Marlborough marlborough Lead Sponsor literature festival 27–30 September 2018 Welcome to LitFest 2018 … and to a weekend bursting with events and activities. This is Marlborough’s ninth LitFest and, as always, our focus is on Michael great writing and storytelling. There are more than 30 events Symmons with enough variety – from bookbinding and beer to poetry Roberts and politics – for everyone whatever your age or interest. Poetry Martin Bence Photo: This year we welcome several Michael Symmons Roberts is one of Britain’s most place. Amongst other things, we encounter a leading authors whose names acclaimed poets. His 2013 collection of poems, Victorian diorama, a bar where a merchant mariner will be familiar to all, as well Drysalter, swept the board, winning the Costa and has a story he must tell, and a chimeric creature as those you may not yet have Forward Prizes for poetry. Last year he published – Miss Molasses – emerging from the old docks. heard of, but who we think are Mancunia, dedicated to the 22 victims of the Mancunia might be an unreal city but it’s also firmly well worth looking out for. Manchester Arena attack and to those “Mancunians rooted in Manchester, and others” who offered assistance. where Symmons Our thanks to our lead sponsor Roberts is Professor of Brewin Dolphin for its continued Born in Lancashire, Symmons Roberts has been Poetry at Manchester support and to all our sponsors described by Jeanette Winterson as “a religious poet Metropolitan University. and volunteers whose help in a secular age”. He read philosophy and theology makes the festival a success. at Oxford and used to be head of development for Our biggest thanks go to you, our the BBC’s religion and ethics department. He’s audience. Without your support, also an award-winning librettist and broadcaster, TICKETS £10 there would be no LitFest. the author of two novels and a Fellow of the Royal VENUE Adderley, Society of Literature. Marlborough College We look forward to seeing you. DATE Thursday 27 September Symmons Roberts will be talking about Mancunia 7.30pm which, like Thomas More’s Utopia, is an imagined LitFest Chair Rose Tremain The Golding Speaker At the heart of Rose Tremain’s new book Rosie, a memoir of the “frozen world” of her upper-middle- class childhood, is a chilling portrait of maternal failure and cruelty. “My mother really didn’t like us, either me or my sister,” Tremain says. “And I don’t quite know why.” David Kirkham Photo: If only her nanny, whom she describes as an “angel” and “saviour”, had been her mother. “She then she has been shortlisted for the Booker was the kindest person Prize for her historical novel Restoration, won the I’ve ever known.” Whitbread Novel of the Year Award with Music & Silence and the Orange Prize for Fiction with The Tremain, the festival’s Road Home. And now comes Rosie: Scenes from a Golding Speaker this Vanished Life, a riveting memoir that is as shocking year, is a cornerstone as it is moving. No surprise that she waited until of our literary her parents were dead before writing the book. establishment. Novelist TICKETS £12 and short story writer, Tremain was made a CBE in 2007 and is a former she was one of only six chancellor and alumna of the University of East VENUE Town Hall women on Granta’s list Anglia, where she also taught creative writing. DATE Friday 28 September of best young British She lives in Norfolk with the biographer Richard 7.30pm novelists in 1983. Since Holmes. Box Office 01249 701628 3 Our children’s events are sponsored by St Francis Debi Evans beloved Jack School, marlborough.news and Hamilton Trust. The Adventures Russell terrier. of Rolo: Jewel Debi’s philosophy Dog and the for writing is to Storytelling Dragons entertain, whilst Our popular free storytelling events for under 5s Debi Evans is well using her love of are back again this year – join us for 30 minutes of known and cherished in nature and history to stories and laughter with local nursery teacher Tor the Marlborough area create thrilling stories Burt on Friday morning in Marlborough Library or as a children’s author with an educational Free Events for on Saturday morning in the White Horse Bookshop who writes about the flavour. In her fabulous Schools with primary school teacher Teresa Masterson. adventures of Rolo the stories rescue dog Rolo Every year we are proud Older brothers and sisters are welcome too. Dog, based on her own time-travels through to provide free events to history making things local schools, with well- happen – sometimes known authors sharing unexpectedly – along their work. Since our the way! launch in 2010 we estimate that over 3,000 Debi will be appearing children have benefited with her illustrator from these author talks. Chantal Bourgonje. This year we welcome Ross Montgomery with his new book Max