Tickets £16
Include the talk and tea and baclavaTickets can be purchased through the Bridport Information Centre 01308 424901
Become a friend.| When: Monday 16th Oct 2023 @ 2.30pm |
| Where: The Bull Ballroom |
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With the centenary this month of modern Turkey, which was proclaimed on 29 October 1923, what better time to reflect upon the country in the company of two well- known Turkophiles? Jeremy Seal is the author of acclaimed travelogues, including A Fez of the Heart, and Meander, while Jason Goodwin’s books include the wonderful Yasmin detective novels, set in 19th-century Istanbul, and a magnificent history of the Ottoman Empire. Our starting point is Jeremy’s most recent book. A Coup in Turkey takes a darker turn in exploring the little-known events of 1960 and 1961, when Turkey’s first coup led to the execution of the country’s first democratically-elected Prime Minister. The book serves as a graphic exposé of the tensions and contradictions at work in this young country. But for all its troubles, Turkey remains an inspirational and often spectacular place. Then there is the cuisine, as Jason’s Yasmin Cooks Istanbul so lovingly demonstrates. -
James Holland - The Savage Storm - The Battle for Italy 1943
James Holland, acclaimed WWII historian, best selling writer, broadcaster and co-founder of the Chalke Valley History Festival, tells the brutal story of the most pivotal campaign the Allies were to fight in WWII. He presents a dramatic look at the opening months of the Italian Campaign in 1943, depicting its depth of intrigue and viciousness. With Al Murray, James also presents the podcast: We Have Ways of Making You Talk in which they discuss WWII.
An illustrated talk Introduced by Tanya Bruce-Lockhart, Festival Director.When: Sunday 5th November 2023 @ 12 noon Where: Electric Palace Sponsor: Lawrences Auctioneers, Symonds and Sampson Estate Agents -
Kim & David Squirrell - Rope - A Twisting Tale of Love, Work and Trade
With archives, images, objects and landscape, award-winning poet and artist, Kim Squirrell brings to her poem Rope a narrative exploration of the lives of working people in Bridport during the 1800s. Together with traditional folk tunes and an original score by mandolinist, David Squirrell, the performance is a weaving of words and music. Kim’s recording of her poem Burton Beach is included in the Windrush Stories Collection at the British Library.£18 1 course lunch
When: Sunday 5th November 2023 @ 12 noon Where: Sladers Yard -
Philippa Gregory - Normal Women - 900 Years of Making History
As one of the world’s celebrated historical novelists, Philippa Gregory’s flair for blending history with imagination has made her a bestselling author worldwide. Based on a lifetime’s research, she now reveals a forgotten social and cultural history of ordinary women. Redefining ‘normal’ female behaviour to include heroism, rebellion, crime, treason, money-making, jousting, sainthood and rioting, she tells the stories of women who defied our expectations and took on roles that made them the trailblazers for the women of today.
An illustrated talk Introduced by Sally LaverackWhen: Sunday 5th November 2023 @ 2.30pm Where: Electric Palace Sponsor: Helen and Andrew Carless -
Helen Rebanks - The Farmer's Wife - My Life in Days
With rare honesty, Helen Rebanks, shares her daily life - the joy, the wonder and the grind. Weaving past and present, she takes us from her Grandma’s farmhouse table, on a journey of self-discovery and into the Lake District home she now shares with her husband, James, their four children and a plethora of animals including a flock of Herdwick sheep and a herd of Belted Galloway cattle. The Farmer’s Wife is a story about labour and delight in keeping house and raising a family and described by Raynor Winn as “quite an achievement to portray the quiet power behind the choices we make for our children”. An exquisite love-letter to goodness and wisdom. In conversation with James RebanksWhen: Sunday 5th November 2023 @ 4.00 pm Where: Electric Palace Sponsored by: Emma Farqhuarson Interior Design -
Jeremy Bowen - The Making of the Modern Middle East - A Personal History
Recently appointed as the International Editor for BBC News, award winning journalist Jeremy Bowen joined the BBC in 1984 and has been a war correspondent for much of his career. He has reported from more than 70 countries, predominantly in the Middle East – Afghanistan, Lebanon, Chechnya, Assad’s Syria and Netanyahu’s Israel – the Balkans and latterly from Ukraine. Based on his acclaimed podcast: Frontlines of Journalism, his new book takes us on a journey through the Middle East and explores the power games that have wreaked devastation on civilians as their leaders jostle for political, religious and economic control.
