2015 Chester Literature Festival by Storyhouse

Welcome to the 2015 Chester Literature Festival We’ve put together a programme that will lift the spirits on autumn days and light up your autumn nights. Profound and profane, comic and weighty, with festival poets, comic songsmiths, novelists, biographers, comedians, historians and new ways of looking at the world, this year’s Chester Literature Festival is a treat for anyone who wants to be moved, entertained and informed in equal measure. It’s a festival that gives you unique opportunities: seize a rare chance to see poet Tony Harrison; hear what makes professional trickster Dom Joly tick; meet Deborah Moggach the author of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel; see an improvised Jane Austen novel come to life before your eyes; delve into the history of the Magna Carta or of British nightclubs.

Remember to get your tickets early to secure the best prices. Our online only Book It Now discounts that save you money will enable you to make the festival your own…as will taking part: we want your local memories for which we’ll pay you in poetry (Sat 10th October) and if you’re a budding writer, you can walk around the Walls in Chester with a leading Literary Agent (and her dog!) or book a one to one session with her to discuss your future bestseller! So take a look at the incredible mix of authors, publishers, poets, musicians, TV stars, historians, actors (and even dogs) who are all coming to Chester this October and make sure you don’t miss out. See you there!

Alex Clifton, Artistic Director, Chester Performs

BOOK ON LIN E NO W AT WWW.C HESTER P ER F O R M S .COM / LI T E R AT U R E

Images: Austentatious, Deborah Moggach, Simon Armitage, Chanje Kunda, Dom Joly

Poet in Residence

The Festival Fringe

This year, look out for poetic updates from the festival frontline from our Poet in Residence, Glyn Edwards. Glyn will be around to record the highs and even highers of this year’s festival.

Once again, we’re opening up the festival to include other events in and around the city to form a Festival Fringe.

Glyn is a poet and teacher and has won awards for being both, including the Welsh Poetry Competition and the National Teaching Awards. He’ll be in residence at the festival at each weekend. Watch this space!

The University at the Festival Back by popular demand, the University at the Festival slots have become a festival fixture. We’re delighted to give a platform to five lecturers from the University of Chester to enable them to share their expertise with a wider audience. With this year’s subjects ranging from Anthony Trollope in graphic novel form to storytelling through needlework, this is definitely a chance to spend tea-time learning something new. 5.30pm, various dates throughout the festival.

If you are organising an event which takes place during the festival fortnight then let us know about it and we’ll feature it on the festival website. It could be anything – a book club meeting, an open mic night, a workshop, exhibition or even a book sale. Simply register your event online at www.chesterperforms. com/literature where you can also have a look and see what other events are taking place.

Discounts and Savings Book your tickets in advance and make great savings via our fantastic Book It Now discounts. These discounts are timelimited and only available online so you need to be quick and book in advance to guarantee the best price for your ticket. As ever, under 16s and students qualify for £4 off any ticket and under 12s go free (1 free under 12 with each full price ticket, where appropriate). BOOK O N L IN E N OW AT W W W.C H E S T E R P E R FO R M S.CO M / LI TER AT U R E

B IG SAVIN GS ON LIN E!

@C HESTER P ER F O R MS # CH ES T E R LI T F ES T

The Festival at a glance All festival events take place at Chester Town Hall unless stated otherwise. For more information and booking, visit www.chesterperforms.com/literature

SATURDAY 10TH OCTOBER P&P

FREE

Jonathan Edwards: My Family & Other Superheroes, 1pm

£12.50

William Hartston: Even More Things That Nobody Knows, 4pm

£12.50

Nick Frost: Truths, Half Truths and Little White Lies, 7.30pm

£15.50

Tim Clare: The Honours, 7.30pm

£12.50

UNI AT THE FEST: Dr. Simon Grennan & Dr. Yvonne Siddle: Trollope at 200, 5.30pm

FREE

Michael Billington and Alex Clifton: The 101 Greatest Plays, 7.30pm

£12.50

Simon Hughes: Who Wants to be a Batsman, 7.30pm

£12.50

Tracey Thorn: Naked at the Albert Hall, 7.30pm

£12.50

Rachel Foss & Peter Rankin: Joan Littlewood’s British Library Archive, 7.30pm

£12.50

UNI AT THE FEST: Contemporary French Literature and the World: Beyond the Belly Button, 5.30pm

Free

Shaun Usher: More Letters of Note, 7.30pm

£12.50

Brian Blessed: Absolute Pandemonium, 7.30pm

£15.50

New Poems for Old Memories! Chester Library, 10.30am-3pm SUNDAY 11TH OCTOBER

P&P

HOT P&P

MONDAY 12TH OCTOBER UF

TUESDAY 13TH OCTOBER HOT

WEDNESDAY 14TH OCTOBER UF

HOT

THURSDAY 15TH OCTOBER HOT

Austentatious!, 7.30pm FRIDAY 16TH OCTOBER UNI AT THE FEST: David Swann: Stronger, Faster, Shorter: Flash Fictions, 5.30pm

