8 Days of Captivating Events! 20 - 27 October 2018

Registered Charity No: 1165315

1 8 TO GROVE 3 3 & OXFORD RD A UGH RO . TO TOM BROWN’S O T B S

SCHOOL MUSEUM M I E UFFINGTON L V O R A MADHATTER G T 4 O 17 S F BOOKSHOP E A M E RING I DON LL S S E T N . W A M Y 17 AR A4 KE T W PL A COT & A34 AC L . DID E L ST TO THE COB & PEN IN GFORD CH VALE & DOWNLAND UR CH . ST. T MUSEUM S . THE METHODIST CHURCH Y RD R OND U ORM THE BEACON B

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8 WANTAGE TOWN CENTRE

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Tickets and Information

Buy online from: www.wantageliteraryfestival.co.uk Buy by phone or in person from: Madhatter Bookshop 18 Mill Street, Wantage, OX12 9AQ Tel: 01235 763215 Buy in person from: Vale & Downland Museum 19 Church Street, Wantage, OX12 8BL Please note: All children and young people under 14 must be accompanied by an adult 2 hours free parking is available at three Council owned car parks: Portway (OX12 9BU) Limborough Road (OX12 9AJ) Mill Street (OX12 9AJ)

2 Welcome!

Welcome to another fantastic year of the Wantage Literary Festival. Our new name and look for our eighth year hopefully more accurately reflects our purpose. We are essentially the same great team of volunteers and trustees now with a Festival Director. Our aim as always is to bring high quality events to Wantage, while working with local schools to improve literacy and literary skills. Not to be missed, charming Irish gardener Diarmuid Gavin, actor/comedian Miles Jupp, Neurosurgeon Henry Marsh, BBC Breakfast’s Louise Minchin and a host of historians readily recognisable from the television and newspapers. Fiction fans have again a wealth of talent to choose from including Lucy Atkins, Mick Herron and Nicola Cornick. Families will be enthralled by Nick Cope’s musical storytelling and kept entertained for hours at the museums free Roald Dahl event! Literary Cocktails, 10 Gins and Suffragette Afternoon Tea will add to the exciting week! Victoria Luker Festival Director

Charity Trustees: David Brimacombe, Ben Dreyer, Jenny Hannaby, Valery Rose, Geoff Williams.

2018 Festival Team: Festival Director: Victoria Luker Sammy Ashby, Liz Gillott, Francesca Hexter, Judith Knight, Anita Patel, Peter Rolfe, Jayne Snewin, Jacqueline White, Mike White.

Professional support: Mark Baker – Website Design (www.seven-design.co.uk) Peggy Ley – Graphic Design ([email protected])

3 Events at a glance...

OPENING WEEKEND

DAYTIME EVENING

SATURDAY 20 OCTOBER

Diarmuid Gavin Cocktails in Literature in Conversation with Clover Stroud 6-7.30pm The Cob & Pen p11 10.30am The Beacon p10 An Evening with Miles Jupp Sam Willis and James Daybell 8pm The Beacon p11 Histories of the Unexpected 12.15pm The Beacon p10 Nick Cope’s Family Song time 3.30pm The Beacon p11

SUNDAY 21 OCTOBER

Sunday’s events all take place at the Lucy Newlyn In Conversation with Vale & Downland Museum Poet Jenny Lewis Bipolar Disorder and Creative Process 5pm Vale & Downland Museum p13 Keggie Carew In Conversation with Mary Loudon Ghost Walk with Mike White Dadland 8pm Starting at Vale & Downland Museum p13 2pm Vale & Downland Museum p12 Linda Parker Woodbine Willie 3.30pm Vale & Downland Museum p12

4 All events are wheelchair user friendly unless icon shown. Children and young people under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

DAYTIME EVENING

SATURDAY 20 OCTOBER

SUNDAY 21 OCTOBER

Sunday’s events all take place at the Lucy Newlyn In Conversation with Vale & Downland Museum Poet Jenny Lewis Diary of a Bipolar Explorer 5pm Vale & Downland Museum p13 Keggie Carew In Conversation with Mary Loudon Ghost Walk with Mike White Dadlands 8pm Starting at Vale & Downland Museum p13 2pm Vale & Downland Museum p12 Linda Parker Woodbine Willie 3.30pm Vale & Downland Museum p12 continued...