In conversation with Barney White-SpunnerWhen: Sunday 5th November 2023 @ 6.00 pm Where: Electric Palace Sponsored by: Felicity Fairbairn -
Jim Down - Life in the Balance - A Doctor’s Stories of Intensive Care
Life in the Balance offers a glimpse into the immense challenges and rewards of intensive care medicine, the effects on doctors’ mental health and the fragility of life. In these stories, Dr Jim Down brings us to the very heart of the intensive care unit. Down describes with equal honesty, humility and humour, the quietly heroic work of doctors and nurses on the ICU, a place which sits at the cutting edge of medical technology and where split-second decisions can make the difference between life and death.
An illustrated talk Introduced by Ros HuxleyWhen: Monday 6th November 2022 @ 10.30 am Where: The Bull Ballroom Sponsored by: Francesca Radcliffe -
Fiona Davison - An Almost Impossible Thing - The Radical Lives of Britain’s Pioneering Women Gardeners
While working at the Royal Horticultural Society, Fiona Davison discovered a cache of letters from a young gardener who was denied a scholarship by the RHS on the grounds that she was female. Appalled and intrigued, she began to research the wider story of early female professional gardeners during a period when British gardens were an arena for radical and far-reaching experiments. An Almost Impossible Thing is a fascinating insight into the lives of six hitherto little-known women gardeners in the years before WWI.
An illustrated talk Introduced by Deirdre Coates, Chair of TrusteesWhen: Monday 6th November 2023 @ 12 noon Where: The Bull Ballroom Sponsored by: Dorset Walled Garden -
Georgina Moore and Georgina Maynard - The Garnett Girls and I Will Keep herGetting published is of primary importance to any writer. Top publicity guru, Georgina Moore, and portraitist and columnist, Georgina Maynard, had their debut novels published this year. The Garnett Girls is a compelling story of family dynamics and the complexity of human relationships set on the beautiful beaches of the Isle of Wight. I Will Keep Her is a thrilling, action packed adventure with an unexpected twist which erupts from the English countryside to the exotic back streets of Riyadh and across the Saudi Desert.
In conversation with Boris StarlingWhen: Monday 6th November 2023 @ 2.00 pm Where: The Bull Ballroom -
Patrick Gale - Mother's Boy
Best selling author Patrick Gale brings us a coming of age novel of class, desire and two world wars. Cornish laundress Laura meets her husband in 1914, only to be later widowed with a young child, Charles. As a new war looms, Charles signs up for the navy as a coder. Here he experiences the excitement and terror of a love as clandestine as his work. Gale crafts a complex and tender rendering of the relationship between a dauntless mother and her son.
This is a book club event and the book purchased from The Bookshop prior to the day of the event will be eligible for a 15% discount.
In conversation with Sally LaverackWhen: Monday 6th November 2023 @ 3.30 pm Where: Bridport Arts Centre (NEW VENUE) Sponsored by: Harold Carter and Tess Silkstone -
Alexandra Blanchard & Alex Howlett - Wander Women
Wander Women unites tales of journeys around the world - from the streets of London to the ruins of Syria, from Calais to Russia - and shines light on the constraints, that mould the lives of women, transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals. In this moving and reflective book, two journalists gather voices of activists and artists, matriarchs and mothers, politicians and humanitarians, drawing links between the gendering of migration and the policing of gender.
In conversation with Jo WillettWhen: Monday 6th November 2023 @ 5.00 pm Where: The Bull Ballroom -
Mateo Zielonka, ‘The Pasta Man’ and Instagram sensation, will be at Bridport’s popular Mercato Italiano to give a talk, with recipes from his latest book Pasta Masterclass. He’ll demonstrate techniques of pasta making which appeal to any level from absolute beginners to more accomplished cooks and pasta aficionados. With his colourful and patterned doughs and easy manner, Mateo will inspire you to try any or all of his new ideas at home.
