Inkpot £8*

Town Hall, Pillar Room £8* Søren Sveistrup, the Emmy-winning creator of The Killing which aired in over 100 countries and revolutionised its genre, brings the unrelenting tension of the TV series and its powerful Copenhagen setting to his first thriller, The Chestnut Man. Quentin Bates – Iceland resident, co-founder of Iceland Noir Festival, translator of Lilja Sigurðardóttir and one of the few British authors writing Scandi Noir set in Iceland – presents the murder mystery Cold Breath. With Barry Forshaw they discuss creating gripping thrillers in atmospheric locations.

4–5.30pm

L203

Fiction

L202

Bestselling author Patrick Gale is joined on stage by cellist Joely Koos for an exquisite event about his new book, Take Nothing With You, a poignant look at boyhood, coming of age and the confusions of desire and reality. Chaired

by Tim Hubbard.

4.15–5.15pm

Syria has witnessed unimaginable atrocities, with thousands killed and millions more displaced. With multiple parties involved in the conflict, is it possible for a peaceful resolution to be achieved? BBC’s Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet, Chatham House’s Head of Middle East and North Africa Programme Lina Khatib, journalist Rania Abouzeid (No Turning Back) and other leading experts examine the dynamics of the war, explore its cultural, social and political costs, and consider its regional and international implications with Channel 4’s International Editor Lindsey Hilsum (In Extremis).

L204

Lifestyle

Monty Don’s Paradise Gardens The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10*

Classic Literature

Life Lessons From Literature The Daffodil £25*

As seen on the highly acclaimed BBC2 series, Monty Don and photographer Derry Moore explore the principles and immersive delights of Islamic paradise gardens and present the most sublime examples in this lavishly illustrated celebration of their beauty.

Ticket includes afternoon tea with a selection of finger sandwiches and cakes.

From the romantic tribulations of Jane Austen’s characters to the social anxiety of Chekhov’s, as readers we absorb excellent lessons on how to live – and how not to live – from our favourite authors. Whatever your situation, it’s bound to have been played out in fiction. Whose advice should we trust? Who creates the worst role models? Over afternoon tea, The Pool’s agony aunt Viv Groskop (The Anna Karenina Fix), Kate Mosse (The Burning Chambers) and a special Festival guest share the life lessons they’ve learned from a lifetime of reading.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

4.30–5pm

L206

Locally Sourced

4.30–5.30pm

Billy And The Beast The Hive £6* Ages 4+ See page 55 for details.

LF44

Cheltenham Writes!

The Huddle FREE No ticket required To celebrate the incredible writing talent of authors local to Cheltenham, Nicola Kelsall reads from her book The Diary Of A Stressed Out Mother and talks about her experience as a writer.

79

THURSDAY 11 OCTOBER 5–6pm

L207

Box Office 01242 850270

6–7pm

L210

6.30–7.30pm

L212

Fiction

Lifestyle

Current Affairs

Unbound Proof Party

Why Learn A Language?

Crumbling Britain?

The Nook £15*

The Inkpot £8*

The Times Forum £10*

Is it ever too late to learn a new language, and how does language acquisition benefit the brain at any age? Join the AHRC’s Charles Forsdick as he chats (in English) to the multi-lingual Rosie Goldsmith and neuroscientist Thomas Bak, revealing the latest research on the many benefits, both cultural and cognitive, of speaking and understanding a different language.

How can we ensure our economy delivers for all? Since 2008, Britons old and young have paid a heavy price for austerity. With stagnant wages and widespread inequality, is it time for a radical economic rethink and a new social contract for Britain? In this fascinating discussion we are joined by the head of the New Economics Foundation Miatta Fahnbulleh, leading trade lawyer Shanker Singham of the Institute of Economic Affairs, and the social entrepreneur Hilary Cottam (Radical Help) to debate the way forward with the economist Dharshini David.

Ticket includes refreshments and a goody bag of limited edition proofs.

Believing that great ideas shouldn’t fall between the cracks because they don’t fit the mould, innovative crowd-funding publisher Unbound was established in 2011. Through the support of over 173,000 people from around the globe, it has since published over 200 books and today they give a first look at three of their most promising debuts for spring 2019: Craig Melvin’s The Belle Hotel, Lucy Anne Holmes’ Don’t Hold My Head Down and Beth McColl’s How to Come Alive Again. Chaired by Fiona Lensvelt.

6–7pm

L209

6.15–7.15pm

L211

Stage & Screen

Fiction

Nicholas Hytner: Balancing Acts

The Sunday Times Must Reads: Rose Tremain

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* From The History Boys to War Horse and working with the likes of Alan Bennett, Daniel Day-Lewis, Helen Mirren and Mike Leigh, Nicholas Hytner discusses 12 years at the helm of the National Theatre with Libby Purves.

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8* The award-winning novelist joins Sunday Times Literary Editor Andrew Holgate to discuss her lauded memoir Rosie: Scenes From a Vanished Life which details her childhood in post-war London and the foundations of her life as a writer.

7–8pm

L213

Off The Page

Windrush Journeys: Mixtape Stories The Hive £10* From a hopeful man from the Caribbean landing in London in 1948 to young artists moving to a new, challenging Britain in 2018, witnessing multiculturalism in distress, join Anthony Joseph, Nick Makoha and Roger Robinson for a night of poetry and prose, music and image.

They tell public and private stories of the lives of those who have come from elsewhere but who have all, for better or worse, called Britain ‘home’.

80

THURSDAY 11 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

7–8.15pm

L214

7–8pm

L229

8.15–9.15pm

L218

Fiction

Lifestyle

Stage & Screen

Fiction At 7: Writing Motherhood

Gizzi Erskine

Aardman: An Epic Journey

The Nook £10*

Following her pop-up at Tate Modern and restaurant opening in Hackney, the TV chef is operating at full throttle. Yet when it comes to cooking she prefers to slow down, pouring love and care into her recipes to create something beautiful (Slow). Chaired by Fiona Lensvelt.

No.131 £12*

Ticket includes a glass of wine.

‘There is no more sombre enemy of good art than the pram in the hall’ said literary critic Cyril Connolly. Author of Sight Jessie Greengrass and New Zealand author and graphic novelist Sarah Laing (Mansfield and Me) join Lliana Bird to discuss capturing the experience of motherhood in their fiction and explore the wider topic of balancing a creative life with the pressures and demands of motherhood.

8–9pm

L215

The founders of the Aardman Studios David Sproxton and Peter Lord tell us about the birth and rise of this remarkable company.

From small beginnings and meeting Nick Park, to conquering Hollywood and our hearts with characters like Morph, Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep. Chaired by Andy Rea.

L216

Current Affairs

8.30–9.30pm

Red Box LIVE

L219

Stage & Screen

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10*

7.30–10pm

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9*

Join Matt Chorley, editor of the award-winning Red Box morning email, for a special live edition of the politics podcast from The Times, as four of the paper’s best writers and journalists, Iain Martin, Lucy Fisher, Jenni Russell and Danny Finkelstein, argue over the big (and not so big) political issues of the day. Warning: someone will probably mention Brexit.

Richard Herring The Times Forum £10* Comedian, writer and podcaster Richard Herring is here to help with embarrassing moments when conversations grind to a halt.

He shares the secrets of successful chatting, discussing Emergency Questions that can turn an awkward silence into awkward conversation.

Lifestyle

Russell Norman’s Venice The Daffodil £50*

Ticket includes a three-course dinner and a drink on arrival. Bar open until late.

Experience an authentic taste of Venice as one of the brightest stars of the British food scene, restaurateur and broadcaster Russell Norman, showcases the flavours of Veneto and the culinary traditions of the city that inspired POLPO. Over a seasonal Italian dinner featuring recipes taken from Venice: Four Seasons of Home Cooking, Russell shares his enthusiasm for its hidden architectural gems and secret places, the embedded history, the colour and vitality of daily life, and the food merchants and growers who make Venice so vibrant. Chaired by Julia Wheeler.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

8.45–10.15pm 8–9pm

L217

L220

Off The Page

Åsne Seierstad: Two Sisters

Mercy On Me: Drawing Nick Cave

The Inkpot £8*

Town Hall, Pillar Room £12*

Telling the harrowing true story of a family ripped apart by radicalisation, the writer and journalist documents the shocking consequences of the Juma sisters’ decision to travel to Syria and the heart of Islamic State.

Employing a cast of characters drawn from Cave’s music and writing, Reinhard Kleist’s graphic novel, Nick Cave: Mercy On Me, paints an expressive and enthralling portrait of a formidable artist and influencer, capturing his childhood in Australia through to his years with The Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds and his personal struggles along the way. Join us for a deliciously dark evening of live drawing and music, plus conversation about his artistic process with Lliana Bird.

Psychology

81

FRIDAY 12 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

DAY PLANNER 8am

9am

10am

11am

12noon 1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

10pm

11pm

The Times Forum L227

L234

What’s The Point Of Aid?

Helena Kennedy

L241

L248

L255

L242

L249

L256

Everest: Mountain Vs Human

What The Critics Would Pay To See

Jennifer Saunders And Jon Plowman

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage L222

L230

East Asian Treasures From The V&A

Contemporary East Asian Treasures

Peter Frankopan:

Mishal Husain

Kevin Keegan: My Life In Football

Town Hall, Pillar Room L224

L232

WWI: The Last Stand

Katherine Mansfield And Me

L238

L246

The Chinese Typewriter

L337

Nick Harper: A Wiltshire Tale

Salena Godden

L258

Out-Spoken Showcase

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre L231

L237

Kate Humble

Oh! What A Lovely War

L245

L252

Matt Haig

Akala

The Inkpot L226

The Times Live

L233

L239

You Left Early

L247

Wendy Cope

L253

Giles Terera

Peter Brookes

The Hive LF45

Olobob Top

LF46

LF47

Olobob Top

L250

The Infinite Lives Of Maisie Day

L257

Millennial Magick

Tessa Coates: Witch Hunt

The Nook L236

L244

This Book Saved My Life

L254

Michael Joseph Proof Party

Social Media: Find Your Tribe

The Huddle L131 VSI: Autobiography

L156

Last Wishes

L138 VSI: Autobiography

L243

Cheltenham Writes!

L159

Death Cafe

Feast Café Bar L223 The Times Crossword

The Daffodil L221

L228

Views From Westminster And Brussels

Lunch At The Ritz

L240

How To Make The Most Of Your Garden

L251

Dinner With Oz Clarke

Hotel du Vin L208

Celebrate With... Kate Mosse

82

L259

Festival Club

12pm

FRIDAY 12 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

8.30–10am

L221

Current Affairs

Breakfast With The Times: Brexit, Westminster And Brussels The Daffodil £20*

Ticket includes a full English breakfast.

Relax over a delicious breakfast and catch up with The Times Brussels Correspondent Bruno Waterfield, Deputy Political Editor Sam Coates and Deputy Editor Emma Tucker as they debate the latest in the Brexit saga from both sides of the channel. Serving up sharp insight and analysis and a side order of gossip...

10–10.45am 11.30am–12.15pm

LF45 LF46

Olobob Top The Hive £6 child/£4 adult* Ages 2+ All children must be accompanied by a ticket holding adult. See page 55 for details.

11am–12pm

L222

1–2pm

L230

Art & Design

Art & Design

East Asian Treasures From The V&A

Contemporary East Asian Treasures From The V&A

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £8*

From ceramics to armour, intricate textiles to delicate mother-of-pearl boxes, the V&A’s East Asian collection covers several thousand years of Chinese, Japanese and Korean art and design. Gregory Irvine, senior curator of Japanese metalwork, and Julia Hutt, curator of lacquerware and ivory carvings, provide an expert insight into some of the exquisite objects housed at the museum, selecting their must-see pieces and exploring their place within the wider collection with Chairman of the V&A Nicholas Coleridge.

11am–12.15pm

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £8*

The V&A’s East Asian collection is home to over 70,000 works of art, including a compelling selection of modern and contemporary crafts from the 20th and 21st centuries. Rosalie Kim, Samsung Curator of Korean Art, and Brendan Cormier, Lead Curator of 20th and 21st Century Design for the Shekou Partnership, shine a spotlight on their must-see pieces in the collection with Chairman of the V&A Nicholas Coleridge.

L208

Fiction

Celebrate With…

Kate Mosse Hotel du Vin £30*

Ticket includes two glasses of fizz and nibbles.

Raise a glass with Kate Mosse as she revisits Labyrinth – the first instalment of her multi-million Languedoc Trilogy – in this very special event. Chaired by Clare Clark. *Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

83

FRIDAY 12 OCTOBER 11am–12pm

L223

The Times Crossword

L226

Current Affairs

The Times LIVE The Inkpot £10*

Feast Café Bar FREE No ticket required Make yourselves comfortable as The Times Crossword Editor Richard Rogan takes you through the mysteries of the day’s crossword puzzles with a helping hand or a tantalising hint where needed.