5 DAYTIME EVENING

MONDAY 22 OCTOBER

Mick Herron in Conversation with Valery Rose Jackson Lamb 6.30pm The Beacon p14 Mike Read in Conversation with Jim Mitchell Open Day at Tom Brown’s Museum The Writing on the Wall 10am-3pm Tom Brown’s Museum p14 8pm The Beacon p14

TUESDAY 23 OCTOBER

Dr Henry Marsh in Conversation with Iain McCoubrey A Life in Brain Surgery 6.30pm The Beacon p15 Tim Radford In Conversation with John Vandore Roald Dahl Activity Day The Consolations of Physics (or, the Solace 10am-3pm Vale & Downland Museum p15 of Quantum) 8pm The Beacon p15

WEDNESDAY 24 OCTOBER

Afternoon Tea with Diane Atkinson Local Voices with Compère Marti Leimbach Rise up Women: The Remarkable Lives of the Suffragettes 7pm Vale & Downland Museum p16 2.30pm The Beacon p16 Ghost Walk with Mike White 200 Words Competition (for Kids under 18) 9pm Starting at Vale & Downland Museum p16 4.30pm Vale & Downland Museum p16

THURSDAY 25 OCTOBER

Martin Kemp in Conversation with Gary Sheffield Living with Leonardo: Fifty Years of Sanity and Insanity in the Art World and Beyond 2.30pm The Beacon p17 Oliver Letwyn MP In Conversation with Ed Vaizey Louise Minchin Hearts and Minds Dare to Tri 4pm The Beacon p17 7pm The Beacon p17

6 DAYTIME EVENING

MONDAY 22 OCTOBER

TUESDAY 23 OCTOBER

WEDNESDAY 24 OCTOBER

Suffragette Afternoon Tea with Diane Atkinson Local Voices with Compère Marti Leimbach Rise up Women 7pm Vale & Downland Museum p16 2.30pm The Beacon p16 Ghost Walk with Mike White 200 Words Competition (for Kids under 18) 9pm Starting at Vale & Downland Museum p16 4.30pm Vale & Downland Museum p16

THURSDAY 25 OCTOBER

7 DAYTIME EVENING

FRIDAY 26 OCTOBER

Betjeman’s Lunch Helen Browning Organics 12.15pm The Methodist Church Hall p18 Eastbrook Farm 5pm The Methodist Church p19 Lance Pierson Betjeman’s Life in Verse Gin Tasting 2pm The Methodist Church p18 6.30pm The Cob & Pen p19 Rosamund Young in Conversation with Dorothy Burrows The Secret Life of Cows 3.30pm The Methodist Church p18

SATURDAY 27 OCTOBER

Max Hastings Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, 1945-1975 11am The Beacon p20

Lucy Atkins and Fanny Blake Fiction Masterclass – How to get your Book Published 12.30pm The Beacon p20

Nicola Cornick, Lucy Atkins and Fanny Blake. Compèred by Vivien McCoubrey Fiction Panel 2.15pm The Beacon p20

Tracy Borman Henry VIII and the Men who Made Him 4pm The Beacon p21

8 DAYTIME EVENING

FRIDAY 26 OCTOBER

SATURDAY 27 OCTOBER

Max Hastings Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, 1945-1975 11am The Beacon p20

Lucy Atkins and Fanny Blake Fiction Masterclass – How to get your Book Published 12.30pm The Beacon p20

Nicola Cornick, Lucy Atkins and Fanny Blake. 2018 Schools Programme Compèred by Vivien McCoubrey Fiction Panel In addition to this programme of events the 2.15pm The Beacon p20 festival’s charitable schools programme will see author Mini Grey (Traction Man/Space Dog) visit Tracy Borman 11 of the local primary schools in and around Henry VIII Wantage. Sarah Outen (London2London: via the World) will be inspiring King Alfred students to reach 4pm The Beacon p21 their dreams. And John Mitchinson (QI) will be speaking at the Sir Christopher Rick’s Lecture about his life and career.

