HOW TO BOOK 7–16 October 2016 cheltenhamfestivals.com cheltenhamfestivals.com
Getting to The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival
01242 850270 Before the Festival: CF Ticketing Box Office, 15 Suffolk Parade, Cheltenham, GL20 2AE (Office and phone lines open Tue–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat 10am–2pm). Please note that the the Suffolk Parade Box Office will be closed during the Festival and on the key priority booking days, as noted below. However, Box Offices will be open during the Festival on Imperial Square and Montpellier Gardens. During the Festival: Festival Box Offices, Imperial Square (GL50 1QA) and Montpellier Gardens (GL50 1UW), Cheltenham. For full details about Box Office opening hours, in person and telephone ticket sales, booking fees, terms & conditions and Membership, visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/booking Spiegeltent bookings: Our dining seating plans are pre-allocated on the day by our events team and tables may be shared. Please inform our Box Office about any special dietary or seating requirements. Family events: All children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by a responsible person aged 16 or over. All attendees require a valid ticket. If you have any special access requirements, such as needing to book a wheelchair space, you can book using our online form which will be available from Saturday 13 August at cheltenhamfestivals.com/booking
Quicker & Easier Booking with Wish Lists You must create a Wish List in advance to buy tickets on day 1 of Members or Public booking (31 Aug / 7 Sept). Go to cheltenhamfestivals.com/literature before booking opens.
Booking Dates Members’ Priority Booking: Wednesday 31 August, from 1pm: Online booking (Wish Lists only). Please note that our Box Office will be closed on this day.
Public Booking: Wednesday 7 September, from 1pm: Online booking (Wish Lists only). Please note that our Box Office will be closed on this day.
Thursday 1 September, from 10am: Online and phone booking. Please note that our Box Office will be closed on this day.
Thursday 8 September, from 10am: Online and phone booking. Please note that our Box Office will be closed on this day.
Friday 2 September, from 10am: Online, phone and in person booking.
Friday 9 September, from 10am: Online, phone and in person booking.
01242 850270 #cheltlitfest
Cheltenham is easily accessible from all over the UK, by road and rail. Most events take place on the main Festival sites, located in central Cheltenham on Montpellier Gardens (GL50 1UW) and Imperial Square (GL50 1QA) – just a 9 minute walk apart. Most other venues are within walking distance. For more information on public transport and car parks go to cheltenhamfestivals.com/your-visit
Postcodes Imperial Square (including Cheltenham Town Hall Baillie Gifford Stage, Drawing Room and Pillar Room, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre, The Inkpot, The Little Big Top, Waterstones Children’s Hideaway) GL50 1QA Montpellier Gardens (including The Huddle, The Spiegeltent, The Times Forum) GL50 1UW Cheltenham Ladies’ College Parabola Arts Centre GL50 3AA Cheltenham College Chapel GL53 7LD Hotel du Vin GL50 3AQ 131 The Promenade GL50 1NW The New Club GL50 1UD INCLUDES
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WELCOME
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the leading figures in film, art and design. Cheltenham is the place to explore what is coming up too: Fiction at 7 and our Proof Parties introduce you to the best new talent; be thrilled by fresh literary voices and discover the latest work from leading poets.
A warm welcome to The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival 2016. This year embodies Cheltenham’s spirit of enquiry, as we bring you some of the world’s most exciting thinkers and commentators to debate the most pertinent issues. The Festival is a hotbed for writers, politicians, academics and journalists to explore new ways of seeing the world. We are not shy about tackling controversial topics and we want you to be part of the lively discussions. We have created a strong programme which celebrates the power of writing. This year we have a wonderful selection of literary greats, past and present, and there is also a chance to meet some of
Throughout the year we work with an exceptional advisory committee, external programmers and guest curators to bring you world-class authors and speakers. I would like to thank our partners for their continuing dedication and support, in particular The Times, The Sunday Times and Waterstones. Thank you of course to our speakers, their publishers and also our volunteers who give up their valuable time. 2016 is set to be a thrilling year at the Festival and we look forward to welcoming you in October. Baroness Gail Rebuck Chair, The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival
and very different voices explore the important issues for the Millennial generation and ask key questions about how we live now: Akala, Emma Gannon and Cecilia Knapp. Building on the success of our poetry programme in 2015 we introduce Festival Lates in the Little Big Top. Come and enjoy the lively atmosphere and discover what’s happening on the spoken word scene. I am delighted to introduce the programme in my first year as Director and am excited to be a part of this wonderful Festival. In the run up to the U.S. election we look at ‘America Uncovered’, debating American society and culture and bringing together some of the leading opinion formers to talk about America past, present and future. Our fantastic guest curators bring expertise and insight to the programme. Sarah Churchwell and John Freeman explore classic American literature and the best new American fiction, while Reginald D. Hunter gives his unique view of America. Three dynamic
There is a brilliant family programme too for everyone from bouncing babies to young adults; a chance to meet favourite writers and discover new ones too. Look out for free events at the Festival and around town; whether you prefer to listen enthralled or go on an action packed hunt there is plenty to choose from. This year’s Festival promises to be amazing. Huge thanks to the whole team who have worked so hard to create it. I look forward to seeing you there! Antonia Byatt Director, The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival
Contents Page 4–17 Behind the Programme Find out what’s new and discover our event collections
Page 18–21 Festival Guide Your guide to the Festival sites and how to find your venue Page 24–93 Festival Programme Your day-by-day guide to what’s on
Page 94–109 Family Events From 3+ to Young Adults
Back cover Booking Information How to book your tickets
Page 118–121 Index A full speaker list
Go to cheltenhamfestivals.com/ literature to create your Wish List for quicker, easier booking
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Box Office 01242 850270
America Uncovered
America Uncovered is our theme for 2016. We turn our gaze on this extraordinary country (still the world’s only true superpower) and its fascinating culture, politics, history and enormous influence across the globe. Will it be Hillary or The Donald on November 8th? At the time of writing, a riveting election campaign is unfolding across the pond and the world looks on, mesmerised. Whether we like it or not, the outcome will affect us all. And so, with America at a significant fork in the road, we look back: at Obama’s ground-breaking presidency and ask how history will view America’s first black president. We also look forward: debating the future of America on the world stage including our very own “Special Relationship”.
We seize the opportunity to delight in the fantastic canon of American literature. What happened when Fitzgerald and Faulkner went to Hollywood? What is The Great American Novel, exactly? How influential was the Harlem Renaissance? From film nights to poetry readings, from gospel and oratory to music and Route 66, as ever our packed programme will satisfy the most lively-minded lover of words. Nicola Tuxworth Head of Programming, The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival
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Hot new literary voices such as Garnette Cadogan, Donald Ray Pollock and Garth Greenwell and established critical favourites such as Jonathan Safran Foer and Cheryl Strayed are all flying in especially for Cheltenham. A host of commentators, big thinkers and agenda setters from across the pond joins them, including Teju Cole, PJ O’Rourke, Michael Puett and many more. Come and welcome them in October!
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REGINALD D. HUNTER
Three extraordinary Guest Curators join us in Cheltenham this year to explore the theme of America Uncovered with us. They bring with them a wealth of experience and talent to the Festival, helping us to create the very best, innovative and exciting events for you. We are thrilled to introduce them:
SARAH CHURCHWELL
JOHN FREEMAN
Reginald D. Hunter is one of the UK comedy scene’s best-known performers for his distinctive take on subjects including race and sexuality. His work can be brutally honest and is often considered to be controversial, but it is always meticulously thought out. He recently presented the hugely popular documentary series Reginald D Hunter’s Songs of the South for BBC2.
Sarah Churchwell is Chair of Public Understanding of the Humanities and a professorial fellow in American Literature at University of London. The author of several books and many scholarly articles, her literary journalism has appeared in numerous publications, from The New York Times Book Review to the Financial Times. She comments regularly on arts, culture and politics for UK television and radio and is currently writing a book about Henry James.
John Freeman is the editor of Freeman’s, a literary biannual of new writing, and former editor of Granta. He is currently Writer-in-Residence at NYU and Executive Editor of the Literary Hub. He has written two non-fiction books, a collection of poems and has edited two anthologies about inequality in America. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Paris Review and The Guardian and has been translated into more than 20 languages.
“I’m really honored to be asked to be a Guest Curator for Cheltenham Literature Festival; I love the live atmosphere and vibrant debate. As an American living in Britain, I want to dig deep into how America presents itself and look at how we view that huge nation from this side of the Atlantic. Is there a version of America we don’t hear?”
“I have long loved Cheltenham Literature Festival and it is a thrill to create a strand celebrating American literature. To have the chance to share all these wonderful American writers with new audiences, or to share new ideas with readers who already love them, is such a privilege!”
“I have been hearing about Cheltenham for years, so many things I’d begun to wonder if it was a sort of literary Valhalla. Looking at the programme this year, I see this is in fact true. Coming from the fallen Valhalla of America, what we have left besides baseball, the blues and landscape is our literature: I’m honored to be presenting my favorite voices from this big land at the Festival.”
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2016 COLLECTIONS
AMERICA
ANCIENT WORLD
ART & DESIGN
BUSINESS
CLASSIC LITERATURE
CURRENT AFFAIRS
FAITH
FESTIVAL LATES
FICTION
HISTORY
LIFESTYLE
LOCALLY SOURCED
MILLENNIAL LIVES
NATURAL WORLD
POETRY
PSYCHOLOGY
SCIENCE & TECH
SPORT
STAGE & SCREEN
TRAVEL
Long-term investment partners
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Baillie Gifford ‘Discovery’ We have worked in partnership with Baillie Gifford to programme five events to explore this theme.
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The Spiegeltent, our most iconic and beautiful venue, signifies the Literature Festival coming to town each year… Situated in the heart of Montpellier Gardens, it provides a unique and unforgettable experience where you can enjoy delicious food from world renowned chefs, listen to bestselling authors talk about their latest books and get those brain cells working with our annual quizzes. This October, savour the delights of Sabrina Ghayour’s supper club, kickstart your day healthily with Deliciously Ella and Joe Wicks, munch your way through delicious treats from Bake Off champion and creator of Her Majesty’s 90th birthday cake Nadiya Hussain, relax over Sunday lunch with Michelinstarred chef Marcus Wareing and sample tantalising tapas with Miriam González Durántez.
Italy comes to Cheltenham with Antonio Carluccio, raise a glass to 40 years of the Pocket Wine Book with Hugh Johnson and enjoy the company of culinary legend Diana Henry. Join us for lunch with one of the nation’s favourites Alan Titchmarsh, get the hottest style and wardrobe tips at The Sunday Times Style Lunch, try rollmops and smorgasbords and hear about the latest Scandi crime novels at Cool Crime from Cooler Countries and join the wit and wisecracks of the Algonquin Round Table, as we celebrate the legendary Dorothy Parker. Festival favourites, Robert Crampton’s Sunday night quiz and Marcus Brigstocke’s Newspaper Review brunch, are back due to popular demand along with a literary quiz from James Walton to test that bookish knowledge.
There’s something for everyone at the Spiegeltent this year – see you there! To book tickets: Box Office 01242 850270 cheltenhamfestivals.com For information on Spiegeltent seating arrangements, please see the How to Book section on the back page of this brochure.
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Box Office 01242 850270
Rarely do we make it through a day of news without another piece of commentary on the Millennial generation. Born between 1980 and 2000, they are children of the Baby Boomers or Generation X, the generation that has grown up alongside the internet, for whom having a global network of friends, products and services at their fingertips has become the norm. Growing up in an era of immense social and technological change, it is a generation of entrepreneurs, self-starters and game-changers… but also a generation for whom home ownership, starting a family and the security of a career can feel like a distant dream.
In this year’s Millennial Lives collection, we take a closer look at the successes, frustrations and trends of the Millennial generation and explore how the changes they are making affect all of our daily lives. Examining the irrepressible rise of Airbnb, Uber and Deliveroo, we look at the good and bad of the new sharing economy, we explore the rise in portfolio and online careers with a leading cohort of bloggers, vloggers and entrepreneurs, and, as social media becomes an increasingly dominant presence in our lives, we look at what it means to have our every move tweeted, checked in or filtered. Away from screen life (if we really can ever get away…), we take stock of current debates around gender, mental health, materialism, clean eating and, in the age of the selfie, ask whether we’ve reached peak narcissism or whether the power of the self-image can in fact be a force for good.
Millennial Lives
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cheltenhamfestivals.com
AKALA
EMMA GANNON
CECILIA KNAPP
BAFTA and MOBO award-winning Akala is an artist, writer and social entrepreneur who fuses unique rap/ rock/electro-punk sound with fierce lyrical storytelling. He has featured on everything from BBC 1Xtra to Live at the Tate Modern. In 2009, he launched the ‘The Hip-hop Shakespeare Company’, a music theatre production company, which has sparked worldwide media interest.
Emma Gannon is part of ‘generation slashie’ – an author, speaker, digital consultant, podcaster and founder of award-winning blog girllostinthecity.com. She’s the former social media editor of GLAMOUR and has been published everywhere from The Guardian to Teen Vogue to MTV. This year she released her debut book CTRL ALT DELETE: How I Grew Up Online, published by Ebury.
Cecilia Knapp is a writer, poet and performer. She’s taken her poetry all over the UK and internationally, made commissioned work for BBC iPlayer and had her words played on Radio 1, 1Xtra and XFM. Her one-woman theatre piece touring in 2016, Finding Home, is an exploration of loss, identity and growing up.
“I’m really excited to be performing and speaking at Cheltenham this year. As a writer, musician and mostly as a person I have been indelibly shaped by what I have read and there are few spaces more committed to the magical art of the written word than Cheltenham Literature Festival.”
“I’m over the moon to be a Guest Curator for Cheltenham this year. Every panel and workshop is very close to my heart, discussing the impact that our increasing dependency on the Internet might be having on our careers, creativity, connections and overall well-being.”
“Being a guest curator at Cheltenham Literature Festival is such a huge honour. For me, creativity and writing have always been fundamental to coping with life and I believe creative expression can help with even the most challenging of circumstances. I’ll be hosting conversations around using creativity to promote mental health awareness and how it can help those who may be suffering.”
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Every October in Cheltenham there is a mini-invasion of journalists from The Times and The Sunday Times. Both newspapers are proud to be sponsors of Cheltenham Literature Festival and our writers enjoy the chance to take part in the ten days of debate and discussion.
Crossword editor Richard Rogan teaches you the tricks of solving The Times crossword puzzle, TV critic A. A. Gill and columnist David Aaronovitch talk about their memoirs, and Great British Bake Off winner and Times chef, Nadiya Hussain, is coming too.
It has been a turbulent year. Let our journalists make sense of it for you. Philip Collins, Tim Shipman and Alice Thomson give their insider accounts of the political turmoil of 2016. Foreign correspondent Christina Lamb is in conversation with the young Syrian, Nujeen Mustafa, who became one of the faces of the refugee crisis. And if you have ever wondered how newspapers are put together at such a gallop, Emma Tucker, the deputy editor of The Times, will lift the lid on what really happens. If you want to make sense of that day’s news, come and watch our team of leader-writers hammer out what the papers should say the next morning.
Robert Crampton’s quiz night has become a fun and boozy festival ritual. Join him and prove your trivia brilliance. Concerned that you’re a bad parent? Tanya Byron is here to reassure you. Worried that you’re a bad saver? Let The Sunday Times finance team guide you. We look forward to welcoming you to The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival. See all our events listed throughout the brochure.
Clockwise from left: Christina Lamb A. A. Gill Nadiya Hussain Tanya Byron Philip Collins
Box Office 01242 850270
Festival Lates Provocative, evocative and vibrant, our Festival Lates collection presents some of the very best contemporary spoken word, stand-up, storytelling and performance in our intimate Little Big Top venue.
Delving into the comedy realm, we have a rare live show from Jamie Morton and the podcast team who brought us My Dad Wrote a Porno. Queer’Say presents an evening of stand-up and poetry with some special guests. If you want to tell your own story, come along to Spark True Storytelling night. You will hear personal stories from anyone in the audience with a great tale to share; expect to be surprised, moved and uplifted. It’s a truly original, feel-good, welcoming night and your chance to get your own story out there.
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For the young at heart looking for something a little bit different, these events will be right up your street. The Little Big Top is the place to come during the Festival for fun, innovative ideas, food for thought and story sharing. Bring your friends for a great night out, grab a drink at the bar and be prepared to be surprised, outraged, moved and entertained.
WEDNESDAY 12 OCTOBER
FRIDAY 14 OCTOBER
8.30–9.30pm
9–10pm
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My Dad Wrote A Porno Imagine if your dad wrote a dirty book. Most people would try to ignore it and pretend it never happened – but not Jamie Morton. Morton. Instead, he’s decided to read it to the world in the hit comedy podcast everybody’s talking about. In this special live show, Jamie will be reading a new chapter of his father’s ridiculous erotica with his friends James Cooper and BBC Radio 1’s Alice Levine. Levine.
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What I Learned From Johnny Bevan Following acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe, performance poet Luke Wright delivers a multi-awardwinning hurricane of a play in poem form. With humour and humanity, he takes British politics head on, challenging the rise of New Labour and David Cameron, and the abandonment of those left behind.
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Box Office 01242 850270
A FEAST OF FICTION
Variety is the theme of this year’s fiction offering at The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival – real, copperbottomed variety, with international literary superstars sitting cheek by jowl on the list of speakers with some of the country’s most popular writers and a host of exciting new talent to discover.
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There is no bigger international literary figure at the moment than Karl Ove Knausgaard. We’re thrilled that he’s agreed to come to Cheltenham to receive this year’s Sunday Times Award for Literary Excellence and talk to Mark Lawson about his series of autobiographical novels, My Struggle. American giant Jonathan Safran Foer is here too to discuss his first novel for over a decade, Lionel Shriver introduces her novel The Mandibles, Icelandic sensation Yrsa Sigurðardóttir talks Scandi crime with Erik Axl Sund, and we’re delighted that bestselling American crime writer Michael Connelly is here at an event sponsored by The Times and The Sunday Times Crime Club to reveal all about his writing.