FREE

P&P

Mark Grist and Luke Wright: Poetry Pub Crawl, 7.30pm

£15.50

P&P

Rachel Parris: Best Laid Plans, 7.30pm

£12.50

SATURDAY 17TH OCTOBER P&P

Chanje Kinda: Amsterdam, 12 Noon

£12.50

P&P

Mark Grist: Rogue Teacher, 2pm

£12.50

P&P

Luke Wright: What I learned from Johnny Bevan, 4.30

£12.50

P&P

Molly Naylor and John Osbourne: Live Poetry Show, 7.30pm

£12.50

BOOK ON LIN E NO W AT WWW.C HESTER P ER F O R M S .COM / LI T E R AT U R E

SUNDAY 18th OCTOBER P&P

P&P

Don Paterson and Christopher Reid: 40 Sonnets and Curiosities, 4pm

£12.50

Sue Black and Steve Colgan: Saving Bletchley Park, 7.30pm

£12.50

Tony Harrison & Sian Thomas: A Cold Coming and Other Works, 7.30pm

£15.50

MONDAY 19th OCTOBER HOT

Vince Cable: After the Storm 7.30pm

£15.50

HOT

Deborah Moggach: Something to Hide, 7.30pm

£12.50

UNI AT THE FEST: Fiona Robers: Quilting Yarns, 5.30pm

FREE

The Devil’s Violin: The Forbidden Door, 7.30pm

£15.50

TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER UF P&P

WEDNESDAY 21st OCTOBER P&P

Simon Armitage: Walking Away, 5.30pm

£15.50

P&P

Glyn Maxwell & Simon Armitage: On Poetry, 8pm

£12.50

UNI AT THE FEST: Dr Francesca Haig: The Fire Sermon, 5.30pm

FREE

Dom Joly: Here Comes the Clown, 7.30pm

£15.50

David Harsent with Glyn Maxwell: Fire Songs, 7.30pm

£12.50

Ranulph Fiennes: Heat, 4.30pm

£15.50

Dave Haslam: Life After Dark, 7.30pm

£15.50

Rachael Kerr: Unbound - Publishing with a difference, 7.30pm

£12.50

THURSDAY 22nd OCTOBER UF HOT P&P

FRIDAY 23rd OCTOBER HOT

SATURDAY 24th OCTOBER AA

Rachael Kerr, Carrie Kania and Foxy the Dog: Walk the Walls, 11am

£15.50

Tim Lott: Writing Masterclass, 1pm - 4pm

£30.00

David Quantick: 52 First Impressions - Radio 4, 2pm

£12.50

Carrie Kania: 15 minute sessions, 2pm - 3:30pm

£20.00

Claire Harman: Charlotte Brontë, 4pm

£12.50

Carrie Kania: Get Noticed - The Perfect Cover Letter, 4.30pm

£12.50

Tim Lott: The Last Summer of the Water Strider, 6pm

£12.50

Gavin Osborn: Live, 8pm

£15.50

Carrie Kania: 15 Minute sessions, 11am-1pm

£20.00

David Quantick: 52 First Impressions - Radio 4, 2pm

£12.50

David Starkey: Magna Carta, 4pm

£15.50

Mike Harding: Adventures of the Crumpsall Kid, 7.30pm

£15.50

P&P

SUNDAY 25th OCTOBER AA

HOT

Key

P&P

Poetry & Performance

HOT Hot Ticket!

Uni at the Fest

For Aspiring Authors

Festival Events New Poems for Old Memories! Saturday 10th October 10.30am – 3pm | Chester Library Come along to your library with a memory – be it a story you can tell us, or a photo, or an object – and we’ll put it in one of a series of Memory Boxes that Cheshire charity Snow Angels are producing in partnership with Cheshire Libraries and the Cheshire Records Office. The boxes will then form a lasting legacy for the community to dip into. But more importantly, for one day only, we’ll pay you for your memory… in poetry! At Chester Library, Tim Clare, the stand-up poet and a festival favourite of ours, will be on hand to write you a poem inspired by your memory. And so will Costa Poetry Prize winner Jonathan Edwards, so you can expect some amazing work inspired by your amazing memories. Where else could you get award winning poets writing just for you? There will also be Memory Boxes in 5 local libraries so if you go to Ellesmere Port, Frodsham, Northwich, Neston or Winsford you’ll be able to swap your local memories for poetic inspiration. FREE -Drop In (No need to book)

This event is part of the Cheshire Memories Project, in partnership with Snow Angels.

Jonathan Edwards: My Family and Other Superheroes Sunday 11th October, 1pm | Chester Town Hall Join Jonathan Edwards, fresh from writing poems in exchange for people’s memories at Chester Library (10th October), as he presents his debut collection, My Family and Other Superheroes which won the 2014 Costa Poetry Award. The superheroes in question are a motley crew. Evel Knievel, Sophia Loren, Ian Rush, Marty McFly, a bicycling nun and a recalcitrant hippo all jostle for position, alongside valleys mams, dads and bamps, described with great warmth. Tickets: £12.50

BOOK ON LIN E NO W AT WWW.C HESTER P ER F O R M S .COM / LI T E R AT U R E

William Hartston: Even More Things That Nobody Knows

Nick Frost: Truths, Half Truths and Little White Lies

Sunday 11th October, 4pm | Chester Town Hall

Sunday 11th October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall

There are many, many more things that nobody knows… Do animals have a sense of humour? Why do we have five fingers? How long can humans live? What did Jesus do in his youth?

‘If I’m going to tell the story of a life, my life, then I need to tell it warts and all. If the tale is too saccharine sweet then what can the reader take away from it? What do they learn about you? I’ve written everything down. The shit, the death, fun, naughtiness, addiction, laughter, laughter, laughter, some tears and lots of love and happiness. That to me is a better reflection of a human’s life.’

