7 – 16 OCTOBER 2011 BOX OFFIce 01242 505 444 REGENT ARCADE CHELTENHAM cheltenhamfestivals.com Go online for more info & to buy tickets Principal Sponsors Broadcast Partner SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS BOX OFFICE 01242 505 444 Title Sponsor In association with Principal Supporters Broadcast Partner Radio Partner Official Coffee Charity Partner Major Supporters The Oldham Foundation Official Car Official Wine Festival Partners Working in Partnership 2 WELCOME BUY TICKetS AT CHELteNHAMFesTIVALS.COM The Festivals are constantly evolving and changes for The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival this year will bring a new and exciting dimension to the experience for everyone. The Festivals embrace some of my most fundamental beliefs; access to high quality culture for people from all backgrounds to enjoy; the opportunity to share our views with others; to deepen our understanding of a whole range of topics and a chance to have fun. I hope you enjoy your personal journey through the treasure-trove of events that make up this year’s Artistic Director Executive Director Book It! Director Development Director Sarah Smyth Clair Greenaway Jane Churchill Sarah Rawlings Festival. Putting on such inspiring and valuable Festivals is costly and the cost can not Here at Cheltenham we’ve been challenging, provoking and celebrating the best in the be covered through ticket-sales alone. With a reduction in public-sector support, world of books for more than 60 years; in 2011 we take our boldest step yet. we will rely increasingly on you for help and I would ask you to consider being as generous as you can in making a donation when booking your tickets. Growing dramatically in scale with more than 500 mouth-watering new events, we’re unveiling Cheltenham’s new literary quarter on Montpellier Gardens, just two I look forward to seeing you in October and reading your reviews of the Festival. minutes’ walk from our tented village on Imperial Square. Four brand-new venues, a huge bookshop, a sparkling Spiegeltent Bistro, delicious cafés, and quiet corners Donna Renney Chief Executive, Cheltenham Festivals to relax with a book, catch up with friends or enjoy storytelling, poetry and our smorgasbord of fantastic free events. As we’re on the move this year, we’ve taken Journeys of Discovery as our theme; our Contents Guest Director Ben Fogle welcomes some of the world’s top explorers and introduces Britain’s first Festival Explorer-in-Residence. Mike Atherton joins sporting heroes FESTIVAL MAP 4 - 5 from field, track and turf; Jo Shapcott celebrates the joys of poetry and Anjum Anand Find your way round the Festival Quarter cooks up a treat on our very first Food Day. This is a truly thrilling year for us; there’s never been a better time to visit the Festival. Festival GUIDE 6 - 13 Make a day of it, make a week of it; challenge, question and debate - or sit, read, relax Festival highlights and soak up the atmosphere. Welcome! Festival PROGRamme 16 - 68 The Festival Team Your day-by-day guide to events BOOK IT! 41 - 52 To make your visit as enjoyable possible Our Festival for families and young readers WRite awaY 70 – 71 DON’T ForGet… Creative workshop programme • Prepaid Ticket Collection will only be available at Montpellier Gardens Festival INDEX 78 – 81 • To set up an online Wish List from Monday 8 August Find who you want to see • Pink = Montpellier Gardens BOOkiNG INFORmatiON 82 – 85 Green = Imperial Square How to book tickets • Arrive in plenty of time and check the venue on the day VisitiNG THE Festival 86 – 87 Your guide to Cheltenham and venues with maps • Need help on site? Look out for people in pink! GET CONNECTED cheltenhamfestivals.com/subscribe @cheltfestivals #cheltlitfest facebook.com/cheltenhamfestivals Fancy yourself cheltenhamfestivals.com/blog as an explorer? See page 89 for more ways to get involved. Hear first hand what it’s like from Dominic Faulkner Explorer-in-Residence, the at afirst literature ever festival. His many adventures include an 8000 kilometre cycle from the shores of the Dead Sea to the base of Everest, followed by a successful ascent of the iconic mountain. Join him for a series of inspirational events offering would-be explorers practical advice from a man who knows! 3 FESTIVAL MAP BOX OFFICE 01242 505 444 THE festival QUARteR ImpeRial SQUARE THE STUDIO GaRDEN THeatRE PillaR ROOM CaFÉ THE INkpOT THE Times CafÉ MaiN Hall WateRstONE’S Festival BOOK TENT BIG ON BOOKS RObiN HOOD DeN Festival BOX OffiCE (sales ONLY) OUT AND ABOUT NEW FOR 2011 - PARKING Don’t forget our venues in central Weekend Day Parking Passes are now available for Festival-goers to Cheltenham – for a detailed map see page 87: book in advance. We’ll be running a regular shuttle bus from our central The Playhouse Theatre GL53 7HG Cheltenham car park over the weekends of the Festival – ask the Box Office for more information and don’t forget to book in advance! St Andrew’s Church GL50 1SP The Queen’s Hotel GL50 1NN The Daffodil GL50 2AE PARK & RIDE Cheltenham’s Park & Ride operated from Arle Court (GL51 6SY) and Hotel du Vin GL50 3AQ Cheltenham Racecourse (GL50 4SH). Parking is free, and the service runs The Montpellier Chapter Hotel GL50 3AS every few minutes (see page 87 for more details). 