In popular fiction, what better list of names could you find than Jilly Cooper, Tracy Chevalier, Victoria Hislop, Nina Stibbe, Alan Titchmarsh and Alison Weir? And when it comes to new novelists to discover, we have a tempting selection, with prize-winning Eimear McBride and the highly praised first novelists Harry Parker and Kit de Waal. Two of my own favourites are also here: historical novelists Francis Spufford and Sarah Perry, stars of one of our Sunday Times Must Reads events, who I would recommend heartily to anyone.
Elsewhere, we’re celebrating Elena Ferrante with a special event featuring her translator Ann Goldstein (who knows, she may even let slip the mysterious Ferrante’s true identity) and we also welcome much-lauded Israeli short story writer, scriptwriter and graphic novelist Etgar Keret.
Andrew Holgate Literary Editor, The Sunday Times
Closer to home, we’re spoilt for choice, with Booker winners Ian McEwan and Graham Swift on their new novels, Edna O’Brien looking back at last year’s hugely acclaimed The Little Red Chairs, Maggie O’Farrell and Deborah Moggach discussing their new work, Mark Haddon on his first collection of short stories, The Pier Falls, and Sebastian Faulks talking about his latest novel, Where My Heart Used to Beat.
So, something for everyone at this year’s Festival. I hope you enjoy it.
cheltenhamfestivals.com
THE BEST OF HISTORY, CULTURE AND CURRENT AFFAIRS
I’m a fan of pointless knowledge and this year at Cheltenham I’ll be well provided for. Richard Osman and Alexander Armstrong, the witty TV quizmasters, will be revealing their Pointless History of the World.
That’s the best thing about Cheltenham Literature Festival — you never know what random, entertaining, joyfully pointless gobbet of knowledge you’ll pick up by going along to hear the grand chorus of historians, writers, scientists, politicians, fashionistas and artists.
Turning the focus to another leading lady, BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell, A. N. Wilson and Jonathan Bate look back at the life and times of Queen Elizabeth II and explore the monarchy’s place in the national imagination.
The American satirist and pundit P. J. O’Rourke, for instance, has travelled far and wide in his long journalistic career. He has discovered all sorts of odd things. That’s why The Times is awarding him its inaugural William Howard Russell Prize for excellence in writing. He’ll be interviewed on what he has learnt about life and will no doubt have comic insight into the Trump-Clinton slugfest.
If palace life is too genteel, then Times journalist and historian Ben Macintyre offers his blood and thunder history of the SAS. Ben is the first historian to be let loose on the special forces’ archives, so he can reveal some untold stories and bust a few myths.
Is Donald Trump actually beyond satire? I can think of two guys who might have the answer. Ian Hislop, editor of Private Eye, and Armando Iannucci, creator of Veep and The Thick of It, will also be in town discussing the madness of modern politics. The tables turn on the grand inquisitor Jeremy Paxman. Paxo talks about his life, career in TV and will be able to speak freely about the politicians he has tormented over the decades. Ken Clarke, the veteran Tory politician, always speaks freely. He’ll have some expansive thoughts on two particular “bloody difficult women” — Thatcher and May.
There’s more — Rachel Johnson and Peter York guide you through the maze of modern manners, mindbender extraordinaire Derren Brown teaches us how to be happy (good luck with that), football wild boy Joey Barton talks soccer, prison and philosophy, wild girl Vivienne Westwood talks fashion, Bryony “mad girl” Gordon is funny and self-mocking about her battle with OCD and depression, and comic Alexei Sayle will bounce around and perhaps explain how it came to pass that Mrs. Thatcher stole his trousers. Pointless? Never! Come along and see for yourself… Robbie Millen Literary Editor, The Times
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is proud to support
Join us in our festival bookshops in Imperial Square and Montpellier Gardens.
BAIILL LLIIE GIFFO FFORD RD LITE TERAR RY FE FES STIVAL LS SPON PONS SORS RSH HIP
IF LIFE’S A BOOK, THEN WE WROTE THE CHAPTER ON LONG-TERM INVESTING.
Baillie Gifford is proud to sponsor The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival. We are long-term investors and have been supporting the Festival for the past seven years. Our series of 2016 events brings you some of the most influential thinkers from across the globe, offering a mix of high-profile, thought-provoking talks and debates. They explore everything from genetics to the sharing economy and Turing’s imitation game to getting the perfect job at any age, with big names including Adam Rutherford, Alice Roberts, Heather McGregor (aka Mrs Moneypenny) and more. Baillie Gifford is an independently-owned global investment manager and one of the UK’s largest investment trust managers. You can pick up a copy of Baillie Gifford’s free award-winning magazine Trust in the Festival cafés or in the Town Hall, and you can subscribe to Trust by entering the prize draw to win a luxury break to York. Trust is a tri-annual publication that is full of topical articles, author interviews, book reviews and details of our sponsorship of exciting literary events taking place throughout the UK. For more information visit www.bailliegifford.com/cheltenham
Long-term investment partners
IMPERIAL SQUARE
Box Office 01242 850270
Toilets
Baillie Gifford Stage
Toilets
The Drawing Room The Pillar Room
Toilet
Dean Close
Box Office The Little Big Top
Travelbag
The Sunday Times Garden Theatre
The Times
The Inkpot Waterstones Bookshop
Toilets
THE PROMENADE Montpellier Gardens this way (9 Min Walk)
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Waterstones Children’s Hideaway
Bite Café Bar
IMPE
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IMPERIAL SQUARE
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Baillie Gifford Competition Enter the Baillie Gifford prize draw to win a luxury break in York. Pick up a leaflet from the Festival Cafés or Festival Information Points within Box Offices.
Discovery Trail
FREE – throughout the Festival To mark 100 years since Roald Dahl’s birth, take part in our phizz-whizzing quiz inspired by characters like the BFG, Willy Wonka and Matilda. Pick up your entry form at the Dean Close marquee.
Waterstones Children’s Hideaway
Long-term investment partners
Open 9.30am–6pm throughout the Festival
Pop in to see the Book Doctor, make book bunting, try the book quiz and other free activities.
Waterstones Book Tent Author book signings will be held here throughout the Festival.
Free Family Activities 11am–2pm Saturdays and Sundays – Imperial Square and Waterstones Children’s Hideaway
Storytelling, face painting, musicians, character meet and greet, things to make and take. To find out more about what’s on, go to cheltenhamfestivals. com/festival-guide
Eat, Drink And Be Merry Bite Café Bar
Bite will be offering a host of scrumptious treats and snacks on Imperial Square. Relax between events and take time out to refuel. Thank you to our suppliers
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MONTPELLIER GARDENS
Box Office 01242 850270
The VIP Lounge
The Spiegeltent
The Huddle
The Times Literary Supplement The Times
MONTPELLIER WALK
Author book signings will be held here throughout the Festival.
Imperial Square this way (9 Min Walk)
Waterstones Book Tent
The Spiegeltent
Radio Times
Main Entrance
Box Office
Toilets
A glorious venue at the heart of the Festival, offering a dazzling array of unique events. See top speakers, authors, chefs and more in a luxurious setting, as you enjoy everything from Sunday brunch to afternoon tea, from a lovely lunch to a delicious dinner.
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Feast Café Bar
MONTPELLIER GARDENS
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The Huddle NEW FOR 2016 Drop into The Huddle throughout the Festival to catch a pop up event, swap a book, debate with a mate or sip on an aperitif.
The Times Forum Waterstones Book Shop
FREE, 10–14 October
Very Short Introductions, The Huddle Top speakers, authors and specialists take to their soapboxes for Very Short Introductions to diverse and fascinating topics, in association with Oxford University Press. Enjoy free intellectual stimulation with your mid-morning cappuccino or afternoon cuppa!
Toilets
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FREE at the Feast Café Bar Crosswords With The Times, Feast Café Bar
Make yourself comfy as The Times Crossword Editor Richard Rogan takes you through the mysteries of the day’s crossword puzzles with a helping hand or tantalising hint where needed!
Eat, Drink And Be Merry Feast Café Bar
Feast will be offering a host of scrumptious treats and snacks in Montpellier Gardens. Relax between events and take time out to refuel. Thank you to our suppliers
Storytime Adventures Pre-schoolers and their families can enjoy action-packed story sessions with our professional story-tellers and authors, featuring favourite picture books and imaginative play. Evening Free Events, The Huddle Head over to The Huddle at 7pm Monday-Friday during the Festival for a spot of evening entertainment. Enjoy music, poetry and author readings with a drink or two before heading to your evening events.
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The intelligent read Great writers, exclusive interviews, incisive critics and comprehensive listings for television and radio, every week.
FRIDAY 7 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270
DAY PLANNER 9am Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage
10am
11am
12noon
L001 SIAN WILLIAMS
1pm
2pm
L004 THE HUMAN FACES OF CHINA
3pm
4pm
5pm
L008 MONTY DON
Town Hall, Drawing Room
6pm
7pm
L014 RAY MEARS
The Sunday Times Garden Theatre
L010 THE BIG READ BOOK GROUP
L006 SAS: ROGUE HEROES
L003 HOW TO BEAT THE MIDLIFE MELTDOWN
L011 PETER AND DAN SNOW
L015 IAN MCEWAN
L012 POSTNATAL DEPRESSION
L007 THE BRONTËS
L017 THESE GIRLS CAN
LS02 YOUNG WRITERS SHOWCASE
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio
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L024 MARIELLA FROSTRUP
L025 ROLL OVER ATLANTIC
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium
The Spiegeltent
L026 NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND
L020 LEMN SISSAY AND SALENA GODDEN
L002 THE SECRET WORLD OF JOHN LE CARRÉ
L005 ALAN TITCHMARSH
L009 POLITICAL MAVERICKS
L013 ALEXANDER MASTERS
L016 VOGUE: THE SHOE
10pm
L023 SUSAN CALMAN
L018 FICTION AT 7: MY FAMILY AND OTHER FICTION
The Little Big Top
The Inkpot
9pm
L019 TONY ROBINSON
Town Hall, Pillar Room
The Times Forum
8pm
L022 SAN FRANCISCO
FRIDAY 7 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 12.15–1.15pm
L003
Psychology
How To Beat The Midlife Meltdown Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8 It can be a shock to realise that you’re over halfway through your life, caught between grown-up children and ageing parents, a mortgage and the menopause. With insight and humour, Vogue contributing editor Christa D’Souza (The Hot Topic) and journalist Miranda Sawyer (Out of Time) explore the changes to our bodies, and our sense of purpose in the world, that midlife brings. With psychologist Helena Rubinstein, they also reveal the unexpected pleasures that the second half of life can offer.
1–3pm
L005
Fiction
Alan Titchmarsh Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £25
Ticket includes a two course lunch
11am–12noon
1–2pm
L001
Psychology
The Human Faces Of China
Sian Williams Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £8 The much-loved broadcaster, trained trauma assessor and author of Rise shares her recent experience of breast cancer. She explores the science of resilience and growth after trauma and how we handle adversity, with Libby Purves.
L004
Current Affairs
11.45am–1pm
L002
Fiction
The Secret World Of John Le Carré Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 To celebrate this year’s publication of le Carré’s memoir The Pigeon Tunnel, his editor Mary Mount, broadcaster and journalist Jon Snow and novelist Charles Cumming (A Divided Spy) discuss the secret to our greatest living spy novelist’s enduring appeal. Chaired by leading lawyer Clive Stafford Smith.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9 From the passionate foot soldiers of the Cultural Revolution to those born under a one-child policy into a life of expectation, China is a nation defined by generational differences. Journalist and author Xinran is joined by China correspondent Rob Schmitz (Street of Eternal Happiness) and Beijing writer and journalist Alec Ash (Wish Lanterns) as they build a fascinating portrait of the distinct personal experiences that lie behind a country all too often characterised by stereotypes.
Long-term investment partners
‘It’s not about the destination. It’s about the journey’ is the message behind Mr. Gandy’s Grand Tour, the latest story from the muchloved author, gardener and broadcaster. Join him for a delicious lunch as he talks to Tim Hubbard about his new novel that follows Timothy Gandy on a Grand Tour of Europe, following in the footsteps of the aristocrats of the eighteenth century.
1.30–2.30pm
LS02
Locally Sourced
Young Writers Showcase Imperial Square, The Inkpot £2 Queen of Teen award-winning author Juno Dawson chairs this celebratory event which showcases talent unlocked through Cheltenham Festivals’ year-round outreach programme. Juno will share the stage with students from Cheltenham Festivals First Story schools: All Saints’ Academy, Pittville School and Millbrook Academy; and the Gloucestershire Hospital Education Service. Be inspired by the students who will bring you highlights of their professionally published anthologies.
25
FRIDAY 7 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270 3.30–4.30pm
L010
Classic Literature
The Color Purple: The Big Read Book Group Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £5
2–3pm
If you’ve never read The Color Purple, you’re in for a treat. If you read it years ago, time to read it again! This modern classic is just as fresh, shocking and ultimately heartwarming as it was when first published in 1982. Come and join the discussion with Jane Bailey.
L006
History
SAS: Rogue Heroes Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 The Times columnist Ben Macintyre has been given unprecedented access to the SAS archives. He sheds light on their rituals, secret missions and the extraordinary characters that have served in this maverick band of brothers. He will be joined by a special guest on behalf of the SAS.
2.15–3.15pm
L007
Classic Literature
The Brontës: Life At The Parsonage Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9 What was it about life in a cold and isolated parsonage in Yorkshire that inspired three sisters to become supreme storytellers whose works have joined the classics of English literature? In the 200th anniversary year of Charlotte’s birth, Brontë biographer Juliet Barker (The Brontës: A Life in Letters) and Lauren Livesey, Arts Officer at The Parsonage Museum, reflect on how family relationships and deaths, home and landscape influenced Charlotte, Emily and Anne. Chaired by Libby Purves.
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3–4pm
L008
Lifestyle
Monty Don Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10
3.15–4.15pm
Monty Don’s dog Nigel has his own fan-mail and even his own social media accounts. In conversation with Anne Robinson, Monty (Nigel: My Family and Other Dogs) explores what dogs mean to us emotionally and domestically.
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8
L009
4–5pm
L011
History
History
Political Mavericks
Peter And Dan Snow’s Treasures Of British History
The corridors of Whitehall have seen many brilliant and often maverick personalities at work. Historian Giles Milton (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare) tells of the six extraordinary, creative men who led Churchill’s campaign to destroy Hitler’s war machine through audacious acts of sabotage. He joins politician, and Churchill’s grandson, Nicholas Soames to discuss why we value those who dare to be different and how unorthodox individuals continue to shape our politics. Chaired by Times columnist Rachel Sylvester.
Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 Back by popular demand! The celebrated father and son historians tell the nation’s story through its fifty most important documents, from the Magna Carta to Tim Berners-Lee’s memo for a World Wide Web.
cheltenhamfestivals.com 4.15–5.15pm
L012
Psychology
Postnatal Depression: The Last Taboo? Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8 It is assumed that having a baby is a time of great joy, love and excitement. Yet around ten percent of women are secretly consumed by depression and feel unable to cope after the birth. Leading Australian perinatal psychiatrist Anne Buist, journalist Sali Hughes, who herself suffered severe postnatal depression, and local community midwife Jules Dean discuss how to recognise symptoms in those close to you, and how we can respond as a society. Chaired by Libby Purves.
5–6pm
L013
History
The Sunday Times Must Read: Alexander Masters Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8
5.30–6.30pm
L014
Natural World
Ray Mears Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10 Out on the Land is one survival specialist’s absorbing exploration of the circumpolar Boreal forest. Ray Mears shares practical advice with Hugo Rifkind of The Times, alongside his love of the forest and admiration for the people who live there. GLOUCESTERSHIRE
ECHO gloucestershirelive.co.uk
The Sunday Times Literary Editor Andrew Holgate presents one of his 2016 Must Reads, A Life Discarded. In 2001, 148 tattered notebooks were discovered in a skip in Cambridge, part of an anonymous diary starting in 1952 and ending half a century later. Award-winning biographer Alexander Masters uncovers the identity and history of their author, with an outstanding final revelation.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
6.15–7.15pm
L015
Fiction
Ian McEwan Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 The ever-popular internationally acclaimed and prize-winning author presents his latest novel Nutshell; a classic tale of murder and deceit told from an entirely unexpected perspective. Chaired by Georgina Godwin.
27
FRIDAY 7 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270
7–8.15pm
L018
Fiction
Fiction At 7: My Family And Other Fiction Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £10 Ticket includes a glass of wine
6.45–7.45pm
L016
Lifestyle
Vogue: The Shoe
Jem Lester (Shtum) and Keith Stuart (A Boy Made of Blocks) have both written novels inspired by their personal experiences of having children with autism, an often misunderstood disorder. The authors share their beautiful, funny, poignant, heartwarming and insightful stories about the bond between fathers and sons with Graeme Simsion (The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect).
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 From the humble clog to fetishistic cuissardes, style writer Harriet Quick presents an illustrated celebration of the shoe as an object of obsession, status and desire, with images from British Vogue’s archives. Chaired by Sali Hughes.
7–8pm
7.30–9.15pm
L017
Lemn Sissay And Salena Godden
Sport
These Girls Can Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10 Jo Pavey (This Mum Runs) was 40 when she won the 10,000 metres at the European Championships, shortly after giving birth to her second child. Juliana Buhring (This Road I Ride) took up cycling to overcome personal loss and then became the fastest woman to circumnavigate the globe by bicycle just a few months later. Sports writer Anna Kessel (Eat Sweat Play) talks to two ordinary women about their extraordinary and inspirational achievements.
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L020
Festival Lates
7.15–8.15pm
L019
Stage & Screen
Tony Robinson Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10 There’s more to Tony Robinson than Baldrick, Blackadder’s hapless dogsbody and all-round idiot. He is a keen politico, children’s author and presenter of Time Team. He discusses his memoir, No Cunning Plan, with Matthew Stadlen.
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £10
The evening will include a 15min interval. The bar will be open for the duration of the event. Prepare to be entertained and enlightened by two of poetry’s most powerful voices. Salena Godden, described as ‘the doyenne of the spoken word scene’ and ‘everything the Daily Mail is terrified of’ reads from Fishing in the Aftermath and performs new material. Lemn Sissay reads from Gold From the Stone, a collection spanning a poetry career that began by hand-selling his first title to miners on the Warrington picket lines to becoming one of the nation’s most treasured poets.