11.30am–12.30pm

12–1pm

Box Office 01242 850270

In a fascinating debate now firmly established as a popular fixture at Cheltenham, Deputy Editor Emma Tucker and the Times leading writing team, including Danny Finkelstein, Philip Collins, Jenni Russell and Iain Martin, discuss the hot topics of the day and decide the subjects of the famous leading articles for the next edition.

L224

History

WWI: The Last Stand

12.30–2.30pm

Lunch At The Ritz

Allan Mallinson (Fight to the Finish: The First World War – Month by Month) is the chronicler of the Great War for The Times. He examines the battles of October 1918 and the German surrender on 11 November.

11.30am–12pm 2.30–3pm

The Daffodil £35*

Ticket includes a two-course lunch and a glass of wine.

L225 L235

A Very Short Introduction To… Autobiography The Huddle FREE No ticket required Autobiography is one of the most popular of written forms. Laura Marcus defines what autobiographies are, considers their relationship with similar literary forms and analyses the core themes in autobiographical writing.

84

L228

Lifestyle

Town Hall, Pillar Room £8*

12.15–1.15pm

L227

Current Affairs

What’s The Point Of Aid? The Times Forum £10* International aid is one of the great debates of our time, but mainstream narratives on the subject are often clumsy, creating confusion rather than clarity. Economist and broadcaster Dharshini David (The Almighty Dollar), BAFTA award-winning journalist Paul Kenyon (Dictatorland) and Tina Fahm, Independent Aid Commissioner, help us to untangle the debate. Does foreign aid help or hinder developing countries and should we stick to the 0.7% international aid commitment or do we need a radical reform?

Steeped in tradition and oozing elegance, the Michelin-starred restaurant at The Ritz London is world-famous. Presiding over a kitchen brigade of nearly 70 chefs is Executive Chef John Williams, a fisherman’s son who started out peeling spuds in his mum’s South Tyneside kitchen. Today he is renowned for exquisite renditions of classical dishes.

He brings a taste of The Ritz to Cheltenham with a menu inspired by favourite recipes (The Ritz London: The Cookbook) and takes us behind the scenes in those venerated kitchens.

Chaired by Julia Wheeler.

FRIDAY 12 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

2.15–3.15pm

L234

The Cheltenham Lectures

Helena Kennedy 1.45–2.45pm

The Times Forum £10*

L231

The eminent barrister takes a deeply shocking look at the British justice system, examining pressing new evidence that women are still being discriminated against. From the High Court to female prisons, she argues that change for women must start at the heart of what makes society just.

Nature

Kate Humble The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10* Reflecting on the sights and sounds of her favourite journeys, the much-loved presenter shares highlights from Thinking on My Feet, an uplifting celebration of the simple pleasure of walking and the many benefits it brings.

Chaired by Steven Gale.

2–3pm

L233

Psychology

You Left Early The Inkpot £8* A heartbreaking portrayal of love, grief and the merciless grip of addiction, award-winning novelist Louisa Young talks to broadcaster Libby Purves about her memoir You Left Early, a brutal and beautiful reflection on her husband’s fatal alcoholism.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

2–3pm

L232

3.30–4.30pm

Classic Literature

Psychology

Katherine Mansfield And Me

This Book Saved My Life

Town Hall, Pillar Room £8* ‘I was jealous of her writing – the only writing I have ever been jealous of’, said Virginia Woolf of Katherine Mansfield. An acclaimed short story writer, a social rebel and a key figure in Modernism, Wellingtonborn Mansfield lived a remarkable life before her early death at 34. New Zealand authors Kirsty Gunn (My Katherine Mansfield Project) and Sarah Laing (Mansfield and Me) join Fiona Lensvelt to discuss her literary legacy and how their own lives have connected with their country’s most famous writer.

L236

The Nook £10* Books can make us laugh, cry or bring us comfort in our darkest moments. Scarlett Curtis talks to writer and journalist Matt Haig (Notes on a Nervous Planet), New Zealand poet and writer Ashleigh Young (Can You Tolerate This?) and writer and critic Laura Freeman (The Reading Cure), as they reflect upon the books that have had a significant positive impact on their mental health and invite the audience to share their own must-reads.

85

FRIDAY 12 OCTOBER 3.45–4.45pm

Box Office 01242 850270

L237

History

Oh! What A Lovely War The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9* Why did the First World War cost so many lives? Was it a case of misconceived strategy, futile offensives and ‘lions led by donkeys’?

And was the ultimate victory worth the price?

As the centenary of the Armistice approaches, Times chronicler of the war Allan Mallinson is joined by Hew Strachan (The First World War), former Chichele Professor of the History of War at Oxford University Jennifer Wellington (Exhibiting War: The Great War, Museums, and Memory in Britain, Canada and Australia) and Matthias Strohn (1918: Winning the War, Losing the War) to discuss the calamitous conflict.

4.15–5.15pm

L241

Travel & Adventure

4–5pm

L239

Poetry

Wendy Cope The Inkpot £10* Sharing her experience of childhood and marriage, and writing poignantly about the passing of time, Wendy Cope is one of Britain’s most beloved poets. She talks to James Long and gives readings from her new collection Anecdotal Evidence.

3.45–4.45pm L238

Everest: Mountain vs Human The Times Forum £8* Kenton Cool has climbed Everest 13 times – more than any other Brit. Ben Fogle ascended the mountain in April this year and Bonita Norris was the first British woman to reach the peak. They talk to Dominic Faulkner about the fascination of the mountain, what draws people there despite the danger, why they keep going back and the impact of climbers on the region and on the mountain itself.

History

The Chinese Typewriter

Town Hall, Pillar Room £8*

4–5.30pm

L240

Lifestyle

How To Make The Most Of Your Garden The Daffodil £25*

Secretly a history of translation and empire, written language and modernity, misguided struggle and brutal intellectual defeat, Thomas Mullaney uncovers how the Chinese typewriter has become the most significant and misunderstood invention in the history of modern information technology. Chaired by Dharshini David.

86

Ticket includes afternoon tea with a selection of finger sandwiches and cakes.

Whether windswept or waterlogged, tiny or teetering on a hillside, there are solutions for even the most challenging garden. Learn how to harness your creativity with our expert panel, as they reveal the art of making the most of the space you have. BBC Two’s Gardeners’ World presenter Nick Bailey (Revive Your Garden) and garden designer Jo Thompson share their tips and tricks over a delicious afternoon tea with The Sunday Times Gardening Editor Caroline Donald (The Generous Gardener).

FRIDAY 12 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

6–8pm

L246

Off The Page

Nick Harper: A Wiltshire Tale Town Hall, Pillar Room £10*

4.30–5.30pm 4.15–5.15pm

L242

History

Peter Frankopan: The New Silk Road Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* ‘All roads used to lead to Rome. Today, they lead to Beijing.’ Our Guest Curator Peter Frankopan brings the story of his 2015 global best-seller up to date, and reminds us that we live in a profoundly interconnected world. Chaired by Emma Tucker.

LF47

The Infinite Lives Of Maisie Day The Hive £6* Ages 9+

‘The Bard of Wiltshire’ Mojo magazine ‘Betjeman with a guitar, Guitarist magazine

See page 55 for details.

5.30–6.30pm

From sell-out tours to a critically acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe show and collaborations with Squeeze, Lana Del Ray, Newton Faulkner and The Levellers, Nick Harper enters his third decade as a performer with a vitality that could put younger musicians to shame. He makes his Literature Festival debut with ‘A Wiltshire Tale’ – a journey through Wiltshire’s history, landscape and wildlife through poetry, spoken word and acoustic music.

L244

Fiction

Michael Joseph Proof Party The Nook £15*

Ticket includes refreshments and a goody bag of limited edition proofs.

4.30–5pm

L243

Locally Sourced

Publisher Michael Joseph is delighted to present three astonishing debut authors, Gytha Lodge, Caroline Lea and Alex North.

Watch out for these names; they’re destined for great things. Chaired by Sarah Shaffi.

Cheltenham Writes!

5.45–6.45pm Psychology

Stage & Screen

The Huddle

Matt Haig

Giles Terera

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10*

The Inkpot £10*

In the eagerly anticipated follow-up to Reasons to Stay Alive, Matt Haig (Notes on a Nervous Planet) takes a personal and vital look at how we can feel happy, human and whole in our busy world. Chaired by Steven Gale.

The Olivier award-winning Hamilton star talks to Alex Clark about his role in one of musical theatre’s biggest successes of our time and his wider career which has spanned Shakespeare, Horrible Histories and Avenue Q.

FREE No ticket required To celebrate the incredible writing talent of authors local to Cheltenham, Nicola Kelsall reads from her new Songbirds of Cyprus and talks about her experience as a writer.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

L245

6–7pm

L247

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FRIDAY 12 OCTOBER 6.15–7.15pm

Box Office 01242 850270

L248

Stage & Screen

7.30–8.30pm

What The Critics Would Pay To See

Akala The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8*

The Times Forum £10* Was Hamilton the best musical of the year?

And what about the best film? Hear from The Times reviewing team Ann Treneman (Theatre) Kevin Maher (Film) and Hugo Rifkind (TV) as they look back over a year in the arts. They call out the turkeys and celebrate the triumphs and look forward to the highlights of 2019, sharing stories from behind the scenes. In conversation with The Times Arts Editor Alex O’Connell.

L252

History

6.30–7.30pm

L250

Faith

Millennial Magick

From the first time he was stopped and searched as a child, to the day he realised his mum was white, race and class have shaped Akala’s life and outlook. The BAFTA and MOBO award-winning artist, writer and political commentator discusses his latest book Native with poet Anthony Anaxagorou.

The Hive £8* Millennials are turning away from religion faster than any other age group but interest in ancient spiritual practices, from chakras, auras and moon phases to cleansing our homes, is on the rise.

Fiona Lensvelt, founder of literary tarot cabaret Litwitchure, and Wiccan YouTuber and Instagram star Harmony Nice (Wicca) talk to Abigail Bergstrom about why Gen Y are increasingly turning to spells, shamanism and the stars to help navigate hectic modern lives.

6.15–7.15pm

L249

Current Affairs

Mishal Husain Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* What’s holding you back in the workplace? What’s the best way to get your ideas across? How do you overcome self-doubt, or break through to the next level? In conversation with Dharshini David, the Today presenter and journalist discusses The Skills, her inspirational guide for women from first job to dream job.

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7–10pm

L251

8–9pm

Lifestyle

Current Affairs

Dinner With Oz Clarke

Peter Brookes

The Daffodil £60*

Ticket includes a three-course dinner with matched wines. Bar open until late.

Britain’s best loved wine expert, Oz Clarke is the guest you want at your table and the ideal drinking companion. Join him for dinner as he pops the cork on his life-long love affair (Red & White) in conversation with James Long. Introducing you to the world’s finest vineyards and the wines he loves, he’ll show you how to taste and enjoy wine whatever the budget. To discover the many brilliant and original varieties, all you need is a glass in your hand and Oz as your inspiration!

L253

The Inkpot £9* The much-loved cartoonist joins his Times colleague David Aaronovitch to discuss another extraordinary year in British politics.

He chooses his favourite cartoons from 2018 and draws live on stage.

FRIDAY 12 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

9–10pm

L337

Off The Page

Salena Godden: Mrs Death Misses Death Town Hall, Pillar Room £10* 8–9pm

The bar will be open during this event.

L254

Psychology

Social Media: Find Your Tribe The Nook £10* #saggyboobsmatter #effyourbeautystandards #iweigh: hashtags like these have become slogans that capture the attention of millions, galvanize social movements and empower people worldwide. Body positive activist Megan Jayne Crabbe (Body Positive Power) and award-winning blogger Chidera Eggerue (The Slumflower: What A Time To Be Alone) talk to columnist and Pink Protest founder Scarlett Curtis about how online networks can be harnessed to improve body image, build self-esteem and encourage us to celebrate ourselves for who we are.

8.15–9.15pm

L256

Sport

Kevin Keegan: My Life In Football Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* Arguably the first English footballer to become a media superstar, famed for his style on the pitch and passion for the game, Kevin Keegan shares his remarkable journey from miner’s son to being crowned ‘King Kev’ by his adoring fans.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

8.15–9.15pm

L255

‘I know a lot of dead people now…’ A live collaboration of new poetry and fiction by Salena Godden with music by Peter Coyte featuring excerpts from the private correspondence, daydreams and diaries of Mrs Death. It’s the life affirming kick up the ass you’ve all been looking for and a rousing call to arms and a celebration of loving this life and our short time here.

Stage & Screen

Jon Plowman And Jennifer Saunders

10.15–11.30pm

The Times Forum £10*

Town Hall, Pillar Room £10*

Out-Spoken Showcase

Jon Plowman (How to Produce Comedy Bronze) is the man behind every British comedy worth watching in the last 30 years, from Absolutely Fabulous to The Office; Little Britain to The League of Gentlemen; French and Saunders to Fry and Laurie…

Join Jon and Jennifer Saunders talking about comedy, from the first germ of an idea to the after-party at the Emmys.

9–10pm

L258

Off The Page

The bar will be open during this event.

