Lowdham Book Festival

Friday 16th – Saturday 24th June 2017 Lowdham, Nottinghamshire and extra events in July! Tickets: The Bookcase, Lowdham 0115 9663219 Friday 16th June Lowdham Book

Hello and welcome to Lowdham Book Festival 2017. This is our 18th year and we are delighted to bring you a fantastic line-up encompassing the worlds of fiction, politics, gardening, literary history, music and food! With the usual eclectic mix of talks, music, film and discussions, we hope there will be something for everyone at this year’s festival – do come along and join the fun! Jane Streeter and Ross Bradshaw

[email protected] [email protected] www.thebookcase.co.uk www.fiveleavesbookshop.co.uk www.nottinghambooks.co.uk www.fiveleaves.co.uk

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2 Festival Box Office 10–4 Mon to Sat 0115 9663219 Festival 2017 Friday 16th June

Friday 16th June Bach Society. Guy Turner studied Music 12.15 – 1pm Southwell Minster, in Cambridge before teaching. He is Church Street, Southwell NG25 0HD now a Lay Clerk at Southwell Minster, Lunchtime at the Minster – Secretary of the Southwell Music Dave Machell and Friends Festival and conductor of Bingham Choral Society. Sarah Jane Carlin is a We are delighted to launch the festival recitalist, opera/music theatre artist, with this special lunchtime concert. and oratorio performer, and was in the Dave is an established composer Gold medal winning Cantamus Choir across a variety of musical genres, with in the World Choir Olympics. work performed by the Nottingham Symphony Orchestra Plus a special performance from and the Nottingham Soundswell Community Choir. shot to prominence with Sonny Black, A talented trio to get the festival off to gaining rave reviews from press, a great start! audiences and fellow musicians alike. FREE event 1999 saw him launch his own solo career and form The Daniel Smith 8pm Lowdham Village Hall Blues Band. Daniel mixes virtuoso Main Street, Lowdham, Notts NG14 7BD driving barrelhouse boogie woogie Daniel Smith Blues Band with an authentic down-home blues piano style, reflecting influences from Daniel Smith has been one of the most Albert Ammons, Memphis Slim and exciting talents to emerge on the Otis Spann through to Jools Holland. British blues scene. In 1994 he first Tickets £12.50 Festival Box Office 10–4 Mon to Sat 0115 9663219 3 Saturday 17th June Lowdham Book

Saturday 17th June Butcher’s Hook, is © Neil Dunn 10.45 am– 1pm Lowdham Village Hall, set in Georgian Main Street, Lowdham, Notts NG14 7BD London and is the Reading Group morning – brilliantly dark and Janet Ellis in conversation unexpected tale of with Fanny Blake Anne Jaccob, a young girl We are thrilled to welcome Janet Ellis determined to take her life in her own as our Reading Group author this year. hands, at any cost… Janet will be 6.30 - 8pm Lowdham Village Hall Janet is a TV presenter, actress and chatting to Fanny Blake, publisher, Main Street, Lowdham, Notts NG14 7BD writer, best known for presenting Blue journalist and author of six novels. She An Evening with Alan Johnson Peter, and Jigsaw. Her debut novel, The is also books editor of Woman & Home – The Long and Winding Road magazine (and previously lived in Lowdham!) Join us for a very special evening as NB – you don’t need to belong to a we welcome Alan Johnson back to reading group to come along to this Lowdham Book Festival, this time to lovely event! talk about the third volume of his Tickets: £15 including award-winning memoirs, covering a copy of The Butcher’s Labour’s electoral victory in 1997 to his Hook plus coffee appointment as Home Secretary in and cake. 2009. Alan will be in conversation with BBC Radio Nottingham’s John Holmes. Tickets: £8 full, £7 concessions, £6 Festival Friends. Bar available. 4 Festival Box Office 10–4 Mon to Sat 0115 9663219 Festival 2017 Sunday 18th June