FRIDAY 7 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 8.30–9.30pm
L022
Travel
San Francisco: A Portrait Of A City
9–10.30pm
L025
Festival Lates
Roll Over Atlantic Imperial Square, The Inkpot £9
Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £10
A magnet for musicians, writers, artists and rebels of the 50s and 60s – from the non-conformist Beat Generation at City Lights Bookstore to the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and Jefferson Airplane in the infamous Haight-Ashbury neighbourhood – ‘going West’ to San Francisco still holds a draw for anyone with a bohemian spirit. We get to the heart of America’s hippest city with acclaimed counter-culture biographer Barry Miles, music journalist Barney Hoskyns (Hotel California) and a representative from the San Francisco Travel Association. Chaired by Carrie Plitt.
The bar will be open throughout this event.
9–10pm
In this one-person show mixing cabaret and calypso with mischievous satirical wit, John Agard presents a re-visioning of the notorious New World Enterprise of Christopher Columbus. A voyage in verse, performed against a soundscape of Atlantic murmurings, with Agard taking on the voices of Columbus, The Atlantic Ocean and a chorus of politically conscious mosquitoes. Directed by Mark C. Hewitt, with music by Thomas Arnold, production by Crosspath Theatre with Tilt, and funding by Arts Council England.
L024
Classic Literature
Literature’s Sexiest Stories With Mariella Frostrup Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £12 Featuring strict mistresses, naughty maids, handsome gardeners and disarming strangers, Mariella shares a handpicked selection of steamy fiction (Desire). She joins the publisher of Erotic Review Magazine Lisa Moylett and bestselling author of sexy romances Primula Bond to celebrate the best erotic writing, with readings by actress Anna Chancellor. From the Marquis of Sade and Anaïs Nin to modern masters of the genre, they prove that when it comes to the bedroom, a little fiction goes a long way…
9–10pm
L023
Psychology
Susan Calman Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £12 The comedian shares her experience of battling depression (aka The Crab of Hate) in Cheer Up Love, embracing her dark side to become the most joyous sad person you’ll ever meet. Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
10–11pm
L026
Festival Lates
Bukowski: Notes From The Underground Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £8
The bar will be open throughout this event. Hard-livin’ and hard-drinkin’, we pay tribute to the cult hero and laureate of American low-life, Charles Bukowski, in an after-hours session to round off the first night of the Festival. Grab a drink and settle in with acclaimed counter-culture biographer Barry Miles (Charles Bukowski) and poet and spoken word artist Salena Godden for performances and discussion of Buk’s life and work in LA’s underbelly.
29
SATURDAY 8 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270
DAY PLANNER 9am
10am
Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage
Town Hall, Drawing Room
11am
12noon
L030 TIM SMIT AND THE EDEN PROJECT L029 DEBORAH MOGGACH
1pm
2pm
L035 THE ELECTION GENERALS
3pm
4pm
5pm L045 MARY BEARD
L041 WHAT NEXT FOR AMERICA?
L034 HOW TO CAPTURE YOUR ADVENTURE
6pm
7pm
8pm
9pm
L049 GREGORY DORAN
L055 SARA PASCOE
L047 US ELECTION REVIEW
L057 ALAN CARR
L040 MAGGIE O’FARRELL
Town Hall, Pillar Room
The Times Forum
The Sunday Times Garden Theatre
L032 JILLY COOPER / CLARE BALDING L028 BRITAIN’S SECRET ARMED FORCE
L038 SEBASTIAN FAULKS
L033 HOW THE LEFT LOST ITS WAY
L039 MILLENNIALS: ARE THEY SCREWED?
L042 NICK CLEGG
L051 THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT ON SCREEN
L043 OUR LIVES ONLINE
L048 DEBORAH MOGGACH
L052 EDDIE THE EAGLE
L056 NEW YORK: A PORTRAIT OF A CITY
The Little Big Top
The Inkpot
L031 MAGGIE O’FARRELL
L037 GRAHAM SWIFT
L046 LIVING MORE WITH LESS
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium
L050 GAVIN EXTENCE / GRAEME SIMSION
L329 ANTHONY HOROWITZ
L054 FINDING HOME
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio The Spiegeltent
30
L027 DELICIOUSLY ELLA
L036 LEON
L044 HUGH JOHNSON ON WINE
L044 YOU MIGHT AS WELL LIVE: CELEBRATING DOROTHY PARKER
10pm
SATURDAY 8 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 10.30–11.30am
L028
History
The Silent Service: Britain’s Secret Armed Force Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10 We know little about the Royal Navy Submarine Service, the most mysterious of our armed forces. Since 1969 it has been the last line of national defence, responsible for carrying Britain’s nuclear deterrent, Trident. Granted unprecedented access to documents and personnel, historians Peter Hennessy and James Jinks (The Silent Deep) reveal the fleet’s capabilities, while retired submarine commanding officer Doug Littlejohns, who served on the front lines of the Cold War, describes the reality of life on board. Chaired by Libby Purves.
10.30–11.45am
L029
Fiction
Celebrate With… Deborah Moggach 10–11.30am
L027
Lifestyle
Deliciously Ella Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £25 Ticket includes brunch.
Ella Mills’ style of eating isn’t a diet, it’s about enjoying delicious natural food that makes you feel your best. It’s about balance, moderation and variety – you can do it when, how or as much as you want and it isn’t just about eating kale! The Instagram star and bestselling author explains how using wholesome ingredients to create nourishing recipes can become a natural part of your life and help you glow from the inside out.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £20
11am–12noon
L030
Natural World
Tim Smit And The Eden Project Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £8 From a disused Cornish clay pit rose a remarkable and ambitious venture, which has become one of the world’s greatest gardens. Co-founder and visionary Tim Smit (Eden) talks to BBC journalist and presenter Fi Glover.
Ticket includes a glass of Buck’s Fizz. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is the heart-warming book that inspired the box office hit starring Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and Maggie Smith. The author reflects on her writing with Clare Clark (We That Are Left) and we raise a glass to the success of one of the best-loved stories of the last few years: proving that life and love can begin again, even in the most unexpected circumstances.
31
SATURDAY 8 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270
12.30–1.30pm 12noon–1pm
L032
Fiction
Jilly Cooper With Clare Balding Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £12 The much-loved presenter interviews the bestselling novelist about her hugely entertaining new book Mount!, in which her notorious leading man Rupert Campbell-Black returns to centre stage in the cut-throat world of flat racing.
11.45am–12.45pm
L031
Fiction
Maggie O’Farrell Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 The much-loved author introduces her Sunday Times top ten bestselling novel This Must Be the Place; a story that crosses time zones and continents, revealing an extraordinary portrait of a marriage. Chaired by Caroline Sanderson.
12.15–1.15pm
L033
Current Affairs
How The Left Lost Its Way Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8 In this fascinating and thought-provoking conversation, the influential and outspoken British columnist Nick Cohen (What’s Left? How Liberals Lost their Way) and the respected American commentator and author Thomas Frank (Listen, Liberal) share their insights into the anger propelling politics in both countries. They argue powerfully that the left needs to rediscover its historic purpose and win back the working class.
32
L034
Travel
Travel Photography: How To Capture Your Adventure Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £10 Michael Freeman is one of the world’s most widely-published photographers. In this introductory session, he guides you through the principles of travel photography and gives tips on how best to capture the spirit of your trip, whether you’re off to Cornwall or Kathmandu.
SATURDAY 8 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 1–2pm
L035
2–3pm
Current Affairs
The Election Generals
Millennials: Are They Screwed?
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9
Back by popular demand, the BBC Radio 4 Broadcasting House trio take a lively look at the latest in breaking political news. Join Paddy O’Connell, John Sergeant and Peter Hennessy for a witty and irreverent round-up of the headlines, as they map the political twists and turns in what has been an unprecedented year for British politics.
1.30–2.30pm
L037
Fiction
Graham Swift 1–3pm
L039
Millennial Lives
L036
Lifestyle
Leon Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £30
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8
Purported to be the first generation to earn less than their parents and hit with a tough combination of substantial tuition fees, soaring house prices and facing the uncertainty of post-Brexit Britain... whatever you think of the Millennial Generation, they aren’t in for an easy ride. The Pool’s Marisa Bate and Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett and Michele Hanson (who recently did a generation-swap experiment for The Guardian) discuss the highs and lows of life in Generation Y with New Statesman Editor Jason Cowley.
The Booker Prize-winning author discusses his new novel, Mothering Sunday; an intensely moving and slowly unfolding tale of love and self-discovery. Chaired by The Sunday Times chief fiction reviewer Peter Kemp.
Ticket includes two course lunch and a glass of wine. When the team behind Leon opened their first restaurant on London’s Carnaby Street their aim was to change the face of fast food. Six months after opening they were named ‘Best New Restaurant in Great Britain’ and they haven’t looked back since. Founded on the principles that food can both taste good and do you good, founder John Vincent and chef Jane Baxter share delicious and fresh recipes from their latest book, Happy Salads. Salads. Chaired by Julia Leonard. Leonard.
1.45–2.45pm
L038
Fiction
Sebastian Faulks Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 The ever popular and bestselling author of Birdsong talks to journalist Alex Clark about his latest novel Where My Heart Used to Beat; an ambitious and deeply moving tale of memory, love and war. In association with the International Literature Showcase from British Council, Arts Council England and Writer’s Centre Norwich
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
33
SATURDAY 8 OCTOBER 2.15–3.30pm
L040
LB15
Sarah J. Maas
Fiction
Celebrate With… Maggie O’Farrell
Ticket includes a glass of sparkling wine. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox is vintage Maggie O’Farrell at her very best. Clare Clark (We That Are Left) joins the much-acclaimed author to celebrate ten years since the publication of the book that Ali Smith described as ‘written with charge and energy… reminiscent of classic du Maurier’. Set between the 1930s and present day it asks: how is it possible for a person to be completely erased from a family’s history?
Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times bestselling author of the A Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass series, including the new book, Empire of Storms. More than 2.7million copies of Sarah’s books have sold worldwide. If you’re a fan of fairy tales, high-fantasy and fierce heroines, this event is not to be missed!
L041
34
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10 Millennials: a generation glued to smartphones. But it isn’t all cat videos and Instagrams of brunch. Many are forging hugely successful new businesses, new ideas and new ways of living via online platforms. Deliciously Ella’s food empire stemmed from her healthy-eating blog, Lliana Bird of #HelpRefugees helped thousands after her and her friends’ kitchen table activism reached global networks via Twitter and June Eric-Udorie has made incredible strides in discussions around feminism and race with her online writing and activism. Curated and chaired by Emma Gannon.
4.30–6pm
L044
Lifestyle
Hugh Johnson On Wine Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £15
The Only Superpower: What Next For America?
For decades, America’s economic, political and military might has ensured its position as the most powerful country in the world. But US influence has weakened, encouraging the rise of adversaries including Russia and China. Birkbeck Professor of Politics Robert Singh (After Obama) and China correspondent Rob Schmitz (Street of Eternal Happiness) discuss America’s changing role as the world’s greatest superpower and analyse the likely trajectory of foreign policy post-election with Chatham House’s Rory Kinane.
L043
Our Lives Online
Current Affairs
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10
3.45–4.45pm Millennial Lives
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 Young Adult
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £20
3–4pm
3.15–4.15pm
Box Office 01242 850270
Ticket includes a glass of wine.
3.30–4.30pm
L042
Current Affairs
Nick Clegg Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 The former Deputy Prime Minister knows first-hand the volatility of modern politics. He talks to BBC journalist and presenter Fi Glover about his candid account of those experiences: Politics: Between the Extremes.
Whether you buy your wine online, in a restaurant or at a local supermarket, Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book is the essential reference guide. Celebrating 40 years of the book’s annual publication, Hugh talks to Amelia Singer from ITV’s The Wine Show about grape varieties, local specialities and how to match food with wines that bring out the best in both. With the publication of Hugh Johnson on Wine, Wine, they explore developments that have revolutionised the industry over half a century.
SATURDAY 8 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 5–6pm
L045
Ancient World
Mary Beard Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £8 In SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, one of the world’s foremost classicists asks why the Roman empire still matters, exploring everything from citizenship and security to cruelty and excess. Chaired by Times Literary Supplement editor Stig Abell.
5.15–6.15pm
L046
Millennial Lives
Stuffocation: Living More With Less Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 In the year many of us have been furiously ‘Kondo-ing’ our homes, Steven Gale speaks to two passionate advocates for a life with fewer possessions. Trend-forecaster and author of Stuffocation James Wallman and journalist and London Minimalists founder Michelle McGagh (who will soon finish a year-long challenge to step out of the consumer cycle and buy nothing beyond food and utilities for a year) discuss whether you really can live a fuller life with less.
5.15–6.15pm
L051
Fiction
The American President On Screen
Deborah Moggach
Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 From The West Wing to Independence Day, fictional US presidents are everywhere on screen. Do they have any actual bearing on our understanding of the presidency, or the United States as a nation? Film critic and Heat Magazine’s TV and Review Editor Boyd Hilton and Lecturer in Film Studies Gregory Frame (The American President in Film and Television) look at entertainment from the early 1990s to the present day, exploring the many guises of America’s leader. Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
5.30–6.30pm
Stage & Screen
L048
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10 The bestselling author of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Tulip Fever presents her new novel, Something to Hide; a warm, witty and wise exploration of later life’s unexpected twists. Chaired by Caroline Sanderson.
6–7.15pm
LB21
Feminism Rules! Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £10 Young Adult
Ticket price includes a mocktail and free goody bag Is feminism still relevant? Meet YA authors Holly Bourne, C. J. Daugherty and Holly Smale, who think it is. This lively interactive panel, chaired by ELLE’s literary editor Anna James, discuss making feminism central to their novels – women’s rights, smashing traditional gender roles and creating worlds that go beyond girl power to a new kind of feminism – and why this matters.
35
SATURDAY 8 OCTOBER 7–8pm
L049
Classic Literature
The Shakespeare Lecture: Gregory Doran Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10 The Tempest, with its shipwrecks, storms and fantastical creatures, lends itself to theatrical spectacle. The Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company discusses his innovative staging of the play and ambitious plan to render Ariel as a true sprite, animated live on stage.
Box Office 01242 850270
7.15–8.15pm
L052
L050
Fiction
Gavin Extence And Graeme Simsion
L053
Classic Literature
Eddie The Eagle
You Might As Well Live: Celebrating Dorothy Parker
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8 This year’s hit film reminded millions of the determination and audacity that took this peculiarly British hero from being a plasterer in Cheltenham to a ski-jumper at the Calgary Winter Olympics. He talks to broadcaster Tim Hubbard.
The RSC’s The Tempest is produced in collaboration with INTEL and in association with THE IMAGINARIUM STUDIOS.
7–8pm
8–10.30pm
Locally Sourced
7–8pm
L047
Current Affairs
The Sunday Times US Election Review
Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £60
Ticket includes three course dinner and half a bottle of wine. Notorious as the hard-drinking bad girl with a talent for stinging repartee and endlessly quotable one-liners, Dorothy Parker captured both the dazzle and darkness of Jazz Age New York. Pull up a chair at one of our own Algonquin Round Table(s) as we celebrate the wit and wisdom of America’s iconic wise-cracker with comedian Helen Lederer and American Literature Professor Sarah Churchwell, including performances by Berlin poet and drummer duo, Nora Gomringer and Philip Scholz. Hosted by David Freeman.
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 Bestselling authors Gavin Extence (The Empathy Problem) and Graeme Simsion (The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect) reflect on why the most awkward of protagonists can often be the most endearing. Both authors present their thought-provoking yet heart-warming new novels, featuring characters you can’t wait to be reunited with each time you leave them. Chaired by journalist Alex Clark.
36
Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 Hillary or The Donald? Who will win the race for the White House? As the US election campaign reaches its climax, we reflect on the twists and turns of an extraordinary two years with our panel of experts and political insiders. Sunday Times Deputy Editor Sarah Baxter (Washington correspondent for eight years) American commentator Thomas Frank (Listen, Liberal) and Sky anchor and columnist Adam Boulton ponder the likely outcome on November 8th, with Sunday Times Executive Editor Eleanor Mills.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
SATURDAY 8 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com
8.30–9.30pm
L054
Festival Lates
Finding Home Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £10 Along London’s cycle paths, alleyways and canals comes a coming-of-age story that maps the journey of a girl from a seaside town to the tenements of city life as a 20-something. Directed by Stef O’Driscoll (Nabokov, A Tale From A Bedsit, Kate Tempest’s Hopelessly Devoted) writer, performer and Festival Guest Curator Cecilia Knapp’s debut show is brought to life through an evocative collaboration of words, projections, vocals and instrumentals, including recordings from world-champ beatboxer Bellatrix and Tongue Fu’s Chris Redmond.
9–10pm
L055
Stage & Screen
Sara Pascoe
9–10pm
Alan Carr
The Live at the Apollo, QI and Mock the Week regular is one of comedy’s sharpest and boldest voices. She talks to Alex Clark about Animal, her witty and illuminating tour of the female body.
9–10pm
L057
Stage & Screen
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £12
L056
Travel
Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £18 Since winning the 2001 BBC New Comedy Award for stand-up, Alan Carr has become one of Britain’s most successful and treasured comedians with his unique humour and effortless stage presence. He chats to Heat Magazine’s Boyd Hilton about his memoir, Alanatomy.
New York: A Portrait Of A City Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9 New York: a city pulsing with life, art and ambition. Leading New York writer, photographer and commentator Teju Cole (Known and Strange Things) is joined by Megan Bradbury, whose novel Everyone is Watching captures the characters who have defined the city, from Walt Whitman to Robert Mapplethorpe. With Barry Miles, acclaimed biographer of the Beat Generation (and a former resident of New York’s infamous Hotel Chelsea), they explore why the city that never sleeps never fails to excite and inspire.
8.45–9.45pm
L329
Fiction
Anthony Horowitz Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 The bestselling novelist and creator of Foyles War and Midsomer Murders will be talking about his new novel Magpie Murders, a fiendishly clever whodunnit inspired by Agatha Christie and the Golden Age of crime fiction.