and Photo: Vicky Scipio Photo: the Millions for our primary schools event, TICKETS Not required TICKETS Not required TICKETS £5 and Tamsyn Murray Suitable for under 5s Suitable for under 5s Suitable for 5+ with Instructions for a VENUE Marlborough Library VENUE White Horse Bookshop VENUE White Horse Bookshop Second-hand Heart for DATE Friday 28 September DATE Saturday 29 September DATE Saturday 29 September our Big School Read for 10.30am 10.30am 3pm secondary schools. For Children For Children For Children For Invited schools only. 4 www.marlboroughlitfest.org David Walliams David Walliams is one of our most popular TV comedians. In between winding up Simon Cowell as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent and swimming the channel for Sport Relief, he has also carved out a reputation as one of the most successful children’s authors writing today. His eccentric take on the world is reminiscent of Roald Dahl, that other giant of children’s fiction. It all started back in 2008, when the groundbreaking The Boy in the Dress was published, with illustrations by Quentin Blake. Since then Walliams has sold more than 12 million copies of his books in 46 languages, including Gangsta Granny and Mr Stink. A long way from Ray McCooney, his Mad Scot character in Little Britain (“Yeeees”), or maybe not. Whatever he turns his hand to, Walliams manages to convey a madcap, touching humour that strikes a chord with a wide audience. To mark a decade of writing, Walliams is bringing TICKETS £5 his Live Event to Marlborough. “What started off as VENUE Memorial Hall, something of a hobby for me has completely taken Marlborough College over my life. It is hard to believe there are children DATE Sunday 30 September reading my books who hadn’t been born when I 3pm started writing them.” Children For Children For Box Office 01249 701628 5 For Book Lovers Collectable Book Rare Books at Marlborough College Roadshow Don’t miss the chance to see these wonderful Our local rare book ancient books, including some very early bibles. expert Chris Gange is once again at Katharine Dr Simon McKeown, Keeper of Rare Books, will House Gallery to value present some highlights of the highly regarded and discuss your rare Marlborough College collection. and collectable books. Bookbinding Workshop with Lori Sauer Whether you have a first Learn the art of creating beautiful bindings in this edition on your shelves, workshop suitable for all skill levels. Lori Sauer or just something out is a Fellow of Designer Bookbinders and teaches of the ordinary, bring it masterclasses in the UK and abroad, specialising in along to Chris and find contemporary design. out more. This two-hour workshop will teach you simple binding techniques and you will create a piece to take home. All materials supplied. TICKETS £25 (8 places each) TICKETS Not required TICKETS £10 (15 places only) VENUE White Horse Bookshop VENUE Katharine House VENUE The Smoking Room, Gallery, The Parade Marlborough College DATE Friday 28 September DATE Saturday 29 September DATE Sunday 30 September 10am and 2pm 11am – 1pm 2-3pm 6 www.marlboroughlitfest.org Max Hastings Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy The first journalist to enter Port Stanley during the Falklands War, Max Hastings is one of journalism’s ‘big beasts’: eminent foreign correspondent and former editor of both the Evening Standard and The Daily Telegraph. But it’s as a military historian that he is probably best known – for 50 years he has been writing fascinating, authoritative works on the major events of the last century, from America, 1968: The Fire This Time (1969) to Bomber Command (1979) to All Hell Let Loose: The World at War, 1939-1945 (2011). His latest book is Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy: 1945- 1975, a searing account of the build-up to and horror of the war that divided America and the world. Hastings spent three years interviewing participants from all sides. For him, the hidden tragedy is that of the Vietnamese, 40 of whom died for every American. TICKETS £10 Meanwhile, back in southern England, Hastings lives just down the road in Hungerford. Regular VENUE Town Hall commuters to London will perhaps have seen him DATE Saturday 29 September boarding the train, armed with the proofs of his 10.30am Photo: AP. Press Association Press AP. Photo: latest magnum opus. Box Office 01249 701628 7 Jane Robinson Hearts and Minds 1918 was a tumultuous year in As Robinson writes: “When they set out at the British history, marking the end end of June 1913, they had been housewives, of the First World War and the grandmothers, aristocrats, illiterate girls, first time women – 40% of them, actresses, colliery-women, teachers, students, at least – were given the right frightened, unsure, naive, perhaps a little reckless; to vote.