The Felixstowe Flyer FelixstoweFlyer_Jun2018_For_Web | Page 4

The Flyer
FELIXSTOWE BOOK FESTIVAL
RETURNS FOR ITS 6TH YEAR!
The festival even has its own Patron,
acclaimed author Esther Freud, she says
“A fl ourishing festival, with a
programme to catch the imagination.”
This book festival is anything but dull,
its bright and breezy approach sees
a diverse mix of events - everything
from politics to sport, crime fi ction to
romance. Meg says “We exist for those
who always have their head buried in
a book but also for those who haven’t
yet fully experienced the wonder of
reading.”
Felixstowe Book Festival returns for
a sixth year of talks, readings, book
signings and workshops to entertain
adults and children. The festival is run
by a small but illustrious team headed
up by Felixstowe resident Meg Reid.
“We will be
hosting witness
sea related stories
told in song”
“The initial idea for the festival came
to me when I was driving home after
an exciting weekend at Cambridge
Word Fest. I thought to myself ‘why
can’t Felixstowe have its own book
festival? Why should other towns have
all the fun?’ So I spoke with fellow
book lovers in the town and that’s
when I realised that there was enough
interest in literature to support a book
festival right here in Felixstowe.”
With support from local funders,
her friends and family and a small
but merry band of volunteers Meg
launched the very fi rst festival in June
2013. Now Felixstowe Book Festival
has become one of the highlights of
the East Anglian Arts Calendar and this
year it’s bigger than ever with even
more events and venues taking part.
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TH E FLYER | JU N E 2 0 1 8
This year’s festival runs from 27th
June to 1st July and it’s the very fi rst
time the festival has grown to fi ve
days. There is a plethora of events for
all ages and they are spread around
the town. Venues include: The Orwell
Hotel, Felixstowe Library, Harvest
House, the Visit Felixstowe Tourist
Information Centre beach hut, Beach
Hut 22, Town Hall Gardens, The Grove
Woods, Felixstowe Museum and
all-new Felixstowe Pier. Grieg Barnes
is the General Manager at Felixstowe
Pier “We are delighted to be involved
this year in the festival. We will be
hosting witness sea related stories told
in song – performed by the Felixstowe
Community Choir and everyone is
welcome to come along and enjoy
this free event.” This event is part of
the Pop-Up Festival which aims to
use unique venues around Felixstowe
for charge free, intergenerational
events inspired by our port and sea
side location. View Point car park at
Landguard Fort and even a shipping
container at the Felixstowe Beachside
Events Area are two more of the
inspirational places hosting a pop
up event for this years’ book festival.
Check out the website for full details
www.felixstowebookfestival.co.uk
Acclaimed Author Nicola Upson,
who has visited the Felixstowe
Book Festival in the past, says “The
Felixstowe Book Festival burst onto
the literary scene in 2013 with a
confi dence, popularity and sparkle
that made it hard to believe it was so
new. For writers who took part, it felt
like a much loved event that had been
established for years.”
If you’ve not been before then this is
the year to jump onto their website
and check out the exciting line-up of
events. There will be over 60 author
talks including; Michael Arditti, Martin
Kemp, Kate Hamer, Alex Hourston,
Jenni Murray, Stephen McGann,
Ruth Dugdall, Juliet Nicolson, Mark
Billingham, Liz Trenow, Julie Welsh,
Blake Morrison, Simon Scarrow and
Elizabeth Chadwick.
Sir Vince Cable Leader of the Lib
Dems is also one of their speakers.
His debut novel ‘Open Arms’ is an
explosive thriller which circles from
Whitehall to the slums of Mumbai. It
combines unrivalled political detail
with international intrigue, desire, and
the quest for power. He has already
published three critically acclaimed
non-fi ction books with Atlantic: Free
Radical, The Storm, and After the
Storm. He will be speaking at the
Orwell Hotel, in the Elizabeth Suite, on
Saturday 30th June from 11.30am to
12.30am and tickets are £10.
Another popular choice might be the
Authors Sharif Gemie and Brian Ireland
who will be sharing the stories in their
book ‘The Hippie Trail’ recounting the
joys and pains of budget travel to
Kathmandu, India, Afghanistan and
other ‘points east’ in the 1960s and
1970s. Described as a must for anyone
interested in the Trail or the 1960s
counterculture their talk is chaired by
Pl ease menti on ‘The Fl yer’ when respondi ng to adv e rti s e me nts