37
SUNDAY 9 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270
DAY PLANNER 9am Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage
Town Hall, Drawing Room
10am
11am L061 THE COLOR PURPLE: A CELEBRATION
L058 FINDING YOUR VOICE
12noon
1pm
L063 EMMA BRIDGEWATER
2pm
3pm
L068 ALAN JOHNSON
L062 THE BIG READ BOOK GROUP
4pm
5pm
6pm
7pm
L073 LEST WE FORGET
L078 CHERYL STRAYED
L072 BUILD YOUR ONLINE BRAND
L079 EIMEAR MCBRIDE
8pm
9pm
L084 MOTOWN: THE SOUND OF YOUNG AMERICA
Town Hall, Pillar Room
The Times Forum
The Sunday Times Garden Theatre
L065 EMMA FREUD / ALAN CUMMING L060 THE SENECANS
L064 BOYS DON’T CRY
L070 ANDREW DAVIES
L069 PERFECT JOB AT ANY AGE
L075 P. J. O’ROURKE
L074 WALTER PRESENTS…
L081 I’VE NEVER READ...
L077 JONATHAN SAFRAN FOER
The Little Big Top
L083 THE RUGBY REPORT
L086 LUKE KENNARD / MELISSA LEE-HOUGHTON
The Inkpot
L067 IS THE SELFIE REALLY SELFISH?
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium
L071 JESSIE BURTON
L076 HARRY PARKER / OWEN SHEERS L080 BEYOND GENDER
L085 GIRL UP WITH LAURA BATES
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio The Spiegeltent
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L059 MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE’S BIG SUNDAY BRUNCH
L066 THE SUNDAY TIMES STYLE LUNCH
L082 ROBERT CRAMPTON’S QUIZ NIGHT
10pm
SUNDAY 9 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com
10–11.30am
L058
Workshops
Creative Writing: Finding Your Voice Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £8 Poet and performer Cecilia Knapp believes in the transformative power of creative self-expression; that finding a way to tell your story or articulate your thoughts is both empowering and vital. Join her for this introductory workshop in finding your voice as a writer. Regardless of your level or experience, you’ll be guided through some ways that you can begin to explore your potential and continue to share your work via an online platform afterwards.
10–11.30am
L059
Lifestyle
Marcus Brigstocke’s Big Sunday Brunch Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £20
Ticket includes full English breakfast. Back by popular demand! Relax over a delicious breakfast while Marcus Brigstocke along with comedian Sara Pascoe, Pascoe, magazine editor Boyd Hilton and The Times journalist Philip Collins review the week’s big news stories as told by the Sunday papers. They decipher the headlines, bash the broadsheets and tear through the topical stories of the day.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
10.30–11.30am
L060
10.45–11.45am
L061
Ancient World
Classic Literature
The Senecans
The Color Purple: A Celebration
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8 Margaret Thatcher and Emperor Nero, two courts across two thousand years. Peter Stothard, former editor at The Times, blends memoir with ancient and modern politics shedding new light on recent history. Chaired by Mary Beard.
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £8 Alice Walker’s award-winning novel is a truly remarkable book, which has captured the hearts of millions and created a legacy of inspiration, including both an award-winning motion picture and Broadway play. Writer and broadcaster Bidisha, poet Salena Godden (Fishing in the Aftermath), author Robyn Travis (Mama Can’t Raise No Man) and publisher and founder of OWN IT! Crystal Mahey-Morgan explore what makes this book a modern classic that is still fresh, relevant and shocking. Chaired by Nicolette Jones.
39
SUNDAY 9 OCTOBER 11.15am–12.15pm
Box Office 01242 850270
LB28
Chris Hadfield The Times Forum £8 Age 5+ Astronaut Chris Hadfield launches his new picture book, The Darkest Dark, at this unique and inspiring family event. As a child, Chris was keen to become an astronaut, but was uncertain about night time and the dark. Find out how Chris overcame his fears and became Commander of the International Space Station, entertaining and educating us with news, amazing photographs of Earth and his spine-tingling zero-gravity rendition of David Bowie’s Space Oddity. With the right start, you really can make your wildest dreams come true.
12.15–1.15pm
L062
Classic Literature
The Color Purple: The Big Read Book Group Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £5 If you’ve never read The Color Purple, you’re in for a treat. If you read it years ago, time to read it again! This modern classic is just as fresh, shocking and ultimately heartwarming as it was when first published in 1982. Come and join the discussion with Jane Bailey.
12.30–1.30pm
L063
Lifestyle
Emma Bridgewater
1–2pm
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9 There’s hardly a kitchen in the land that doesn’t boast one of Emma Bridgewater’s quintessentially British ceramics. She joins Kerryn Harper-Cuss, editor of The English Home, to share the deeply personal inspirations behind her designs (Pattern).
12.30–1.30pm
L065
Stage & Screen
L064
Millennial Lives
Boys Don’t Cry Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8 Suicide is the UK’s biggest cause of death among young men, yet it’s not discussed openly. Cecilia Knapp lost her brother in this way. She talks to Matthew Todd (Straight Jacket), former editor of the UK’s bestselling gay magazine Attitude and Tim Grayburn, who lays bare his experience of depression in a theatre performance with Bryony Kimmings (Fake it ‘til you Make it). They explore why many men struggle with mental health issues and how creative outlets can help.
Emma Freud Meets Alan Cumming Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £12 A triple-threat as a successful stage, television and film star whose vivacity and charm matches that of his onstage personalities, Alan Cumming talks to Emma Freud about his new memoir, You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams.
1–4.30pm
The Sunday Times Style Lunch Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £45
Ticket includes a drink on arrival and two course lunch with a glass of wine and a goody bag. Step straight into the pages of your favourite Sunday supplement! Join editor Jackie Annesley,, columnists Cosmo Landesman, Annesley Landesman, Dolly Alderton and bestselling author Marian Keyes (Making It Up As I Go Along), Along), as well as resident astrologer Shelley von Strunckel for a fashion, beauty and fun-filled afternoon. Plus, hear what’s hot for the autumn season; we hear from Fashion Features Editor Pandora Sykes, Sykes, and Fashion Editor Claudia Croft speaks to legendary British milliner Stephen Jones (Souvenirs Souvenirs).).
Supported by Liberty London
40
L066
Lifestyle
SUNDAY 9 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com
2–3pm
L067
Millennial Lives
Is The Selfie Really Selfish? Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 From Frida Kahlo to #blacklivesmatter, we look beyond Kim Kardashian and the infamous duck pouts of social media to examine the long history of self-portraiture and discuss the power and capacity for change that documenting one’s image can hold. Art historian and author of Seeing Ourselves: Women’s Self Portraits, Frances Borzello discusses the many incarnations of the ‘selfie’, from Renaissance portraits to the digital age, with blogger and Healthy.Happy. Hot. founder Michelle Thomas and Festival Guest Curator Emma Gannon.
2.15–3.15pm
L068
Current Affairs
Alan Johnson Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10 Prepare to see Westminster as you’ve never seen it before. The former Labour Home Secretary joins Becky Milligan to talk about the third instalment of his extraordinary and authentic memoir, The Long and Winding Road.
3–4pm
L070
Stage & Screen
2.15–3.15pm
L069
Business
How To Get Your Perfect Job At Any Age Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8 Invaluable and entertaining advice to help you find your way in today’s job market with confidence and conviction. With James Reed, chairman of recruitment specialists REED and author of Why You? 101 Interview Questions You’ll Never Fear Again, and Heather McGregor (aka Mrs Moneypenny), Financial Times columnist and author of Mrs Moneypenny’s Careers Advice for Ambitious Women. Chaired by journalist Rosie Goldsmith.
Andrew Davies: Adapting The Classics Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 War and Peace, Middlemarch, Pride and Prejudice: the prolific television writer behind these adaptations celebrates his 80th year. He talks to David Jays about his extraordinary career and what we can look forward to next.
Long-term investment partners
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
41
SUNDAY 9 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270 4.15–5.15pm
L073
Lest We Forget Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9
3.45–4.45pm
Is remembrance an appropriate response to the ravages of history? Does it help to prevent us repeating past mistakes? American policy analyst David Rieff (In Praise of Forgetting), historian and advisor to the Government’s Somme centenary commemorations Gary Sheffield (Douglas Haig: From the Somme to Victory) and Victoria Wallace, Director General of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission discuss why, for remembrance to remain relevant, we must commemorate for the right reasons and in the right way. Chaired by Steven Gale.
L071
Fiction
Jessie Burton Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 The internationally bestselling author of The Miniaturist presents The Muse; her latest captivating story of two young women across different generations and the powerful mystery that ties them together. Chaired by Anita Sethi.
4–5.30pm
L072
Millennial Lives
Build Your Online Brand Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £20 Whether you blog about property, tweet about jewellery-making, or pin about home interiors, a WiFi connection and social media platforms can be all you need to get noticed, both personally and professionally. Blogger, entrepreneur and Festival Guest Curator Emma Gannon leads a one-off workshop all about how to build a personal brand online, for those either looking to boost their business or hone their hobby.
42
4.15–5.15pm
4.45–5.45pm
LB43
Illustrating The Lie Tree
History
L074
Stage & Screen
Walter Presents… Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9 As the curator of Channel 4’s ‘Netflix of foreign drama’, Walter Iuzzolino handpicks the very best drama from around the world. He discusses his passion with Rosie Goldsmith and previews the upcoming season.
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £6 Age 12+ / Young Adult The Lie Tree is a dark and powerful novel, and was the 2015 Costa Book of the Year. Its author Frances Hardinge, Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell and Alex O’Connell of The Times explore how this remarkable novel evolved into such a beautiful special illustrated edition.
SUNDAY 9 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 5.30–6.30pm
L076
Fiction
Harry Parker And Owen Sheers Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 How do authors create realistic experiences of conflict, drama and suspense for their readers? Harry Parker’s debut Anatomy of a Soldier is a fiercely dramatic novel about one man’s journey of survival told through forty-five objects. Owen Sheers’ verse drama Pink Mist follows three young men returning from war suffering the physical and psychological effects of their service. His latest novel, I Saw A Man, is a story of suspense portraying the actions of a US drone pilot. Chaired by Alex Clark.
6–7pm 5–6pm
L075
Current Affairs
P. J. O’Rourke
6.15–7.15pm
L078
Travel
Cheryl Strayed
L077
Fiction
Jonathan Safran Foer
Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £12
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10
The Times William Howard Russell Prize celebrates excellence in non-fiction writing. Its first recipient, the funniest, most outrageous, most controversial and most loved American satirist P. J. O’Rourke talks to Philip Collins in this rare interview.
The bestselling author of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close presents his monumental new novel, Here I Am; the hard hitting story of a fractured family in a moment of crisis. He talks to Robert Collins.
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10 Strayed’s bestselling memoir Wild, the account of her 1,100 mile solo trek on the Pacific Crest Trail after losing everything, brought inspiration to millions. She discusses her writing and travels with The Pool’s Sam Baker.
6.15–7.15pm
L079
Fiction
Eimear McBride Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £8 The award-winning author of A Girl is a Half-formed Thing introduces her highly anticipated new novel, The Lesser Bohemians; a story of passion, troubling pasts, innocence and the loss of it. Chaired by Anita Sethi.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
6.30–7.30pm
L080
Millennial Lives
Beyond Gender Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £9 Born into an eccentric New York artist community, American photographer and activist iO Tillett Wright (Darling Days) lived as both a girl and a boy in youth and is now one of the leading voices in US gender rights. British author, chef and campaigner Jack Monroe came out as transgender in 2014 and is one of our most powerful commentators. They discuss breaking down gender and sexuality stereotypes and the battle for rights on either side of the pond with Peter Hegarty.
43
SUNDAY 9 OCTOBER 7–8pm
Box Office 01242 850270 8–9pm
L081
Sport
I’ve Never Read...
The Rugby Report
Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £12
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9
Host of BBC Radio 4’s I’ve Never Seen Star Wars, Marcus Brigstocke, holds the hands of our nervous panellists as they take a literary leap into the unknown. Join former Home Secretary Alan Johnson and other esteemed Festival guests as they each tackle an unfamiliar book or genre, laying bare their reading likes and dislikes. Would they recommend the experience?! Come and find out. Full line-up to be announced – visit cheltenhamfestivals.com
From the lows of last year’s World Cup to the highs of a Six Nations Grand Slam and a thrilling whitewash of Australia in the summer Test series, does the future now look bright for Eddie Jones and his England team as they prepare for the autumn internationals? Enjoy some lively insider chat with Sky Sports presenter Alex Payne and Sunday Times rugby correspondent Stephen Jones as they share their expert analysis of England’s chances with Stuart Barnes of Sky Sports and The Sunday Times.
7.30–10pm
L082
Lifestyle
Robert Crampton’s Quiz Night Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £60 for a team of four
Ticket includes fish and chip supper. And he’s back! The ever popular Times columnist Robert Crampton returns to the Spiegeltent for his evening of frivolity and general knowledge (with a few drinks on the side…) Who will win this year?
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L083
Fiction
SUNDAY 9 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 8.15–9.15pm
L085
Millennial Lives
Girl Up With Laura Bates Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £8
8.15–9.15pm
L084
Stage & Screen
Motown: The Sound Of Young America
Tackling body image, relationships and social media pressures, The Everyday Sexism Project founder talks to Emma Gannon about Girl Up, a funny, bold and no-nonsense survival guide to growing up as a 21st century, empowered girl.
8.30–9.45pm
L086
Festival Lates
Luke Kennard And Melissa Lee-Houghton Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £10 The bar will be open for the duration of this event.
An evening with two Next Generation Poets from independent publisher, Penned in the Margins. The author of five poetry collections, Luke Kennard reads from his acclaimed new book Cain, a humorous and formally unique narrative on faith, TV and zombies. Shortlisted for the 2016 Forward Prize for Best Single Poem, Melissa Lee-Houghton continues to re-energise the confessional poem for the 21st century and will perform work from her collection Sunshine.
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10 Home of Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes and The Jackson 5, Motown changed the landscape of American music. Adam White gives a guide in images, film and music to the Detroit record company that became a style unto itself. Chaired by BBC Radio 6 Music’s Craig Charles.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
45
MONDAY 10 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270
DAY PLANNER 9am Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage
10am
11am
12noon
L090 EDWARD HOPPER
1pm
2pm L094 COUNTERING EXTREMISM
Town Hall, Drawing Room
3pm
4pm
5pm
L101 HISTORY’S PEOPLE
L098 HELEN MORT / IAN DUHIG
6pm
7pm
L106 HOW BIG IS BIG BROTHER? L104 CATULLUS
L110 FICTION AT 7: BORN IN THE USA
L102 A WORLD WITHOUT BORDERS?
L091 JEREMY HUTCHINSON L093 EDNA O’BRIEN
L099 A YOUNG COMMANDER’S WAR
L108 A LONG CAMPAIGN FOR JUSTICE L105 THE AGE OF GENIUS
L109 SHAKESPEARE: GLOBE TO GLOBAL
L118 OBAMA: THE GREATEST ORATOR
The Little Big Top
L116 STROUD SHORT STORIES’ GREATEST HITS
The Inkpot
L095 THIS ORIENT ISLE
L100 BRYONY GORDON
Cheltenham College Chapel
The Spiegeltent
46
10pm
L113 AMERICA ON SCREEN: REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
The Sunday Times Garden Theatre
Hotel du Vin
9pm
L114 THE SUMMERFIELD EVENT
Town Hall, Pillar Room
The Times Forum
8pm
L107 KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY
L115 GEORGIA O’KEEFFE
L111 THE PENGUIN BOOK OF ENGLISH SONG
L324 THE LIFE POETIC
L092 ANTONIO CARLUCCIO
L103 A VERY SHORT INTRODUCTION TO… EVERYTHING
L112 STILL KNACKERED: A NIGHT OUT FOR MUMS
MONDAY 10 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com
10.30am–1.30pm
L324
Workshops
Creative Writing: The Life Poetic Hotel du Vin £60
Ticket includes tea, coffee and home baked snacks. Join us for our exclusive poetry masterclass with leading poet Daljit Nagra. In this three hour immersive session he shows you how to hone your poetic voice and create work drawn from your personal experiences. Using a series of writing exercises you will explore various techniques and the craft of contemporary poetry to ensure you leave the session having started at least three new poems.
11am–12noon
L088
Crosswords With The Times Montpellier Gardens, Feast Café Bar FREE Make yourself comfy as The Times Crossword Editor Richard Rogan takes you through the mysteries of the day’s crossword puzzles with a helping hand or tantalising hint where needed!
11.30am–12.30pm
L090
Art & Design
11.30am–12noon
L089
OUP’s Very Short Introductions: Global Catastrophes
Edward Hopper: The Darker Side Of The American Dream
Montpellier Gardens, The Huddle FREE Life on earth will come to an end… it’s just a matter of when. Bill McGuire considers a range of scenarios: the New Ice Age, asteroid impact, supervolcanoes and mega-tsunamis, and examines our survival chances.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9 Haunting all-night diners, motel rooms and automats, the isolated figures of Hopper’s paintings articulate a starkly different vision of 20th century American life. Rosalind Ormiston (Edward Hopper: Masterpieces of Art) gives an illustrated guide to the iconic artist.
11.30am–12.30pm
L091
History
Jeremy Hutchinson’s Case Histories Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 One of the greatest ever criminal barristers, now 101 years old, shares stories of life at the bar with fellow barrister and biographer Thomas Grant. From the defence of George Blake and Howard Marks to Great Train Robber Charlie Wilson and Lady Chatterley’s Lover, he recalls the courtroom dramas that defined an age. Chaired by Times columnist Matthew Parris.
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MONDAY 10 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270
1.30-2.30pm
L093
1.45–2.45pm
L095
Fiction
Faith
Edna O’Brien
This Orient Isle
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8
Ten years on from her last novel, one of Ireland’s greatest ever writers introduces her acclaimed latest work, The Little Red Chairs. She talks to The Sunday Times Literary Editor Andrew Holgate about her illustrious career so far.
Jerry Brotton reveals how Elizabethan England’s fascination with the Islamic world influenced the great productions of the day by Marlowe, Shakespeare and their contemporaries. Chaired by Ann Treneman, chief theatre critic for The Times.
Supported by Poetry Ireland.
12.30–2.30pm
L092
Lifestyle
Antonio Carluccio Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £30
Ticket includes a two course lunch and a glass of wine. Antonio Carluccio, Carluccio, the Godfather of Italian food, is widely recognised as one of Italy’s greatest food ambassadors. Join the bestselling cookery author and television star for delicious food and culinary chat in our glorious Spiegeltent. He presents his new book Vegetables Vegetables,, jam-packed with his favourite mouth-watering recipes.