Sunday 18th June Film Fridays September – 3 – 4.30pm Lowdham Village Hall November 2017 Main Street, Lowdham, Notts NG14 7BD Called to Account – with Lowdham Village Hall, Main Street, Lowdham. 7.30pm. Dame Margaret Hodge MP MBE Tickets: £6 full, Margaret Hodge is a British Labour £5 concessions politician, who has been MP for 7pm Lowdham Village Hall Barking since 1994. She has served in Main Street, Lowdham, Notts NG14 7BD many government departments Festival Film Night - Friday 29th September including the Culture and Creative La La Land The Light Between Oceans (12A, 2hrs 8 mins) Industries. From 2010-2015 she was (12A, 2 hrs 13 mins) Chair of the Public Accounts Friday 27th October Committee, and in this fascinating Based on the bestselling novel by M. L. Viceroy’s House book she shines a light on some of the Stedman, this is the heartbreaking (12A, 1 hr 46 mins) most alarming and important financial story of a lighthouse keeper and his Save the date – issues facing the country today. wife living off the coast of Western Sunday 12th November Tickets: £8 full, £7 Concessions, Australia, who raise a baby they rescue There will be an afternoon showing of a £6 Festival Friends. from a drifting rowing boat. Starring film appropriate for Remembrance Day. Café serving tea and cakes. Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Rachel Weisz. Tickets: £6 full, £5 concessions, There is a licensed bar at all the Film £4 Festival Friends. Friday evenings, plus ice cream, Bar available plus hot drinks, popcorn, popcorn, hot drinks and a delicious selection of home made cakes. icecreams and home made cakes. Festival Box Office 10–4 Mon to Sat 0115 9663219 5 Monday 19th – Tuesday 20th June Lowdham Book

Monday 19th June 7.30 – 8.45pm St Mary’s Church, Church Tuesday 20th June 2 – 3.30pm St Mary’s Church, Church Lane, Lowdham NG14 7BQ 7.15 – 8.45pm St Mary’s Church, Church Lane, Lowdham NG14 7BQ Diaries of a Wildlife Lane, Lowdham NG14 7BQ Paradise Found: The Photographer Toby Faber: 90 years of Lost Gardens of Heligan – with Jack Perks excellence in cover design – with Stuart Dixon This talk explores Jack’s work as a Faber and Faber is the last of We are delighted to welcome back wildlife photographer in his home the great publishing houses to Lowdham Festival favourite Stuart county of Nottinghamshire, as well remain independent. As the Dixon. as all over the country. He has featured grandson of its founder, Toby and worked on Countryfile, grew up steeped in its books. He was MD Stuart is a Horticultural lecturer, writer Springwatch and The One Show and for four years and remains on the board. and broadcaster, currently featuring on recently published his first book This lecture traces the Faber story BBC Radio entitled Freshwater Fishes of Britain. through its covers and designs, featuring Nottingham for A fascinating illustrated talk. artists from Rex Whistler and Barnett the gardening Tickets: £6 full, £5 concessions, Freedman to Peter Blake and Damien show. £4 Festival Friends Hirst, and design concepts including Tickets: £5 full, pioneering typography. Toby will also £4 concessions, share some personal insights and £3 Festival Friends anecdotes, whether it is Lord of the Flies being rescued off the slush pile, or the decision made while he was MD to turn down Life of Pi. … Tickets: £8 full, £7 concessions, £6 Festival Friends (includes a glass of wine) 6 Festival Box Office 10–4 Mon to Sat 0115 9663219 Festival 2017 Wednesday 21st June

Wednesday 21st June breathing and relaxation techniques. 10.30am - 12.30pm WI Hall, Main In her book Inhale. Exhale. Repeat. Street, Lowdham NG14 7AB Emma offers fresh and simple tips to Classic Retro Favourites: keep our minds healthy using literary a cookery demonstration with recommendations and recipes to Jackie Skinner and Catherine create a perfect mindful day, without Humphries the need for expensive detox or far flung retreats! A big welcome back to Jackie and Tickets: £5 full, £4 concessions, Catherine, who will guide us through £3 Festival Friends some some classic dishes (with the help of a surprise guest!) 7.30 – 9pm Lowdham Village Hall Tickets: £5 full, £4 concessions, Main Street, Lowdham NG14 7BD £3 Festival Friends Reservoir 13: Jon McGregor Things, brings us his first novel in seven 2.30- 4pm WI Hall, Derbyshire, midwinter. A teenage girl years: the story of many lives haunted Main Street, goes missing. The villagers are called by one family’s loss, unfolding over the Lowdham NG14 7AB up to join the search, fanning out course of thirteen years in a small Literary across the moors. Meanwhile, there is village. As an experienced performer Meditation with work that must still be done: cows of his own work, Jon will lead the Emma Mills milked, fences repaired, pints poured. audience on a journey through the Life goes on, as it must. landscapes and hidden stories of his Westminster Psychology graduate new novel, Reservoir 13. Emma Mills lives in Nottinghamshire, Jon McGregor, author of Even the Dogs Tickets: £8 full, £7 concessions, and is an expert in meditation, and If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable £6 Festival Friends Festival Box Office 10–4 Mon to Sat 0115 9663219 7 Thursday 22nd June Lowdham Book