£15 - 3 Taster Dishes Talk and pasta demonstrationWhen: Monday 6th November 2023 @ 6.00 pm Where: Mercato Italiano -
Nick Allan - When Dreams Collide - Travels in Yugoslavia with Rebecca West
Nick Allan is the best kind of traveller – observant, curious, highly intelligent. When Dreams Collide is an intimate pilgrimage across the former states of Yugoslavia. Shedding the obvious knowledge of headlines, he explores the splintered co-evolution of these lands over the last ten centuries, guided by the inimitable Rebecca West’s masterpiece: Black Lamb and Grey Falcon. At a turning point in his own life, Allan is drawn to explore this complex area of The Balkans through the lens of his part Eastern European heritage.
An illustrated talk
Introduced by Barney White-SpunnerWhen: Tuesday 7th November 2023 @ 10.30 am Where: The Bull Ballroom -
Jon Woolcott - Real Dorset
Real Dorset is a personal, detailed, humorous and idiosyncratic look at the county of Dorset, famous for its spectacular coastline, historic towns, its eco-foodie reputation and for Hardy and Fowles. But there’s much more behind this tourist friendly façade – subversion, rebellion and revolt, wealth and poverty, ghost stories and rich folklore. Its history can surprise, and here, Woolcott criss-crosses the county, making connections and uncovering the hidden and the forgotten – from the murky origins of the Cerne Abbas Giant to the revived pagan ritual of the Filly Loo, to Victorian nightlife in Bournemouth and the legacy of black GIs. An illustrated talk Introduced by Martin MaudsleyWhen: Tuesday 7th November 2023 @ 12 noon Where: The Bull Ballroom -
Keggie Carew - Beastly - A New History of Animals and Us
**SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR CONSERVATION**Animals have shaped our lives, our land, our civilisation, and they will shape our future. Yet as our impact on the world and the animals we share it with increases, there has never been a greater urgency to understand this relationship. Beastly is the 40,000 year story of animals and humans, seen eye-to-eye, claw-to-claw through those who have ventured into the myriad worlds of our animal relatives. Keggie Carew argues that the greatest paradox may yet be this: diversity of life can heal ecosystems but its animals – if given the chance – could save us.
An illustrated talk Introduced by David BurnettWhen: Tuesday 7th November 2023 @ 2 pm Where: The Bull Ballroom -
Sarah Watling - Tomorrow Perhaps the Future
In the 1930s, women and men from across Britain, Europe and America made their way to Spain to be part of what they identified as a historic fight for freedom from fascism. Tomorrow Perhaps the Future follows a handful of extraordinary outsiders, determined to live their lives with courage and conviction. Among them, young American journalist Martha Gellhorn, the aristocratic rebel Jessica Mitford and the maverick poet Nancy Cunard. Sarah Watling uncovers how, for these women and others like them, Spain, became a place where they found a freedom unthinkable at home.
In conversation with Jason WebsterWhen: Tuesday 7th November 2023 @ 3.30 pm Where: The Bull Ballroom -
Max Porter - Shy From bestselling author Max Porter, Shy is a novel tracing a few strange hours in the life of a teenage boy who is escaping Last Chance, a home for ‘very disturbed young men’, and walking into the haunted space between his night terrors, his past and the heavy question of his future. As he wanders into the night, he listens to the voices in his head: his teachers, his parents, the people he has hurt and the people who are trying to love him. Ultimately, it is a story about being lost in the dark, and realising you are not alone. In conversation with Jon WoolcottWhen: Tuesday 7th November 2023 @ 5.00 pm Where: The Bull Ballroom -
Ruth Padel - Watershed
Ruth Padel is a poet, novelist and non-fiction writer, known for her poetic exploration of migration and her involvement with classical music, wildlife conservation and Greece. Her most recent collection of poems, Watershed, celebrates the numinous power of water while exploring the depths of our capacity to deny the climate crisis. What lurks in the underwater caverns of our unconscious to give denial such potency? Ruth’s poems are a celebration of fluidity, illuminating the mystery of water in its flex and flow.