In this witty and enlightening follow-up to The Things that Nobody Knows, William Hartston, most famously known for being on Channel 4’s Gogglebox, takes us on a guided tour of 501 further gaps in our knowledge. Tickets: £12.50

We’re delighted to welcome the actor, comedian and screenwriter Nick Frost, as he discusses his brand new memoir in the week of its publication. Tickets: £15.50

Tim Clare: The Honours Sunday 11th October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall Tim Clare, stand-up poet and festival favourite has branched out and become a novelist! He returns to Chester talk about his debut novel… 1935. Norfolk. War is looming in Great Britain and the sprawling country estate of Alderberen Hall is shadowed by suspicion and paranoia. Thirteen-year-old Delphine Venner explores the house and discovers the secret network of hidden passages that thread through the estate, Delphine uncovers a world more dark and threatening than she ever imagined. The Honours is a dark, glittering and dangerously unputdownable novel which invites you to enter a thrilling and fantastical world unlike any other. “superb… gorgeously entertaining” The Guardian Tickets: £12.50

B IG SAVIN GS ON LIN E!

@C HESTER P ER F O R MS # CH ES T E R LI T F ES T

Uni at the Fest: Dr. Simon Grennan & Dr. Yvonne Siddle – Trollope at 200 Monday 12th October, 5:30pm | Chester Town Hall This year is the bicentenary of the birth of Anthony Trollope, one of the most prolific and best-loved of nineteenthcentury writers. Trollope expert Yvonne Siddle and graphic novelist Simon Grennan will discuss Trollope’s work as a 21st century phenomenon, claiming him as a unique literary stylist and overturning the idea that he is an establishment mouthpiece of the Victorian upper classes. Yvonne has written widely on Trollope, particularly on his novels set in Ireland. Dispossession, Simon’s graphic adaptation of Trollope’s late novel John Caldigate, was published by Jonathan Cape earlier this year.

Michael Billington with Alex Clifton: The 101 Greatest Plays

Simon Hughes: Who Wants to be a Batsman?

Monday 12th October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall

An essential guide to the greatest plays ever written.

When a leading Test player rang up Simon Hughes late one night to ask him for his advice on why it was that he kept on failing to convert good starts into centuries, Hughes (top score 53) was taken aback. But, as ‘The Analyst’ on television, he has built a career on closely assessing players’ techniques, and as they spoke, Hughes began to think more deeply than ever before about what it was that singled out the truly great batsmen from the merely very good.

Michael Billington, Britain’s longest serving theatre critic, offers his highly personal selection of the 101 greatest plays from the time of the Greeks to the present-day. Billington puts the plays in context, posing questions along the way…What makes a great play? Does the definition change with time and circumstance? For this event, he is joined by Alex Clifton, the recently appointed Artistic Director of Chester Performs, and founding Artistic Director of our acclaimed Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre.

Along the way, he recalls some of his own highlights: trying to work out where to bowl to Viv Richards, or how to face up to Joel Garner. Tickets: £12.50

Tickets: £12.50

Tickets: FREE (booking required)

BOOK ON LIN E NO W AT WWW.C HESTER P ER F O R M S .COM / LI T E R AT U R E

Tracey Thorn: Naked at The Albert Hall Tuesday 13th October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall Tracey Thorn, musician and author of the best-selling autobiography Bedsit Disco Queen, offers a unique insider’s take on the art of singing: why and how we sing, and the voice’s power to captivate. During her career, she sang with warmth and emotional honesty, sometimes while battling acute stage-fright. In Naked at the Albert Hall, her new book, Tracey takes in Dusty Springfield, Dennis Potter and George Eliot; Autotune, the microphone and stage presence; The Streets and The X Factor. In short, the exhilarating joy and occasional heartache of singing. Tickets: £12.50

B IG SAVIN GS ON LIN E!

Rachel Foss and Peter Rankin: The Joan Littlewood Archive Tuesday 13th October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall Rachel Foss has the enviable job of Head of Contemporary Archives and Manuscripts at the British Library. She will be talking to Peter Rankin, Joan Littlewood’s friend and biographer, about the extensive archive of Littlewood’s diaries, letters, photographs and other papers acquired by the British Library earlier this year. A unique event highlighting one of the most influential theatre practitioners of the twentieth century as well as the role of the British Library and literary archives in general.

Uni at the Fest: Contemporary French Literature and the World: Beyond the Belly Button Wednesday 14th October, 5:30pm | Chester Town Hall Focusing on current trends in contemporary French (-speaking) literatures, Brenda Garvey, Dr Jean Frederic-Hunney and Dr Timo Obergöker will discuss exciting new developments in one of the most vital literary scenes in the Western world. Tickets: FREE (booking required)

Tickets: £12.50

@C HESTER P ER F O R MS # CH ES T E R LI T F ES T

Shaun Usher: More Letters of Note Wednesday 14th October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall A telegram from Peter Sellers to Spike Milligan, two months before he died, pleading that they reform The Goons. A customer complaint letter from 1450 BC. Marge Simpson writing to Barbara Bush after she called The Simpsons the ‘dumbest family she ever saw. More Letters of Note is the follow-up to the international best-seller from Shaun Usher, again stemming from the massively successful blog which attempts to gather and sort fascinating letters, postcards, telegrams, faxes, and memos from the annuls of history. Shaun Usher runs websites related to his obsessions and, after crowd-funding, Unbound turns them into books. Unbound -Publishing with a Difference is also at the Festival on Friday 23rd Oct. Tickets: £12.50

