AWARD-WINNING WRITER, COMEDIAN AND BROADCASTER VIV GROSKOP PRESENTS HER FIRST PROGRAMME as ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE INDEPENDENT BATH LITERATURE FESTIVAL 28 February – 9 March 2014 AND THE THEME IS… BLISS

GENERAL BOOKING OPENS MONDAY 20 JANUARY

Prepare to be inspired, cheered, challenged, moved and uplifted.

Everyone has their own unique idea of bliss and The Independent Bath Literature Festival 2014 will explore the feeling of pure joy and inspiration we get from the written and spoken word.

Over ten Spring days in this World Heritage City, a plethora of national and international names will bring a sprinkling of love and laughter, guaranteed to excite and delight in these uncertain times.

General booking opens Monday 20 January. Take a look at our online brochure www.bathfestivals.org.uk for the full programme; meanwhile here are some of our top picks for the festival:

o The Bliss Lectures – Bliss is our upbeat and inspiring festival theme. The Bliss Lectures are nine exclusive TED-style events in which writers and thinkers talk about their personal passion, from Rowan Williams on Tolstoy and Philip Hensher on Wagner to Julian Baggini on Food, Patrick Barkham on Badgers and Olivia Laing on Alcohol.

o “News Is Ruining Our Lives” with Alain de Botton versus Jon Snow in association with Intelligence Squared. This will be an electrifying debate where the whole audience casts their vote in a ballot box before and after the speeches. Major themes: digital detox; information overload; are we too connected? The debate will take place a week before the US’s first attempt to have a national Unplugged day where people will be encouraged to spend 24 hours away from their mobiles and computers.

o A comedy line up with some of the nation’s favourites, including Jennifer Saunders, Mark Watson, Jo Caulfield, Mary Bourke, and Lucy Porter.

o Our most moving and inclusive public reading project to date: We commemorate the anniversary of WWI with readings from Faber’s major new anthology 1914 poetry Remembers edited by Carol Ann Duffy.

o Amazing new spoken word events: Pin Drop at No.1 Royal Crescent (atmospheric short story night); Short Stories Aloud (short stories dramatised by award-winning actors); Firestation Book Swap (anarchic book-swapping event one for adults, one for children).

o Austentatious -- featuring Cariad Lloyd (“the new Catherine Tate” -- BBC3’s The Cariad Show, CBBC’s Fit, BBC Radio 4’s The Now Show), Rachel Parris (’s The IT Crowd) -- the sensational Edinburgh Fringe sell-out show -- in full period costume, completely improvised from audience suggestions -- their first ever performance in a Regency ballroom.

Plus: in a series of creative workshops during the festival, there will be advice from internationally acclaimed writers on short stories, memoir, screenplays, food writing, crafts and much more.

THE FULL FESTIVAL PROGRAMME HAS OVER 180 EVENTS AND INCLUDES APPEARANCES BY THE FOLLOWING:

Fiction: Hanif Kureishi, Lionel Shriver, AL Kennedy, Joanna Trollope, Val McDermid, Philip Hensher, Michael Rosen, David Lodge, Rachel Joyce, Natalie Haynes, Penelope Lively, Tom Rob Smith, Melanie McGrath, Jonathan Grimwood, Sam Baker, Adele Parks, Boris Akunin, Maureen Freely Non fiction: Alain de Botton, Ben Watt, Patrick Barkham, Julian Baggini, Charlotte Higgins, Peter Stothard, Simon Jenkins, John Julius Norwich, Amy Chua and Frieda Hughes,

PLUS S J Parris, Sarah Dunant, Natalie Haynes, Jeff Williams, Trevor Cox, Carl Honore, Patricia Hodge, Jennifer Saunders, Jonathan Dimbleby, Jon Snow, Gavin Esler, Kirsty Wark, Sally Magnusson, Mark Lawson, Kirsty Lang, Ritula Shah, Countess of Carnarvon, Jessica Fellowes, Mark Watson, Lucy Porter, Jo Caulfield, Gemma Whelan, Mary Bourke, Count Arthur Strong, James Mullinger, Henry Blofeld, Tim Moore, Gary Shteyngart, Scott Pack, Scott, Ben Chu, Andrew Hussey, Henry Marsh, Stephen Grosz, Christine Riding, Kelly Grovier, Austentatious, Jo Baker, Pen Vogler, Germaine Greer, Rowan Williams, William Fotheringham, Richard Moore, Alastair Campbell, Jonathan Aitken, Douglas Alexander, Steve Richards, Alex Brummer, Tim Harford, Nick Cohen, Steve Richards, Miranda Seymour, Rory McLean, Matthew Dennison, Lucy Lethbridge, Deborah Alun-Jones, Matthew Fort, James Pembroke, Mark Hix, Claudia Roden, The

2 Incredible Spice Men, Helen McGinn’s Knackered Mothers’ Wine Club, Sophia Waugh, Andy Lynes, John Walsh, Rick Gesoski, Shaun Usher, Dawn Isaac, Anna Pavord, Caroline Zoob, Nicky Haslam, Tim Richardson, Sarah Bailey, Jane Shepherdson, Mrs Moneypenny, Emily Mayhew, Lucy Adlington, Chrys Salt, Hollie McNish, Ghareeb Iskander, Stephanie Merritt, Alex Clark, Stefan Stern.

ALL PRESS ENQUIRIES: Tamsin Treverton Jones 01452 741762 / 07980 585664

www.bathfestivals.org.uk Bath Box Office 01225 463362

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