9 Find out more...

What to expect at an author talk Usually a 45-60 minute talk, followed by a questions and answers session. There will also be an opportunity to purchase a book to be signed. None of our events are scheduled to clash.

Saturday 20 October 10.30am The Beacon Diarmuid Gavin in Conversation with Clover Stroud

Listen to the lively and free- flowing conversation between Diarmuid Gavin and Clover Stroud as the multi-winning Chelsea Flower Show Gold medallist discusses his life and work as the self-confessed ‘gardener off the TV.’ Age 11+ £12.50

Saturday 20 October 12.15pm The Beacon Sam Willis and James Daybell Histories of the Unexpected

As seen on tv documentaries Armada: 12 Days to Save England and The Silk Road, podcasters extraordinaire Dr Sam Willis and Professor James Daybell will be explaining how everything (and we mean absolutely everything) has an unexpected history. Age 11+ £15

10 Saturday 20 October 3.30pm The Beacon Nick Cope’s Family Song time

Former frontman for Oxford band The Candyskins, musician Nick Cope will have you in fits of giggles with his family-friendly mix of musical tales. Come along and join in the fun! Aimed at children from 1 to 9 £5 Saturday 20 October 6-7.30pm The Cob & Pen Cocktails in Literature Join us for pre-performance drinks at The Cob & Pen, where Craig Gradwell will reveal the alchemy of literary cocktails, such as Hemingway’s Daiquiri, Fleming’s Vesper and Hunter S Thompson’s Singapore Sling. Price includes 3 cocktails from a selection of 6 to be chosen on the night. Over 18s only. Tickets for this event will only be available online: www.wantageliteraryfestival.co.uk and from the Madhatter Bookshop. £25 Saturday 20 October 8pm The Beacon An Evening with Miles Jupp Come and hear the captivating recollections and childhood memories of actor and comedian Miles Jupp’s alter ego Damian Trench, unwitting star of the BBC’s much lauded series In and Out of the Kitchen. Miles will Photo: Emyr Young be presenting readings from Damian’s new book, Egg and Soldiers, and talking about Damian’s life-long fascination with food and cooking in all its many forms – this will surely be a hugely entertaining evening especially for all fans of Radio 4. Over 16s only. Tickets for this event will only be available online: www.wantageliteraryfestival.co.uk £17.50

11 Sunday 21 October 2pm Vale & Downland Museum Keggie Carew in Conversation with Mary Loudon Dadland

Winner of the Costa Biography Award 2016, Keggie talks about her undercover guerrilla SOE agent father. Tom Carew was known as the ‘Lawrence of Burma’ and was the youngest ever officer to be awarded a Distinguished Service Order. Keggie explores how after the war her father’s life began to unravel into a final long and sad decline with dementia. Keggie’s Dadland is a deeply moving book that will speak to all those who are trying to piece together the story of their parents’ lives. Catch her in Wantage prior to her Gladstone Library Residence. Age 11+ £10

Sunday 21 October 3.30pm Vale & Downland Museum Linda Parker Woodbine Willie Named ‘Woodbine Willie’ due to his work of taking cigarettes and bibles to front-line troops, Linda Parker’s book explores the life of Studdert Kennedy, an Anglican priest who volunteered to work as a Chaplain in the first world war. Unlike other Chaplains, ‘Willie’ ventured into No Man’s Land to comfort the dying and retrieve the dead. Linda will be reading some of his poignant poetry that conveys the brutality and futility of war. Age 11+ £7.50

12 Sunday 21 October 5pm Vale & Downland Museum Lucy Newlyn in Conversation with Poet Jenny Lewis Diary of a Bipolar Explorer Photo: Ben Prestney

Poet Lucy Newlyn was diagnosed with bipolar disorder following a series of traumatic experiences. In this 15 year diary, Lucy talks about episodes of mania, depression, hallucination and paranoid delusion. Discover how being bipolar helped Lucy unlock her creativity, emerge as a poet and now celebrate the impact her bipolar disorder has had on her life. Age 11+ £7.50

Sunday 21 October 8pm Starting at Vale & Downland Museum Ghost Walk with Mike White

What better way to spend an evening than exploring some of the darker aspects of Wantage’s history? What if it stops where you shop, where you drink… or where you live? A guided walk of around a mile. Age 11+ Under 18s to be accompanied by a responsible adult. £5

13 Monday 22 October 10am-3pm Tom Brown’s Museum Tom Brown’s Museum in Uffington, SN7 7RA is opening its doors for festival-goers. Come along and explore their unique collection of Betjeman and Thomas Hughes memorabilia. Toilets are available in the nearby church. Entry is free, though suggest a donation of £2 towards ongoing costs.