£18 1 Course Dinner In conversation with James CrowdenWhen: Tuesday 7th November 2023 @ 6.30 pm Where: Sladers Yard -
Celia Brayfield - Writing Black Beauty - Anna Sewell and the Story of Animal Rights
Bestselling author Celia Brayfield tells the story of an extraordinary woman. Anna Sewell grew up in Victorian London, permanently disabled from an early age fall. Rejecting the life of a invalid, she developed a remarkable empathy with horses. Rebellious and independent minded, empowered by women writers, activists and abolitionists, she wrote her now book - Black Beauty - published sadly after her death. It became a beacon for the animal welfare movement.
An illustrated talk
Introduced by Tanya Bruce-Lockhart, Festival DirectorWhen: Wednesday 8th November 2023 @ 10.30 am Where: The Bull Ballroom Sponsored by: Robert and Diana Clarke -
Tracy Borman - Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I - The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History
Anne Boleyn, the most famous of Henry VIII’s six wives, is a subject of enduring fascination and a focus of debate 500 years after her violent death. Her daughter, the future Elizabeth I, was barely three years old at the time of the execution but Anne exerted more influence over her than is generally known. Tracy Borman tells the story of the mother daughter relationship and sheds new light on two of the most famous women in history.
An illustrated talk
Introduced by Sally LaverackWhen: Wednesday 8th November 2023 @ 12 noon Where: The Bull Ballroom Sponsored by: Sue Robinson -
Harriet Crawley - The Translator
Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, the threat to undersea cables has become high on the news agenda. Harriet Crawley’s novel The Translator centres on a Russian plot to sabotage such a key network. In this ‘classic thriller of the new Cold War’ as described by Antony Beevor, Crawley – a former Moscow resident for nearly twenty years - takes us from behind the scenes in the Kremlin to extravagant parties on the shores of the Crimea. The passionate love story set within a high stakes tale of espionage could not be timelier.
In conversation with Olivia Glazebrook
When: Wednesday 8th November 2023 @ 2.00 pm Where: The Bull Ballroom Sponsored by: David and Angela Neuberger -
Dominic Selwood - Anatomy of a Nation - A History of British Identity in 50 Documents
In a fresh and incisive take on British identity, historian and barrister Dominic Selwood explores over 950,000 years of British history by examining fifty documents that tell the story of what makes Britain unique, vividly blended with the human stories behind them. From Anglo-Saxon poetry, medieval folk music and the first Valentine’s Day letter to the origin of computer code, Hitler’s kill list of prominent Britons, the Sex Pistols’ graphic art and the Brexit referendum ballot paper, Anatomy of a Nation reveals a Britain we have never seen before.
An illustrated talk
Introduced by Bijan OmraniWhen: Wednesday 8th November 2023 @ 3.30 pm Where: The Bull Ballroom -
Joanna Moorhead - Surreal Spaces - The Life and Art of Leonora Carrington
Leonora Carrington (1917- 2011) is now considered to be in the vanguard, not only in histories of women artists but also Surrealism. Her themes - feminism, ecology, the interconnectedness of everything – have never been so on trend. In this remarkable book, Joanna Moorhead traces Carrington’s footsteps, vividly exploring her life and art, loves and friendships as she takes us on a journey through pivotal locations across Britain, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, the US and finally Mexico where Leonora lived for more than 60 years.
An illustrated talk
Introduced by Hugh Dunford-WoodWhen: Wednesday 8th November 2023 @ 5.00 pm Where: The Bull Ballroom -
Nikki May - Creative Writing Workshop
Nikki May, author of critically acclaimed WAHALA, will be joining us to share her insights as part of a creative writing workshop for aspiring novelists. With a broad focus, this interactive, two-hour workshop will give the low-down on what Nikki learned on her journey to publication, touching on the following: Finding your voice, character development and world building, where do ideas come from, the l-o-n-g road to publication, tension and point of view, plus Q&A where you can ask the author (almost) anything. Peter May (Nikki’s long suffering husband, head of plot and first editor) will critique a short piece of writing from each attendee on the subjects of prompts given prior to attendance.
