Electric Palace Archives - Bridport Literary Festival

Event 1 | James Holland | The Savage Storm

£12.00

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

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Event 3 | Philippa Gregory | Normal Women

£12.00

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 Laverack

When: Sunday 5th November 2023 @ 2.30pm

Where: Electric Palace

Sponsor: Helen and Andrew Carless

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Event 4 | Helen Rebanks | The Farmer’s Wife

£12.00

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 Rebanks

When: Sunday 5th November 2023 @ 4.00 pm

Where: Electric Palace

Sponsored by: Emma Farqhuarson Interior Design

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Event 5 | Alastair Campbell | But What Can I do

£12.00

Alastair Campbell - But What Can I do - Why Politics Has Gone So Wrong and How You Can Help Fix It
We all agree our politics is a mess! We have leaders who can’t or shouldn’t be allowed to lead! It’s no surprise that so many of us feel frustrated, let down and drawn to ask ‘But what can I do?’ That question is the inspiration behind Alastair Campbell’s new book, and not least in reaction to The Rest is Politics, the chart-topping podcast he presents with former Tory minister Rory Stewart. Part call to arms, part practical handbook, BUT WHAT CAN I DO? is required reading for anyone who wants to make a difference. Writer and journalist, political strategist and mental health campaigner, Campbell insists we get involved in order to confront our frustrations and change things. In conversation with Jim Down

When: Sunday 5th November 2023 @ 6.00 pm

Where: Electric Palace

Sponsored by: Felicity Fairbairn

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Event 33 | Joanne Harris | Broken Light

£12.00

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 Willett

When: Friday 10th November 2023 @ 2.00 pm

Where: Electric Palace

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Event 34 | Chris Bryant | Code of Conduct

£12.00

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 Letwin

When: Friday 10th November 2023 @ 3.30 pm

Where: Electric Palace

Sponsored by: Carol Hammick and Adam Tindall

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Event 35 | Simon Heffer | Sing as We Go

£12.00

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 Dean

When: Friday 10th November 2023 @ 5.00 pm

Where: Electric Palace

Sponsored by: Tim Clarke

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Event 36 | Steve Richards | Turning Points

£12.00

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 Director

When: Friday 10th November 2023 @ 6.30 pm

Where: Electric Palace

Sponsored by: Buffy Sacher

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Event 37 | John Crace | Depraved New World

£12.00

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 Lashmar

When: Saturday 11th November 2023 @ 10.30 am

Where: Electric Palace

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Event 38 | Isabella Tree | The Book Of Wilding

£12.00

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 Allsop

When: Saturday 11th November 2023 @ 12 noon

Where: Electric Palace

Sponsored by: Julia Hailes

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Event 39 | Mike Brearley | Turning Over the Pebbles

£12.00

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 Starling

When: Saturday 11th November 2023 @ 2.30 pm

Where: Electric Palace

Sponsored by: Lindsay and Martin Bowdery

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Event 40 | Megan McCubbin | An Atlas of Endangered Species

£12.00

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 Rose

When: Saturday 11th November 2023 @ 4.00 pm

Where: Electric Palace

Sponsored by: John and Maggie Mills

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Event 41 | Clive Myrie | Everything is Everything

£12.00

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 Simons

When: Saturday 11th November 2023 @ 5.30pm

Where: Electric Palace

Sponsored by: Sophie and Johnnie Boden

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Event 42 | Reg Meuross | Stolen from God

£15.00

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 Susso

When: Saturday 11th November 2023 @ 8pm (Update - New Time)

Where: Electric Palace

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