Politics Archives - Bridport Literary Festival

Event 5 | Jeremy Bowen | The Making of the Modern Middle East

£12.00

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-Spunner

When: Sunday 5th November 2023 @ 6.00 pm

Where: Electric Palace

Sponsored by: Felicity Fairbairn

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Event 10 | Alexandra Blanchard & Alex Howlett | Wander Women

£10.00

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 Willett

When: Monday 6th November 2023 @ 5.00 pm

Where: The Bull Ballroom

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Event 15 | Sarah Watling | Tomorrow Perhaps the Future

£12.00

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 Webster

When: Tuesday 7th November 2023 @ 3.30 pm

Where: The Bull Ballroom

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Event 20 | Harriet Crawley | The Translator

£12.00

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

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Event 22 | Joanna Moorhead | Surreal Spaces

£12.00

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-Wood

When: Wednesday 8th November 2023 @ 5.00 pm

Where: The Bull Ballroom

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Event 27 | Peter Snow & Ann MacMillan | Kings & Queens

£12.00

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 Form

When: Thursday 9th November 2023 @ 12 noon

Where: Sir John Colfox Academy

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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 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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