Monday 22 October 6.30pm The Beacon Mick Herron in Conversation with Valery Rose Jackson Lamb Photo: Lee Gillies

Golden Dagger winner Mick Herron, described by The Sunday Times as the UK’s new spymaster, talks about his characters, plots and inspiration. Find out about his latest offerings London Rules and This is What Happened. Age 11+ £10

Monday 22 October 8pm The Beacon Mike Read in Conversation with Jim Mitchell The Writing on the Wall

Former DJ and Chairman of The British Plaque Trust, Mike Read talks about his love of these historical markers. In 2017 Mike worked with the BBC to create almost 50 plaques to musical icons. Find out about this book of his top 100 plaques, celebrating people, events and buildings. Age 11+ £10

14 Tuesday 23 October 10am-3pm Vale & Downland Museum Roald Dahl Activity Day

Join the Vale and Downland team for a fun-filled and family- friendly day celebrating the life of Roald Dahl. BFG dream bottles, revolting rhymes and a fancy-dress competition are amongst the many activities taking place. Keep an eye on our website www.wantageliteraryfestival.co.uk for a schedule of the day’s activities! This is a free event thanks to Midcounties Co-operative, although donations would be welcome. Tuesday 23 October 6.30pm The Beacon Dr Henry Marsh in Conversation with Iain McCoubrey A Life in

Brain Surgery Photo: Alex Mackworth-Praed Henry Marsh is one of the UK’s most eminent neurosurgeons. His work has been the subject of two major BBC documentaries: Your Life in their Hands (2003) and The English Surgeon (2009). Although retired from full-time work in the NHS he continues to work in Ukraine, Nepal, Albania and Pakistan. Learn about the many ground-breaking advances that he has developed and hear his thoughts about the difficult ethical decisions he faces whilst carrying out his work. Age 11+ £10 Tuesday 23 October 8pm The Beacon Tim Radford in Conversation with John Vandore The Consolations of Physics (or, the Solace of Quantum) Tim Radford, Science Editor at The Guardian, puts a new spin on explaining the mysteries of quantum physics. Uncertain about the subject? Together Tim Radford and John Vandore will educate and explain advances in this scientific field.Age 11+ £10

15 Wednesday 24 October 2.30pm The Beacon Afternoon Tea with Diane Atkinson

Rise up Women: Photo: Lawrence Lawry The Remarkable Lives of the Suffragettes Join us for tea and cakes as we celebrate 100 years of women’s suffrage with The Museum of London’s Diane Atkinson in a timely tribute to the amazing women of the suffrage movement and their extraordinary struggle. Age 11+ £12.50 includes sandwiches and cakes

Wednesday 24 October 4.30pm Vale & Downland Museum 200 Words Competition (for Kids under 18) A Competition for budding creative writers and poets. The top 9 entries will have the opportunity to perform their readings at the Vale and Downland Museum. Small prize for each age group’s runner-up and winner (9 and under,10-13 and 14+) and a prize for the overall winner and their school. To find out more contact: [email protected] by 20 September. Performers free. Audience £5

Wednesday 24 October 7pm Vale & Downland Museum Local Voices with Compère Marti Leimbach Local poets, novelists and flash fiction fans, grab your 5 minutes of fame. Take centre stage and share your writing with Wantage. To find out more contact: [email protected] by 30 September. Limited slots so register your interest now. Age 18+ Performers free. Audience £5