From the acclaimed Out-Spoken events – known as one of London’s leading literary nights – came Out-Spoken Press, a publisher of fearless, wild and exuberant poetry that’s not afraid to shake things up. Join their incredible poets Anthony Anaxagorou, Harry Giles, Ollie O’Neal, and host Joelle Taylor for an evening of knock-out performances that will change how you see poetry and spoken word.

L257

Off The Page

Tessa Coates: Witch Hunt The Hive £10* After a sell-out debut year and five-star reviewed Edinburgh Fringe run, comedian Tessa Coates is back with another show combining character comedy, storytelling and her absolutely useless degree in anthropology. She’ll be asking some very big questions about how we got here and where we’re supposed to go next.

10pm–1am

L259

Off The Page

Festival Club Hotel du Vin FREE No ticket required When the Festival Village winds down, the Festival Club fires up. Join us after-hours at Hotel du Vin for music, conversation and late-night literary revelry. You never know who you’ll end up rubbing shoulders with…

‘I love Tessa Coates’ Caitlin Moran

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SATURDAY 13 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

DAY PLANNER 9am

10am

11am

12noon 1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

10pm

11pm

The Times Forum L261

LF53

Global China

L272

Jacqueline Wilson

L277

Is Liberal Democracy Dying?

LF62

Caitlin Moran

L291

Philip Pullman

Richard Curtis

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage L263

L267

Is A Degree Worth The Debt?

L273

A War To End All Wars

L280

The Cheltenham Booker:1958

L286

The 2018 Man Booker Prize Shortlist

L293

Lionel Shriver

Marcus Brigstocke: Devil May Care

Town Hall, Pillar Room LF49

Who Let The Gods Out?

LF54

LF58

Angry Cookie

L275

Katie Thistleton

L292

Turning Your Passion For Books Into Digital Content

L284

Life & Times Of Michael K

Olivia Laing

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre L265

L269

Antonia Fraser

L274

Moyes And Moriarty

L281

Feminists Don’t Wear Pink

L287

Tara Westover

L294

Francis Fukuyama: Identity

‘America First’

The Inkpot L268

LF81

Create A Career That Works For You

L278

Helen Oxenbury

L285

Beyond Murakami

A Tokyo Romance

The Hive LF48

A Lion Is A Lion

LF52

LF56

Winnie The Witch

LF61

Riddle Of The Runes

L331

Realms Of Fantasy Fiction

This.

Is. Not. Normal.

The Nook L262

Meet The Literary Editors

L266

L271

Hanif And Abad

Carys Davies

L289

Evans And Adébáyò

L283

L290

Sally Rooney

Waymaking

The Daffodil L270

L279

Tom Daley’s Life Hacks

L288

A Journey Around Japanese Whisky

At Home With Honey & Co.

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre LF50

Jonny Duddle

LF55

The Quick Draw!

LF57

You Choose

LF60

Tongue Fu For Kids

L282

The Moth

L295

Tongue Fu

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio LF51

Red Wheelbarrow

LF59

Create A Hero

Hotel du Vin L276

Celebrate With... Jojo Moyes

Hotel du Vin, Sinners Enclosure LF80

Writing For Young Adults

90

L296

Festival Club

12pm

SATURDAY 13 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

9.30am–2pm

LF80

10.30–11.30am

Creative Writing Workshops

Writing For Young Adults

Is A Degree Worth The Debt?

Hotel Du Vin, Sinners Enclosure £70*

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £8*

Ticket includes refreshments and a light lunch.

Join acclaimed author Lucy Christopher on an exciting creative writing workshop for writers of all abilities. Whether you’re starting your first foray into YA or already have a novel underway, this experienced, award-winning tutor will guide you through the joys and challenges of engaging readers on the verge of adulthood. Lucy will help you develop credible characters, find the right voice for your narrative and create a page-turning read.

Please see cheltenhamfestivals.com for more information.

10–11am

L263

Current Affairs

L261

Current Affairs

Global China

10–11am

L262

Lifestyle

Meet The Literary Editors The Nook £10* What goes on behind the scenes of the books pages? This is your chance to find out as Andrew Holgate and Robbie Millen (Literary Editors of The Times and The Sunday Times respectively) discuss their roles and share their favourite reads of the Autumn with Clare Clark.

Many argue that universities play a crucial role in the modern world, yet students are facing the responsibility of huge debts and securing graduate-level employment can prove challenging. In 2018, is the university system sustainable and does it present fair opportunities for all? David Willetts (A University Education), Tara Westover (Educated), Otegha Uwagba (Little Black Book) and Andrew Adonis (Saving Britain) consider whether a degree offers good value to students or if it’s time we boosted other routes into employment for young people. Chaired by Dharshini David.

The Times Forum £10*

From the poverty and isolation of the Mao era, China has grown with astonishing rapidity to become the second largest economy in the world.

Under President Xi China seeks to become a global leader and a new superpower. How will China exercise its influence? Our Guest Curator Peter Frankopan (The New Silk Roads) brings Brussels-based analyst Theresa Fallon, historian Thomas Mullaney (The Chinese Typewriter), author and journalist Roseann Lake (Leftover in China) and the economist George Magnus (Red Flags) together to share their insights.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

10.45–11.45am

L265

History

Antonia Fraser The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9* Beginning with the violent anti-Catholic riots in 1780, the passing of the Catholic Emancipation Bill some fifty years later was hailed as a ‘bloodless revolution’.

Bringing colour and humour to this vivid drama, the much-loved author talks to Allan Mallinson.

91

SATURDAY 13 OCTOBER

12–1pm

Box Office 01242 850270

L266

Fiction

Héctor Abad And Mohammed Hanif

12.30–1.30pm

Create A Career That Works For You

The Nook £8* Héctor Abad is one of Latin-America’s most prominent authors. His latest novel The Farm – a moving story of a close-knit Colombian family – was a No 1 bestseller in Colombia for six months and hailed as both a ‘masterpiece’ and as the literary response to Gabriel García Márquez. The bestselling, prize-winning author of A Case of Exploding Mangoes, dubbed ‘Pakistan’s brightest voice’, Mohammed Hanif presents Red Birds – a powerful, moving, irreverent satire about family, love and the absurdity of war.

They discuss their remarkable works with Daniel Hahn.

92

L268

Lifestyle

12.30–1.30pm

L267

History

A War To End All Wars Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9* WWI was meant to be the war to end all wars, but that proved a hollow promise. What happened in the aftermath of the great conflict? What changes in society came about? And how was it that peace began to turn sour? Lucy Moore (Anything Goes: A Biography of the Roaring Twenties), Matt Houlbrook (The Trickster Prince) and former Chief Historian at the Foreign Office Gill Bennett (The Zinoviev Letter) join Times chronicler of the war Allan Mallinson to discuss the ‘phoney peace’.

The Inkpot £8* The expectation that we will have one career for life is a thing of the past.

People are embracing the fact that they are multi-faceted and increasingly building portfolio careers that offer flexibility, novelty and autonomy.

Columnist, broadcaster and podcast host Emma Gannon (The Multi-Hyphen Method) and Otegha Uwagba (Little Black Book), who founded the creative working women’s platform Women Who, discuss new ways of working and how to get what you want from your career. Chaired by Abigail Bergstrom.

SATURDAY 13 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

12.45–1.45pm

L269

Fiction

From Page To Screen: Moyes And Moriarty The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10* Jojo Moyes’ bestselling book Me Before You became a Hollywood blockbuster.

She talks about writing the screenplay for this film as well as bringing back her heroine Lou Clark in her latest book Still Me. Liane Moriarty (Nine Perfect Strangers) has seen Big Little Lies adapted into a major Emmy-winning series on HBO starring Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman. Together they talk about their books, and the highs and lows of seeing the transformation from page to screen with Sarah Shaffi.

2–3pm

L271

Fiction

1–3pm

L270

Lifestyle

Tom Daley’s Life Hacks The Daffodil £30*

Ticket includes a two-course lunch and a glass of wine.

It’s easy to get stressed, run down or feel time poor. Olympic champion diver and YouTuber Tom Daley (Tom’s Daily Goals) shares his top tips for improving your wellbeing and energy levels on a daily basis.

From morning stretches to boosting your immune system, digital detoxing to clean sleeping, his holistic body and mind routine builds resilience and helps achieve calm and focus. Join him for a delicious twocourse lunch as he chats with Tim Hubbard about making a habit of healthy living.

The Sunday Times Must Reads: Carys Davies The Nook £8* Sunday Times Literary Editor Andrew Holgate joins Carys Davies to discuss her book West, which he describes as ‘one of the most haunting and beautifully crafted novels I have read in a long time’.

2.15–3.30pm

L272

Current Affairs

The Times Debate: Is Liberal Democracy Dying?

The Times Forum £12* Does the rise of ‘strong man’ politics across the globe and the fracturing of liberal consensus into competing identity groups herald the decline (perhaps terminal) of democracy? Or do recent challenges to the status quo (the Brexit vote, the Trump presidency) simply represent a vigorous, much-deserved rebuff to an out-of-touch, self-serving elite? Leading political scientist Francis Fukuyama (Identity), writer and commentator Sarah Churchwell (Behold America), The Times columnist and broadcaster Melanie Phillips (Guardian Angel: My Journey from Leftism to Sanity) and historian Michael Burleigh (The Best of Times, the Worst of Times) join Philip Collins of The Times to consider the path ahead.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

93

SATURDAY 13 OCTOBER 2.30–3.45pm

L273

3–4pm

Box Office 01242 850270

L274

Classic Literature

Current Affairs

The Cheltenham Booker: 1958

Feminists Don’t Wear Pink (And Other Lies)

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* Which 1958 title deserves to win our very own Booker? Our all-star line-up of novelist Madeleine Thien, journalist Alex Clark, The Times Literary Editor Robbie Millen, Mostly Lit’s Derek Owusu and author Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott debate the merits of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote, Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene, The Bell by Iris Murdoch and Saturday Night, Sunday Morning by Alan Sillitoe. They fight it out to determine which would have triumphed, had the Man Booker Prize existed 60 years ago.

Chaired by James Walton, with an introduction by John Coldstream.

Dedicated to the memory of Ion Trewin.

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9* From Hollywood actresses to teenage activists, Feminists Don’t Wear Pink brings together women from a variety of backgrounds in an uplifting exploration of what it means to be a woman today.

The book’s curator, Style columnist and Pink Protest founder Scarlett Curtis, is joined by an exciting line-up of inspirational women, as they discuss their individual contributions to the collection and consider what the F word means to them.

Special guests to be announced at cheltenhamfestivals.com

4.15–5.30pm

L275

Off The Page

Turning Your Passion For Books Into Digital Content 2.30–3.30pm

LF81

Fiction

Helen Oxenbury: A Life In Illustration

Celebrate With… Jojo Moyes

The Inkpot £10*

Hotel du Vin £30*

One of the most popular and criticallyacclaimed illustrators of her time, Helen Oxenbury (We’re Going On A Bear Hunt, Farmer Duck, Alice in Wonderland) has brought joy to countless families. To celebrate publication of her biography, Helen talks with Alex O’Connell (Arts Editor at The Times) about her life and unique career, motherhood and creating enduring picture books.

94

4–5.15pm

Art & Design

L276

Ticket includes two glasses of fizz and nibbles.

Published in 2012, Me Before You became an international bestseller long before being made into a blockbuster film.

Jojo Moyes discusses her breakthrough book in this intimate event. Chaired

by The Sunday Times Editorial Director Eleanor Mills.

Town Hall, Pillar Room £10* Love books? Ever fancied being a book blogger, vlogger, podcaster or Instagrammer? Join our crack team of experts: Alex Reads from the awardwinning books and pop-culture podcast Mostly Lit, bestselling author and booktuber Jen Campbell and Simon Savidge from the popular Savidge Reads blog and vlog to find out more about their bookish careers and get practical tips for getting started with your own channels. Chaired by Sarah Shaffi.

SATURDAY 13 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

4.15–5.15pm

L289

4.30–5.30pm

L278

Fiction

Fiction

Diana Evans And Ayòbámi Adébáyò

Beyond Murakami: Japanese Literature Today

The Nook £8*

The Inkpot £10*

Diana Evans, author of the prize-winning 26a, returns with Ordinary People, an intimate portrait of modern relationships and an exploration of the mid-life moment when a gap emerges between who we think we are and who we are becoming. Ayòbámi Adébáyò’s Baileys Prize-shortlisted novel Stay with Me vividly captures a woman’s desperate attempts to get pregnant, and the subsequent agonies of loss. Together with Alex Clark they discuss their powerful portrayals of family life in its many forms and phases.

4.30–5.30pm

You’ve read Murakami. Where next? Ted Goossen, editor of Monkey Business: New Writing From Japan and Akutagawa-prize winning Japanese author and translator Masatsugu Ono are your guides through the Japanese literary scene today. Who are the authors to watch and which texts move between Japan and the west, and why?

Chaired by The New York Review of Books Editor, Ian Buruma.