Brian Blessed: Absolute Pandemonium Wednesday 14th October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall National treasure Brian Blessed brings us his new autobiography Absolute Pandemonium. There is no one quite like Brian Blessed. He’s an actor, film star, trained undertaker, unlikely diplomat, secret romantic, martial artist and mountaineer. He’s also a brilliant storyteller and Absolute Pandemonium is a riotous journey from his childhood, growing up the son of a miner, to finding fame in Z-Cars. You’ll see Brian falling for Katharine Hepburn, suffering wires strapped round his wotsits as he was hoisted into the heavens on Flash Gordon and winning round George Lucas to get the role of Boss Nass on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Expect a funny, warm-hearted, life-affirming, LOUD and unique memoir from a muchloved figure. Tickets: £15.50

Shaun Usher, More Letters of Note

BOOK ON LIN E NO W AT WWW.C HESTER P ER F O R M S .COM / LI T E R AT U R E

Austentatious Thursday 15th October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall Austentatious is an entirely improvised comic play in the style of the wondrous and witty Jane Austen. Each show the all-star cast make up a riotously funny new Austen novel, based on nothing more than a title from the audience! Performed in full Regency costume, with live musical accompaniment, Austentatious’s past literary masterpieces include Bath to the Future, Strictly Come Darcy and Mansfield Shark. No two shows are ever the same! Not to be missed! “Joyously Performed” The Times “One of the most enjoyable 60 minutes of the Fringe” The Guardian Tickets: £15.50 Austentatious is sponsored by the Friends of Chester Literature Festival.

B IG SAVIN GS ON LIN E!

Uni at the Fest: David Swann: Stronger Faster Shorter: Flash Fictions Friday 16th October, 5:30pm | Chester Town Hall In David Swann’s collection of twenty-five short-short stories, the characters are searching for the things we all crave: a place to be, a use for their time, and that special creature who’ll share the hours with them… David reads from his brilliant new collection of very short stories, the inaugural publication of Flash: The International Short-Short Story Press. David Swann is currently Senior Lecturer in the Department of English and Creative Writing at the University of Chichester (sic), where he teaches modules on fiction, poetry, and screenwriting.

Poetry Pub Crawl with Mark Grist and Luke Wright Friday 16th October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall After a sell-out event last year, the Poetry Pub Crawl returns, as Mark Grist & Luke Wright take you on a tour of some of Chester’s cosiest pubs. Sit back and enjoy a drink as the pair dazzle with their words (with not a script in sight). Chin, chin! And if you simply can’t get enough of our bard tour guides, fear not! They’re both appearing again at the festival, with Mark Grist giving us an education in Rogue Teacher, and Luke Wright sharing What I learned from Johnny Bevan. Tickets: £15.50

Tickets:FREE (booking required)

@C HESTER P ER F O R MS # CH ES T E R LI T F ES T

Rachel Parris: Best Laid Plans

Chanje Kunda: Amsterdam

Mark Grist: Rogue Teacher

Friday 16th October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall

Saturday 17th October, 12 Noon | Chester Town Hall

Saturday 17th October, 2pm | Chester Town Hall

Rachel Parris presents her new show – a mix of songs, stories and stand-up about not having it all.

Chanje Kunda is a poet, playwright and performance artist. Based in Manchester, she performs nationally and internationally.

Dubbed as ‘an internet sensation’ (Sun) and ‘unlikely heart-throb’ (The Guardian), Mark Grist went from being an English teacher to defeating a grime artist in a ‘student vs teacher’ rap battle that attracted over 4 million hits on YouTube.

Rachel is an award-winning musical comedian and improviser. Her songs have been played on BBC radio 4 and BBC 6 Music and she was named the Independent’s One To Watch 2014, and was nominated for a Chortle Award. She is in the acclaimed improv show Austentatious and she has appeared on Sky Atlantic’s Thronecast, Channel 4’s The IT Crowd and BBC3’s Murder in Successville. Rachel is also appearing at the festival in Austentatious “One sometimes doubts that Britain’s got talent but Parris has it in spades” The Guardian “Uproarious” The Scotsman “A gifted performer – her songs really score” The Times

Chanje will be giving a reading of Amsterdam – a theatre show that was adapted from Chanje’s own collection of poetry of the same name, published by Crocus Books. The show has received rave reviews, and was nominated for Best Studio Production by the Manchester Theatre Awards. This event is programmed in partnership with Cheshire Rural Touring Arts. Tickets: £12.50

In his new one man show, Rogue Teacher, Mark takes you on a journey from over enthusiastic English teacher to world-wide rap battle sensation, as he leaves teaching to pursue his life long dream of being a full time artist. This is a laugh out loud roller coaster ride of an adventure, combined with one of the most honest and and absorbing stories you’ve ever heard. One thing’s for sure – you’ll never look at English teachers in the same way again. Tickets: £12.50

Tickets: £12.50

BOOK ON LIN E NO W AT WWW.C HESTER P ER F O R M S .COM / LI T E R AT U R E

Luke Wright: What I Learned from Johnny Bevan

Molly Naylor & John Osborne: Live Poetry Show

Saturday 17th October, 4:30pm | Chester Town Hall

Saturday 17th October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall

Luke Wright with a story of friendship, class and a really bad idea for a festival.

Festival favourite Molly Naylor returns with John Osborne, a regular performer at Latitude, Glastonbury, Bestival and the Edinburgh Fringe, and a frequent presenter on Radio 4.

