31 May 2019

National Theatre and Fane Productions announce Authors on Stage – a series of events featuring celebrated UK and international writers

The National Theatre and Fane Productions announce a series of events across August and September as the Lyttelton stage becomes the arena for a diverse range of contemporary voices in conversation.

Featuring established authors and the launches of anticipated new publications, the series offers fresh perspectives on contemporary issues – as well as opportunities for audiences to engage in Q&As and to meet the authors in post-event signings at the National Theatre Bookshop.

In August, former doctor, author and comedian Adam Kay, whose book This is Going to Hurt, has sold over a million copies, will be in conversation with broadcaster, journalist and writer as they discuss their shared passion for the NHS.

Beloved culinary icons Nigella Lawson and Yotam Ottolenghi will be exploring food and identity in a discussion chaired by writer Bee Wilson.

British-Turkish writer and activist Elif Shafak, the most widely-read female author in Turkey, will begin the series shortly after the publication of her new novel in June, 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World, a highly anticipated return following her highly praised bestselling The Bastard of Istanbul, The Forty Rules of Love and most recently, Three Daughters of Eve. She will be joined on stage by First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon.

Mae Martin, author of Can Everyone Please Just Calm Down: A 21st Century Guide to Sexuality, will be in conversation with Deborah Frances-White, author, comedian and creator of celebrated podcast and book, The Guilty Feminist.

Following on in September, Stacey Dooley will speak with Fiona Campbell, Controller of BBC Three, about her work as an investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker and the evolution of her career as a reporter in an ever-changing media landscape.

Candice Carty-Williams, a rising star of the London literary scene, will then take to the stage following the recent release of her Sunday Times bestselling novel Queenie.

Matt Haig, celebrated author of Reasons to Stay Alive and Notes on a Nervous Planet will take the audience on a journey through the modern world, offering a closer look at the challenges posed by our ever changing technological landscape and his advice on how best to navigate it.

Edna O’Brien, author of more than twenty works of fiction, will launch her new novel, Girl, her first since 2015’s multiple award-winning The Little Red Chairs. Ednda will be interviewed by author Eimear McBride.

Fatima Bhutto, author of bestselling memoir Songs of Blood and Sword and most recently The Runaways, discusses radicalism and our current global political climate in a debate and discussion with Gary Younge, ’s editor-at-large and author of, most recently, Another Day in the Death of America.

The series culminates in the already announced launch event of Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments, her highly anticipated sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, which will also be broadcast live to over 1,200 cinemas around the world on the date of its publication (www.margaretatwoodlive.com).

Director of the National Theatre Rufus Norris said: “We’re greatly looking forward to welcoming such an inspirational roster of writers to the National Theatre this summer. The Authors on Stage events will provide a platform for them to explore a huge breadth of topics. As with the plays on our stages, we hope that audiences will be entertained, challenged and inspired by what they have to say.”

Managing Director of Fane Productions Alex Fane said: "At Fane Productions we aim to take inspirational and diverse voices to the widest audience possible. Working alongside the National Theatre to create this series has been a unique opportunity to showcase some of the most celebrated and relevant authors of our era at one of the nation's most iconic venues."

Tickets will be available via the National Theatre website with member booking from Monday 3 June, and public on sale at 10am on Friday 7 June.

Full schedule:

12 Aug, 7.30pm Elif Shafak & Nicola Sturgeon 13 Aug, 7.30pm Adam Kay & Caitlin Moran 14 Aug, 7.30pm Mae Martin & Deborah Frances-White 15 Aug, 7.30pm Nigella Lawson & Yotam Ottolenghi 5 Sep, 7.30pm Edna O'Brien & Eimear McBride 7 Sep, 1pm Stacey Dooley & Fiona Campbell 7 Sep, 4pm Candice Carty-Williams 7 Sep, 8pm Matt Haig 9 Sep, 7.30pm Fatima Bhutto & Gary Younge 10 Sep, 7.30pm Margaret Atwood

ENDS

For images, please click here.

For more information, contact Louisa Terry: 020 7452 3235 / [email protected]

The National Theatre The National Theatre’s mission is to make world class theatre that’s entertaining, challenging and inspiring – and to make it for everyone. It aims to reach the widest possible audience and to be as inclusive, diverse and national as possible with a broad range of productions that play in London, on tour around the UK, on Broadway and across the globe. The National Theatre's extensive UK-wide learning and participation programme supports young people’s creative education through performance and writing programmes like Connections, New Views and Let’s Play. Its major new initiative Public Acts creates extraordinary acts of theatre and community; the first Public Acts production was 2018’s Pericles. The National Theatre extends its reach through digital programmes including NT Live, which broadcasts some of the best of British theatre to over 2,500 venues in 65 countries, and the free streaming service On Demand In Schools, used by nearly 60% of UK state secondary schools. The National Theatre invests in the future of theatre by developing talent, creating bold new work and building audiences, partnering with a range of UK theatres and theatre companies.

For more information, please visit https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/ @NationalTheatre @NT_PressOffice

Fane Productions

Fane Productions work with a diverse range of artists at the top of their respective professions, for whom live work adds an exciting dimension to their principal careers. An innovative and collaborative company, we work alongside agents, publishers and producers with a focus on creating dynamic live platforms to present and promote both the client and their work; be that a book, TV series, podcast or other venture. Working with artists including John le Carré, Margaret Atwood, Nigella Lawson, Dolly Alderton, Stacey Dooley, Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Grayson Perry, year two sales exceeded 300,000 tickets, including several tours to Australia and the US, where Fane Productions have now established companies. The programming team produce the Sunday nights at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and the Bridge Theatre, as well as programming over 700 shows per year at central London venue, Crazy Coqs. Our first Words Weekend – Fane Productions’ very own take on a literary festival, will take place at Sage Gateshead in December, followed by The Lowry in Salford and Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in 2019. In December 2018 Fane Productions acquired JHI Ltd, a creative marketing company who provide marketing, ticketing and digital expertise across all Fane Productions events and for live theatre events, both nationally and internationally. https://faneproductions.com/