4 FESTIVAL MAP BUY TICKets AT CHELteNHAMFesTIVALS.COM MONtpellieR GaRDENS WateRstONE’S Festival BOOK TENT RADIO TIMES THE LiteRARY LOUNGE THE FORUM BIG ON BOOKS SKY ARTS DEN CANCER QWERTY RESEARCH UK VISCONTI PENS DaviDstOW FESTIVAL E HiGHlaND PARK THE SalON MARQUEE PRepaiD FESTIVAL FeastFest FOOD Hall tiCkeT BOX OffICE COllECtiON N T R A THE Times READING ROOM SpieGelteNT BisTRO NC E 5 FestIVAL GUIde BOX OFFICE 01242 505 444 WHY NOT TRY... HiGHlaND PARK KEYNOTES WORDS AND WHisKY A range of free music performances and Enjoy the world’s greatest literature intimate readings, from some of The with ‘the greatest all rounder in the Festival’s best talent, all accompanied by a world of malt whisky.’ Michael Jacksons’ complimentary dram of Highland Park Single malt whisky companion Malt Whisky. A Wee DRam Drop into The Highland Park Keynotes Marquee, next to the box office in Montpellier For those that would like to take a deeper Gardens, to enjoy a complimentary tasting tasting session, Dominic Roskrow, Editor of whilst listening to acoustic music acts or Whiskeria and The Spirit Business Magazine, readings from some of the Festival’s best will be running three separate hour-long talent. Authors will read for 15 minutes at tasting sessions on the second Saturday of a time, giving insights into the motivation the Festival, 15 October. He will lead guests behind their work, reading out small passages through various different ages, including the and answering audience questions - timings famous 18 Year Old, voted ‘The Best Spirit in are listed throughout the programme. The the World’ - tickets can be purchased from music acts will play throughout the day. the box office. After enjoying one of their perfectly balanced malt whiskies, don’t forget to enter the Highland Park prize draw for a weekend trip to their spiritual home of Orkney. COmeDY QUIZ NiGHT with Alex Horne and Tim Key LINDemaN’S Enjoy a drop while you swap L260 Thursday 13 October Spiegeltent Bistro L052 Saturday 8 October 7-10pm £20 per team of four The Literary Lounge 3.45-4.45pm £6 Unleash your grey matter and pit your L061 Saturday 8 October wits against fellow Festival-goers as Spiegeltent Bistro comedians Alex Horne and Tim Key 6-7.30pm £12 present their specially written Festival Quiz. Sure to be great fun, you’ll also We are delighted to be working in get the opportunity to win some partnership with Lindeman’s Wine and fantastic prizes… Book Club this year. On Saturday 8 October, journalist and author Penny Smith will launch the Lindeman’s Book Swap in The Literary Lounge, and later that evening Lindeman’s BURlesQUE CabaRet will be showcasing their delicious wines in a special tasting event in our glamorous L145 Monday 10 October Spiegeltent Bistro. Spiegeltent Bistro Throughout the Festival there 7-10.30pm £25 including buffet supper will be a special Lindeman’s Book Swap bookcase in The Come along to the Spiegeltent Bistro for a Times Café where book-lovers bohemian evening of Gallic delights as we can exchange literary celebrate the life of Kiki de Montparnasse, treasures. So why not leave dancer, artist and muse to the avant an old favourite tome for garde photographer Man Ray. Join us for someone to inherit, and a delicious French themed supper as a pick up something new wonderful evening of surprises unfolds – to discover. including burlesque dancing, evocative music and an alternative art class from London-based Dr Sketchy, all hosted by the extravagant and irrepressible Ophelia Bitz. Official Wine 6 • MONTPELLIER GARDENS • Experience the unique and beautiful world of the Spiegeltent at this year’s Literature Festival. The home of the Spiegeltent Bistro, this lavishly decorated and atmospheric venue is the perfect place to relax, with hot and cold food being served all day, a fully licensed bar and a programme of music and events being held throughout the Festival. SPECIAL EVENTS SPECIAL EVENTS Saturday 8 October Thursday 13 October Jazz and wine tasting Comedy Quiz Night Sunday 9 October Friday 14 October Sunday lunch with classical music Open mic lunchtime Monday 10 October Saturday 15 October Kiki de Montparnasse Jazz and whisky sampling Burlesque night Sunday 16 October Sunday lunch with classical music FOOD SERVED ALL DAY • FULLY LICENSED BAR • FREE ENTERTAINMENT SEE THE MAIN PROGRAMME FOR MORE DETAILS OF EVENTS FESTIVAL GUIDE BOX OFFICE 01242 505 444 Your journey starts here.