Nick has fallen out of love with London and his life as a journalist and he starts to remember his shattered friendship with Johnny Bevan, the whip-smart, mercurial kid from an Essex council estate. What I Learned From Johnny Bevan is a breath-taking poetic monologue unlike anything you’ve seen before. Luke Wright writes bawdy bar room ballads about small town tragedies and Westminster rogues. His live shows are enjoyed by thousands of people across the world every year and he will also be at the festival as one of the tour guides in the Poetry Pub Crawl. Tickets: £12.50

This is Molly and John’s first live poetry tour, where they will be reading from their most life-affirming, original and funny works. Molly and John’s new sitcom After Hours is scheduled to air on Sky1 this year, starring Ardal O’Hanlon, John Thomson and Jaime Winstone. “Osborne sits somewhere between Tom Wrigglesworth and Daniel Kitson. I could have listened for hours” The Independent “Brave, tough, beautiful writing” The Guardian Tickets: £12.50

Don Paterson & Christopher Reid: 40 Sonnets and Curiosities Sunday 18th October, 4pm | Chester Town Hall The Curiosities is the eleventh book of poems from this most inventive and celebrated of British poets: Christopher Reid. Clustering around the letter ‘C’, the seventy-some poems that comprise The Curiosities celebrate a lexicon of lived experience through a single letter of the alphabet. Here we find tales of cufflinks and costume, cougars and cochineal, catapults and cavalry, even canoodlings in canoes. Don Paterson’s new collection, 40 Sonnets, sees him explore the form in both traditional and highly experimental ways, all the while sharing a lyrical intelligence and musical gift that has been visible in his work throughout his career. These are rich and accomplished new works from two of the foremost poets writing in English today. Tickets: £12.50

B IG SAVIN GS ON LIN E!

@C HESTER P ER F O R MS # CH ES T E R LI T F ES T

Sue Black & Steve Colgan: Saving Bletchley Park Sunday 18th October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall This is a story about saving Bletchley Park, one of the UK’s most important sites of historical significance. It begins with Alan Turing and the team of codebreakers who worked there during World War II, and it ends with plans to transform it into the world class heritage and education centre it deserves to be. In between is the story of the hundreds of people who have dedicated years of hard work and determination to save it. Sue Black campaigned from 2008 to 2011 to save Bletchley Park and was instrumental in the campaign to secure the Turing papers for the nation. She and co-author Stevyn Colgan will discuss the significance of the site, the historical importance, and what they learned on their journey writing this book.

Tony Harrison & Sian Thomas: A Cold Coming and Other Works Sunday 18th October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall This unique event, put together especially for the festival, is a celebration of the work of Tony Harrison, with two distinct halves. In one, Harrison and his partner, Sian Thomas will read a selection of his poetry, from his early domestic sonnets about his parents to his National Theatre and other stage works.

Vince Cable: After the Storm Monday 19th October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall Vince Cable’s bestselling book, The Storm, explored and explained the causes of the 2008 world economic crisis and how Britain should respond to the great challenges it brought. In After the Storm, Cable provides a unique perspective on the state of the global financial markets and how the British economy has fared since 2008.

Then in addition, Chester Performs’ Artistic Director Alex Clifton will be talking to Tony about his 1991 Gulf War poem A Cold Coming, still hauntingly relevant today, and which will then be performed on stage.

This timely book will provide a previously unreported inside view of the coalition, and offers a carefully considered perspective on how the British economy should be manages over the next decade and beyond.

A stunning evening of poetry and polemic that you won’t find anywhere else and that gives a rare chance to see and hear one of the finest poets writing in English today.

After the Storm is a fascinating and urgent intervention from one of the key figures in British politics of the past two decades

Tickets: £15.50

Tickets: £12.50

BOOK ON LIN E NO W AT WWW.C HESTER P ER F O R M S .COM / LI T E R AT U R E

Deborah Moggach: Something to Hide Monday 19th October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall Best-selling author of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and this year’s film release Tulip Fever,Deborah Moggach talks about her new novel Something to Hide. “Nobody in the world knows our secret… that I’ve ruined Bev’s life, and she’s ruined mine.” Petra’s romantic life has always been a car-crash, and even in her sixties she’s still capable of getting it disastrously wrong. But then she falls in love with Jeremy, an old chum, visiting from abroad. The fatal catch? Jeremy is her best friend’s husband. But just as Petra is beginning to relax into her happy ever after, she finds herself catapulted to West Africa, and to Bev, her best friend who she’s been betraying so spectacularly. It turns out that no matter wherever you are in the world, everyone has something to hide. Can Bev – can anyone – be trusted?

Uni at the Fest: Fiona Roberts: Quilting Yarns Tuesday 20th October, 5:30pm | Chester Town Hall Join us for a fabric journey, through the decades and brocades to find out how 19 women from the University of Chester stitched together a beautiful quilt, to mark the institution’s 175th anniversary. Using 151 different fabrics, 11 hand embroidery stitches and 9 techniques, each square tells a story from the University’s journey from the founding of Chester Diocesan Training College in 1839 to the present day. Hear their quilting tales and share your own in an afternoon of yarns. Tickets: FREE (booking required)

The Devil’s Violin: The Forbidden Door Tuesday 20th October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall What would you sacrifice for the one you love? The Devil’s Violin invite you into a cinema of the mind! With their visceral combination of live music and dynamic storytelling, the lauded company weave an enchantment of melody and mystery. Expect love, loss, drama, danger, horror, humour, twists and trials. Don’t open that door! As soon as the rule is laid down, we know it will be broken. Once the door is opened, then what? – adventures! All of us love a good tale, and this is a wonderful one. Acclaimed storyteller Dominic Kelly, joined by virtuoso musicians Sarah Moody, Dylan Fowler and Oliver Wilson-Dickson will transport you into the world of the imagination. Tickets: £15.50

Tickets: £12.50

B IG SAVIN GS ON LIN E!