1.45–2.45pm
Countering Extremism Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9 What drives people to turn their backs on Britain and travel to join ISIS? How can we prevent extremism taking root here? Our panel of experts explore the issues: Sara Khan (The Battle for British Islam), Director of Inspire, which challenges extremist ideologies within Muslim communities, counter-terrorism expert Peter Neumann (Radicalized) and former Islamic extremist Hanif Qadir (Preventing Extremism and Terrorist Recruitment), whose Active Change Foundation works with young people at risk of radicalisation. Chaired by historian Peter Frankopan. Programmed in partnership with Sydney Writers’ Festival.
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L094
Current Affairs
2–2.30pm
L096
OUP’s Very Short Introductions: Global Catastrophes Montpellier Gardens, The Huddle FREE Life on earth will come to an end… it’s just a matter of when. Bill McGuire considers a range of scenarios: the New Ice Age, asteroid impact, supervolcanoes, and mega-tsunamis and examines our survival chances.
MONDAY 10 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 3.15–4.15pm
4–5pm
L098
L102
Poetry
Current Affairs
Helen Mort And Ian Duhig
Migration: A World Without Borders?
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £8
Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10
Two leading poets read from their new collections. No Map Could Show Them, by T S Eliot Prize-shortlisted Helen Mort, is an ode to the female climbers who dared to break new ground; an unforgettable perspective on the heights we scale and the paths we make for ourselves. Ian Duhig, a poet of great political and social conscience, explores urban poverty, determinism, social justice and the consolations of poetry in The Blind Roadmaker, his seventh and Forward Prize-shortlisted collection.
3.45–4.45pm
L100
We are experiencing the greatest movement of people across borders since World War II. What does that mean for the concept of a nation state? What are the global implications and who’s posing the solutions? Join Professor of Forced Migration and International Affairs Alexander Betts and Principal Research Fellow at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research Jonathan Portes. Chaired by barrister and broadcaster Hashi Mohamed. Programmed in partnership with Sydney Writers’ Festival.
Psychology
Bryony Gordon: Mad Girl
4–5.30pm
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8
L103
Lifestyle
With her characteristic warmth and dark humour, Bryony explores her relationship with OCD and depression as only she can. A funny, unpredictable, heart-wrenching and jaw-droppingly truthful celebration of life with mental illness. Chaired by Steven Gale.
A Very Short Introduction To… Everything Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £8
Ticket includes a glass of wine.
4–5pm
L101
History
3.15–4.15pm
L099
History
Tank Action: A Young Commander’s War Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8 In 1944 the average life expectancy of a tank troop officer in Normandy was less than two weeks. WWII veteran David Render, who arrived in France five days after the D-Day landings, shares his remarkable story with former army colonel Stuart Tootal.
History’s People: Personalities And The Past Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £8
5–6pm
L104
Ancient World
Catullus: Rome’s Most Erotic Poet Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £8 Famed for his lyrical, subversive voice, Catullus was Rome’s first and foremost poet. Catullus’ Bedspread, by writer and classicist Daisy Dunn, follows the young poet’s journey from Verona to Rome, brimming with all the hedonistic indulgences of the time. She explores his short but vivid and turbulent life, with poetry readings by Chris Gardner.
Bewildered by banking? Confused by Confucianism? Oxford’s Very Short Introductions are here to help. Come to our VSI afternoon where we introduce you to topics as diverse as The Gothic and Global Catastrophe, Measurement and Art History. Leading experts speak on their subjects and you get a chance to pick their brains too. Bring a group or come alone and we’ll help you fill the gaps in your knowledge!
History is shaped by global forces but also by the choices and decisions of individuals. Celebrated historian Margaret MacMillan explores how the personalities of the powerful make and unmake our world. Chaired by Times columnist Matthew Parris.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
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MONDAY 10 OCTOBER 5.45–6.45pm
Box Office 01242 850270 L107
History
Keeping It In The Family Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8
5–6pm
L105
History
The Age Of Genius Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8
Juliet Nicolson traced seven generations of Sackville-West ancestors in her poignant and courageous family history A House Full of Daughters and found patterns, good and bad, repeated down the line. Artist Keggie Carew (Dadland) embarked on a quest to unravel the story of her unorthodox father, discovering hidden corners of her own family as she revealed the technicolour life of an impossible, irresistible and unstoppable man. They discuss the nature of family, memory, daughterhood and love with Caroline Sanderson.
7–8pm Classic Literature
Shakespeare: From Globe To Global
The philosopher A. C. Grayling explores the birth of the modern mind in the 17th century, when Europeans began to adopt empirical thinking in place of faith and superstition: a revolutionary moment for our civilisation.
5.45–6.45pm
L106
6.30–7.30pm
How Big Is Big Brother?
Current Affairs
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9 With our intelligence agencies firmly in the spotlight in the wake of the Chilcot report, we turn our attention to their role on the home front. Former Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee Malcolm Rifkind (Power and Pragmatism) and distinguished human rights lawyer Helena Kennedy explore how governments balance civil liberties with national security and to what extent surveillance legislation is influenced by democratic will. Chaired by the philosopher Julian Baggini (The Edge of Reason).
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Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8
Current Affairs
Programmed in partnership with Sydney Writers’ Festival.
L109
Shakespeare is one of our most successful cultural exports; translated, reinvented and enjoyed throughout the world. Director Tim Supple, who is creating a multilingual, cross-national King Lear, Shihui Weng, who leads the Royal Shakespeare Company’s project to translate Shakespeare’s First Folio into Chinese and Joe Murphy, co-founder of the Good Chance Theatre that staged Shakespeare for refugee communities in the Calais Jungle, consider the linguistic and cultural challenges of performing the plays beyond the UK. Chaired by Jerry Brotton.
L108
A Long Campaign For Justice Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 In a year that saw an historic conclusion to the Hillsborough inquests, we hear from those who have fought long and hard for justice to prevail. Doreen Lawrence, who campaigned for police reform following the murder of her son Stephen, Gareth Peirce, the solicitor and human rights activist who helped clear the Birmingham Six, and prominent Hillsborough campaigner Margaret Aspinall describe what happens when the fight for an individual cause evolves into a battle of principle. Chaired by Shami Chakrabarti.
7–8.15pm
L110
7.30–9.30pm
L111
Fiction
Poetry
Fiction At 7: Born In The USA
The Penguin Book Of English Song Cheltenham College Chapel £15
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £10 Ticket includes a glass of wine
Reflecting this year’s American theme, US authors Donald Ray Pollock and Bill Beverley introduce their latest novels with The Times Literary Editor Robbie Millen. Pollock’s The Heavenly Table follows three impoverished brothers embarking on a murderous bank robbing spree and Beverley’s Dodgers is a road trip crime story about deciding which direction to take and what kind of person to become. Both are sharply observed, intense and darkly amusing.
Professor of Lieder at the Royal Academy of Music, Richard Stokes presents his anthology of 100 English poets, from Chaucer to Auden, who have inspired choral and song composers over the last 600 years. An illuminating fusion of words and music, Richard chooses highlights from the book, accompanied by live choral performances by the Cheltenham College Chapel Choir. Includes a 30 minute interval. Please note that due to the nature of the venue, seating is on wooden pews and some sightlines may be slightly restricted.
MONDAY 10 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com
7.30–10pm
7.45–8.45pm
L112
Lifestyle
Still Knackered: A Night Out For Mums
Ticket includes nibbles and a glass of wine.
The Summerfield Event: How To Live Better
Obama: The Greatest Orator Of His Generation?
Michael Puett’s Chinese philosophy course has taken Harvard by storm, with eager undergraduates keen to learn the secret to a good life. Should we live by a set of principles and aspire to a ‘true self’, embrace meditation and mindfulness or simply pay more attention to everyday behaviour? He and BBC Radio 4 presenter Ritula Shah, a member of the Jain community, reflect on what inspires the way we choose to live our lives. Chaired by the philosopher Julian Baggini.
Put the kids to bed and unwind with a large glass of vino in the company of our funny, feisty panel, as they share their experiences and uncensored advice for mums. Join Sarah Turner, aka The Unmumsy Mum, whose blog keeps us sane, Sunday Times columnist Francesca Hornak (Worry With Mother) and spoken word artist Hollie McNish (Nobody Told Me) for a journey through the emotional highs and lows of motherhood. Chaired by journalist and One Fat Mother YouTuber Bryony Gordon.
L118
Current Affairs
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9
Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £20
7.30–10.15pm
8.45–9.45pm
L114
Faith
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8
7.45–8.45pm
L115
Art & Design
Georgia O’Keeffe
When Barack Obama took to the stage in 2008 amidst the eruption of cheers, his rallying cry of ‘yes we can’ created an electrifying sense of hope and ambition. Times columnist and speech writer Philip Collins and language expert David Crystal explore the power of words and the remarkable fluency and oratory of the landmark speech from America’s first black president.
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £9 L113
Film
America On Screen: Revolutionary Road Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £8
The bar will be open for the duration of this event. From The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit to The Virgin Suicides, The Swimmer to Weeds, countless American novels, films and TV shows have gone beyond the white picket fence to examine the delights and disappointments of life in suburbia. Literary scholar Martin Dines surveys the use of the suburban setting and introduces a screening of Sam Mendes’ acclaimed Revolutionary Road (starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio), an adaptation of Richard Yates’ devastating novel of a once bohemian couple adjusting to life in 1950s Connecticut.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
“Men put me down as the best woman painter… I think I’m one of the best painters.” Trailblazing artist, feminist, foundational figure of modernism and true American icon, Georgia O’Keeffe is one of the most significant and intriguing artists of the twentieth century. Curator of the major O’Keeffe exhibition at Tate Modern Tanya Barson, contemporary artist Kaye Donachie and leading art historian Anne Wagner join Times art critic Rachel Campbell-Johnston to discuss her life, work and powerful influence.
9–10.15pm
L116
Festival Lates
Stroud Short Stories’ Greatest Hits Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £8 The bar will be open for the duration of this event.
Possibly the best short story event in the South West, Stroud Short Stories celebrates writing by new and established authors from throughout Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire. From the 120 stories featured at the dozen events over the last five years, organiser John Holland has selected seven of his favourite stories to be performed by their authors. Expect the beautiful, the funny and, of course, the unexpected!
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TUESDAY 11 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270
DAY PLANNER 9am
10am
Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage
11am
12noon
1pm
2pm
L122 CAPABILITY BROWN
L127 RETHINKING THE SOMME
Town Hall, Drawing Room
3pm
4pm
5pm
6pm
L132 CLASH OF THE CENTURIES
L124 MARGARET HODGE
The Sunday Times Garden Theatre
L097 JENNI MURRAY
L123 UNDERSTANDING THE QUR’AN
L128 POWER BEYOND THE GRAVE
9pm
L147 PARTY CONFERENCE ROUND-UP
L138 THE ILIAD
L134 MUST RHODES FALL?
L146 AMERICA ON SCREEN: IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT
L140 RAYMOND BLANC
L131 CHELTENHAM IN THE GREAT WAR
L149 ALEXANDER ARMSTRONG / RICHARD OSMAN
L144 JO MALONE
The Little Big Top
L151 ISY SUTTIE
L150 MELODY BY JEMIMA FOXTROT
The Inkpot
L126 DINAH JEFFERIES / CHRISTOPHER JORY
L130 UNDER THE RADAR
L137 LOSING FAITH
L141 THE NAKED SURGEON
L148 THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio The Spiegeltent
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L119 THE BUSINESS BREAKFAST
L125 THE PALOMAR
10pm
L142 FICTION AT 7: IS THIS THE REAL LIFE?
L133 THE ILIAD: STUDY SESSION
The Times Forum
8pm
L139 WE’RE ALL BREXITEERS NOW…
L135 FABER PROOF PARTY
Town Hall, Pillar Room
7pm
L136 HIGH SOCIETY SALON
L145 JAMES WALTON’S LITERARY QUIZ
TUESDAY 11 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com
9–11am
L119
Business
L121
OUP’s Very Short Introductions: The Gothic
The Business Breakfast Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £25
Montpellier Gardens, The Huddle FREE
Ticket includes a full cooked breakfast. In this celebration of British business genius, writer, MP and former Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liam Byrne joins broadcaster Paddy O’ Connell to discuss Dragons, his lively account of ten amazing entrepreneurs who helped make Britain the major economic power it is today. An ideal opportunity for networking for businesses or individuals. Hosted by Cheltenham Festivals CEO Louise Emerson.
11am–12noon
11.30am–12noon
L120
Crosswords With The Times Montpellier Gardens, Feast Café Bar FREE Make yourself comfy as The Times Crossword Editor Richard Rogan takes you through the mysteries of the day’s crossword puzzles with a helping hand or tantalising hint where needed!
Ecclesiastical architecture, supernatural fiction, cult horror films, rock music… The Gothic has come to encompass many meanings. Nick Groom traces its fascinating history, from Rome to the modern day.
11.45am–12.45pm 11.30am–12.30pm
L122
Art & Design
Capability Brown: Visionary Or Vandal? Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9 Celebrating the 300 anniversary of Capability Brown’s birth, garden historian Sarah Rutherford (Capability Brown and His Landscape Gardens) and Tom Williamson (Launcelot Brown and the Capability Men) discuss the legacy of ‘The Omnipotent Magician’ in this beautifully illustrated talk with Oliver Cox. Was Brown an innovator or simply a product of a remarkable time? th
12.30–2.30pm
Understanding The Qur’an
Lifestyle
L125
The Palomar
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8 The Qur’an is the supreme authority in Islam and the living source of all Islamic teaching. What is actually contained within the text and why is it so contested? Journalist Abdul-Rehman Malik is joined by Pulitzer Prize finalist Carla Power, who spent a year studying the Qur’an with a conservative Islamic scholar, and Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Oxford Nicolai Sinai to explore how the ancient text has been studied and interpreted.
12noon–1pm
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
L123
Faith
L124
Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £30
Ticket includes a two course lunch and a glass of wine. The Palomar, the famous London restaurant with a waiting list as long as your arm, comes to Cheltenham for this exclusive lunch event. Writer and food consultant Julia Leonard joins head chef Tomer Amedi and co-founder Layo Paskin, as they share dishes influenced by the rich cultures of Southern Spain, North Africa and the Levant – with tips on recreating the intense flavours of an exotic elsewhere in your own kitchen.
1.30–2.30pm
L126
Current Affairs
Locally Sourced
Margaret Hodge: Called To Account
Dinah Jefferies And Christopher Jory
Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8
As the formidable chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Margaret Hodge has locked horns with some of the biggest political figures of our time, challenging the excesses of government spending. She joins us in conversation with Paddy O’Connell.
Two of our most talented local authors discuss their rich historical novels with Caroline Sanderson. The bestselling author of A Separation and The Tea-Planter’s Wife Dinah Jefferies introduces The Silk Merchant’s Daughter, a captivating tale of dark secrets, sisterly rivalry and love, set in colonial-era Vietnam. Christopher Jory discusses his new novel The Art of Waiting, a tale of love, revenge and survival against the odds, set in Venice and Russia in the 1940s.
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TUESDAY 11 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270 2–2.30pm
L129
OUP’s Very Short Introductions: The Gothic Montpellier Gardens, The Huddle FREE Ecclesiastical architecture, supernatural fiction, cult horror films, rock music...The Gothic has come to encompass many meanings. Nick Groom traces its fascinating history, from Rome to the modern day.
1.45–2.45pm
3.15–4.15pm
L130
Travel
Under The Radar With The Sunday Times Travel Team Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 It sometimes feels like no matter where you go, a tour group has been there before. But there are new places to discover and innovative ways to find a different side to the familiar. The Sunday Times chief travel writer Chris Haslam heads up a team of experts to show you how to go off-grid in an increasingly connected world. Chaired by The Sunday Times travel editor Stephen Bleach.
L127
History
Rethinking The Somme: 100 Years On
1.45–2.45pm
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8
As we mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme, historians Lyn MacDonald (Somme) and Hugh Sebag-Montefiore (Somme: Into the Breach), with former British Army officer Allan Mallinson (Too Important for the Generals) examine the debates surrounding this terrible episode in our past and why the Somme came to represent the horror and futility of war. Yet has history misjudged the actions of the Allied High Command? The panel explore how our understanding of the conflict has evolved.
How far can a monarch influence and exert their will over their successor? Who is involved when it comes to making rules for the new ruler? Historian Suzannah Lipscomb, who examines the highly contested will of Henry VIII in The King is Dead, is joined by Robert Blackburn, Professor of Constitutional Law at King’s College London, to explore the history of royal succession and the relationship between Crown and State in the modern age. Chaired by biographer A. N. Wilson.
L128
History
Power Beyond The Grave
2–3pm
L097
History
Jenni Murray Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 From famous queens to forgotten visionaries, the BBC Radio 4 presenter discusses a selection of women whose lives have illuminated aspects of our social, political and cultural history (A History of Britain in 21 Women).
3.30–4.30pm
L131
Locally Sourced
Cheltenham In The Great War Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9 Historian and author Neela Mann outlines the town’s response to the war effort with stories of Cheltenham’s buildings, war factories, ‘khaki fever’, food protests and some remarkable women.
54
TUESDAY 11 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 4–5pm
L134
Current Affairs
Must Rhodes Fall? Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10
3.45–4.45pm
L132
History
Clash Of The Centuries Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9 Expect a lively and impassioned debate as three popular historians make the case for why their century matters most in our island’s story. Suzannah Lipscomb (The King is Dead) raises the banner for the 16th century, Anna Keay (The Last Royal Rebel: The Life and Death of James, Duke of Monmouth) extols the 17th and Oliver Cox (A Short History of the Long Eighteenth Century) champions the 18th. Chaired by Steven Gale.
3.45–4.45pm
L133
Ancient World
Must Rhodes fall? Should the Elgin Marbles be given back to Greece? Chaired by barrister and broadcaster Hashi Mohamed, historian and producer David Olusoga (A Black History of Britain) joins Tiffany Jenkins (Keeping Their Marbles), writer and broadcaster Bidisha and member of the Rhodes Must Fall Movement at Oxford University Dalia Gebrial to debate the issues of dealing with Britain’s controversial historical figures and symbols from our colonial past.
The Iliad: Study Session
4–5.30pm
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £8
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £15
Faber Proof Party
Caroline Alexander discusses her fiveyear virtuoso translation of Homer’s classic work. She reveals the process of capturing the rhythms and energy of the original Greek, while making the text accessible to a modern reader.