Wednesday 24 October 9pm Starting at Vale & Downland Museum Ghost Walk with Mike White What better way to spend an evening than exploring some of the spookier aspects of Wantage’s history? What if it stops where you shop, where you drink... or where you live? Age 11+ Under 18s to be accompanied by a responsible adult. £5 16 Thursday 25 October 2.30pm The Beacon Martin Kemp in Conversation with Gary Sheffield Living with Leonardo: Fifty Years of Sanity and Insanity in the Art World and Beyond Fake or fortune? Learn first-hand from Martin Kemp, the world’s leading authority on Leonardo da Vinci. Hear about Kemp’s personal journey over the past 50 years as the ‘go-to’ Leonardo expert. His book covers everything from labyrinthine historical research, ‘Leonardo loonies’, devious dealers, collectors and academia. The power of Leonardo’s art still lives on after more than 500 years. Age 11+ £10

Thursday 25 October 4pm The Beacon Oliver Letwin MP in Conversation with Ed Vaizey Hearts and Minds Ex-Cabinet Minister the Rt Hon Sir Oliver Letwin reflects on two devastating electoral events: the EU referendum and the general election of June 2017. Covering the period from Mrs Thatcher to Mrs May, he will discuss his views on what needs to happen next, in order to make this country a better place to live. Age 11+ £10

Thursday 25 October 7pm The Beacon Louise Minchin Dare to Tri

BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin had never heard of the triathlon until 2012, when she jumped off the BBC studio sofa and swam, cycled and ran her way into the Team GB triathlon squad. Hear the story of her amazing journey from sofa to super-athlete. Age 11+ £12.50 17 Friday 26 October 12.15pm The Methodist Church Hall Betjeman’s Lunch All welcome. Join members of the local and National Betjeman Society for lunch. Payable on the door. All proceeds to Wantage Methodist Church. Age 11+ £7.50 approximately – dependent on choice of mains and puddings (vegetarian options available).

Friday 26 October 2pm The Methodist Church Lance Pierson Betjeman’s Life in Verse Join actor and National chairman of the Betjeman Society, Lance Pierson, for an hour’s performance of John Betjeman’s poems, covering all aspects of the poet’s work looking at love, God… and death. Age 11+ £10

Friday 26 October 3.30pm The Methodist Church Rosamund Young in Conversation with Dorothy Burrows The Secret Life of Cows

A cow is not just a cow. Rosamund Young has observed these amazingly overlooked animals for many years and watched them making mischief, fight trees, babysit calves and grieve for lost ones. You will never see cows in the same light again! Age 11+ £10 18 Friday 26 October 5pm The Methodist Church Helen Browning Organics Eastbrook Farm Helen was awarded an OBE for her services to organic farming in 1998 and is now Chief Executive of the Soil Association. The journey that all food makes from the farm to the plate has been central to her life and work. She will be coming along to talk about her new book, gastro food and the organic movement. Age 11+ £10

Friday 26 October 6.30pm The Cob & Pen Gin Tasting

Calling all fans of botanicals! Come and learn about ten different gins from around the world; what makes them special, the best way to serve them and, best of all, sample each one! Best walk home… Over 18s only. Tickets for this event will only be available online at www.wantageliteraryfestival.co.uk and from the Madhatter Bookshop. £25

19 Saturday 27 October 11am The Beacon Max Hastings Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, 1945-1975 Photo: AP Press Assoc.

Max Hastings is a best-selling author, award-winning journalist and broadcaster. In this book Max Hastings blends a political and military narrative of the conflict in Vietnam with heart- stopping personal experiences. Find out why Vietnam became the western world’s ‘most divisive’ modern conflict.Age 11+ £10

Saturday 27 October 12.30pm The Beacon Lucy Atkins and Fanny Blake Fiction Masterclass – How to get your Book Published Join this expert master class on how to get your novel published. Everything from editing, agents, publishing, will be discussed. Lucy and Fanny are two award-winning bestselling authors, one a Costa judge, the other an ex-Penguin editor. Come armed with your questions! Age 11+ £10

Saturday 27 October 2.15pm The Beacon Nicola Cornick, Lucy Atkins and Fanny Blake Fiction Panel Too good an opportunity to miss! Thriller writer Lucy Atkins and romantic novelist Fanny Blake are joined by international historical bestselling author Nicola Cornick. They will be discussing their personal experiences and love of writing. This event will be compèred by Vivien McCoubrey. Age 11+ £10 20 Saturday 27 October 4pm The Beacon Tracy Borman Henry VIII and the Men who Made Him