@C HESTER P ER F O R MS # CH ES T E R LI T F ES T

Simon Armitage: Walking Away Wednesday 21st October, 5:30pm | Chester Town Hall Not content with walking the Pennine Way as a modern day troubadour, an experience recounted in his best-selling and prize-winning book Walking Home, restless poet Simon Armitage has followed up that journey with a walk of the same distance but through the very opposite terrain and far from home. For Walking Away, his new bestselling book featured on Radio 4’s Book of the Week, he tackled the coastal fringes of Britain’s south west, once again giving readings every night, but this time through Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. From the surreal pleasuredome of Minehead Butlins to a smoke-filled roundhouse on the Penwith Peninsula then out to the Isles of Scilly and beyond, Armitage brings all the poetic reflection and personal wit we’ve come to expect of one of Britain’s best-loved and most popular writers.

Glyn Maxwell and Simon Armitage: On Poetry Wednesday 21st October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall ‘The most compelling, original, charismatic and poetic guide to poetry that I can remember. A handbook written from the heart by one of the true modern masters of the craft.’ Simon Armitage about Glyn Maxwell’s On Poetry Two of the UK’s favourite writers talk all things poetry at this year’s festival. Over 20 years ago, a collaboration saw them set off to explore the geography, history and culture of Iceland, resulting in the book Moon Country. Their conversation here promises to be one of the highlights of the festival. Tickets: £12.50

Uni at the Fest: Dr Francesca Haig in conversation with Dr Louisa Yates The Fire Sermon Thursday 22nd October 5:30pm | Chester Town Hall It’s the End of the World, and We Love It. Why do authors and readers keep revisiting the end of the world? What does our fascination with novels like The Road and The Hunger Games reveal about us? In a wide-ranging discussion with Dr Louisa Yates, Visiting Writing Fellow Francesca Haig will reflect on the enduring appeal of post-apocalyptic fiction, from the point of view of both a novelist and an academic. Francesca‘s post-apocalyptic novel, The Fire Sermon, was published in 2015 by HarperVoyager (UK), with two sequels to follow. The series is being translated into more than 25 languages. Tickets: FREE (booking required)

Tickets: £15.50

BOOK ON LIN E NO W AT WWW.C HESTER P ER F O R M S .COM / LI T E R AT U R E

Dom Joly: Here Comes The Clown

David Harsent with Glyn Maxwell: Fire Songs

Thursday 22nd October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall

Thursday 22nd October 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall

‘Somehow, I had gone from having a US TV show, being nominated for three British Comedy Awards and the Golden Rose of Montreux to sneaking into my neighbour Liz Hurley’s garden to try and get photos of her for a magazine that didn’t really exist accompanied by Chris Tarrant’s annoying ex-wife. As falls from grace went, this was one was pretty up there…” In Here Comes the Clown, Joly’s second instalment of his memoirs, he takes up the story of his life from the day the first episode of Trigger Happy TV aired on Channel 4. That day everything changed and suddenly Joly was famous; reality was weirder than any fiction he could conjure up. This is the story of Joly’s real adventures in show business…

David Harsent has published ten collections of poetry. Night won the Griffin International Poetry Prize and his latest collection, Fire Songs, won this year’s £20,000 TS Elliot Prize for Poetry. The poems in his new collection, whether single poems, dramatic sequences, or poems that ‘belong to one another’, share a dark territory and a sometimes haunting, sometimes steely, lyrical tone. Throughout the book, Harsent writes, as always, with passion and a sureness of touch. “A writer we should treasure” Daily Telegraph “With every book [Harsent’s] stature as a truly significant writer becomes more undeniable” The Independent

Ranulph Fiennes: Heat Friday 23rd October 4:30pm | Chester Town Hall Ranulph Fiennes is the world’s greatest living explorer, travelling to some of the most remote and dangerous parts of the world. Well-known for his experiences at the poles and climbing Everest, he has also endured some of the hottest conditions on the planet, where temperatures regularly exceed 40 degrees and, without water and shelter, death is inevitable. Ranulph Fiennes is the only man alive ever to have travelled around the Earth’s circumpolar surface (more people have been on the Moon!) Tickets: £15.50

Tickets: £12.50

Tickets: £15.50

B IG SAVIN GS ON LIN E!

@C HESTER P ER F O R MS # CH ES T E R LI T F ES T

Dave Haslam: Life After Dark Friday 23rd October, 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall DJ and writer Dave Haslam DJ’d over 450 times at the legendary Hacienda in Manchester during the late 1980s and here he explores the lasting influence and legacy of nightclubs and music venues, and how they can define a town, a city, or a generation, and breed scenes and bands that change music history. Life After Dark takes us from vice-ridden Victorian dance halls to acid house and beyond; through the jazz decades of luxurious ballrooms to mods in basement dives; from psychedelic light shows to high street discos; from the Roxy to the Hacienda; from the Krays to the Slits; and from reggae sound systems to rave nights in Stoke. Tickets: £15.50

Rachael Kerr: Unbound – Publishing with a Difference Friday 23rd October 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall Unbound is simple. Authors pitch their ideas – readers choose which books get written. For this special event, Unbound’s Editor-at-Large Rachael Kerr will interview two authors who are currently or have already successfully funded through Unbound: Francis Pryor and Josh Spero. Francis Pryor successfully funded and published his debut novel The Lifers’ Club, and is currently crowdfunding The Way, The Truth and The Dead, the second book in his archaeological themed crime trilogy. Josh Spero‘s upcoming Second Hand Stories explores the lives of the previous owners of his second hand classics books.