Thursday 22nd June 7 – 8.30pm St Mary’s Church, Church emerged – thought- 2 – 3.30pm St Mary’s Church, Church Lane, Lowdham Notts NG14 7BQ provoking, funny, Lane, Lowdham Notts NG14 7BQ Joanne Harris and sad and completely The Great British Village Show The Storytime Band original. – with Matthew Biggs There is a story the bees used to tell, HONEYCOMB, a Matthew trained at The Royal Botanic which makes it hard to disbelieve…. collection of 100 Gardens, Kew where he is now a Joanne Harris is the internationally dark and inter- lecturer, and is a regular panelist on acclaimed author of CHOCOLAT and connected tales, BBC Radio 4’s Gardener’s Question Time. many other best-selling novels. Her illustrated by Charles Vess, will be He has written several books, leads career also includes writing for TV, published next year. Meanwhile, gardening tours worldwide and opera and musical theatre and her live Joanne and the Storytime Band have contributes to many gardening storytelling has become a popular created #Storytime: a live show magazines. In his new book he goes Twitter phenomenon. From these featuring tales from the book, along behind the scenes at the Village Show segments a whole book of stories has with projections, original music and to bring us prize winning recipes and songs, written and performed by interviews with show veterans, giving Joanne and the band of which she has a unique insight into the quirks and been a member since she was at qualities of a college. This intimate, engaging, quirky great British and darkly magical show is appealing tradition. to audiences of all ages, but especially Tickets: £6 full, £5 lovers of folklore, fantasy and fairytale. concessions, Tickets: £10 full, £9 concessions, £4 Festival Friends £8 Festival Friends © Jonathan Jacobs (includes a glass of wine) 8 Festival Box Office 10–4 Mon to Sat 0115 9663219 Festival 2017 Friday 23rd June

Friday 23rd June James was a founder member of The Harts Restaurant, Standard Hill, Late Show, is a Fellow of the Royal Nottingham NG1 6GN Society of Literature, Visiting Professor 11.30am – 2.30pm at Bath Spa University, and the Literary Lunch with Commissioning Editor for Arts at BBC James Runcie Radio 4. 8pm Old Ship Inn, Main Street, James Runcie is an award-winning He was Artistic Director of the Bath Lowdham film-maker and the author of the very Literature Festival from 2010-2013, and A Warthog Promotions Event - popular ‘The Grantchester Mysteries’ Head of Literature at the Southbank Harp and a Monkey series of books, the adaptation of Centre in London from 2013-2015. which is currently showing on TV Songs about cuckolded mole catchers, starring James Norton as Sidney He trained at the Bristol Old Vic and is a lone English oak tree that grows at Chambers. a hugely entertaining speaker – we are Gallipoli, care in the community and in for a treat! medieval pilgrims… we can only be Tickets: £40 talking about the folk experimentalists (includes drink on Harp and a Monkey. The harp ‘n’ banjo arrival, two course driven electro-folk-storytelling of lunch, glass of Martin Purdy, Simon Jones and Andy wine, coffee and a Smith is imbued with a deep book). Menu Lancashire sensibility that shines available on through in their beautifully crafted and booking – dietary sometimes spooky vignettes of requirements northern life, love and remembrance. catered for. Tickets £10 Festival Box Office 10–4 Mon to Sat 0115 9663219 9 Saturday 24th June Lowdham Book