L277

Fiction

4.30–6pm

L279

Lifestyle

A Journey Around Japanese Whisky The Daffodil £20*

Ticket includes whisky tastings and a sharing board. Over 18s only.

Caitlin Moran The Times Forum £14* Often outrageous, always hilarious, the No 1 Sunday Times bestselling author talks to MP Jess Phillips (Everywoman) about her new novel How to be Famous: a filthy, funny, coming-of-age tale set in the hedonistic Britpop era in London.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

What makes Japanese whisky ‘Japanese’?

Whisky is usually synonymous with Scotland but in Japan its production is an art that embraces a particular culture and a profoundly different approach to life.

Join spirits expert Dave Broom (The Way of Whisky) for a tasting tour of Japan, discovering distilleries lost amid ancient forests, meeting the people that make the spirit flow and unearthing the country’s whisky traditions. He shares his pick of Japanese whiskies and discusses the distilleries taking the world by storm.

95

SATURDAY 13 OCTOBER 4.45–6pm

Box Office 01242 850270

L280

Fiction

The 2018 Man Booker Prize Shortlist Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* Come and hear the authors on the 2018 Man Booker Prize shortlist talk about their work and read from their shortlisted novels in a special panel discussion chaired by Gaby Wood, Literary Director of the Booker Prize Foundation. The 2018 list features some powerful literary fiction and we’ll bring you up close to the authors just days before the winner is announced on 16 October.

6.15–7.15pm

L283

Fiction

Sally Rooney The Nook £8* Sally Rooney’s Conversations with Friends swept the best debuts of 2017 round-ups and saw her crowned Sunday Times/PFD Young Writer of the Year. She talks to Sunday Times Literary Editor Andrew Holgate about her new novel Normal People.

6–8pm 5–6pm

L281

Psychology

Tara Westover The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10* Born to radical survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara Westover (Educated) was sixteen when she resolved to leave her family behind and educate herself – the beginning of a journey that has since seen her earn a PhD from Cambridge. The author shares her extraordinary story of self-invention and discovery against the odds with Times columnist David Aaronovitch.

96

L282

6.30–7.30pm

Off The Page

Off The Page

The Moth

Life & Times Of Michael K

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £12* Recalling sultry summer evenings in the Deep South, when moths fluttered to lit porches as friends gathered to spin spellbinding yarns, this is a live experience like no other. From modest origins in New York, The Moth is now an international phenomenon dedicated to celebrating the power of unscripted, first-person storytelling. From ordinary folk to celebrities and cultural giants, the stage is open to anyone with a flair for the telling of tales. Join us for one special night of true live stories.

L292

Town Hall, Pillar Room £10* Set in a South Africa torn by civil war, J.M. Coetzee’s Life & Times of Michael K captures one man’s attempt to live a life of dignity in a time where lies, violence and repression abound. Featuring film and performance, Story Machine Productions’ powerful adaptation creates an immersive experience of a classic novel by one of the finest novelists of our age and the first author to win the Booker Prize twice.

SATURDAY 13 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

6.30–7.30pm

L285

Travel & Adventure

A Tokyo Romance The Inkpot £10*

When the now-editor of The New York Review of Books Ian Buruma (A Tokyo Romance) arrived in Tokyo as a young film student in 1975, he found a feverish and surreal metropolis that would be the formative experience of his adult life.

Osaka-born translator Asa Yoneda spent a decade in Tokyo and brought this experience to The Book of Tokyo: A City in Short Fiction featuring Banana Yoshimoto, Hiromi Kawakami and Hitomi Kanehara. With Georgina Godwin they discuss Japan’s intoxicating capital.

7–8pm

L286

Fiction

Lionel Shriver Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* The author of We Need to Talk About Kevin discusses her first collection of short fiction, Property – a sharp exploration of what ‘property’, both real estate and the things we own, means. Chaired by The Sunday Times Editorial Director Eleanor Mills.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

7–8pm

L287

Current Affairs

Francis Fukuyama: Identity The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9* The demands of identity define world politics today. But unless we forge a universal understanding of human dignity, we doom ourselves to continual conflict.

The distinguished political scientist joins the BBC’s Justin Webb to discuss how identity politics is now entrenched on both sides of the political spectrum and how the rise of nationalist, authoritarian political outsiders threatens to destabilise the entire international order.

7.30–10pm

L288

Lifestyle

At Home With Honey & Co. The Daffodil £50*

Ticket includes a three-course dinner and a glass of wine. Bar open until late.

Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich, the husband and wife team behind the wildly successful Honey & Co. food empire, bring their brand of Middle Eastern soul food to Cheltenham. Their three London restaurants have become a place of pilgrimage for foodies keen to sample their dazzling riffs on Israeli food. Join ‘the Honeys’ for a special dinner as they welcome us into their home, sharing the recipes they cook for themselves, the stories behind them and the joy of getting together to share food around the table. Chaired by broadcaster and journalist Alex Clark.

97

SATURDAY 13 OCTOBER 8.15–9.15pm

L290

Travel & Adventure

Waymaking: Women’s Adventure Writing

Box Office 01242 850270

The awardwinning comedian Marcus Brigstocke returns with his new stand-up show.

The Nook £8* The centenary of women’s suffrage this year created a surge in books written by and for women, and yet one genre still boasts few female voices: adventure writing. Enter Waymaking, a crowd-funded anthology of prose, poetry and artwork created by women, and inspired by wild places. Editor, poet and wilderness enthusiast Helen Mort and contributors share the anthology and discuss how we can get more women both out in the wild and onto the page.

8.30–9.30pm

L331

Off The Page

This. Is. Not. Normal.

The Hive £10*

8.30–9.30pm

98

L291

8.30–9.30pm

L284

Stage & Screen

Fiction

Richard Curtis

Olivia Laing

The Times Forum £14*

Town Hall, Pillar Room £10*

From Blackadder to Mr Bean and The Vicar of Dibley, from Four Weddings to Love Actually… some of our best-loved TV and film moments are from the pen of writer, director and founder of Comic Relief, Richard Curtis. He joins his daughter Scarlett Curtis (who played the Second Lobster in Love Actually) to share stories and highlights from his incredible career.

The author of critically-acclaimed non-fiction, including The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone, discusses Crudo – an electrifying real-time novel of life and love in the turbulent summer of 2017.

Matt Chorley of The Times can remember when a big story in politics was Gordon Brown wanting to put flagpoles on public buildings. Not any more. Hold tight as the award-winning Red Box Editor takes you on a gag-filled gallop through the rows, resignations, reshuffles and recriminations of an astonishing year at Westminster.

cheltenhamfestivals.com

8.45–10pm

SATURDAY 13 OCTOBER

L293

Off The Page

Marcus Brigstocke: Devil May Care Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £16* Snowflake, Remoaner, Libtard, Brextremist, Feminazi, Piers Morgan... It’s time to establish what is good and what is bad.

Who better to arbitrate in these divisive times than Lucifer himself? The Devil is retired now and plays golf at Mar-aLago, but he’s still on the board of The Underworld, advising on how to make eternal damnation sustainably hot, how to keep a thousand minions on zero hours contracts and what to do about Jacob Rees-Mogg.

‘Sharpest one-liner merchant’ The Sunday Times

9–10pm

9–11pm

L295

Off The Page

Tongue Fu Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £12*

L294

History

‘America First’ And The American Dream The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9* Is the American dream is dead? Do we revive it by putting ‘America First’? Sarah Churchwell (Behold, America) examines everything we thought we knew about the American dream, America First and the battle for the identity of modern America.

Chaired by Georgina Godwin.

They’ve rocked Glastonbury and The Roundhouse, and gave a sell-out performance at Cheltenham last year.

Now Tongue Fu are back by popular demand. Bringing together the sharpest poets, storytellers, comedians and rappers to perform with improvised soundtracks from the genre-hopping Tongue Fu Band, it’s a riotous experiment in live literature, music and improvisation that’s sure to shake up your Saturday night.

‘It’s poetry, but not as you know it… amazing’ The Guardian

10pm–1am

L296

Off The Page

Festival Club Hotel du Vin FREE No ticket required When the Festival Village winds down, the Festival Club fires up. Join us after-hours at Hotel du Vin for music, conversation and late-night literary revelry. You never know who you’ll end up rubbing shoulders with…

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

99

SATURDAY 13 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

10.30–11.30am

LF51

Workshop Red Wheelbarrow Beat Club 10–11am 9.30am–2pm

LF80

Workshop Writing For Young Adults

LF49

Who Let the Gods Out? Town Hall, Pillar Room £6* Ages 9+

Hotel du Vin, Sinners Enclosure £70*

Ticket includes refreshments and a light lunch.

Maz Evans takes you on an odyssey into her hilarious Who Let the Gods Out? series and introduces Greek Mythology as you’ve never heard it before. Packed with laughs and games, look no further for an epic dose of mythological mayhem.

See page 91 for details.

10–10.45am

LF48

LF50

Jonny Duddle

The Hive £6* Ages 3+

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £6* Ages 4+

Is a lion still a lion if he’s so well dressed and charming? Come and join the super talented author-illustrator Polly Dunbar to find out. Featuring live storytelling and illustrations from A Lion is a Lion and Penguin this is a brilliant event full of giggles for little ones.

100

10–11am

A Lion Is A Lion

Yo ho ho! Calling all landlubbers!

Celebrate the hilarious voyages of the Jolley-Rogers, the most intrepid pirates of the Seven Seas, with author and illustrator Jonny Duddle (The Pirates of Scurvy Sands). Discover Jonny’s own pirate adventures and help him draw the perfect pirate. Do come along in your pirate dress up!

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio £10* Ages 9+ American beat poetry embraced Buddhist ideas – but did they ever really make it here?

Invoking iconic figures like Ginsberg and Carlos Williams, we’ll play around with really looking and seeing everyday objects as their own Dharma. Get your clicking fingers ready: it’s time for some 21st Century British Beat.

This is a family event in which adults and children work together. All children must be accompanied by a participating adult with a ticket.

11.45am–12.30pm LF52

Winnie The Witch The Hive £6* Ages 5+ Abracadabra! Come and join Winnie the Witch for a fun storytime session all about the world’s favourite witch! Now that you can follow the crazy, magical mishaps and adventures of Winnie and her black cat Wilbur on TV, there’s never been a better time to enjoy their colourful book adventures.

SATURDAY 13 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

12–1pm

LF53

Jacqueline Wilson The Times Forum £8* Ages 8+ Join us for an afternoon with the brilliant Jacqueline Wilson. The former Children’s Laureate and author of over 100 books talks with Katie Thistleton (CBBC) about starting her writing career, creating some of her best-loved characters and her much-anticipated brand new book, My Mum Tracy Beaker.

Jacqueline Wilson will be not be signing after this event but printed bookplates with Jacqueline’s signature will be available with purchases from the children’s bookshop.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

12–1pm

LF54

Angry Cookie Town Hall, Pillar Room £6* Ages 4+ OH NO! Barbra the cactus won’t stop playing her recorder, the strawberry toothpaste has run out, and Cookie has to have a haircut!

Which all makes for one VERY ANGRY little cookie... Can you find a way to turn his grumpy frown upside down in this wildly interactive, laugh-out-loud event with author and performance poet Laura Dockrill?

12–1pm

LF55

The Quick Draw!

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £6* Ages 6+ and the whole family Prepare for plenty of laughs, cartoons and comic illustration from two of the best and fastest illustrators around, Gary Northfield (Julius Zebra: Entangled with the Egyptians) and Alex Milway (Pigsticks and Harold Lost in Time!).

Full of drawing tips for budding young cartoonists – have a go and draw along.

101

SATURDAY 13 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

2.15–3pm

LF58

Katie Thistleton Town Hall, Pillar Room £6* Ages 9+

1.30–2.30pm

CBBC and BBC Radio 1 presenter Katie Thistleton (Dear Katie) talks about mental wellbeing in young people and the helpful lessons she learnt while researching her book. Katie tackles some of the issues we all face growing up, offering funny and reassuring anecdotes from her teenage and younger years.

LF56

Riddle Of The Runes: A Viking Mystery The Hive £6* Ages 9+ Be immersed in a world of riddles, runes and revenge with the Viking expert and children’s author Janina Ramirez. She will introduce you to the fearless shield maiden Alva, reveal fascinating facts about the Vikings, and will need your help to solve a mysterious crime in the fjords of Kilsgard.

2–3pm

LF57

You Choose Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £6* Ages 4+ Join Nick Sharratt on an intergalactic adventure and a trip to Planet Pick-and-Mix as he shares his fabulous new picture-book You Choose in Space. He’ll be doing lots of drawing, playing space games and you can help him invent some brand new space creatures. Fancy dress encouraged – astronauts and space monsters most welcome!

102

2.30–3.30pm

LF81

Helen Oxenbury: A Life In Illustration The Inkpot £10* See page 94 for details.