5.30–6.30pm
L135
Fiction
L138
Ancient World
The Iliad Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £8 Homer’s Iliad is often seen as a metaphor for the ‘human tragedy’ – but after a five-yearlong translation project, Caroline Alexander believes the depiction of the Trojan War is rather a wise and comprehensive evocation of the war experience in all its devastation. Georgina Godwin chairs a discussion with Caroline and serving soldier Denis James, exploring war in literature and how this accords with real life.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
Ticket includes tea or coffee, biscuits and a goody bag of limited edition proofs The Bookseller’s Associate Editor Caroline Sanderson introduces Faber’s choice authors for 2017. Kate Hamer discusses her second novel, The Doll Funeral, much anticipated after the success of her 2015 debut The Girl in the Red Coat; Julianne Pachico presents her debut short story collection, The Lucky Ones, and Sally Rooney gives a first look at her debut novel Conversations with Friends.
4–5.30pm
L136
History
High Society Salon Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £20
Ticket includes afternoon tea with finger sandwiches Queen Bees by historian Siân Evans explores the lives of six ambitious, spirited women who rose to become the great hostesses of their time in the aftermath of WW1, ruling over London society and entertaining everyone from Mosleys to Mitfords. Kick by biographer Paula Byrne follows JFK’s favourite sister Kathleen, who entered and charmed these aristocratic circles as the clouds of a second war gathered. They share stories of the extraordinary characters at the heart of this social whirl, with Paul Blezard. Blezard.
55
TUESDAY 11 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270
6.45–7.45pm
L141
Science & Tech
The Naked Surgeon Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 In this important book cardiac surgeon Samer Nashef cuts to the truth about risk and quality in surgical care with humanity and compassion. He shares inside information with The Times journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera.
7.15–8.15pm
L144
Business
Jo Malone 5–6pm
L137
5.45–6.45pm
L139
L142
Current Affairs
Fiction
Losing Faith
We’re All Brexiteers Now…
Fiction At 7: Is This The Real Life?
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £10
How best to Brexit? From farmers to homeowners, from students to scientists, who will win or lose as the British economy adapts? BBC Radio 4 presenter Paddy O’Connell chairs a timely discussion between policy analyst and economist Pippa Malmgren (Signals), Dixons Carphone CEO Sebastian James and The Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman (All Out War: Brexit and the Sinking of Britain’s Political Class) to debate the way ahead in the aftermath of the referendum.
Often the best stories are inspired by the extraordinary lives of real people. But how far can a writer go when fictionalising the life of another? Susan Fletcher (Let Me Tell You About a Man I Knew) and Jill Dawson (The Crime Writer) discuss their new novels which tell the stories of Vincent van Gogh’s final years and eccentric American novelist Patricia Highsmith’s troubled and eventful life. Chaired by Steven Gale.
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 The former Bishop of Edinburgh Richard Holloway (A Little History of Religion) walked away from religion aged 66, turning his back on an institution that had shaped him since he was 14. Biographer and historian A. N. Wilson (Resolution) became an atheist after a lifetime of churchgoing but has since returned to Christianity. They explore what triggers a loss of faith, or a return to God, in conversation with Lucy Winkett, Rector of St James’ Church, Piccadilly. Supported by Diocese of Gloucester
6.30–7.30pm
One of our best-loved businesswomen, Jo Malone’s eponymous brand started at her kitchen table. My Story reveals how overcoming personal challenges led to international success and her exciting new venture, Jo Loves. Chaired by Alex Clark.
Ticket includes a glass of wine
L140
Lifestyle
Raymond Blanc Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £12 A bastion of ‘haute cuisine’ set in picturesque Oxfordshire, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons has held two Michelin stars for over three decades. The legendary chef shares the story of this celebrated establishment, with broadcaster Tim Hubbard.
56
7–8.15pm
Faith
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10
7–9pm
L143
Locally Sourced
You Heard It Here First! Montpellier Gardens, The Huddle FREE Submissions from 7pm with readings from 7.30–9pm
Our popular open-mic session returns to the Festival, hosted by Caroline Sanderson. Poetry, prose or fiction – bring along a five minute excerpt of your work to perform live on stage.
7.30–10pm
L145
Classic Literature
James Walton’s Literary Quiz Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £30 for a team of four
Bar service available for the duration of this event. Do you know your Joseph Conrad from your Jilly Cooper, your J. D. Salinger from your A. A. Milne? Gather your wits and your friends and join us for an evening of intellectual frippery of the very best kind, hosted by the mastermind behind BBC Radio 4’s The Write Stuff. Get your thinking caps on! The winning Stuff team will walk away with a set of beautiful Pocket Penguins, classic books from the Penguin archives. In association with Pocket Penguins.
TUESDAY 11 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 7.30–10.15pm
L146
Film
America On Screen: In The Heat Of The Night Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £8
The bar will be open for the duration of this event. Set in the Deep South, Norman Jewison’s fivetime Academy Award-winning film pits Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier), a black Philadelphia homicide detective against prejudiced white sheriff Gillespie (Rod Steiger), as they struggle to solve a murder. Released in 1967 to a country riven with racial tensions, it crossed fraught political lines and became a landmark in American cinema. Tim Stanley, author of Citizen Hollywood, surveys the complicated relationship between Hollywood and race and introduces a screening of Jewison’s celebrated film.
7.45–8.45pm
8.30–9.30pm
Alexander Armstrong And Richard Osman Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £12
L147
Current Affairs
Party Conference Round-Up Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10 The visions have been unveiled, the impassioned speeches delivered and ambitions are now set for another year. As the dust settles on the 2016 Party Conferences, The Times journalist Alice Thomson, veteran Westminster-watcher Philip Webster (Inside Story) and The Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman (All Out War: Brexit and the Sinking of Britain’s Political Class) take the political temperature, reflecting on a tumultuous 2016 and debating the year ahead. Chaired by Times columnist Philip Collins.
L149
Stage & Screen
8.30–9.30pm
L148
Classic Literature
The Harlem Renaissance Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 Harlem in the 1920s to mid-1930s became a mecca for artists, writers, musicians and scholars; the site of key works by Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and W.E.B. DuBois, and the kindling of a new black cultural identity. Garnette Cadogan (editor of The Oxford Handbook of the Harlem Renaissance) and critically acclaimed novelist Bernice L. McFadden (The Book of Harlan) join us from New York to discuss this landmark period in American History with David Freeman.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
Presenters, comedians and Pointless quiz masters extraordinaire Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman romp through A Pointless History of the World. They pull out some of the most pointless, hilarious and interesting events – from the obvious to the most obscure. If you have a hunger for little-known facts then this is the event for you!
9–10pm
L150
Festival Lates
Melody By Jemima Foxtrot Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £10
9–10pm
L151
Stage & Screen
Isy Suttie: The Actual One Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10 From papier-mâché penguins to being stranded on a dual carriageway in nothing but a fur coat, the award-winning comedian, songsmith and Peep Show star delivers a hilarious ode to the confusing wilderness of her late twenties.
The bar will be open for the duration of this event.
Powerful performance poet Jemima Foxtrot brings her award-winning debut poetry show to the Festival. Combining spoken word and fragments of song, Melody tells a funny, poignant story of childhood, displacement, growing up, love, migration, heartbreak and joy.
57
WEDNESDAY 12 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270
DAY PLANNER 9am Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage
10am
11am
12noon
1pm
L153 THINKING DIFFERENTLY
2pm L157 2017 WAR WITH RUSSIA
Town Hall, Drawing Room
4pm
5pm
L164 ALISON WEIR
L162 GILLIAN CLARKE / ALISON BRACKENBURY
Town Hall, Pillar Room
The Times Forum
3pm
L161 BURMA ’44
The Sunday Times Garden Theatre
L158 THE QUEEN: HAPPY AND GLORIOUS
L169 THE AGE OF DISCOVERY
8pm
L181 RUBY WAX
L174 PADDY ASHDOWN
L171 EVERYTHING ABOUT SAVING
L176 LADYBIRD BOOKS FOR GROWNUPS
L159 ERIC LIDDELL / EMIL ZÁTOPEK
L166 TERRY EAGLETON
Cheltenham College Chapel
The Spiegeltent
58
L183 NEW ORLEANS: A PORTRAIT OF A CITY L182 MY DAD WROTE A PORNO
The Inkpot
L172 GOD FEARING
L177 THE ART OF SLOW TRAVEL L325 A NIGHT OF GOSPEL
L184 HOW TO WRITE FOR YOUNG ADULTS
L156 DIANA HENRY
L168 MORE TEA, VICAR?
10pm
L178 1971: ROCK’S GOLDEN YEAR
The Little Big Top
The New Club
9pm
L175 FICTION AT 7: MISSING PIECES
L170 BEN LERNER
L167 REHEARSING SHAKESPEARE WITH THE RSC L163 RANULPH FIENNES / KENTON COOL
7pm
L173 JACKIE: THE BEST THING FOR GIRLS
L165 JOHN FREEMAN
L155 EVELYN WAUGH
6pm
L179 JAY RAYNER: THE TEN (FOOD) COMMANDMENTS
WEDNESDAY 12 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 11am–12noon
L152
Crosswords With The Times Montpellier Gardens, Feast Café Bar FREE Make yourself comfy as The Times Crossword Editor Richard Rogan takes you through the mysteries of the day’s crossword puzzles with a helping hand or tantalising hint where needed!
11.15am–12.30pm
L153
Psychology
Thinking Differently Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9 Derek Paravicini is blind and on the autism spectrum. He can’t tell his right hand from his left, yet he is an internationally renowned pianist with perfect pitch and a repertoire of many thousands of memorised pieces. Music psychologist Adam Ockelford has taught Derek for over 30 years; he explores the pleasures of working with people who think differently with Lucy Winkett, before taking to the stage with Derek for an interactive performance to showcase his remarkable skills.
11.30am–12noon
L154
OUP’S Very Short Introductions: English Literature Montpellier Gardens, The Huddle FREE From the birth of the novel and the brilliance of English comedy to the Englishness of landscape poetry and the diversity of Britain’s Nobel laureates, Jonathan Bate provides a dazzling introduction to our literary heritage.
11.30am–12.30pm
L155
Classic Literature
Evelyn Waugh: Brideshead And Beyond Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10
1–4pm
L184
Workshops
Creative Writing: How To Write For Young Adults The New Club £60
Ticket includes tea, coffee and biscuits. Are you the next Holly Smale or John Green? If you are an aspiring YA author, this is just the masterclass for you. Drawing on her own experience and expertise, Narinder Dhami (Bend It Like Beckham, 13 Hours) shows you how to develop your voice for the young adult audience through group discussion and useful writing exercises. You will have the chance to share your work with the group and receive valuable feedback in this fascinating three hour session. Suitable for beginners or those wanting to brush up on their skills.
Described by Graham Greene as ‘the greatest novelist of my generation’, 50 years on from his death Evelyn Waugh remains one of our most treasured writers. Philip Eade, author of the new biography Evelyn Waugh: A Life Revisited, Alexander Waugh (Fathers and Sons), writer and grandson of Evelyn Waugh, and James Holland, acclaimed historian and Waugh fan explore Waugh’s life and the enduring popularity of his work with Paula Byrne (Mad World: Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead).
12.30–2.30pm
1.30–2.30pm
L158
History
The Queen: Happy And Glorious Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10 Biographer and historian A. N. Wilson (The Queen) believes the secret of Elizabeth II’s success is her stalwart, unmoving ‘dullness’. Is he right? He discusses the life and times of Britain’s most iconic living figure and the monarchy’s place in the national imagination. Literary scholar Jonathan Bate joins him to share poetry by past Poet Laureates written to mark special occasions throughout her reign. Chaired by the BBC’s veteran royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell.
L156
Lifestyle
Diana Henry Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £30
Ticket includes a two course lunch and a glass of wine. Nobody is better than Diana Henry at turning the everyday into something special. Join the award-winning food writer as she presents her superb collection, Simple: no-fuss recipes that are easy to prepare but with flavour that will knock your socks off. Discover ingenious culinary ideas from simple starters to sauces that will lift any dish and the inspiration behind it all.
1.30–2.30pm
L157
Current Affairs
2017 War With Russia Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9 The former senior NATO General Richard Shirreff gives a chilling warning of the threat posed by President Putin and argues for urgent action from the West. Chaired by The Sunday Times Foreign Editor Peter Conradi.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
59
WEDNESDAY 12 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270 3.30–4pm
L160
OUP’s Very Short Introductions: English Literature Montpellier Gardens, The Huddle FREE 2–3pm
From the birth of the novel and the brilliance of English comedy to the Englishness of landscape poetry and the diversity of Britain’s Nobel laureates, Jonathan Bate provides a dazzling introduction to our literary heritage.
L161
History
Burma ’44: The Battle That Turned Britain’s War In The East Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 Bestselling author and historian, James Holland, explains one of the most astonishing battles of the Second World War. The Defence of the Admin Box was the first decisive victory for British troops against the Japanese, filled with incredible human drama and extreme heroism.
1.45–2.45pm
Olympians With A Difference: Eric Liddell And Emil Zátopek Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 Amidst post-Rio reflection, Duncan Hamilton (For The Glory: Eric Liddell’s Journey from Olympic Champion to Modern Martyr) and Rick Broadbent (Endurance: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Emil Zátopek) discuss two men whose strength of will in overcoming obstacles in their private lives was equal to their determination and success on the running track. This fascinating insight into the committed Christian and the unconvinced Communist is chaired by Richard Whitehead of The Times.
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3.15–4.15pm
L159
Sport
3.15–4.15pm
L162
Poetry
Gillian Clarke And Alison Brackenbury Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £8 Two leading poets read from their new collections. The former National Poet of Wales, Gillian Clarke’s Selected Poems gathers work from four decades of poetry examining nature, womanhood, art, music, and perhaps her greatest inspiration: the Welsh landscape and the human stories it hosts. In Skies, Alison Brackenbury’s new collection, the Gloucestershire-based poet sustains delicate proximities between war and love, joy and sadness, summer and winter and confirms her position as one of our most treasured nature poets.
L163
Psychology
3.30–4.30pm
Ranulph Fiennes And Kenton Cool
Alison Weir
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9 The great explorer Ranulph Fiennes (Fear) seems unassailable, yet he suffers from crippling vertigo. He turned to Kenton Cool (One Man’s Everest), the greatest high-altitude mountaineer of a generation and only British climber to have summited Everest 12 times. Under Kenton’s guidance, Ranulph conquered both Everest and the north face of the Eiger. They explore fear: what it is, how to control it and the part it plays in keeping climbers safe on the mountains. Chaired by neuroscientist Vincent Walsh.
L164
Fiction
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £8 The author and historian presents the first in her Six Tudor Queens series of novels. Intertwining historical knowledge with spellbinding storytelling, she brings to life the first of Henry VIII’s queens, Katherine of Aragon.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
WEDNESDAY 12 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 4–5.15pm
L167
L169
Rehearsing Shakespeare With The RSC
The Age Of Discovery
Everything You Want To Know About Saving But Were Afraid To Ask
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £8 A. N. Wilson’s novel Resolution explores the final voyages of Captain Cook. Revealing a story of human endeavour and ingenuity, he discusses the business of colonialism and how those extraordinary expeditions were devised.
5.15–6.15pm
L170
Poetry
Ben Lerner
L165
Current Affairs
4–5.30pm
L168
More Tea, Vicar? Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £15
Ticket includes tea or coffee and cake
As tensions escalate between the police and African-American communities, Jamaican-born Garnette Cadogan talks to John Freeman about walking the streets of America as a black man and the impact of race on one’s sense of belonging.
3.30–4.30pm
L166
Classic Literature
Culture Lecture: Terry Eagleton
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9 Becky Barrow, editor of the award-winning Sunday Times Money section, has hand-picked an expert team of panellists. Their advice on the worrisome subject of how and where to save your money will enlighten and reassure, particularly with interest rates at an historic low. Regular contributor to BBC’s MoneyBox and financial analyst Louise Cooper, Sunday Times Personal Account columnist Ian Cowie and financial planner at investment firm Hargreaves Lansdown Danny Cox share insider secrets and answer your questions.
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £8 Classic Literature
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £8
L171
Business
Peek inside the rehearsal room at the Royal Shakespeare Company as acclaimed director Blanche McIntyre, currently directing The Two Noble Kinsmen, brings a rehearsal to life with cast members. Focusing on a famous scene from one of Shakespeare’s plays, they demonstrate the investigations and discussion that take place during a real rehearsal. Blanche then joins leading barrister and rhetoric coach to the RSC Benet Brandreth to explore the relationship between the director, actors and voice coach in more depth.
John Freeman Presents… Garnette Cadogan
5.15–6.15pm
Travel
Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10
3.30–4.30pm
5–6pm
Classic Literature
Join James Runcie, Runcie, author of ‘The Grantchester Mysteries’ (Sidney (Sidney Chambers and the Dangers of Temptation) Temptation) and Richard Coles ((Bringing Bringing in the Sheaves) Sheaves) for an exuberant celebration of our favourite fictional vicars. From G. K. Chesterton’s Father Brown to Adam Smallbone from TV’s Rev,, a character partly inspired by Richard, Rev they explore our fascination and affection for the clergy in popular culture. Chaired by broadcaster Paul Blezard. Blezard.
The author of acclaimed novels Leaving the Atocha Station and 10:04 talks to John Freeman about his poetry and reads from No Art, an exhilarating collection that confirms Lerner as one of today’s most ambitious poets.
5.30–6.30pm
L172
Faith
God Fearing Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 Atheism and doubt have been present since ancient times, yet religious belief has shaped our societies and still underpins our values. Will the advent of a more secular Western world affect our ability to live together? International relations expert Dominic Johnson (God is Watching You) and classicist Tim Whitmarsh (Battling the Gods: Atheism in the Ancient World) explore the extent to which we rely on religion to create a moral order. Chaired by the BBC’s Caroline Wyatt.
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 Culture: in one sense, the possession of a privileged few; in another, the invisible colour of everyday life, the very air we breathe. The internationally celebrated scholar and literary critic asks: how crucial is culture?