Workshop
When: Wednesday 8th November 2023 @ 6.00 pm Where: The Bull Ballroom Private Room -
Ysenda Maxtone Graham - Jobs for the Girls - How We Set Out to Work in the Typewriter Age
Drawn from real life memories in interviews with women from all sections of society, this is a lively chronicle of British women’s working lives from the 1950s through cardigans and pearls, via mini-skirts and bottom pinching, to shoulder pads and the ping of the first emails in the early 1990s. Graham conveys with humour the full range of experience and flavour of work places; the jollities as well as the drudgeries, the good men as well as the vile ones, the nasty women as well as the heroines, the office crushes as well as the romances. A wonderfully witty social history of the typewriter age.
In conversation with Prue Keely
When: Thursday 9th November 2023 @ 10.30 am Where: The Bull Ballroom Sponsored by: Georgia Langton -
Ruby Wright - Animal Crackers - BridLit Kids
Maisie’s head is full of animal facts! She desperately wants a pet of her own. Mum says their flat is too small. But Maisie hasn’t realised the magic that can be found in a packet of animal crackers. She’s amazed when a whole zoo-full of animals come to stay, but there are unexpected results. (Well… Mum expected them.) This exciting debut mixes fantasy and wish-fulfilment with the reality of modern living.
Come and listen to the story, watch Ruby draw and then decorate some of your own delicious animal crackers to take home!
Suitable for ages 3 - 7 but all family members welcome. £5 per family of up to 4. Additional children £2An illustrated talk and workshop
When: Sunday 5th November 2023 @ 10.00 am Where: Mercato Italiano -
Hannah Shuckburgh and Octavia Mackenzie - Archies Apple - Bridlit Kids
Children’s author Hannah Shuckburgh and illustrator Octavia Mackenzie will be reading their children’s book Archie’s Apple, a magical story about a little boy who discovers a new variety of apple in woodland and becomes the most famous boy in the world. This enchanting story, which Hannah and Octavia read aloud with accompanying bird noises, has much to tell us about the wild power of nature, and the value of noticing.
Suitable for children aged 4 to 9. A apple-themed art activity follows the reading. This event will be attended by schoolchildren from year 2 St Mary’s, but we welcome homeschoolers to join them.
FREE (ticketed)When: Thursday 9th November 2023 @ 10.00 am Where: Bridport Library -
The Bank of Dreams & Nightmares with Joelle Taylor - Resonate - BridLit Kids
As part of BridLit Festival 2023, The Bank of Dreams and Nightmares will be working with TS Eliot Prize winning poet Joelle Taylor and 12 young people over two workshop weekends to explore what they want to say and how they want to tell their stories. This could be in the form of poetry, spoken word, storytelling, monologue, rap, song or even comedy - however they feel they can best express themselves. This is the culmination of the workshops where the young people will perform their pieces to a live audience at Bridport Literary Festival.
Under 19’s free (ticketed)When: Sunday 5th November 2023 @ 7.00 pm Where: Bridport Arts Centre -
Jane Wellesley - Blue Eyes and a Wild Spirit - A Life of Dorothy Wellesley
The poet Dorothy Wellesley (1889-1956) was a woman ahead of her time. She flouted the conventions of her class and gender, unwilling to accept the patriarchal rules of her upbringing and marriage. Sometimes reckless, often vulnerable, she was both crusader and casualty and censored for her independence and bisexuality. Jane Wellesley will focus on the important relationships of her grandmother’s life – her affair with Vita SackvilleWest which fractured her marriage to the future Duke of Wellington and her friendship with WB Yeats who championed her poetry.
An illustrated talk Introduced by Stuart RockWhen: Thursday 9th November 2023 @ 12 noon Where: The Bull Ballroom -
Madeleine Bunting - The Seaside
Madeleine Bunting’s exploration of England’s great seaside resorts is to understand their origins and their heyday, their ongoing influence, and their current struggle to survive. Bunting asks why these hugely popular places of pleasure, entertainment and adventure and their enduring appeal have faded to become merely memories of golden sands, cold seas and donkey rides. Journeying along a striking variety of coastlines, she discovers ‘resorts’ struggling with deepest deprivation and ill health – a sad decline of these holiday towns, still so influential in English history and shaping our national identity.