SATURDAY 13 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

4.30–5.30pm

LF61

Realms Of Fantasy Fiction The Hive £6* Ages 12+ 2.30–3.30pm

LF59

Workshop Create A Hero Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio £10* Ages 9+

Phenomenal fantasy writers Sebastien de Castell (Spellslinger series), Alwyn Hamilton (Rebel of the Sands Trilogy), Taran Matharu (Summoner series) and chair, Lucy Christopher (Stormwake), discuss their outstanding fantasy novels, weaving wondrous worlds and writing a series.

Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult at no additional charge.

Come and conjure up a story with the author of the bestselling Who Let the Gods Out? series, Maz Evans, in this fun and creative writing workshop. Learn about the wacky world of the gods, and create your own hero.

6.30–7.30pm

LF62

Philip Pullman The Times Forum £8* Ages 9+ and the whole family LF60

In this unmissable family event one of the world’s greatest storytellers, Philip Pullman, talks with children’s author Kiran Millwood Hargrave about his writing for children, from his very first novel Count Karlstien, through Clockwork and The Firework-Maker’s Daughter, to His Dark Materials, La Belle Sauvage and the magic and fairytales that inspired him.

Bring the whole family to this lively, special kids version of one of the UK’s leading spoken word shows. Jam-packed with word play, improvisation, participation and musical wizardry from poets, storytellers, rappers and the amazing Tongue Fu band. Each show is unique and features stars of UK spoken word.

Philip Pullman will be not be signing after this event but signed books will be available to buy from the bookshop.

4–5pm

Tongue Fu For Kids Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £8* Ages 7+ and the whole family

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

103

SUNDAY 14 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

DAY PLANNER 10am

11am

12noon

1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

The Times Forum L299

L302

The Missing Superpowers

L308

Eric Idle

L313

Emma Freud Meets... Lenny Henry

The Sunday Times Culture Interview: Darcey Bussell

L318

L325

Shane Warne: No Spin

Roger Daltrey

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage L300

L303

Desert Island Books With Ian Rankin

L309

Sally Field

L314

The Guilty Feminist

L327

Is Social Media The Curse Of Our Age?

Life Is Tough But So Are We

Town Hall, Pillar Room L297

LF72

Madeleine Thien

L307

The Pony With No Name

LF77

Simon Mayo And Andrew Miller

L319

Thriller!

L326

Translating China

Whiskey & Ink

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre LF67

L304

Chris Riddell And Beedle The Bard

L310

We Need To Talk

L315

Sean Conway

L322

I’ve Never Read...

The Power Of The Teenage Girl

The Inkpot LF64

Kid Normal

L301

LF74

LF70

LF71

The Times Live

L316

Journey Along The Silk Roads

L320

Mostly Lit Live

L312

100 Years Of Muriel Spark

A Road Trip Through American Politics

The Hive LF63

Bad Nana

The Tiger Who Came To Tea: Birthday Party

LF76

Tropical Terry

Once Upon A Wild Wood

The Nook LF66

L305

Comic Art Masterclass

L311

Masatsugu Ono

L317

Esi Edugyan

The Inking Woman

L323

Can You Tolerate This?

The Daffodil L298

L306

Marcus Brigstocke’s Big Sunday Brunch

L332

Sunday Lunch With Nick Robinson

Truman Capote: Swans, Socialities and Scandal

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre LF65

LF73

Ten Fat Sausages

So You Think You Know About Dinosaurs?

LF75

The Great Comic Caper

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio LF68

RAD: Aladdin

104

LF69

RAD: Aladdin

LF78

Ruby Redfort Show

L324

The Times William Howard Russell Prize: Jan Morris

SUNDAY 14 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

10.15–11.15am

L299

Current Affairs

The Missing Superpowers The Times Forum £10*

10–11am

L297

Fiction

Madeleine Thien Town Hall, Pillar Room £8*

In a special UK visit, the Chinese-Canadian author Madeleine Thien joins Clare Clark to discuss her remarkable novels, including the Booker-shortlisted Do Not Say We Have Nothing, an unforgettable meditation on China today.

10–11.30am

L298

Current Affairs

Marcus Brigstocke’s Big Sunday Brunch

Why does the West so consistently underestimate and misunderstand some of the world’s most powerful and influential countries?

The answer lies in the past, prompting us to examine how different regions, cultures and peoples were connected. Classicist Caroline Vout (Classical Art), historians Abbas Amanat (Iran: A Modern History) and Sujit Sivasunduram (Islanded), and art historian Craig Clunas speak with Guest Curator Peter Frankopan (The New Silk Roads) about how the familiar histories we focus on not only reveal half the picture, but actually distort it.

12.15–1.15pm

L302

Stage & Screen

Eric Idle The Times Forum £30*

Ticket includes a signed copy of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography, RRP £15.99.

Founding member of Monty Python Eric Idle reflects with comedian Marcus Brigstocke on the meaning of his own life and incredible career in comedy, television, theatre and film.

10.30–11.30am

L300

Fiction

Desert Island Books With Ian Rankin Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* If you could only take six books with you to a desert island, which would they be? BBC Radio 2’s Simon Mayo asks bestselling crime writer Ian Rankin.

The Daffodil £25*

Ticket includes a full English breakfast.

A favourite fixture of our final Festival weekend. Relax over brunch as comedian Marcus Brigstocke along with Times columnist Daniel Finkelstein, novelist Rachel Johnson and travel writer Tim Moore (Another Fine Mess) review the week’s big news stories as told by the Sunday papers.

They bash the broadsheets and tear through the tabloids, picking out the topical, the weird and the wonderful.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

12–1pm

L301

Current Affairs

The Times Live

12.30–1.30pm

L303

Stage & Screen

Sally Field

The Inkpot £10*

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10*

In a fascinating debate now firmly established as a popular fixture at Cheltenham, The Editor of The Times John Witherow, and Times journalists Emma Tucker, Philip Collins, Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch discuss the hot topics of the day and decide the subjects of the famous leading articles for the next edition.

Double Oscar-winning actor Sally Field is renowned for her artistic range and rich characters in TV and films including Forrest Gump, Lincoln and Mrs Doubtfire.

Now she turns her attention to her own remarkable story and discusses her memoir In Pieces.

105

SUNDAY 14 OCTOBER 12.30–1.30pm

Box Office 01242 850270

L304

Current Affairs

We Need To Talk The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8* Despite the tireless work of campaigners to drive change, everyday racism, sexism and other micro-aggressions continue to prevail. Rather than declaring ‘political correctness gone mad’, how can we become more sensitive to these issues and better understand the implications upon those affected? Sarah Shaffi leads an open and honest discussion with Afua Hirsch (Brit(ish)) and Marisa Bate (The Periodic Table of Feminism), as they tackle the questions we’d usually be too afraid to ask and consider how we might all become more inclusive.

2.15–3.15pm 1–3pm

L306

Current Affairs

Sunday Lunch With Nick Robinson Ticket includes a two-course lunch and a glass of wine.

L305

Fiction

Masatsugu Ono The Nook £8*

L307

Fiction

In a special visit from Tokyo, acclaimed Japanese author Masatsugu Ono makes his Cheltenham debut. Author of The Water-Covered Grave, Boat on a Choppy Bay, Lion Cross Point and At the Edge of the Wood and also a prolific translator from French, Ono has won the Asahi Award for New Writers, the Mishima Prize and the Akutagawa Prize, Japan’s highest literary honour. Together with his UK translator Angus Turvill, they discuss a remarkable body of work with Daniel Hahn.

106

The hugely popular Today presenter, writer and former BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson chats with broadcaster and journalist Alex Clark over a delicious Sunday lunch, sharing hilarious stories from his fascinating career and giving us an insider’s view of what’s really going on in British politics.

2–3pm

Emma Freud Meets…

Lenny Henry The Times Forum £12*

The Daffodil £35*

1–2pm

L308

Stage & Screen

Simon Mayo And Andrew Miller Town Hall, Pillar Room £10* The BBC Radio 2 DJ Simon Mayo makes his debut into adult fiction with his historical novel Mad Blood Stirring, telling the story of the American uprising in Dartmoor Prison in 1812. He is joined on stage by novelist Andrew Miller, whose new book Now We Shall Be Entirely Free is set in the Hebrides in 1809. Chaired by Caroline Sanderson.

From humble beginnings in Dudley, Lenny Henry has become one of the most recognised faces on stage and screen today. He talks to Emma Freud about life, work, honours and Red Nose Day.

2.30–3.30pm

L309

Off The Page

The Guilty Feminist Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10* Ever felt like you should be better at feminism?

Join comedian Deborah Frances-White as she hosts a live edition of the hit comedy podcast with special Festival guests.

Discussing topics ‘all 21st century feminists agree on’, they confess the insecurities, hypocrisies and fears that undermine their lofty principles.

‘If you are the kind of feminist who secretly sings along to Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines then The Guilty Feminist understands your pain’ Guardian 50 Best Podcasts

SUNDAY 14 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

4–5pm

L316

Off The Page

Mostly Lit Live 2.30–3.30pm

L310

Travel & Adventure

Sean Conway The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10* Cheltenham lad turned Britain’s wildest adventurer talks about his world record-setting triathlons in the UK and how he became the fastest person to cycle 4,000 miles across Europe solo and unsupported.

The Inkpot £10* Named by the Guardian and the BBC as one of 2017’s top podcasts, Mostly Lit is an award-winning books and pop-culture podcast created and hosted by Alex Reads, Raifa Rafiq, Derek Owusu – and executive-produced and managed

by Clarissa Pabi. Our very first Podcastin-Residence, join them for a special live version of their show featuring Festival guests, and look out for podcast episodes about their time at the Festival and interviews from behind the scenes.

4.15–5.15pm

L313

Stage & Screen

The Sunday Times Culture Interview: Darcey Bussell 3–4pm

L311

The Times Forum £14*

Fiction

Esi Edugyan The Nook £8* The author of the Man Booker and Orange Prize-shortlisted Half Blood Blues joins us as part of a rare visit from Canada. She talks to Afua Hirsch about her stunning new novel addressing slavery and freedom Washington Black.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

Darcey Bussell has been hailed as one of the greatest British ballerinas ever to grace the stage. She talks to the Guardian’s theatre and dance critic David Jays about her incredible career, life after The Royal Ballet, her new book Evolved and, of course, Strictly.

4.30–5.30pm

L314

Current Affairs

Is Social Media The Curse Of Our Age? Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £8* For some, life without social media is an impossible thought. Yet critics argue that it polarises society, has led to an epidemic of mental health problems and is eroding democracy. Times columnist Hugo Rifkind, journalist and author Katherine Ormerod (Why Social Media Is Ruining Your Life) and writer and broadcaster Emma Gannon (The Multi-Hyphen Method) ask whether social media is of benefit to our modern lifestyles or if, for the sake of our sanity and society, we should turn off Twitter, get off Instagram and get on with our lives. Chaired by Abigail Bergstrom.

4.30–5.30pm

L315

Classic Literature

I’ve Never Read...

The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10* The host of BBC Radio 4’s I’ve Never Seen Star Wars, comedian Marcus Brigstocke holds the hands of our nervous panellists as they take a literary leap into the unknown. Join New Zealand essayist Ashleigh Young, chair of the Literature Festival Caroline Hutton and broadcaster and journalist Alex Clark as they tackle an unfamiliar book or genre, laying bare their reading likes and dislikes. Would they recommend the experience?

107

SUNDAY 14 OCTOBER 4.30–6pm

Box Office 01242 850270

L332

Classic Literature

6–7pm

Truman Capote: Swans, Socialites And Scandal

100 Years Of Muriel Spark The Inkpot £10*

The Daffodil £15*

Ticket includes a drink on arrival.

Rocketed to stardom by Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood, Truman Capote became the darling of the New York literary scene.

Surrounding himself with his ‘Swans’ – a coterie of rich socialites with whom he’d share martinisoaked lunches and their scandalous secrets – he would soon detonate this social circle and, in turn, trigger his own dramatic downfall.

Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott (Swan Song) and Liza Klaussmann (Tigers in Red Weather) discuss the rise and fall of Capote with Times Literary Editor Robbie Millen.

5–6pm

L317

Fiction

The Inking Woman The Nook £8* The world of cartoons and comics has long been seen as a male preserve. In The Inking Woman, graphic novelist, comics scholar and co-founder of the international comics network Laydeez Do Comics Nicola Streeten uncovers the contribution of women cartoonists over the last 250 years in the UK. With New Zealand novelist Sarah Laing, author of the graphic memoir Mansfield and Me who has also co-edited an anthology of NZ women’s comics, they discuss women’s contribution to comics, zines and graphic novels all over the world with Marisa Bate.

108

L320

Classic Literature

6–7pm

L318

Sport

Shane Warne: No Spin The Times Forum £12*

To many Muriel Spark’s name is synonymous with The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, but what are we missing by not reading beyond this novel? Alan Taylor (Appointment in Arezzo: A friendship with Muriel Spark), who was a friend and biographer of Spark’s, and best-selling Rebus author Ian Rankin, who spent three years researching a PhD on her before starting his writing career, offer their picks and discuss the crème de la crème of Scottish novelists in Spark’s centenary year with Georgina Godwin.