Henry VIII was one of Britain’s most engaging and enigmatic monarchs. Tracy Borman, author, broadcaster and joint Chief Curator for Historic Royal Palaces reveals the secrets of the men who surrounded, and attempted to influence, this controversial king. Age 11+ £12.50

Join us Next Year! 26 October - 02 November 2019 Interested in Volunteering? We would love to hear from you, especially if you have experience in admin, public relations, marketing, finance or publishing. Please ask for information at any of this year’s festival events or email: [email protected]

21 The Interviewers and Compères

Clover Stroud Clover Stroud is a writer and journalist writing for the Daily Mail, Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, and Condé Nast Traveller, among others. She lives in Oxfordshire with her husband and five children. Her book The Wild Other was Shortlisted for The Wainwright Book Prize in 2017. Mary Loudon Bestselling author of four non-fiction books, including Relative Stranger, A Sister’s Life After Death. Mary has won various writer’s prizes and is a former Whitbread Prize judge. Her fifth book is due to be published in 2019. Jenny Lewis Jenny Lewis is a poet, playwright and songwriter, specialising in cross-arts collaborations of poetry, music, dance and

Photo: Ben Prestney visual art. She teaches poetry at Oxford University and is a Core Writing Tutor at Pegasus Theatre. Valery Rose Oxfordshire historian, book editor and Festival trustee, Valery Rose is a member of several book clubs including one dedicated to crime fiction. After studying Modern History at Oxford, Valery has specialised in 19th and 20th century British history, with a particular interest in social and gender history. In 2015 she co-authored No Other Way: Oxfordshire and the Spanish Civil war, 1936-1939. Jim Mitchell Jim Mitchell created the Wantage (Not Just) Betjeman Literary Festival. He now runs Opera Unmasked and The Wantage Summer Arts Festival. As an opera fanatic, he is always keen to share his passion with others. Iain McCoubrey Iain McCoubrey served as a Flight Medical Officer in the Royal Air Force based in various UK and worldwide locations including Hong Kong, Washington DC and Ascension Island. After leaving the RAF he worked as a consultant occupational physician. Now retired, Iain enjoys travelling and sailing. 22 John Vandore John ran a Cryogenics company in Oxfordshire, and is centrally involved in Cryogenics, locally and internationally, an enabling technology behind some Quantum developments. He currently manages the Cryox Brand – Cryogenic Technology from the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC). Marti Leimbach Marti’s first novel, Dying Young (1990), was an international bestseller and the basis of the film, Dying Young, starring Julia Roberts. Her latest book Daniel Isn’t Talking (2006), is partially autobiographical derived from her real-life experience as a mother of an autistic child. Gary Sheffield Gary Sheffield is Professor of War Studies at the University of Wolverhampton. He has also written many books on military history, including the bestselling Forgotten Victory: The First World War – Myths and Realities. Gary has been a frequent visitor to the festival as both an author and an interviewer. Ed Vaizey Ed Vaizey has been a Member of Parliament for Wantage since 2005. He is a member of the House of Commons Speaker’s Advisory Panel on the Arts. Ed has been an interviewer and a keen supporter of the Wantage Literary Festival for several years. Dorothy Burrows Dorothy Burrows has spent her working life in community arts, drama-teaching and museum education. Now retired, she is a keen walker and enjoys spending time at literary festivals. Vivien McCoubrey Vivien McCoubrey studied English literature at Glasgow University under Scotland’s first Poet Laureate, Edwin Morgan. A teacher of English in local schools, including St Mary’s, Wantage, her main interests now are literature and sailing. Vivien has written for various publications and was a major contributor to Living in the Slipstream, a book about life as an RAF wife.

23 Our Supporters

Thank you to our supporters (some of whom are shown below) and everyone who has helped stage this year’s festival. Without them we wouldn’t have been able to maintain our schools programme, keep ticket prices low and indeed host the variety of events that we do!