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WEDNESDAY 12 OCTOBER 5.45–6.45pm
L173
Lifestyle
Jackie: The Best Thing For Girls (Next To Boys) Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9
Box Office 01242 850270
7–8.15pm
L175
Travel
Fiction At 7: Missing Pieces
The Art Of Slow Travel
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £10
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8
Ticket includes a glass of wine
Oh, to be a teenager in the heady days of Jackie magazine! Bedrooms decorated with pull-out posters of latest crushes and worries soothed by Cathy and Claire’s advice, it retains a special place in the hearts of millions of women. Actress and star of Jackie The Musical Janet Dibley, author Emma Kennedy (Shoes for Anthony) and former Jackie editor Nina Myskow celebrate a more innocent time (or was it?) through the pages of this iconic magazine. Chaired by Amanda Waggott.
7.30–8.30pm
Fiction
Literary journalist Alex Clark introduces two authors whose books readers can’t fail to be charmed by. Carys Bray’s second novel The Museum of You tells the story of Clover Quinn who is searching for the essence of her mother and clues as to who she will grow up to be. David Whitehouse’s Mobile Library is both a tragicomic road trip and a celebration of the adventures books can take us on. Prepare to get emotional as they discuss these poignant, tender novels.
L177
What exactly is slow travel? It’s convivial meals and community, fascinating people and fine architecture. It’s celebrating regional character, respecting the environment and absorbing the landscape. It’s stepping off the well trodden path to discover the beating heart of a place. Two masters of the art, Alastair Sawday, founder of Sawday’s Go Slow and Special Places series and Adrian Phillips, publisher of Bradt’s Slow Travel Guides, reveal how they seek out tranquillity and immersion in a culture. Chaired by Julia Wheeler.
7.30–9.30pm
L325
Faith
A Night Of Gospel Cheltenham College Chapel £15
7.15–8.15pm
L176
Millennial Lives
6.30–7.30pm
L174
History
Paddy Ashdown Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 The politician joins us to discuss Game of Spies, the story of a lethal spy triangle in occupied France, and the great betrayal by aristocratic and right-wing Resistance leader Andre Grandclement. Chaired by The Sunday Times Foreign Editor Peter Conradi.
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Ladybird Books For Grown-Ups Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8 Once the go-to guides for children learning about the world around them, Ladybird Books turned their attentions to an older (although arguably, equally clueless) audience last year, navigating adults through the modern world of mindfulness, hipsters and mid-life crises. The duo behind the series, comedy writers Joel Morris and Jason Hazeley (Cunk On Shakespeare, Miranda, Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe, That Mitchell and Webb Look) examine the art of pastiche and the creative process behind the books and preview the upcoming titles.
Continuing our celebration of American culture, we explore gospel: a form of music with its roots in the black oral tradition, and one that anchors the sound of African America. Join us in the beautiful surrounds of Cheltenham College Chapel as conductor and gospel expert Ken Burton traces gospel’s history and looks at its place both in American life and in Britain today. With glorious a cappella singing from members of the Town Hall Gospel Choir, Birmingham. Includes a 30 minute interval. Please note that due to the nature of the venue, seating is on wooden pews and some sightlines may be slightly restricted.
7.30–10pm
L179
Lifestyle
Jay Rayner: The Ten (Food) Commandments Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £60
Ticket includes three course dinner and half a bottle of wine The original Ten Commandments have little to offer when it comes to the complex business of how and what we eat. The award-winning restaurant critic and Masterchef judge has decided it’s time to act. He explains why thou shalt always eat with thy hands, why thou shouldst definitely worship leftovers and why thou must celebrate the stinkiest of foods. The chair of BBC Radio 4’s Kitchen Cabinet provides hilarious guidance on the best ways to eat now.
WEDNESDAY 12 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com
8.15–9.15pm
L181
Psychology
Ruby Wax’s Guide To Life Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £12 The comedian and mental health campaigner shows us how to beat stress (A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled) and in her inimitable way shares her secrets to a healthier, happier life.
9–10.30pm
L183
Travel
New Orleans: A Portrait Of A City Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9 8–9.30pm
L178
Stage & Screen
1971: Rock’s Golden Year Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £10
The bar will be open for the duration of this event Grab a beer and cast your mind back to 1971: the year that Carole King wove her Tapestry, Bowie met Lou Reed, Led Zeppelin released Stairway to Heaven, Stevie Wonder came of age, Bruce Springsteen declared himself ‘The Boss’ and a little field festival called Glastonbury began. Legendary rock journalists David Hepworth and Mark Ellen are your guides for a fun and music-filled journey through a landmark year in rock history.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
8.30–9.30pm
L182
Festival Lates
My Dad Wrote A Porno
New Orleans: the birthplace of jazz, the home of Mardi Gras and a vibrant melting pot of cultures, food and traditions. We pay tribute to the ‘Big Easy’ with writer of the award-winning New Orleans-set HBO series Treme, Lolis Eric Elie (Stories and Recipes from the Heart of New Orleans), and academic Christian O’Connell (Blues, How Do You Do?) plus live music from the acclaimed New Orleans-style pianist Dom Pipkin. Hosted by David Freeman.
Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £12 The bar will be open for the duration of this event.
Imagine if your dad wrote a dirty book. Most people would try to ignore it and pretend it had never happened – but not Jamie Morton. Instead, he’s decided to read it to the world in the hit comedy podcast everybody’s talking about. In this special live show, Jamie will be reading a new chapter of his father’s ridiculous erotica with his friends, James Cooper and BBC Radio 1’s Alice Levine.
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THURSDAY 13 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270
DAY PLANNER 9am
10am
11am
Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage
12noon
1pm
L191 PATRICK LEIGH FERMOR
2pm
3pm
L196 ROALD DAHL
6pm
7pm
L206 JOAN BAKEWELL
L202 TRANSWORLD PROOF PARTY
L190 CELEBRATING ANGELA CARTER L186 TURNER
L201 AN INSIDER’S GUIDE
L195 FRANK GARDNER / PETER HANINGTON L194 THE MARRIAGE BUSINESS
L199 COLIN THUBRON
L205 FROM THE SOMME TO SYRIA
L209 ADAM RUTHERFORD/ALICE ROBERTS
L215 THE WORLD TONIGHT
L208 THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL
L214 LAND OF HOPELESS GLORY L213 QUEER’SAY
L187 ALLAN MALLINSON
L193 THE CO-OP’S GOT BANANAS
L198 HELEN DUNMORE / JIM NAUGHTIE
L204 NINA STIBBE
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio
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L217 WOODY GUTHRIE
L216 AMERICANS IN PARIS
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium
The Spiegeltent
9pm
L210 FICTION AT 7: THE AGE OF SUCCESS
The Little Big Top
The Inkpot
8pm L212 TURING’S IMITATION GAME
L188 UTOPIA: STUDY DAY
The Times Forum
The Sunday Times Garden Theatre
5pm
L200 INDIAN MEDICINE
Town Hall, Drawing Room
Town Hall, Pillar Room
4pm
L203 BEATRIX POTTER: A CELEBRATION
L207 TAX – WHO PAYS AND WHO DOESN’T?
10pm
THURSDAY 13 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 11am–12noon
L185
Crosswords With The Times
11am–12noon
11.30am–12noon
L187
Allan Mallinson: The Great War
OUP’s Very Short Introductions: Dictionaries
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £9
Montpellier Gardens, The Huddle FREE
The former British Army officer (Too Important for the Generals) chronicles WW1 in a monthly series for The Times. He joins us to examine October 1916 in particular and its significance for the rest of the war.
Do, or should, dictionaries control language? How do they treat language change, both now and in the past? Which words do dictionaries leave out and on what grounds? Lynda Mugglestone gives a concise introduction.
History
Montpellier Gardens, Feast Café Bar FREE Make yourself comfy as The Times Crossword Editor Richard Rogan takes you through the mysteries of the day’s crossword puzzles with a helping hand or tantalising hint where needed!
11.30am–12.30pm 11am–3.30pm
L188
L186
Art & Design
Turner Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9 Behind Turner’s iconic landscapes lay a complicated man. Intensely private, he was a near-mythical figure in his lifetime, considered visionary at best and ludicrous at worst. Biographer Franny Moyle (Turner: The Extraordinary Life and Momentous Times of J. M. W. Turner) and Tim Wright, the artist who taught Timothy Spall for his role in Mr Turner, join James Long to take a closer look at the extraordinary life and work of one British art’s most complex and celebrated figures.
Celebrating Angela Carter
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £25
Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10
With the publication of Utopia in 1516, Thomas More gave a name and form to an idea that has captured the human imagination throughout history: by imagining that a better world is possible, we are empowered to create it. On the 500th anniversary of its publication, join leading experts in the field of Utopian Studies for a very special day of events exploring More’s seminal work and tracing how its ideas still resonate today.
Widely acknowledged as one of the most important English writers of the last century, Angela Carter’s work stands out for its bawdiness, inventiveness and linguistic zest. Biographer Edmund Gordon (The Invention of Angela Carter; a biography) and publisher Carmen Calill celebrate her life and work with Lisa Appignanesi, with captivating readings by Cranford star Deborah Finlay.
The Utopia Day Pass includes: • A special reading list devised by Dany Nobus of Brunel to complement the events • Access to 3 sessions by leading experts • Coffee and pastries on arrival and afternoon refreshments (there will be a short break for lunch – not included in ticket) • The chance to explore ideas with speakers and fellow audience members
11.30am–12.30pm
L191
Travel
THOMAS MORE’S UTOPIA: AN INTRODUCTION Who was Thomas More and what motivated him to write Utopia? What are its key messages and which of these remain relevant 500 years on? Dany Nobus of Brunel University London provides an accessible introduction to More’s radical text.
Celebrating Patrick Leigh Fermor
Includes coffee and a pastry.
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9
IS UTOPIA POSSIBLE? Dany Nobus, Rhys Williams and Davina Cooper discuss the contemporary relevance of the ideas raised in More’s text and their practical application in societal development, art and politics. Can a perfect world ever be realised? What lessons can be learned from past attempts to create Utopian societies? And with human history peppered with failed endeavours to create different social orders, just how fine is the line between dream world and nightmare state? Featuring excerpts from Oceans of Lemonade (directed by Joe Morgan): a film exploring Utopian thought. THE EVOLUTION OF UTOPIA: FROM MORE TO ATWOOD Since the 1516 publication of More’s genre-defining work, Utopian Literature has become a rich and diverse field, featuring seminal works by Orwell, Huxley and Atwood. Gregory Claeys (The Cambridge Companion to Utopian Literature) surveys its evolution.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
L190
Classic Literature
Utopia: Study Day
Classic Literature
11am–12noon
L189
We celebrate the life and work of the great travel writer, one of the few genuine Renaissance figures of the 20th century. Adam Sisman (Dashing For The Post) introduces the first comprehensive collection of Paddy’s letters spanning almost 70 years, full of remarkable friendships and extraordinary stories, exhibiting his zest for life and unending curiosity. Travel writers Colin Thubron (Night of Fire) and Sara Wheeler (Evia) share their memories and read Paddy’s words.
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THURSDAY 13 OCTOBER 1.15–2.15pm
Box Office 01242 850270 L195
Fiction
Frank Gardner And Peter Hanington Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10
12.45–1.45pm
L193
History
Two of the most gripping debut thrillers of 2016 have been penned by journalists with long experience of reporting across the globe. Broadcaster Ritula Shah discusses the journey from fact to fiction that BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner (Crisis) and BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight producer Peter Hanington (A Dying Breed) have taken with their very different novels, both brimming with authenticity and insider knowledge.
2–2.30pm
L197
OUP’s Very Short Introductions: Dictionaries Montpellier Gardens, The Huddle FREE Do, or should, dictionaries control language? How do they treat language change, both now and in the past? Which words do dictionaries leave out and on what grounds? Lynda Mugglestone gives a concise introduction.
2.30–3.30pm
L198
Fiction
The Co-Op’s Got Bananas
Helen Dunmore And Jim Naughtie
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 Lies, betrayal and a vivid sense of time and place dominate two gripping new novels, each set in a world where nothing is as it seems. James Naughtie (Paris Spring) and Helen Dunmore (Exposure) discuss their brilliant new work and the devastating power of long-held secrets. Chaired by James Long.
Author and journalist Hunter Davies recalls his childhood in post-war North of England, his career and his 55-year marriage to the novelist Margaret Forster, who died this year. With his editor at The Sunday Times, Becky Barrow.
1–2pm
2.45–3.45pm
L199
Travel
Colin Thubron Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10 The award-winning writer has been turning his legendary travels into literature for nearly fifty years. He discusses his extraordinary career and latest fictive masterpiece Night of Fire, a lyrical meditation on memory, with Julia Wheeler.
L194
History
The Marriage Business Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8 With Match.com and Tinder, the search for ‘The One’ has evolved beyond recognition. Nonetheless, old-fashioned matchmaking has stood the test of time. Penrose Halson (Marriages Are Made in Bond Street) takes us behind the scenes of Britain’s first marriage bureau in the 1940s, which she later took over as proprietor. She joins Parag Bhargava, whose parents established the UK’s first Asian marriage bureau in the 1970s, to reflect on their enduring appeal and success. Chaired by Alex Clark.
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1.45–2.45pm
L196
Classic Literature
Roald Dahl: The Phizz-Whizzing Storyteller Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9 In this centenary year, we celebrate the man who created some of the best-loved children’s stories of the 20th century. His official biographer Donald Sturrock (Love From Boy) shares a lifetime of letters written to his mother, shining fresh light on to his complex personality and the beginnings of his fantastical imagination. He is joined by Dahl’s doctor Tom Solomon (Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Medicine), who reveals how his fascination for medicine influenced much of his work. Chaired by Nicolette Jones.
3.45–4.45pm
L200
Science & Tech
Indian Medicine Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £8 From the plastic surgeons of Bollywood to the ayurveda system, the story of medicine in India is rich and complex, uniting cutting-edge technological developments with ancient cultural traditions. Scientist and author Aarathi Prasad (In The Bonesetter’s Waiting Room) and medical historian and academic Pratik Chakrabarti (Medicine and Empire) discuss what happens when centuries-old practices collide with world-beating initiatives in Western medicine. Is there room for both in modern India? Chaired by Steven Gale.
THURSDAY 13 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com
4–5pm
4.45–5.45pm
L201
An Insider’s Guide To The Publishing Industry
Shellshock: From The Somme To Syria Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8
Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £8 Come along to get the inside track on today’s publishing industry from some of its most influential and innovative players. What makes a submission stand out? How is the business changing and what impact is this having on writers? Hosted by author and contributing editor of The Bookseller Cathy Rentzenbrink, our panel is: literary agent at Aitken Alexander Clare Alexander, MD of Waterstones James Daunt, Founder of OWN IT! Crystal Mahey-Morgan and MD of Penguin General Books Joanna Prior.
4–5.30pm
L205
Psychology
L202
Fiction
Transworld Proof Party Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £15
Ticket includes tea or coffee, biscuits and a goody bag of limited edition proofs. The British Book Awards’ Publisher of the Year 2016 showcases the fiction authors whose names will be on everyone’s lips in 2017. The brilliant John Boyne discusses his new novel, The Heart’s Invisible Furies, and bestselling crime author Belinda Bauer introduces her new thriller, The Beautiful Dead. Debut novelists Joseph Knox (Sirens) and Rachel Rhys (A Dangerous Crossing) present their books and share experiences of seeing their words in print. Chaired by Patricia Nicol.
4–5.30pm
L203
4.15–5.15pm
Classic Literature
Fiction
Beatrix Potter: A Celebration
Nina Stibbe
Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £20
Ticket includes afternoon tea with finger sandwiches. Join us for afternoon tea as we celebrate the life of this cherished author on the 150th anniversary of her birth. Biographer Matthew Dennison ((Over Over the Hills and Far Away) Away) reveals the depth and complexity of her character: repressed Victorian daughter, thwarted lover, artistic genius, canny businesswoman. Journalist and broadcaster Hunter Davies, Davies, an avid collector of Potter memorabilia, explores the Lake District landscape that she devoted her life and fortune to conserving (Lakeland: (Lakeland: A Personal Journey).). Chaired by Nicolette Jones. Journey Jones.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
L204
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8
As the Battle of the Somme got underway in 1916, an alarming number of men began displaying symptoms of a nervous disorder: paralysis, stuttering, the ‘shakes’. The official response was unsympathetic. 100 years on, historian Taylor Downing (Breakdown), journalist Matthew Green (Aftershock) and Civilian Consultant Advisor in Psychiatry to the British Army Simon Wessely discuss our understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder and how far our ability to help those affected has advanced. Chaired by former British Army officer Allan Mallinson.
The bestselling author of Love, Nina, now a BBC One series, chats to Caroline Sanderson about Paradise Lodge; a novel all about the laughter and tears between being very young and very old.
5.45–6.45pm
L206
Stage & Screen
Joan Bakewell Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9 The acclaimed broadcaster discusses Stop the Clocks with Steven Gale: musing on all she has lived through, how the world has changed and a consideration of the values she will leave behind.
67
THURSDAY 13 OCTOBER 6–7pm
Box Office 01242 850270
L207
Current Affairs
Times Explainers: Tax – Who Pays And Who Doesn’t? Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 From wealthy individuals to massive tech companies, the scale and audacity of tax avoidance schemes has been repeatedly uncovered by the award-winning Times reporter Alexi Mostrous. He explains how he researches and breaks his stories.
6.30–7.30pm
L209
Science & Tech
6.30–7.30pm
L208
Classic Literature
The Great American Novel Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8 In its ability to capture the social conscience and national character of its time, for many, the Great American Novel remains the benchmark for literary ambition, despite having been perpetuated and challenged in almost equal measure. Professor of American Literature Sarah Churchwell, American writer and critic John Freeman and author Ben Markovits discuss what characterises a Great American Novel and ask which works should be considered as present-day contenders. Chaired by Alex Clark.
Adam Rutherford And Alice Roberts Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 Science writer and broadcaster Adam Rutherford presents A Brief History of Everyone who Ever Lived. He and Alice Roberts (The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being) explore the genetic discoveries blurring the boundaries between science and history.
Long-term investment partners
7.30–10pm
7–8.15pm
L210
Fiction
Fiction At 7: The Age Of Success Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £10 Ticket includes a glass of wine.