Maverick genius on the field and true rebel spirit off it, Shane Warne is a cricketing legend. Honest, thoughtful, fearless and loved by millions, he opens up about the most challenging times in his life as a player, offering true insight and a pitch-side seat to one of cricket’s finest eras.

6–7pm

L319

Fiction

Translating China Town Hall, Pillar Room £8*

Passionate about spreading Chinese literature to English readers, Paper Republic founder Nicky Harman has translated many renowned Chinese authors including A Yi, Chen Xiwo, Jia Pingwa, Xinran and, most recently, Yan Ge, author of The Chili Bean Paste Clan. Joined by Yan Ge and renowned Hong Kong-based translator Natascha Bruce, they discuss the pleasures, challenges and surprises that arise when a text moves between English and Chinese.

6.30–7.30pm

L322

Current Affairs

The Power Of The Teenage Girl The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9* From Bowie and The Beatles to Snapchat and Instagram, teenage girls have historically been at the forefront of trends. Why is it that the interests of young women are still too often dismissed and looked down upon rather than championed by society?

Columnist and Pink Protest founder Scarlett Curtis (Feminists Don’t Wear Pink), MP Jess Phillips (Everywoman) and teenage campaigner and #FreePeriods founder Amika George explore the political and personal power of young women and their vital role in shaping culture.

SUNDAY 14 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

7–8pm

L323

Fiction

Can You Tolerate This?

The Nook £8* Marisa Bate talks to New Zealand writer Ashleigh Young whose dazzling prize-winning collection, Can You Tolerate This? probes the boundaries of the essay and explores isolation, anxiety, debilitating shyness and the challenges of personal transformation.

8–9pm

L312

Current Affairs

A Road Trip Through American Politics

L324

Travel & Adventure

The Times William Howard Russell Prize: Jan Morris Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £10* Foreign correspondent, soldier, Everest climber, traveller, author of more than 40 books and all-round free spirit, Jan Morris has been one of the great chroniclers of our world for well over half a century. Now in her nineties, the esteemed writer looks back on a rich life of travel and words in a special pre-filmed interview complemented by live discussion from her son Tym Morris and writer Paul Clements plus a musical performance by Tym and Welsh singer Gwyneth Glyn. Chaired by Philip Collins.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

With attention on America at an all-time high, we hear from two writers who’ve taken their own version of the great American road trip to delve deeper. Interstate author Julian Sayerer’s pre-election hitchhike took him through its underbelly. Cycling writer Tim Moore (Another Fine Mess) traded two wheels for four, travelling through ‘red’ states in a crumbling Model T Ford in 2017. With Georgina Godwin they discuss their unconventional journeys and taking the political temperature through encounters with everyday Americans, before and after Trump took the helm.

8–9pm

L325

Stage & Screen

Roger Daltrey The Times Forum £35*

The Inkpot £8* 7.30–8.45pm

8–9pm

L326

Ticket includes a signed copy of Thanks a Lot, Mr Kibblewhite, RRP £20.

Founder and lead singer of The Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century, Roger Daltrey talks to Matt Rudd about his new memoir Thanks a Lot, Mr Kibblewhite: My Story, telling the story of his remarkable life from building his first guitar from plywood to rock superstardom and beyond.

8.30–9.30pm

Off The Page

Current Affairs

Whiskey & Ink

Life Is Tough But So Are We

Town Hall, Pillar Room £10* Ernest Hemingway, Jean Rhys, Stephen King… the image of the hard-drinking writer is a common one – and one that proved seductive to American author Leslie Jamison on her arrival at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop as a 21 year old. Taking the form of an AA meeting, this Story Machine Productions adaptation of Jamison’s memoir The Recovering tackles the mythology and mystique of literary drinking and takes the viewer inside the experience of addiction. Can genius ever be found at the bottom of a glass?

L327

Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £8* The anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller (Rise) has endured racist and sexist abuse as well as physical threats. Yet she continues to live according to her conviction that we must stand tall and lead the way if we truly believe in something. Cosmopolitan Editor Farrah Storr (The Discomfort Zone) has proved that nothing in life is an insurmountable challenge and offers clear and inspiring advice about overcoming fear and realising our potential.

These two remarkable women join Alex Clark in conversation.

109

SUNDAY 14 OCTOBER

Box Office 01242 850270

10am–12pm

LF66

Workshop Comic Art Masterclass 10–11am

The Nook £15* Ages 8–12

LF63

Bad Nana

Would you like to have a go at making your own comic? Kev F Sutherland will show you how easy it is! You’ll leave with a unique comic, an individual caricature by Kev F and a copy of the Beano.

The Hive £6* Ages 6+ Eight year-old Evie and her mischievous Nana are up to no good, and Nana’s schemes are only getting bigger and more wicked. Waterstones Children’s Book Prizeshortlisted author Sophy Henn brings you her vibrant and colourful picture book Bad Nana: Older Not Wiser, in an event guaranteed to tickle your funny bone.

Parents may choose to drop and leave their children for this session but must complete a form (on booking) providing their contact details and any medical information for the child in case of an emergency.

10–11am

LF65

Ten Fat Sausages 10–11am

LF64

Kid Normal The Inkpot £6* Ages 8+ Calling all heroes, villains and Super Zeros! Join radio personalities and authors, Greg James and Chris Smith for an action-packed Kid Normal event.

Prepare for lots of games and audience participation, and help to defeat the evil Magpie! No superpowers required!

110

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £6* Ages 3+ Ten fat sausages sizzling in the pan decide to escape... Join Michelle Robinson for a hilarious storytelling session about her brand new book Ten Fat Sausages. Imagine The Great Escape, but with sausages. Hoot out loud at this merciless tale and be prepared for high-energy fun with live rock music from musician David Gibb.

10.30–11.30am

LF67

Chris Riddell And Beedle The Bard The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8* Ages 8+ Illustrator extraordinaire Chris Riddell brings his amazing talents to J K Rowling’s The Tales of Beedle the Bard, an essential companion book to the Harry Potter series. Describing the experience as ‘an immense honour and incredibly exciting’ Chris talks with author and cartoonist Sarah Laing (Mansfield & Me) about the creative process, his inspirations and the fun he had along the way.

SUNDAY 14 OCTOBER

cheltenhamfestivals.com

11.30am–1pm Ages 6–8 only

LF68

12–1pm

2.30–4pm Ages 9–13 only

LF69

The Pony With No Name

Workshop Royal Academy Of Dance: Aladdin Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio £15* Sing and dance to the music and choreography inspired by this West End sensation. These Royal Academy of Dance workshops are open to all children. No prior singing or dancing experience required.

Parents are asked to drop and leave their children for this session and must complete a form (on booking) providing their contact details and any medical information for the child in case of an emergency.

LF72

Town Hall, Pillar Room £6* Ages 8+ Saddle up for a hack into beautiful Brook Dale as Tracey Corderoy brings her new pony series to life. Friends, enemies, ponies and adventures – Seaview Stables has it all. There’ll be quizzes, readings and interactive crafts worthy of a first prize rosette! And the little bay pony ‘with no name’ is sure to win your heart…

12–1pm

LF73

So You Think You Know About Dinosaurs?

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £6* Ages 8+ Biologist and TV scientist Ben Garrod’s new series (the most up-to-date dinosaur books in 66 million years!) shows kids that science is fun and dinosaurs are cool. Looking at Tyrannosaurus Rex, Diplodocus and Triceratops, Ben uses the most modern and interesting science to reveal amazing discoveries about the best known dinosaur species.

2–2.45pm

LF71

Tropical Terry The Hive £6* Ages 3+ Children and adults alike will be giggling their socks off during this interactive storytelling event from award-winning children’s author-illustrator Jarvis. Full of rather amusing accents and fabulous live drawing, join Jarvis under the sea for a tropical event you won’t forget.

11.45am–12.45pm LF70

The Tiger Who Came To Tea: Birthday Party The Hive £6* Ages 3+

Ticket includes a character meet and greet.

Judith Kerr’s most famous creation is 50 years old! Storyteller Liz Fost celebrates the children’s classic The Tiger Who Came to Tea with tiger games, refreshments and a special furry visitor who might come knocking on the door.

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

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SUNDAY 14 OCTOBER 2–3pm

Box Office 01242 850270

LF74

Journey Along The Silk Roads The Inkpot £8* Ages 12+ Set your sails east and journey through time with historian Peter Frankopan whose magnificent retelling of The Silk Roads sets out to capture the imagination of young adults. Peter will be joined by fellow author and presenter Janina Ramirez (Riddle of the Runes) for an interactive event featuring, stories from every corner of society, sumptuous illustrations by Neil Packer and a family quiz.

3.30–4.30pm

LF76

Ruby Redfort Show

The Hive £6* Ages 4+

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £8* Ages 8+ and the whole family

4–5pm LF75

The Great Comic Caper Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £6* Ages 6+

Ticket includes a free copy of the Beano.

LF78

Once Upon A Wild Wood

Take a journey into the wild, wild wood with Little Green Cape and former Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell. Which fairytale characters will they meet along the way? A magical event of fairytale storytelling and drawing, including a draw-along for the audience.

2–3pm

4.30–5.30pm

The first ever stage adaptation of Children’s Laureate Lauren Child’s bestselling mystery series. Following thirteen-year-old code-breaker and special agent Ruby Redfort on her adventures to catch the world’s greatest criminal masterminds, this quirky, hilarious spy thriller takes you into a world of terrifying villains, cutting edge gadgets and death-defying escapes.

LF77

Thriller!

Town Hall, Pillar Room £6* Ages 13+ Representing an emerging genre in the YA scene, winner of the YA Book Prize Will Hill (After the Fire), sensational US author E. Lockhart (Genuine Fraud) and award-winning S K Wright (It Ends With You) are three of the best young adult thriller writers. They talk to Sanne Vliegenthart from Booksandquills about twists and turns, suspense and social commentary.

Kev F Sutherland’s comic strips appear in the Beano, Doctor Who Adventures, Match and many more. After 25 years working as comedian, writer and comic artist, and running the UK’s Comic Festival he knows a worrying amount about this funny business.

Find how how easy it is to create comics and challenge him with your own comic questions.

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*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

PATRONS We would like to thank all our Patrons for their generous support including those who have chosen to remain anonymous.

Life Patrons

Dr Lynda Albertyn & Pat Gallasch Mark and Sue Blanchfield Peter and Anne Bond Dominic and Jannene Collier Michael and Felicia Crystal Colin and Suzanne Doak The Eaton Family Fingerhuth Leung Family Charles Fisher David and John Hall Margaret Headen Diane and Mark Hill Jeremy and Germaine Hitchins Family Jonathan and Cassinha Hitchins Family Stephen and Tania Hitchins Family Jeff and Keren Illiffe Elizabeth and Michael Jones Family Rick and Lisa Jones Steven and Linda Jones Hugh and Sue Koch The Kwintner Family Robert and Moira Leechman Hazel and Jeremy Lewis Graham and Eileen Lockwood The McKelvie Family Fiona McLeod The McWilliam family in loving memory of Ruth McWilliam Keith Norton and Piers Norton Mark and Elizabeth Philip-Sørensen John and Susan Singer Simon Skinner and Jean Gouldsmith Skinner Andrew Smith Phil and Jennifer Stapleton Liz and Neil Stewart Sharon Studer and Graham Beckett Chris and Bridgette Sunman Fiona and David Symondson

Ludmila and Hodson Thornber The Walker Family Michael and Jacqueline Woof

Directors’ Circle

Mike and Kerry Alcock Heather Barrett Jack and Dora Black Ruth and Paul Brake Richard Claridge Michael and Angela Cronk Nigel and Sally Dimmer Miles and Monica Dunkley Carol Farnell Paul and Caroline Feinson Jeremy and Alison Halliday Mark and Moira Hamlin Stephen Hodge Andrew and Caroline Hope Simon and Emma Keswick Andrew and Susanne Malim Lady Marychurch Hayden and Tracy McKinnes Chris Morgan The Oldham Foundation Lizzie Pelly and Adrian Portlock Jan and Gill Rowe Peter Stormonth Darling Charitable Trust Su-Mei & Marcus Thompson Michelle Thorley Michele Rodriguez Wise and Dustin Wise

Gold Patrons

Geraldine and Jim Beaty Christopher Bence Stephen and Victoria Bond Alex Burgess and Darren Carty Charlie Chan Colin and Michele Cole

Stuart and Gillian Corbyn Wallace and Morag Dobbin Peter and Sue Elliott Marc and Melanie Gillespie Maurice Gran and Carol James Mr and Mrs Riff Heber-Percy Mike and Judie Hill Lord and Lady Hoffmann Anthony Hoffman and Dr Christine Facer Hoffman Elizabeth Jacobs Sue Jones Jocelyn and Dave McNulty Sir Michael and Lady McWilliam Janet Middleton Paul and Kathy Mottershead Dr Julia Pearson and Dr Keith England Adrian and Cassandra Phillips Martin and Susan Pickard Shelley and Paul Roberts Sharon and Toby Roberts Khal and Zoe Rudin Brenda Salters and Harold Longmate Elizabeth Saunders Esther and Peter Smedvig Andy and Ali Stalsberg Meredithe Stuart-Smith Ian and Liz Topping Michael and Rose Warner Sarah and John Watkins Stephen Wood William Wyman

We would also like to thank all our Silver Patrons who are listed on the website: cheltenhamfestivals.com/ patron-acknowledgements

Get closer to the Festivals with Patronage Join this exclusive group of supporters and make a real difference to our work as a charity.