Saturday 24th June, 10am–5pm 11–12.00: Charlie Peace, unknown individuals come to us with Village Hall, Main Street, Lowdham with Michael Eaton their drawings of ships, daisywheels, WI Hall, Main Street knights drawing their swords, demons All Day Book Fair and Café Charlie Peace was a notorious stalking the brickwork and every Nottingham rogue in Victorian times, animal imaginable. Throughout the day the Village Hall who became a national figure hosts a café run by mmm… deli, commemorated in music hall songs, 11–12.00: Staring Directly at the serving hot and cold drinks, salads waxworks and articles in the illustrated Eclipse, with Henry Normal and paninis, cakes and ice-cream. The press of the day. Michael Eaton, Marquee behind the Village Hall bookfair is spread over the Village screenwriter and playwright, has Better known as the co-writer of The Hall, a marquee behind the hall, and written a book about Charlie, his life Royle Family, and The Mrs Merton Show, assorted gazebos. It features and times and the way he producer of Alan Partridge and publishers, charities, book trade was portrayed in Victorian Philomena, Henry Normal has returned organisations, booksellers with new melodrama - and up to the to his first love - poetry. He organised and second-hand books, and cards. modern day in nursery the Nottingham Poetry Festival in April There are displays of old-fashioned rhyme. and this new collection is his first letterpress printing equipment. Free poetry book for twenty years. Much of author talks and talks about books 11–12.00: Historic graffiti, with the material comes from the Radio 4 will go on throughout the day. There James Wright programme A Normal Family, covering will be books for children and adults, Methodist Chapel, Main Street loneliness, human frailty and other bargain books and books signed by Local archaeologist (and Lowdham conversation all the authors appearing during regular) James gives an illustrated talk stoppers the festival. on the lost worlds found on the walls leavened by Entry is FREE to the bookfair of our historic buildings, in caves and his trademark and all events. No tickets required. rockfaces where the lost voices of humour. 10 Festival Box Office 10–4 Mon to Sat 0115 9663219 Festival 2017 Saturday 24th June

12.30–1.30: Oliver Cromwell, with Martyn Bennett Methodist Chapel, Main Street Martyn examines the life of Oliver Cromwell – one of the most controversial figures in history. He challenges long-held perceptions of Cromwell and the Commonwealth, arguing that they need to be placed at the core of early Modern British and Irish history. 12.30–1-30: Gossamer Days, with Eleanor Morgan 12.30–1.30: The Things We Thought WI Hall, Main Street We Knew, with Mahsuda Snaith Eleanor, from nearby Thurgarton, talks Marquee behind the Village Hall about spiders and their relationship to Mahsuda is of Bangladeshi humans. background and lives in Leicester. Her first novel traces what happens Spiders’ produce has been used in gun when the chronically sick, sights and underwear, but there’s more housebound Ravine recalls what to spiders than a nice piece of silk. happened when her best friend Eleanor has been researching spiders Marianne disappeared. Mahsuda was worldwide for the last ten years and her recently given the accolade of being talk will transform the way we think an Observer new face of fiction about them. for 2017. Festival Box Office 10–4 Mon to Sat 0115 9663219 11 Saturday 24th June Lowdham Book

2–3.00: The Cut, with Anthony 2–3.00: Jane Austen on men and Cartwright masculinity, with Deirdre O’Byrne WI Hall, Main Street Methodist Chapel, Main Street The Cut a Brexit novel, is published on Austen’s writing is fascinating on the June 23rd, the anniversary of the vote male persona, whether she is writing which tore Britain apart. It is a fictional about family, money, inheritance, response to a complex issue; a novel of dancing, emotions, courtship, marriage, questions, not answers. It is also a plot- friendship, responsibility, jobs, reading or driven page-turner by one of the most appearance. Deirdre O’Byrne teaches exciting novelists in the country. Some English and Irish literature at of his Loughborough University. earlier work 2–3.00: Storytelling and why we need was written it to survive, with Trish Nicholson entirely in Marquee behind the Village Hall the dialect One of two New Zealand writers at the of the Black festival, Trish, an anthropologist, talks Country! about A Biography of Story, a cultural history of the power of stories in the comedy and tragedy of human affairs from our foraging ancestors to the digital age. She shows how stories give meaning to life and challenge “alternative facts”.

