Registered Charity No: 1165315 8 Days of Captivating Events! 20 - 27 October 2018 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 417 AR A KET 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 W E PORTWAY N TO 8 WANTAGE TOWN CENTRE HUNGERFORD 3 3 & M4 A 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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. 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.