– Dedicated ticket line with advance booking – Access to hospitality areas at the Literature and Jazz Festivals – Invitations to special events and parties throughout the year From £75 per month, your Patronage covers all four Festivals.

To find out more please contact Jessica Lowes on 01242 537263, email jessica.lowes@cheltenhamfestivals.com or visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/patrons

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We put the tea into Transatlantic For your chance to win a cruise on board Queen Mary 2’s Literature Festival at Sea in 2019, visit www.cunard.co.uk/winatcheltenham

WIN A LUXURY BREAK TO EDINBURGH – UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE

Subscribe to Baillie Gifford’s free bi-annual Trust magazine and you could win a luxury break to Edinburgh, the first ever city to be designated City of Literature by UNESCO. Indulge your love of books with a literary tour or a visit to one of Edinburgh’s monuments or museums dedicated to literature. In August, you can try one of the many shows on offer at the International or Fringe festivals. In December, Edinburgh’s city centre is transformed into a winter wonderland, with fairgrounds, Christmas markets and twinkling lights.

Whatever the time of year you can enjoy a vast choice of historic attractions, galleries, shopping, live events and stunning gardens.

The prize is for two people and includes three nights’ accommodation in the majestic 5-star Balmoral Hotel, with breakfast each morning and access to the Balmoral Spa. Also included are first-class return rail tickets, an eight-course tasting menu on one evening in the renowned Restaurant Mark Greenaway and two-day Royal Edinburgh bus tour tickets.

For your opportunity to win this fantastic prize, complete the reply paid card in Trust magazine or enter online at www.bailliegifford.com/literaryprize Terms and conditions apply. See Trust magazine or the online entry page for details.

OPEN DAYS Saturday 29 September 2018 Sunday 14 October 2018 Saturday 10 November 2018

Book your place now www.glos.ac.uk/opendays or call our enquiries team 03330 141414 #TeamGlos

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival is presented by Cheltenham Festivals, a company limited by guarantee, and is a member of the British Arts & Science Festivals Association (artsfestivals.co.uk).

Head of Programming Nicola Tuxworth

Cheltenham Festivals Board of Trustees Susan Blanchfield Lewis Carnie Dominic Collier (Chair) Edward Gillespie OBE Peter Howarth Caroline Hutton (Chair of Literature Festival) Prof Averil Macdonald OBE Vivienne Parry OBE Diane Savory OBE (Vice Chair)

Festival Programmer Jo James

Company Secretary Matthew Clayton Registered Office 28 Imperial Square Cheltenham GL50 1RH

Company No. 456573 Charity No. 251765 VAT Registration No. 100114013 Main Switchboard No. 01242 511211

Programme Managers Loraine Evans (Family Programme), Lyndsey Fineran, Sophie Hoult, Emma Whittle

Festival Co-ordinator Ellie Petrie Senior Management Board Helena Bibby (General Manager) Adrian Farnell (Director of Finance) Ian George (Director of Festivals) Ali Mawle (Director of Education) CF Productions Box Office Jo Marsh, Martin Perks, Helene Rose, Bev Tanner Education Farha Bakawala, Philippa Claridge, Sarah Forbes, Elspeth Kenny, Ali Mawle, Rose Wood Marketing and Partnerships Kathleen Barnhill, Amy Bates, Samantha Bonnes, Lisa Garrett, Hanna Goldschmidt, Emily Johnson, Bairbre Lloyd, Jessica Lowes, Arlene McGlynn, Sarah Sharma, Sam Skillings, Ellie Topham, Matthew Walsh, Theo Wright, Stacey Yeates

Festival Advisory Group Arifa Akbar, Sam Baker, Videl Bar Kar, Damian Barr, Abigail Bergstrom, Clare Clark, Daniel Hahn With many thanks to our programming partners and the publishers, agents, staff and volunteers, all of whom provide invaluable support and help make the Festival a success.

Contact If you have specific comments about any aspect of the Festival, please email literature@ cheltenhamfestivals.com Artwork Credits Main programme illustration © 2018 Sarah Gullen Family illustration © 2018 Matt Carr Photography Credits Visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/ photos for a full photo credit list.

Printed with vegetable ink by Orchard Press Cheltenham Ltd. This brochure is correct at time of going to press – find programme updates online at cheltenhamfestivals.com/literature

Operations, Production and Finance Helena Bibby, Adrian Farnell, Angie Hawkins, Adrian Hensley, Aline Imray, Anna Jukes, Amanda Keane, Kate Merriman, Pete Riley, Suzanne Stephens, Tarren Productions, Joe Trigg

If you require this brochure in large print format please call 01242 850270.

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INDEX Aaronovitch David 88 96 105 Abad Héctor 92 Abouzeid Rania 79 Adam Claire 26 Addonia Sulaiman 77 Adébáyò Ayòbámi 95 Adegoke Yomi 31 Aderin-Pocock Maggie 50 Adonis Andrew 91 Ahmed Kamal 36 46 Akala 88 Akbar Arifa 31 Alderton Dolly 31 43 Aleksandrowicz Beata 73 Alexander Marc 37 Alexander Vassos 35 Alzougbi Alia 52 Amanat Abbas 105 Anaxagorou Anthony 88 89 Anderson Laura Ellen 41 Andrew Christopher 57 Antony Steve 54 Antrobus Raymond 33 Atkinson Kate 32 Attenborough David 34 Auton Rob 32 Ayres Pam 74 Baek Jieun 31 Baggini Julian 58 60 Bailey Jane 64 Bailey Martin 25 Bailey Nick 86 Bak Thomas 80 Baker Sam 31 32 35 44 Balch Oliver 57 Baldwin Tom 73 Bang Said the Gun 28 Barker Pat 45 Barlow Gary 50 Barton Laura 50 Barton Polly 43 Bate Jonathan 60 Bate Marisa 106 108 109 Bates Laura 48 Bates Quentin 79 Baxter Sarah 44 Beard Mary 35 43 45 Beauman Francesca 44 Beaumont Mark 28 Beckerman Hannah 49 Beevor Antony 33 Bell P.G. 41 Bell Poorna 31 Benesch Oleg 73

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Benkabbou Nargisse 36 Bennett Gill 92 Bennett Polly 25 Bergstrom Abigail 88 92 107 Berridge Vanessa 57 Bhambra Gurminder K. 46 Biggar Nigel 46 Billingham Mark 65 69 Bird Hera Lindsay 27 59 Bird Lliana 28 77 81 Bonner Nick 63 Booth James 61 Boulton Adam 44 Boyd William 27 Bracht Mary Lynn 35 Bradford Chris 40 Brame Joanna 63 Brand Jo 69 Brigstocke Marcus 99 105 107 Brindle Katie 73 Brookes Peter 88 Brookmyre Chris 67 69 Broom Dave 95 Bruce Natascha 108 Burleigh Michael 93 Burman Edward 57 Burton Jessie 51 Buruma Ian 95 97 Bussell Darcey 107 Butchart Pamela 29 38 Calleja Jen 26 Calman Susan 37 Campbell James 29 Campbell Jen 94 Carr Matt 38 Carrick Rosy 33 Carroll Emma 55 71 Castillo Elaine 28 Champion Bob 72 Cheltenham College Schola Cantorum 61 Chorley Matt 81 98 Christopher Lucy 91 103 Churchwell Sarah 93 99 Clark Alex 87 94 95 97 106 107 109 Clark Clare 34 35 83 91 105 Clarke Oz 88 Clark-Platts Alice 60 Clements Paul 109 Clover Andrew 33 52 Clunas Craig 105 Coates Sam 83 Coates Tessa 89 Coldstream John 94 Cole Steve 38 41

Coleridge Nicholas 83 Collins Philip 84 93 105 109 Colman Sara 53 Conaghan Brian 53 Conneally Paul 58 Conradi Peter 59 Conway Emma 61 Conway Sean 107 Cool Kenton 86 Cope Nick 29 Cope Wendy 86 Corderoy Tracey 54 111 Corera Gordon 57 Cormac Rory 57 Cormier Brendan 83 Cornwell Bernard 72 Cosslett Rhiannon Lucy 74 Cottam Hilary 80 Cowley Jason 64 Coyte Peter 89 Crabbe Megan Jayne 89 Crampton Robert 69 Cranston Jonathan 59 Craven John 63 Crossan Sarah 53 Cullen Helen 68 Cumming Charles 27 Curtis Richard 98 Curtis Scarlett 12 85 89 94 98 108 Daley Tom 93 Daltrey Roger 109 Darling Alistair 46 David Dharshini 80 84 86 88 91 Davies Carys 93 de Castell Sebastien 103 Denison Rayna 46 de Waal Edmund 78 de Waal Kit 44 47 Dixon Jennifer 66 Dockrill Laura 101 Don Monty 79 Donald Caroline 86 Donkor Michael 36 Doucet Lyse 79 Dougherty John 54 Douglas Faith 71 Douglas Jill 72 75 Downer Lesley 26 Doyle Catherine 41 Drochon Hugo 58 Duddle Jonny 100 Dunant Sarah 44 47 Dunbar Polly 100 Durrant Sabine 44

INDEX Dyer Geoff 43 Earle Phil 53 Edge Christopher 55 Edmonds Jimmy 65 Edugyan Esi 107 Edwards Ambra 57 Eggerue Chidera 89 Eliot Henry 26 Elphinstone Abi 53 Elsom Clare 55 Erskine Gizzi 81 Evans Diana 95 Evans Maz 100 103 Fahm Tina 84 Fahnbulleh Miatta 80 Fallon Theresa 91 Faulkner Dominic 86 Faulks Sebastian 12 34 36 43 45 61 Field Sally 105 Fiennes Peter 71 Finkelstein Daniel 77 81 84 105 Fisher Lucy 81 Fleet Kim 49 Fogle Ben 86 Forshaw Barry 79 Forsdick Charles 80 Forsyth Frederick 78 Fost Liz 111 France Angela 73 Frances-White Deborah 106 Frankopan Peter 13 87 91 105 112 Fraser Antonia 91 Freeman Laura 85 French Paul 31 Freud Emma 34 50 106 Fukuyama Francis 93 97 Gale Patrick 79 Gale Steven 68 72 75 85 87 Gannon Emma 92 107 Gardner Frank 78 Gardner Sally 51 Garrod Ben 111 George Amika 108 Ge Yan 108 Gibb David 110 Giles Harry 89 Gillies Aaron 75 Ginsberg Bruce 59 60 Ginsberg Mary 63 Glover Fi 37 Glover Fran 65 Glover Jane 64 Glyn Gwyneth 109 Godden Salena 89

Godwin David 72 Godwin Georgina 25 35 44 47 48 97 99 108 109 Goldsmith Rosie 34 36 43 45 46 50 63 67 74 75 80 Goossen Ted 48 50 95 Graham-Dixon Andrew 32 Gravett Paul 27 Greenberg-Jephcott Kelleigh 94 108 Greengrass Jessie 81 Griffiths Andy 51 Groom Nick 28 Groskop Viv 79 Guillain Adam 52 Guillain Charlotte 52 Gunn Kirsty 85 Guo Xiaolu 31 Haddow Joe 26 27 Haetzman Marisa 67 Hahn Daniel 45 48 51 92 106 Haig Matt 85 87 Hall Edith 74 Hamilton Alwyn 103 Hanif Mohammed 92 Hannah Sophie 59 Harding Christopher 25 26 32 46 Hardman Graham 60 Hardman Isabel 77 Harman Nicky 108 Harper Nick 87 Harris Jane 65 Harrison Melissa 75 Hastings Max 77 Haynes Natalie 74 Healey Emma 44 Hemming Martin 59 Henderson Nicky 74 Hendra Sue 39 Henn Sophy 110 Hennessey Alison 60 Hennessy Peter 36 Henry Diana 64 Henry Lenny 106 Hensher Philip 43 Hermes Gower Imogen 28 Herring Richard 81 Herron Mick 27 Higgins Charlotte 26 Hill Will 112 Hilsum Lindsey 79 Hinkel Monika 25 Hirsch Afua 106 107 Hodgkinson Leigh 55 Holgate Andrew 80 91 93 96