An illustrated talk Introduced by Stuart RockWhen: Thursday 9th November 2023 @ 2.00 pm Where: The Bull Ballroom -
Peter Snow & Ann MacMillan - Kings & Queens - The Real Lives of the English Monarchs
Never has there been such intense interest in Britain’s royal family and speculation about its very survival, yet unlike most other royal dynasties around the world, somehow the British monarchy has survived the ravages of history. Kings and Queens is a compelling exploration of the individuals who have sustained an institution for over a thousand years. From the reigns of Alfred the Great to our own acclaimed Elizabeth II, this book examines the lives of Britain’s rulers.
An illustrated talk
Introduced by Adam Teasdale, Head of Sixth FormWhen: Thursday 9th November 2023 @ 12 noon Where: Sir John Colfox Academy -
Adam Nicolson - How to Be - Life Lessons from the Early Greeks
Grounded in the belief that places give access to minds, How To Be reintroduces us to our earliest thinkers through the lands they inhabited. Award winning author Nicolson, uncovers ideas of personhood with Sappho on Lesbos and plays with paradox in Southern Italy with Zeno. Sparkling with maps, photographs, and artworks, this book provides a new way of understanding the origins of Western thought, and its relevance to the very same questions we ask today.An illustrated talk
Introduced by Adam Teasdale, Head of Sixth FormWhen: Thursday 9th November 2023 @ 2.00 pm Where: Sir John Colfox School Sponsored by: Nick Pearson -
Patrick Barkham - The Swimmer - The Wild Life of Roger Deakin
Roger Deakin is best known for his modern classic of nature writing, Waterlog, which frog-kicked the wild swimming movement into existence with wit, politics and poetry. He was not simply a dazzling writer and eccentric Englishman, he took his counterculture to the countryside. Turning to self-sufficiency, teaching and environmentalism, he also became a music impresario, made films and radio programmes and had an eclectic circle of friends. Barkham conjures Deakin’s voice back to a glorious life spent as an adventurer, a romantic and rebel.
an illustrated talkWhen: Thursday 9th November 2023 @ 3.30 pm Where: The Bull Ballroom -
Pen Vogler - Stuffed - A History of Food and Responsibility
Pen Vogler has written a fascinating history of the people, the ideas and the dishes that have fed – and starved – a nation. Whose responsibility is it to make sure there is something to eat on every table and of what quality? With the ever increasing cost of food, who ensures that children get milk and cereal, eggs and toast to keep hunger at bay, that key workers - whether NHS nurses or soldiers fighting abroad – have the nourishment they need to work at the coal face? Changing customs and laws around food reveal how to feed the nation and the love hate relationship with meat, fish, vegetables and cheese.
£45 3 Course DinnerIn conversation with Prue Keely
When: Thursday 9th November 2023 @ 6.30 pm Where: Sladers Yard -
Ben Macintyre - Colditz: Prisoners of the Castle - The George Millar Literary Dinner
We are delighted to welcome Ben Macintyre, the distinguished historian, journalist and author, to talk about his latest book: Colditz: Prisoners of the Castle, the astonishing true story of the most infamous prison in history. Ben is a columnist and Associate Editor of The Times. He has worked as the newspaper’s correspondent in New York, Paris and Washington and is the author of numerous bestsellers including: Agent Zigzag, A Spy Among Friends, Operation Mincemeat, Agent Sonya and SAS Rogue Heroes, several of which have been adapted for the screen. The story of Colditz, a forbidding Gothic castle on a hilltop in the heart of Nazi Germany where an unlikely band of British officers spent the the Second World War plotting daring escapes from their captors, has gone unchallenged for seventy years. The tale contains only part of the truth. An incredible inside story reveals for the first time the indomitable human spirit as well as class conflict, homosexuality, espionage, insanity and farce. Through a remarkable cast of characters from the elitist members of the Colditz Bullingdon Club to America’s oldest paratrooper and least successful secret agent, Macintyre reveals the extraordinary story of prisoners and captors who were living cheek-by-jowl in a thrilling game of cat and mouse. Astonishingly imaginative in their increasingly desperate attempts to escape, these tales of the soldier prisoners of Colditz are brought to life with the author’s use of hitherto unknown material and an eye for detail.When: Thursday 9th November 2023 @ 7.00 pm Where: Tithe Barn, Symondsbury Sponsored by: Richard and Emily Cave, Furleigh Estate, Symondsbury Estate -
Amanda Craig - The Three Graces
Bestselling author, Amanda Craig, has set her new novel against a backdrop of the Tuscan hills and writes: “This is my most personal novel yet, which I’ve been waiting my whole life to write. The lives of international emigres and their choices, eccentricities, prejudices, ideals and enthusiasm contrasting with the extreme localism of Italians has always fascinated me”. The Three Graces - suspenseful, comical and highly original - is about three elderly expat women in the last decade of their lives, teetering on the brink - with four breasts, five eyes and three hip replacements between them - and determined to make more than the best of things. A riotous comedy of manners.