12 Festival Box Office 10–4 Mon to Sat 0115 9663219 Festival 2017 Saturday 24th June

assistant to founder of Milan Saturday 24th June 11am–4pm 3.30–4.30: Football & Cricket Club, Committee Room (marquee lined) Shoestring Press Herbert Kilpin came a long in Lowdham Village Hall poetry reading, way from his humble roots in with Peter Bland Nottingham. But while he FREE Family Fun at the and only played for the love of Festival! Rennie Parker football and died in obscurity Tales Inside the WI Hall, Main in 1916, his club went on to become Indoor Tent! Street one of the most successful and famous Come along and Peter Bland sides in the world: AC Milan. This is his join in with our emigrated to New Zealand in the story - soon to be a film. celebration of 1950s and became a leading actor and traditional tales director on stage and screen. Here he 3.30–4.30: Brand New Beat, from Hans Christian will be reading from Remembering with Deborah Tyler-Bennett Anderson to the Brothers Grimm. England, a theme taken up in his new Marquee behind the Village Hall There will be storytelling and music collection, launched today. He will be It’s the 1960s. The world of variety is from festival favourites Theresa and joined by Rennie Parker, taking a fading and television Ximena, plus crafts, a treasure trail, shorter journey from Lincolnshire who is king. There’s surprise guests and of course, cake! will be reading from her new Beatlemania and the Feel free to dress as your favourite collection The Complete Electic Artisan. first stirrings of what fairytale character – prizes for all! would become the 3.30–4.30: Herbert Kilpin, Summer of Love. Look out for more details on The Lord of Milan, with Robert Nieri Deborah will be www.thebookcase.co.uk nearer Methodist Chapel, Main Street reading short stories the time. From Victorian lace warehouse about that era. Festival Box Office 10–4 Mon to Sat 0115 9663219 13

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18 Festival Box Office 10–4 Mon to Sat 0115 9663219 Festival 2017

Sunday July 2nd Tuesday July 4th Lowdham Festivals & The Bookcase presents: First Fridays June Sponsored Walk in aid of Dismembered: How the attack – December 2017 Literacy Volunteers in on the state harms us all Nottinghamshire Schools with Polly Toynbee & David Walker Friday June 2nd How To Handle Later Life 10.30am. The Horse and Groom, 10 St Mary’s Church, Church Lane, – with Marion Shoard Main St, Linby, Nottingham NG15 8AE Lowdham, Nottingham. 7.15 – 8.45pm Friday July 7th Small Island by Little Train: To celebrate the 20th birthday of The A welcome return to Lowdham from A UK narrow-gauge adventure Bookcase last year we published A Literary Guardian journalists Polly Toynbee and – with Chris Arnot Trail: 20 Miles in Nottinghamshire in order to David Walker, who will take us on a vivid Friday September 1st raise money for a very worthwhile local journey into the public services on which Nottingham in Literature charity. The Literacy Volunteers work in local we all depend. As the UK faces its – with Dr Deirdre O’Byrne schools to promote reading for pleasure and uncertain future, this book spells out how Friday October 6th History of Poverty in Britain to encourage reading skills. Today we will be much we need a functioning public – with Dr Andrew Gritt walking a 5 mile section of the trail through sector, and how it must be paid for. Friday November 3rd Linby, Newstead and Papplewick, led by Tickets: £8 full, From Here We Changed The World – Bill Bottomley who devised the route. £7 concessions, Pilgrims and Rebels from North Notts – with Adrian Gray A sponsor form will be given with your £5 Festival Friends Friday December 1st ticket in the hope that you Christmas Prose and Poetry might help us with our – with Voice Versa fundraising. Do join us! Tickets: £5 All First Friday talks take place in Lowdham (includes The Primitive Methodist Chapel, Main Street, Lowdham, Literary Trail booklet 2 – 3.30pm. Tickets: £6 full, £5 concessions, £4 Festival Friends (always including tea & cake!) rrp £5.99) Festival Box Office 10–4 Mon to Sat 0115 9663219 19 Lowdham Book Festival Information Ticket information Travel information for Lowdham Tickets are available from Lowdham is off the A6097 (Bingham to Doncaster) and The Bookcase, 50 Main Street, A612 (Nottingham to Southwell) between Newark and Lowdham NG14 7BE over the Lowdham. counter, by mail or by credit card over the phone (Festival Lowdham railway station: A brisk ten minute walk Box Office is 0115 966 3219 from the centre of the village. 10am–4pm Monday–Saturday) or, subject to availability, on the Lowdham bus stop: Pathfinder 100 buses drop off door at events. ONLY at the bottom of Main Street by the cricket ground/war memorial, seven minutes from the main If ordering by post please Festival site. enclose a first class SAE and include a contact telephone Car parking: There is car parking at the Village Hall and number. Cheques are payable on and off Main Street. There is limited car parking at to Lowdham Festivals Ltd. There the Methodist Chapel and the WI Hall and opposite the is a 75p surcharge for postage Library on Franklin Road. There is a car park at St Mary’s on credit card telephone Church. bookings. Tickets are not required for free events. Note: car parking fills up quickly at popular events – please allow time to park. If you require disabled parking, please contact the Festival Box Office in advance.