Holmes Lucy Anne 80 Honeyman Gail 69 Hong Fincher Leta 48 Hope Jake 33 Hopgood Tim 53 Horobin Simon 77 Horowitz Anthony 26 38 Horsley Owen 25 Houlbrook Matt 92 Howe Sarah 31 35 Hoy Chris 55 74 75 Hubbard Tim 57 63 79 93 Hudson Kerry 47 Hughes Laura 54 Hughes Sali 73 Hughes-Hallett Lucy 58 60 Hulme Susan 37 Humble Kate 85 Hunt Tristram 12 49 Hurley Andrew Michael 46 Husain Mishal 88 Hussain Nadiya 33 Hutt Julia 83 Hutton Caroline 107 Hytner Nicholas 80 Idle Eric 105 Ince Robin 61 Irvine Gregory 83 Jackson Anna 26 James Anna 28 33 41 45 James Greg 110 Jarvis 111 Jarvis Sarah 50 Jays David 107 Jin Lee Min 35 Johnson Alan 66 Johnson Rachel 105 Johnson Stephen 58 Johnston David 25 Jones Darryl 28 Jones Nicolette 58 61 65 Jones Ruth 49 Jones Sue 25 Joseph Anthony 80 Josephine Charlotte 68 Jungeun Hwang 34 Kapoor Sybil 78 Karashima David 13 Kawamura Genki 27 31 Kay Adam 66 67 Keegan Kevin 89 Kegode Malaika 25 Kelsall Nicola 79 87 Kemp Martin 78

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INDEX Kemp Peter 34 Kennedy Helena 85 Kennedy Kate 61 Kenyon Paul 84 Kermode Mark 46 48 Kern Adam 58 Ketchell Robert 60 Khankan Sherin 32 Khatib Lina 79 Kim Rosalie 83 Kisuule Vanessa 50 Kiszely John 78 Klaussmann Liza 108 Kleist Reinhard 81 Knight Henrietta 74 Koos Joely 79 Kugler Olivier 77 Kutsuwada Chie 27 Kwok Wan So 25 Lachlan Young Murray 60 Laffalot Fleurble 39 Laing Olivia 98 Laing Sarah 81 85 108 110 Lake Nick 53 Lake Roseann 91 Landreth Jenny 72 Lea Caroline 87 Leith Prue 35 Lensvelt Fiona 80 81 85 88 Leonard Julia 33 36 45 49 75 Linnet Paul 39 Lloyd Christopher 41 Lockhart E. 112 Lodge Gytha 87 Lomax Rachel 46 Long James 64 72 73 78 86 88 Longstaff Abie 55 Lord Peter 81 Loske Alexandra 50 Lytton Martin 68 MacCulloch Diarmaid 59 Macdonald Alan 54 MacGregor Neil 31 Machon Annie 57 MacInnes Hannah 27 MacIntyre Ben 43 46 MacLehose Christopher 45 Magnus George 91 Magnusson Margareta 65 Maher Kevin 88 Mahfouz Sabrina 35 Makoha Nick 80 Mallinson Allan 78 84 86 91 92 Mangan Lucy 33

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Mannix Kathryn 65 Marcus Laura 84 Mars Rachel 49 Martin Claire 71 Martin Iain 81 84 Matharu Taran 103 Mayhew James 53 Mayo Simon 105 106 McCarron Leon 67 McColl Beth 80 McGarvey Darren 74 McGlasson Claire 26 McKay Sinclair 61 McNish Hollie 27 McNuff Anna 48 Mehdiyeva Nazrin 59 Melvin Craig 80 Mendelssohn Michèle 73 Millen Robbie 91 94 108 Miller Andrew 106 Miller Gina 109 Milligan Becky 66 Mills Eleanor 94 97 Millwood Hargrave Kiran 103 Milway Alex 101 Minamore Bridget 35 Mir-Hosseini Ziba 32 Mistry Poonam 54 Mitchell David 34 36 48 Mitchell Wendy 72 Mohamed Hashi 26 36 Monks Lydia 52 Montague Jules 72 Moore Derry 79 Moore Lucy 92 Moore Martin 59 Moore Peter 72 Moore Tim 105 109 Moran Caitlin 95 Morgan Llewellyn 43 Moriarty Liane 93 Morpurgo Michael 53 Morris Tym 109 Mort Helen 98 Mosse Greg 77 Mosse Kate 78 79 83 Moss Sarah 43 46 Mostly Lit 107 Moyes Jojo 93 94 Mullaney Thomas 86 91 Murata Sayaka 43 45 Murdin Paul 50 Murphy Anna 71 73 75 Musson Jeremy 64 66

Nadin Joanna 55 Nagasawa Yujin 57 Ngozi Adichie Chimamanda 75 Niblett Robin 31 46 Nice Harmony 88 Nicholson Virginia 66 Nickell Amy 61 Norman Jesse 77 Norman Russell 81 Norris Bonita 86 North Alex 87 Northfield Gary 101 Norton Graham 60 Obata Fumio 27 O’Connell Alex 88 94 O’Connell David 52 O’Connell Paddy 36 O’Neal Ollie 89 Ono Masatsugu 95 106 Ormerod Katherine 107 Ottolenghi Yotam 75 Owusu Derek 94 107 Oxenbury Helen 94 102 Pabi Clarissa 107 Packer Sarit 97 Pankhurst Helen 48 Pankhurst Kate 38 Parker Laura 64 Parkinson Michael 37 Parkinson Mike 37 Parry Vivienne 66 Patterson Christina 75 Peace David 32 36 48 Pearce AJ 68 Perry Sarah 35 44 Peston Robert 27 Phelps Sarah 59 Phillips Jess 95 108 Phillips Melanie 93 Phillips Trevor 46 Pitt Daniel 49 Plowman Jon 89 Plumley Gavin 25 Plunkett Alice 74 Poirier Agnès 44 48 Polizzotti Mark 26 Prescott Andrew 37 Preston Alex 72 Prideaux Sue 58 Pullman Philip 103 Purcell Laura 60 Purves Libby 78 80 85 Rafiq Raifa 107 Ramirez Janina 102 112

INDEX Ranganathan Romesh 28 Rani Anita 63 Rankin Ian 105 108 Raworth Sophie 35 Rea Andy 50 81 Reads Alex 94 107 Reeve Tim 58 Rentzenbrink Cathy 47 57 59 61 65 71 Reynolds Amanda 64 Reynolds Matthew 64 Riddell Chris 110 112 Rifkind Hugo 88 107 Rifkind Malcolm 78 Riley Ryan 50 Roberts Andrew 26 Robinson Michelle 110 Robinson Nick 106 Robinson Roger 80 Rogan Richard 57 63 71 77 84 Rokison-Woodall Abigail 25 Rooney Sally 96 Roxburgh Angus 59 Royal Academy of Dance 111 Rudd Matt 109 Russell Jenni 81 84 Saleem Aliyah 32 Sampson Fiona 65 Sanderson Caroline 25 26 64 106 Sanghera Sathnam 63 Saunders Anna 49 Saunders Jennifer 89 Savidge Simon 94 Sayerer Julian 109 Seierstad Åsne 81 Seigal Joshua 39 Sergeant John 36 Seymour Miranda 65 Shafak Elif 45 48 Shaffi Sarah 87 93 94 106 Sharratt Nick 102 Shepherd-Barr Kirsten 72 Sher Antony 60 Shireen Nadia 55 73 Shriver Lionel 97 Shukla Nikesh 36 Sieghart William 73 75 Simpson John 25 Singham Shanker 80 Sivasunduram Sujit 105 Smith Barry 78 Smith Ben 35 Smith Chris 110 Smith Deborah 34 Smith Hazel 31

Smith Phoebe 48 Soanes Zeb 53 Sopel Jon 44 47 Soundar Chitra 54 Soveral Alexandra 73 Spence Charles 78 Sproxton David 81 Srulovich Itamar 97 Stadlen Matthew 34 48 Stagg Guy 67 Stanton Andy 52 St John Lauren 52 Storr Farrah 109 Stothard Peter 43 Strachan Hew 86 Strachey Nino 66 Streeten Nicola 108 Strohn Matthias 86 Sturgis Matthew 73 Sutherland Kev F 110 112 Susskind Jamie 73 Sveistrup Søren 79 Takaleed 36 Takekawa Junko 13 Takenami Yoko 39 Tallack Malachy 75 Tapley Takemori Ginny 43 Taylor Alan 108 Taylor Joelle 89 Teo Sharlene 28 Terera Giles 87 The Fantasy Orchestra 50 The Moth 96 Thien Madeleine 94 105 Thistleton Katie 101 102 Thomas Bev 26 Thomas-Symonds Nick 64 Thompson Jo 86 Thompson Lisa 52 Thwaite Anthony 61 Tongue Fu 99 103 Torode John 49 Townsend Jessica 41 Tremain Rose 80 Treneman Ann 88 Treweek Rachel 68 72 Trollope Joanna 57 Tucker Emma 43 63 83 84 87 105 Turnbull Stephen 73 Turvill Angus 106 Tuxworth Ben 28 Uwagba Otegha 91 92 Vliegenthart Sanne 112 von Hippel Karin 78

Vout Caroline 105 Walker Laura 72 Walker Miranda 40 Walker Susannah 65 Walton James 94 Warne Shane 108 Warner Marina 73 74 Waterfield Bruno 83 Watt Holly 60 Wax Ruby 34 Webb Justin 97 Weekes Carrie 65 Wellington Jennifer 86 Weng Shihui 25 Westover Tara 91 96 Wheeler Julia 59 60 64 67 72 75 78 81 84 White Prue 71 Whyman Erica 68 Wilcox Claire 74 Wilder Robyn 61 Willetts David 91 Williams John 84 Wilson Jacqueline 101 Wilson John 50 Wise Greg 65 Witherow John 105 Wood Gaby 96 Wood Phillips John 67 Wright Luke 47 Wright S K 112 Wyld Evie 48 Wynne Frank 26 Yae Won Emily 34 Yoneda Asa 97 Young Ashleigh 85 107 109 Young Liam 64 Young Louisa 85 Young Tony 66 Youssef Jozef 78

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HOW TO BOOK

cheltenhamfestivals.com

Special Access Requirements

01242 850270

efore the Festival: Pop-up Box Office at The Wilson (Clarence Street, B GL50 3JT); Friday 31 August – Saturday 8 September, 10am–5pm, excluding Sundays.

Please book using our online form which will be available from 17 August at cheltenhamfestivals.com/ access-requirements

Please note the Booking Dates below for information on Members and General booking times. Box Office opening times are subject to change, for details please visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/booking

During the Festival: Festival Site Box Office, Montpellier Gardens (GL50 1UW).

For queries email boxoffice@cheltenhamfestivals.com For full details about Box Office opening hours, in person and telephone ticket sales, booking fees, terms & conditions and Membership, visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/booking Booking Dates & Times

The Daffodil Bookings Our dining seating plans are pre-allocated on the day by our events team and tables may be shared. Please inform our Box Office about any special dietary or seating requirements, or add these to the special requirements field when booking online.

Family Events All children under 12 years must be accompanied by a ticket holding adult unless otherwise indicated.

Gift Vouchers Gift Vouchers may be purchased at our Box Office or online at cheltenhamfestivals. com/gift-vouchers and may be redeemed against ticket or Membership purchases.

Members Priority Booking

General Booking

Online (Wish Lists Only)

Wednesday 29 August From 1pm*

Wednesday 5 September From 1pm*

Charged at £2 per order; including online, telephone, in person cash and card sales.

Phone & Online

Thursday 30 August From 10am*

Thursday 6 September From 10am*

Ticket Discounts

In Person (The Wilson), Phone & Online

Friday 31 August From 10am

Friday 7 September From 10am

*Please note the Box Office will be closed for in person bookings on this day.

Quicker & Easier Booking with Wish Lists

Booking Fees

Ticket discounts are not available for events which include catering, books or any other goods in the ticket price.

Refunds Tickets can not be refunded or exchanged, except in the case of a cancelled event. See cheltenhamfestivals.com/booking for details.

You must create a Wish List in advance to buy tickets on day one of Members or Public booking (29 August / 5 September). Visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/literature to create yours before booking opens.

Getting To The Festival

Festival Venues

Cheltenham is easily accessible from all over the UK, by road and rail. Most events take place on the main Festival site, located in central Cheltenham in Montpellier Gardens (GL50 1UW). Other venues are within walking distance. For more information on public transport and car parks go to cheltenhamfestivals.com/your-visit

Festival Village in Montpellier Gardens.

(Incl. The Times Forum, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre, The Den, The Hive, The Nook, The Inkpot, The Huddle, Feast Café Bar, Festival Box Office) GL50 1UW

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre GL50 3AA

Cheltenham Town Hall (Incl. Baillie Gifford Stage, Pillar Room, Waterstones Bookshop and Festival Box Office) GL50 1QA

No.131 GL50 1NW

The Daffodil GL50 2AE Hotel du Vin GL50 3AQ House of Fraser GL50 1HP Cheltenham College Chapel GL53 7LD The Swan GL50 1DX

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THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS Festival Partners

Official Festival Hotel

Media Partners

In-Kind Partners

Marketing Partners

Trusts and Societies

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5–14 October 2018 Box Office 01242 850270 cheltenhamfestivals.com @cheltlitfest

Family EVENTS INSIDE

LOOK OUT FOR SPYDER!