In conversation with Celia BrayfieldWhen: Friday 10th November 2023 @ 12 noon Where: Bridport Arts Centre -
Joanne Harris - Broken Light
Have you ever felt invisible? Have you moved through a crowd and wondered why no-one ever meets your eye? Have you felt unseen, even by the people you love… Bernie Moon has. She has given her life to other people; she’s been a wife, a mother, a friend but now facing middle age and the menopause, she feels even more like a fading light. Award winning author, Joanne Harris, has written eighteen novels including Chocolat and her new book weaves a story that so many women empathise with – inspired by Stephen King’s Carrie and the rise of the Me Too movement and the murder of Sarah Everard - Broken Light is about rage, healing and forgiveness. In conversation with Jo WillettWhen: Friday 10th November 2023 @ 2.00 pm Where: Electric Palace -
Chris Bryant - Code of Conduct - Why We Need to Fix Parliament
The extraordinary turmoil we have witnessed in British politics in the last few years has set records. We have had the fastest turnover in Prime Ministers in our history and more MPs suspended from the House than ever. Not least Boris Johnson. Rules have been repeatedly flouted and the Government seems unable to escape the brush of dishonesty and sleaze, cronyism, nepotism, misconduct and conflicts of interest. AND just as things appear to calm down, another scandal breaks. As Chair of the Committees on Standards and Privileges. Chris Bryant has had a front row seat for the battle over standards. Public trust worn thin. It is time for a better brand of politics. In conversation with Oliver LetwinWhen: Friday 10th November 2023 @ 3.30 pm Where: Electric Palace Sponsored by: Carol Hammick and Adam Tindall -
Simon Heffer - Sing as We Go - Britain Between the Wars
Simon Heffer explores and explains the politics of the period between WWI and WWII and puts such moments of national turmoil as the General Strike of 1926 and the Abdication Crisis of 1936 under the microscope. He offers pen portraits of the era’s most significant figures and traces the changing face of Britain as cars made their first appearance, the suburbs sprawled and radio and television became the means of mass entertainment. He also probes the deep divisions that split the nation: between the haves and have-nots, between warring ideological factions and between those who promoted fascism in Europe and those bitterly opposed to it. Sing as We Go is the fourth and final volume in Simon Heffer’s critically acclaimed sequence of books that chart the history of Britain in a century from the accession of Queen Victoria to the outbreak of WWII. In conversation with John DeanWhen: Friday 10th November 2023 @ 5.00 pm Where: Electric Palace Sponsored by: Tim Clarke -
Steve Richards - Turning Points - Crisis and Change in Modern Britain From 1945 to Truss
Every few weeks in British politics, a columnist will reach for the word ‘unprecedented’ as a cabinet minister resigns or yet another enquiry is called. We have become so accustomed to turmoil that it impossible to see where we are headed. Steve Richards puts the recent chaos into context and takes a step back to explore ten critical events that have shaped modern Britain. From the Suez Crisis of 1956 to the Covid-19 pandemic, from 1945 to Thatcher, Richards argues that it is only with distance that we can perceive the tectonic plates shifting – and events that may seem earth-shattering might be a passing tremor with the perspective of history. With his trademark insight, Richards is one of the UK’s top political commentators. Talk Introduced by Tanya Bruce-Lockhart, Festival DirectorWhen: Friday 10th November 2023 @ 6.30 pm Where: Electric Palace Sponsored by: Buffy Sacher -
John Crace - Depraved New World - Please Hold, the Government Will Be With You Shortly
John Crace gives a blisteringly hilarious tour through the whirlwind of post-Brexit Britain, from the ousting of Boris to the dawn of a new era……..well, sort of. ‘O brave new world, that has such people in’t.' Clearly William Shakespeare never imagined a mess on this scale! Given the state of the country right now, he would need a long lie down. In Depraved New World, Crace introduces a worryingly funny selection of his finest journalism from Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s disastrous short reign to Bojo’s final farewell and the psychodrama of Rishi, Suella Braveman’s hokey pokey and what ever lies ahead. In conversation with Paul LashmarWhen: Saturday 11th November 2023 @ 10.30 am Where: Electric Palace -