Walk the Walls with an Editor a Literary Agent & her Dog Saturday 24th October 11am | Chester Town Hall Join editor Rachael Kerr, literary agent Carrie Kania and her trusty companion, Foxy the dog, for a walk around Chester’s city walls (approximately 2 miles) to discuss all aspects of publishing; from finding an agent to things you can do now to raise your writing profile. The walk will be informal and conversational, designed to be an open discussion about how to get started on the road to being published. Carrie Kania is also appearing at the festival in One-toOne Sessions with a Literary Agent and Get Noticed: The Perfect Cover Letter. Tickets: £15.50

Rachael will talk to Francis and Josh about their work, and their experience with the revolutionary publishing tool. Tickets: £12.50

BOOK ON LIN E NO W AT WWW.C HESTER P ER F O R M S .COM / LI T E R AT U R E

Tim Lott: Writing Masterclass Saturday 24th October, 1pm – 4pm Chester Town Hall Award-winning novelist, Guardian columnist and leader of the Guardian Masterclass ‘What Every Writer Needs To Know’, Tim Lott leads a workshop on the three fundamentals of story writing: plot, character and dialogue. Tim Lott is a novelist, journalist, critic and creative writing tutor. He is the author of seven novels and a memoir about his mother, The Scent of Dried Roses, which won the PEN/J.R. Ackerley Award. He appears on TV and Radio as a commentator and critic. He writes for a wide range of national magazines and newspapers, including a popular weekly column in the Guardian, and is a prolific travel journalist.

David Quantick: 52 First Impressions (Radio 4)

15 minute One-toOne Session with a Literary Agent

Saturday 24th October, 2pm & Sunday 25th October, 2pm Chester Town Hall

Saturday 24th October 2-3:30pm and Sunday 25th October 11am - 1pm Chester Town Hall

Journalist and comedy writer David Quantick has met and interviewed hundreds of people in his career – what were his first impressions, how have they changed and does it all matter? Part namedrop, part autobiography, all interesting! The hotly anticipated second series of 52 First Impressions with David Quantick will be aired in 2016. These two different performances of work in progress offer a fascinating insight into how a show comes together. This is a WORK-IN-PROGRESS performance for series two of the popular BBC Radio 4 show.

Tim is also appearing at the festival to discuss his new novel The Last Summer of the Water Strider.

“It can be quite hard to find something genuine on Radio 4… 52 First Impressions allows us to hear a funny human, being funny and human” The Observer

Tickets: £30.00

Tickets: £12.50

B IG SAVIN GS ON LIN E!

Do you have a book in the offing? Book a 15 minute time slot with the highly successful Carrie Kania from Conville and Walsh, the country’s leading literary agents: this is an exclusive chance to quiz, discuss and make use of her expertise. To facilitate an in-depth discussion, participants will be asked to send Carrie a chapter of their work in advance. Carrie is also appearing at the festival with Get Noticed: The Perfect Cover Letter and Walk the Walls with an Editor, a Literary Agent and her Dog. Tickets: £20.00

@C HESTER P ER F O R MS # CH ES T E R LI T F ES T

Claire Harman: Charlotte Brontë

Get Noticed: The Perfect Cover Letter

Saturday 24th October 4pm | Chester Town Hall

Saturday 24th October 4:30pm | Chester Town Hall

On the 200th anniversary of Charlotte Brontë’s birth, acclaimed literary biographer Claire Harman brings one of our most enduring writers to life. Going beyond the novels, Harman draws on littleknown material to explore the relationship between Brontë and her schoolmaster in Belgium; her unrequited love for him formed the basis for her early novels, and drove her determination to get her own and her sisters’ work published.

You’ve fine-tuned your manuscript and you are ready for the next step: finding a literary agent to represent you.

Claire Harman is an awardwinning writer and critic, and author of four major literary biographies, exploring Jane Austen and Robert Louis Stevenson among others. Tickets: £12.50

But where do you begin? And how do you make your cover letter stand-out amongst the hundreds that hit desks weekly. In this session, literary agent Carrie Kania will walk you through 10 easy tips on how to approach literary agencies; what to say, what not to say and who to say it to. At the end of this session, you should have a cover letter that is ready to send. Carrie is also appearing at the festival with One to One Sessions and Walk the Walls with an Editor, a Literary Agent and her Dog. Tickets: £12.50

Tim Lott: The Last Summer of The Water Strider Saturday 24th October 6pm | Chester Town Hall The Last Summer of the Water Strider is a captivating 1970s-set novel that is both a coming-of-age and an End-of-an-Age story: about love, the lure of idealism, innocence and decadence. Tim Lott is Guardian columnist the author of seven novels and a memoir, The Scent of Dried Roses, which won the PEN/J.R. Ackerley Prize. White City Blue won the Whitbread First Novel Award and his young adult book Fearless was shortlisted for the Guardian Children’s Book Award. Tim is also appearing at the festival to lead a workshop on story writing in Writing Masterclass. Tickets: £12.50

BOOK ON LIN E NO W AT WWW.C HESTER P ER F O R M S .COM / LI T E R AT U R E

Gavin Osborn: Live in Chester

David Starkey: Magna Carta

Saturday 24th October 8pm | Chester Town Hall

Sunday 25th October 4pm | Chester Town Hall

Featuring joyful, funny and heartfelt songs about everything from cosmologist Carl Sagan to soap superstar Adam Woodyatt, the latest album by indie-folk legend Gavin Osborn is an eclectic masterpiece. Or it’s that box full of stuff you don’t have an actual box for, a fruit bowl that ends up with marker pens in or a glove compartment with no gloves. But let’s go with masterpiece.