Isabella Tree - The Book Of Wilding - A Practical Guide to Rewilding Big and Small
Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell know firsthand how spectacularly nature can bounce back if you give it the chance. The Book of Wilding is a handbook for how we can all help to restore nature. Ambitious, visionary and pragmatic, the book has grown out of Isabella and Charlie’s mission to rewild Britain, Europe and the rest of the world by sharing knowledge from their pioneering project at Knepp. It is a response to people wanting to rewild everything from unprofitable farms, rivers, churchyards, urban allotments, public spaces, parks and gardens. In conversation with Julia Hailes The Kenneth Allsop Memorial Talk, introduced by Tristan AllsopWhen: Saturday 11th November 2023 @ 12 noon Where: Electric Palace Sponsored by: Julia Hailes -
Mike Brearley - Turning Over the Pebbles
One of England’s finest cricket captains, Mike Brearley looks back on a lifetime of the sport from joyful childhood games to his captaincy in the 1981 Ashes, leading England to one of their most famous victories. A trained psychoanalyst, Brearley blends reflection on his sporting life with introspections on literature, religion and leadership, using his experiences both on and off the field. Intelligent and insightful, Turning Over the Pebbles is a memoir full of Brearley’s private passions as he reflects on an extraordinary life and career In conversation with Boris StarlingWhen: Saturday 11th November 2023 @ 2.30 pm Where: Electric Palace Sponsored by: Lindsay and Martin Bowdery -
Megan McCubbin - An Atlas of Endangered Species
Around 55,000 animals and plants are thrown into extinction every year and in this beautifully illustrated collection, conservationist and wildlife broadcaster Megan McCubbin, stepdaughter to Chris Packham, speaks to scientists and conservationists fighting to reverse the mass extinction. From changing shark legislation and tracking deadly fungi, to homegrown glow-worm farms, the methods for protection of survival are endless, whether it’s the infamous northern white rhinos and the Sumatran orangutans, or lesser-known icons like lady slipper orchids. Megan appeals to us all to join the battle against extinction.
In conversation with Sam RoseWhen: Saturday 11th November 2023 @ 4.00 pm Where: Electric Palace Sponsored by: John and Maggie Mills -
Clive Myrie - Everything is Everything - A memoir of Love, Hate & Hope
As a Bolton teenager with a paper round, Clive Myrie read all the newspapers he delivered and dreamed of becoming a journalist. Thirty years on, he has reported from more than ninety countries for the BBC. In this deeply personal memoir, he reflects on how being black has affected his perspective on the many issues he’s encountered in reporting some of the biggest stories of our time. Everything is Everything is about the intersection of the personal and the professional and what he has learned.
In conversation with Susannah SimonsWhen: Saturday 11th November 2023 @ 5.30pm Where: Electric Palace Sponsored by: Sophie and Johnnie Boden -
Reg Meuross - Stolen from God - Slave Trade Song Cycle
The festival ends with words and music from Somerset musician Reg Meuross, who presents his stunning song cycle Stolen From God, with the sparkling playing of kora master Suntou Susso. The show, with narration on the historical background to each song, features vocals from both musicians, alongside incredible instrumentation. In it, Reg Meuross unpicks the South West’s complex Slavery story, inspired by his belief that folk songs provide a rapid and accessible route into history and its current relevance. He unearths both incredible tales and uncomfortable truths, brought fully to life with this enlightening live performance.
with Suntou SussoWhen: Saturday 11th November 2023 @ 7.30pm Where: Electric Palace