To mark the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta, bestselling historian David Starkey explores the Magna Carta and its influence on Britain today. Starkey discusses the historical background to Magna Carta, how it created the modern British constitution and its importance for Britain today as well as its impact internationally.

Mixing the personal with the political, expect a glorious hour of lyrical loveliness from one of the best songwriters in the country. “Simultaneously hilarious and heart-rending songs about the difficulties of love in a modern world” The Independent

Magna Carta: The True Story Behind the Charter is a Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller. Tickets: £15.50

Mike Harding: Adventures of the Crumpsall Kid Sunday 25th October 7:30pm | Chester Town Hall See another side of the multi-faceted performer, Mike Harding. Most famous for his standcomedy, folk music and broadcasting, Mike is also a talented author and playwright whose works include books on fell walking in the Himalayas, fly fishing in the Yorkshire Dales, the history of the VW camper van and church architecture. This promises to be an intimate evening which will fascinate and delight audiences and Mike will be available for book signings after the performance. Tickets: £12.50

“Funny and touching. Osborn walks a similar tightrope [to Loudon Wainwright III] but remains perfectly balanced” Stewart Lee, The Sunday Times Tickets: £15.50

B IG SAVIN GS ON LIN E!

@C HESTER P ER F O R MS # CH ES T E R LI T F ES T

Information and booking How to Book There are three simple ways to book your tickets:

Online at www.chesterperforms.com/literature There are no hidden fees or charges when booking online and this is the only way to access our incredible Book It Now discounts. When you book online, you will receive an e-ticket. You can either print this out and bring it along with you, or show it to us on a phone or other mobile device.

By phone on 0845 241 7868 Monday - Saturday, 9am - 5pm. Please note that a 10% booking fee applies.

In person at Chester Visitor Information Centre Monday – Saturday, 9am – 5pm

Seating All seating is unreserved and there are no restricted views. Doors open 30 minutes before the event start time and there will be plenty of stewards to help get you seated.

Access If you have any access requirements, do let us know in advance so we can accommodate you. You can contact us via the box office by calling 0845 241 7868

Festival Bookseller We’re delighted to continue our partnership with Waterstones and there will be a festival book shop situated in the Town Hall throughout the fortnight.

Festival Book Club Chester Performs also run a festival book club. We meet at 7pm on the third Wednesday of every month at The Cross Keys on Lower Bridge Street. Find out more at www. chesterperforms.com/literature/bookclub

Friends of Chester Literature Festival Discounts and Savings There are plenty of great savings to be made by booking online and in advance via our unique Book It Now discounts. These discounts are time-limited and only available online so you need to be quick and book in advance to guarantee the best price for your ticket.

Concessions Under 16s and students, £4 off Under 12s free (1 free under 12 with each full price ticket, where appropriate) Free Carer tickets (call 0845 241 7868 to arrange)

The friends are an independent group who are committed supporters of the festival. For more information, visit their website at www.friendsofchesterliteraturefestival.org.uk or call Elizabeth Lambrakis on 01244 323032.

Festival Venues The hub of Chester Literature Festival is the city’s iconic Town Hall and events take place in the building’s historic Assembly Rooms, Court and Chamber. The festival will also take in Chester City Library on the opening Saturday (10th October).

Y W

Getting Here

LE O

CITY RD

LEADWORKS LN

GE S

ER S

PEPP R WE LO

S VE RO EG

T ES IDG BR

In 2016, we will move into our new home: a world-class theatre, library and cinema in Chester’s former Odeon. You can find out more about this exciting development by visiting www.renewchester.co.uk Find out more Chester Performs and our work at www.chesterperforms.com

@ C HEST E R P E R F OR M S # C HESTE R LI T FES T

E AC

5 TH

R ER R PA RK T

BATH ST

OR VEN N VE OS GR PARK GROS

BRID

OHN

E ST

T EGA

ST J

G EAST

FOR

S ATE

ST WE R STR B E

GH UR T E

ST AT IO

FR O D SHAM ST

S ST

S ATE

THG

NOR

ITY S

We are a leading arts producer with a year-round programme of work covering theatre, music, literature, film and live arts. Alongside Chester Literature Festival, our other projects include the critically acclaimed Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, MBNA Chester Music Festival, Moonlight Flicks Open Air Cinema and the popular children’s festival WayWord.

CES

PRIN

AY IN’S W

MART

Chester Literature Festival is produced, staged and managed by Chester Performs.

TRIN

Find Out More

SE ECOUR

NCP Pepper Street

R RAC

NUNS

Market Car Park (free after 3pm)

CHESTE

TER

HUN

ERG WAT

Chester Visitor Information Centre, Town Hall Square, CH1 2HJ

Chester Train Station

ST WER R TO WATE KIN G S T

8 ST

Chester Town Hall, Town Hall Square, CH1 2HJ

Chester Bus Station

L ST

Chester City Library, Northgate Street, CH1 2EF

CANA

A526

BR O

A52

Chester Town Hall and library are both at the heart of the city centre and parking, along with the bus and train stations are just a short walk away.

RIV

E DE ER

CITY WALLS

Produced by Chester Performs 55-57 Watergate Row South, Chester, CH1 2LE

info@chesterperforms.com www.chesterperforms.com

Phone: 01244 409 113 Box Office: 0845 241 7868

Charity number: 1121007 Company number: 0554125