Two of 2016’s bestselling debut authors present their gripping novels. Joanna Cannon’s word-of-mouth bestseller, The Trouble with Goats and Sheep, is part whodunit, part coming of age novel with secrets uncovered on every page. Kit de Waal’s remarkable book, My Name is Leon, is a heartbreaking story of love, identity and a fierce sibling bond. Chaired by The Bookseller’s Cathy Rentzenbrink.
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L211
America
An Evening With Reginald D. Hunter Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £35
Ticket includes a light dinner and a glass of wine. Join comedian Reginald D. Hunter for an evening of comfort food and drink from the Deep South, spiced with Reg’s own unique take on American culture. Expect wit, warmth and something truly different.
THURSDAY 13 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 8.30–9.30pm
L215
Film
The World Tonight: Reporting America Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10
7.45–8.45pm
Americans are increasingly looking to UK journalism for analysis of their own current affairs. Why does this occur? Over the past year the much-loved broadcaster James Naughtie has reported from across America, plotting the twists and turns of the election campaign. Chaired by presenter Ritula Shah, he joins BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight producer Peter Hanington and correspondent Jonny Dymond to ask: how should the BBC report on such a huge and diverse nation?
L212
Science & Tech
Turing’s Imitation Game Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £8 Think you’re cleverer than a machine? Professor Kevin Warwick reveals there’s more to the Turing test than meets the eye as he pits humans against the latest artificial intelligence. See if you can spot the difference between man and machine...
8.30–10.30pm
L216
Classic Literature
Americans In Paris 8.30–9.30pm
L214
Sport
Land Of Hopeless Glory
Long-term investment partners
8–10pm
L213
Festival Lates
Queer’Say Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £10 The bar will be open for the duration of this event.
Multiple slam-winning poet Anna Freeman and Midlands Slam Champion Jasmine Gardosi take to the stage, before joining comedian and Radio 4 regular Rosie Wilby to talk about their life, work and inspirations. A showcase of queer spoken word, to be recorded for Resonance FM’s award-winning LGBT magazine show Out In South London.
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8 Why do we endure the agony of supporting a side that always lets us down? The Guardian sports writer Emma John (Following On) sacrificed her teenage years supporting England cricketers while The Times Chief Football Writer Henry Winter (Fifty Years of Hurt) has often lamented the disappointing record of our national team. So, why did they never stop believing? Chaired by Alex Clark.
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £8 Immerse yourself in the Parisian salons of the roaring twenties with Professor of American Literature Sarah Churchwell and author Alex Preston as your guides to this golden age of culture and creativity. They discuss key works from the period and introduce a screening of Woody Allen’s Academy Award-winning Midnight in Paris, starring Owen Wilson as a struggling writer who is mysteriously transported to the 1920s, rubbing shoulders with the Fitzgeralds, Hemingway, Picasso and other surprising guests.
9–10pm
L217
Stage & Screen
Woody Guthrie: Hard Times And Hard Travelin’ Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £8 Musician, writer and the world’s leading authority on Woody Guthrie, Will Kaufman (Woody Guthrie, American Radical) presents a live musical documentary of the Dust Bowl troubadour. Setting performances of Guthrie’s songs (including ‘Pretty Boy Floyd’, ‘I Ain’t Got No Home’ and ‘This Land is Your Land’) against the context of 1930s Depressionera America, Kaufman highlights the blending of music and radical politics that marks Guthrie’s most powerful work.
Presented in partnership with Apples and Snakes.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
69
FRIDAY 14 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270
DAY PLANNER 9am Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage
10am
11am
12noon
L220 ENGLAND’S CATHEDRALS
1pm
2pm
L225 SAVING THE COUNTRYSIDE
4pm
5pm
L231 HENRY JAMES
L237 TRAPEZE PROOF PARTY
Town Hall, Pillar Room
L235 IT’S YOUR FUNERAL…
L221 READER, I MARRIED HIM
L230 JOHN SIMPSON
L226 BOOKS THAT MADE BRITAIN
The Sunday Times Garden Theatre
L227 SEAMUS HEANEY’S AENEID
The Little Big Top
L223 THE TIMES LIVE
L228 JANET ELLIS
131 The Promenade
The Spiegeltent
8pm
L233 MARK BILLINGHAM
9pm
L247 ED BALLS
L257 AKALA
L245 SOPHIE RYDER
L242 SIMON ARMITAGE
L251 A LITTLE, ALOUD WITH LOVE L246 DAMON HILL
L254 REGINALD D. HUNTER
L249 DAVID AARONOVITCH / DANIEL FINKELSTEIN
L255 VAL MCDERMID / MARK BILLINGHAM L253 JOHNNY BEVAN
L243 NOAH HAWLEY
L250 TRACY CHEVALIER
L256 THE AMERICAN NOVELIST
L239 KELLY HOPPEN
L218 KILLER CRIME FICTION
L224 COOL CRIME FROM COOLER COUNTRIES
L238 MARTHA COLLISON
10pm
L248 FICTION AT 7: FIRST ON THE SCENE
L240 READING RUSSIA RIGHT L232 THE VANISHING MAN
7pm
L236 MATTHEW HOLLIS / BLAKE MORRISON
The Inkpot
The New Club
6pm
L241 THE CLEAN EATING DEBATE
Town Hall, Drawing Room
The Times Forum
70
3pm
L252 THE DISH LITERARY DINNER
FRIDAY 14 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com
10am–1pm
11.30am–12noon
L218
OUP’s Very Short Introductions: Free Speech
Workshops
Creative Writing: Killer Crime Fiction
Montpellier Gardens, The Huddle FREE
The New Club £60
Should we be free to criticise other people’s religion? Are there grounds for censoring pornography? Has the Internet changed everything? Nigel Warburton gives a concise guide to free speech in contemporary society.
Ticket includes tea, coffee and biscuits. Love a page-turner? Addicted to plot twists and red herrings? Described as ‘Ireland’s answer to Ruth Rendell’, Claire McGowan hosts an in-depth workshop on how to craft a compelling story – from techniques on plotting to best research practices. Discover how to create a concept that will sell, and get top tips on developing strong lead characters with series potential.
11am–12noon
L219
Crosswords With The Times Montpellier Gardens, Feast Café Bar FREE Make yourself comfy as The Times Crossword Editor Richard Rogan takes you through the mysteries of the day’s crossword puzzles with a helping hand or tantalising hint where needed!
L222
11am–12noon
L220
Faith
12noon–1pm
L223
Current Affairs
The Times Live
England’s Cathedrals
1–2pm
L225
Natural World
Saving The Countryside Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9 2016 marks 90 years of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), a charity that has worked tirelessly to preserve the beauty and tranquillity of the countryside. Oliver Hilliam (22 Ideas That Saved the English Countryside), Richard Lloyd (CPRE Glos), Alice Thomson of The Times and Simon Jenkins celebrate the landmark anniversary, and look to the future of England’s landscapes and rural communities.
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £8 England’s cathedrals are the nation’s glory, reflecting the changing fortunes of history and uplifting spirits with their beauty. Journalist Simon Jenkins takes us on a gloriously illustrated tour of some of our most astonishing buildings.
In a fascinating debate now firmly established as a popular fixture at Cheltenham, Deputy Editor Emma Tucker and The Times leader writing team, including columnists Daniel Finkelstein and Philip Collins, discuss the hot topics of the day and decide the subjects of the famous leading articles for the next edition.
Supported by Diocese of Gloucester
12.30–2.30pm 11am–12noon
L224
Fiction
L221
Classic Literature
Reader, I Married Him Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 Some of the finest and most creative voices in fiction today salute and celebrate Charlotte Brontë’s game-changing novel Jane Eyre and its beloved narrator with their own short stories inspired by the now immortal words from her great work. Tracy Chevalier, Evie Wyld and friends discuss why it remains such a potent and relevant story and why we connect with it so deeply. Chaired by Nicolette Jones.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
Cool Crime From Cooler Countries Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £25 Ticket includes a two course lunch.
Our appetite for crime novels and television series from Nordic countries is showing no sign of abating. Bestselling Icelandic author Yrsa Sigurðardóttir (Why Did You Lie?) and Swedish writing duo Erik Axl Sund (The Crow Girl) present their latest thrilling stories and muse on the cold crime obsession. Indulge in sumptuous smorgasbords to complete the full Scandi experience! Chaired by BBC Radio 2 Book Club producer Joe Haddow.
71
FRIDAY 14 OCTOBER 1–2pm
Box Office 01242 850270 3.30–4.30pm
L226
Classic Literature
Art & Design
Books That Made Britain
The Vanishing Man: In Pursuit Of Velázquez
Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 The BBC’s #LovetoRead campaign asks: which books made Britain? Tahmima Anam, Jim Crace, Val McDermid and James Naughtie debate which books are the bedrock of our nation. After Britain’s turbulent summer, what will their choices say about how we see ourselves at this critical point in our island’s history? We want to know what you think too – we’ll be asking for your choices to inform the discussion.
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9
1.45–2.45pm
1.45–2.45pm
L227
Poetry
Seamus Heaney’s Aeneid Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre
£9 The sixth book of Virgil’s Aeneid sees Aeneas travel to the underworld to meet the spirit of his father. Following the death of Seamus Heaney’s own father in 1986, this work became something the poet would return to over the course of many years – right up to the summer of his death. To celebrate the publication of this, his final work, Heaney’s editor at Faber Matthew Hollis and daughter Catherine Heaney join poets Simon Armitage and Jo Shapcott with extracts from the Nobel Prize-winning poet’s translation of the Aeneid Book VI. Supported by Poetry Ireland
72
The Observer art critic Laura Cumming sheds new light on the Spanish master’s work in this richly illustrated talk, set against the backdrop of a riveting detective story based around a 19th century art controversy.
L228
Fiction
Janet Ellis Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8
#LovetoRead
L232
2.45–3.45pm
The Butcher’s Hook, the first novel by the much-loved Blue Peter presenter, received rave reviews when published earlier this year. Just out in paperback, she introduces her bold debut, set in Georgian London. Chaired by Alex Clark.
2–2.30pm
L230
Current Affairs
L229
OUP’s Very Short Introductions: Free Speech Montpellier Gardens, The Huddle FREE Should we be free to criticise other people’s religion? Are there grounds for censoring pornography? Has the Internet changed everything? Nigel Warburton gives a concise guide to free speech in contemporary society.
John Simpson Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 The distinguished BBC World Affairs Editor discusses We Chose to Speak of War and Strife, a deeply personal account of his life on the frontlines, woven with tales of great foreign correspondents of the past.
3–4pm
L231
3.30–4.30pm
L233
Classic Literature
Fiction
Henry James: A Centenary Celebration
Mark Billingham
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9
One of the UK’s most acclaimed and popular crime writers joins Mark Lawson to discuss his latest bestselling novel, Die of Shame, and his upcoming BBC One series, In The Dark, airing this autumn.
Regarded by many as one of the greatest novelists in English as well as one of America’s most influential critics and literary theorists, Henry James’ writing continues to capture and inspire audiences to this day. In the centenary year of his death, Professor of American Literature Sarah Churchwell, Professor of English Literature and James specialist Philip Horne (Henry James: A Life in Letters), and acclaimed novelist Alan Hollinghurst (The Stranger’s Child) celebrate James’ life, work and legacy. Chaired by Marianne Hinton.
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8
FRIDAY 14 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 3.45–4pm
L234
Simon Armitage: Stories From The Somme Montpellier Gardens, The Huddle FREE
L235
Lifestyle
It’s Your Funeral…
Current Affairs
Trapeze Proof Party
Reading Russia Right
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £15
From publishing’s newest imprint at publishing house Orion comes a host of recommendations for reading lists in 2017. New writing talent David M. Barnett presents his book Calling Major Tom, Peter Dunne introduces his non-fiction debut The Fifty Things and Sarah J. Naughton gives a preview of her thriller debut Tattletale. The authors talk to BBC Radio 2’s Book Club producer Joe Haddow.
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £8
L240
Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10
4–5.30pm
L239
Lifestyle
Kelly Hoppen
Whether it is the conflict in Syria or the crisis in Ukraine, Russia continues to dominate the headlines. But as Western observers, how much do we truly understand about the world’s largest nation? Russian energy expert Nazrin Mehdiyeva, Chatham House’s Director of Conflict Studies Keir Giles and Russia and Eurasia specialist Andrew Monaghan (The New Politics of Russia) delve deeper into the power and politics of 21st century Russia with Commanding General of the US Army Europe Ben Hodges.
131 The Promenade £30
Ticket includes a glass of Prosecco and a selection of light nibbles.
Death: the only thing that’s certain in life. Yet why do we treat it as taboo and shy away from talking about it? Carrie Weekes, co-founder of A Natural Undertaking which helps families to arrange personal funerals and grieve in their own way, and Barbara Chalmers, founder of The Final Fling which supports people to take control of life and death decisions, discuss how to ‘own’ your send-off and encourage open dialogue about death amongst families. Chaired by Steven Gale.
Join us for an exclusive opportunity to meet one of Britain’s most influential designers in the intimate surrounds of Lucky Onion’s No. 131, Cheltenham’s most luxurious boutique hotel. In conversation with The Sunday Times interiors editor Katrina Burroughs, Kelly looks back at her stellar career, showcases her favourite projects and takes us inside her own homes. Mingle with her afterwards to celebrate the publication of her beautiful new retrospective.
Join us afterwards in The Huddle for our pop-up Death Café.
4–5.30pm 4–5pm
4.45–5.45pm
L237
Fiction
Ticket includes tea or coffee, biscuits and a goody bag of limited edition proofs.
Still is the result of Armitage’s 14-18 NOW commission to write a sequence of poems in response to aerial photographs of the Somme’s battlefields. Join the leading poet for a short preview of this haunting work.
4–5pm
4–5.30pm
L236
Poetry
Matthew Hollis And Blake Morrison Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £8 Two leading poets read from their new publications. Faber & Faber Poetry Editor and author of the Forward and Whitbread Prize-shortlisted Ground Water, Matthew Hollis introduces Stones, a swirling meditation on loss and recovery set in the beautiful surroundings of the Lake District. Blake Morrison’s first full collection for almost thirty years, the ardent and elegiac Shingle Street is a stunning evocation of the Suffolk coast and a powerful observation of the erosion of our land, lives and values.
L238
Lifestyle
Martha Collison Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £20
Ticket includes tea or coffee and a tasting plate of cakes.
5–6pm
L241
Lifestyle
The Clean Eating Debate Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £8 It’s the food movement everyone’s talking about. But what exactly is clean eating? Are people being blinded by the Instagram accounts of glossy young things extolling food philosophies that fall short of a healthy diet or do they inspire people to look after themselves? Nutritional health coach Madeleine Shaw (Ready, Steady, Glow), food writer Bee Wilson (First Bite) and dietician Renee McGregor (Training Food) discuss what healthy eating should look like with Eleanor Mills of The Sunday Times.
The youngest ever Great British Bake Off contestant presents her first book, Twist Twist,, offering a new approach to baking and adding something fresh and innovative to the contemporary bakes that everyone loves.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
73
FRIDAY 14 OCTOBER 5.15–6.15pm
Box Office 01242 850270 5.30–6.30pm
L242
L244
Death Café
Poetry
Simon Armitage
Montpellier Gardens, The Huddle FREE
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8
Grab your cup of tea and join our informal chat about life’s end, your options and how to stay in charge. Undertaker Carrie Weekes and Barbara Chalmers of The Final Fling guide your discussions.
The acclaimed poet, who brought Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to vivid life, presents his new translation of the medieval English masterpiece Pearl. He talks to Nicolette Jones and reads from this new work.
5.45–6.45pm
L245
Locally Sourced
Sophie Ryder: A Life In Sculpture Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £8
6.45–7.45pm
The internationally-renowned sculptor, best known locally for Cheltenham Promenade’s The Hare and The Minotaur, joins Jon Benington for an illustrated conversation about a life in sculpture inspired by mythical creatures, animals and hybrid beings.
L247
Current Affairs
Ed Balls Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10 The former Shadow Chancellor introduces Speaking Out: Lessons in Life and Politics; a candid and thought-provoking account of two decades at the frontline of British politics. Chaired by the broadcaster and journalist Steve Richards.
5.15–6.15pm
L243
Stage & Screen
Noah Hawley 7–8.15pm
L248
Fiction
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 The creator and writer of the Emmy Awardwinning series Fargo joins Mark Lawson to discuss his celebrated screenwriting career and introduce Before the Fall, hailed as one of the best suspense novels of the year.
6.30–7.30pm
L246
Sport
Damon Hill Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £12 The racing legend’s deeply personal and candid memoir Watching The Wheels follows his journey through the last golden era of Formula One, against his rivals Senna and Schumacher, to become World Champion. Chaired by Alex Clark.
74
Fiction At 7: First On The Scene Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £10 Ticket includes a glass of wine.
Gripping, tense and completely enthralling, we invite two of this year’s bestselling crime debut authors, Sam Baker (The Woman Who Ran) and Fiona Barton (The Widow), to introduce their novels. They are joined by BBC Radio 2’s Book Club producer Joe Haddow to discuss plot twists, tension, unreliable narrators and intriguing heroines.
FRIDAY 14 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 7–8pm
L249
7.30–8.30pm
L251
9–10pm
L253
8.45–9.45pm
Current Affairs
Classic Literature
Festival Lates
David Aaronovitch And Daniel Finkelstein
A Little, Aloud With Love
What I Learned The American From Johnny Bevan Novelist In Hollywood Imperial Square, The Little Big Top
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10 Who wanted American TV when you had Russian movies? David discusses family secrets, his memoir Party Animals and his unconventional upbringing among the communists, with his close colleague from The Times.
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £8
£10
The bar will be open for the duration of this event.
A Little, Aloud with Love celebrates love in literature in all its forms, from the heady first flush to the agony of heartbreak. The book is designed to be read aloud and shared with someone you love, whoever they may be, and this event is for those who want to share their love of reading aloud. Take part in some shared reading with director of The Reader Organisation Jane Davis, poet and author Blake Morrison (Shingle Street) and the book’s editor, Angela McMillan.
Following acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe, performance poet Luke Wright delivers a multi-award-winning hurricane of a play in poem form. With humour and humanity, he takes British politics head on, challenging the rise of New Labour and David Cameron, and the abandonment of those left behind.
8.30–9.30pm
L254
America
7.30–10pm
L252
Reginald D. Hunter
The Dish Literary Dinner Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £55
Ticket includes three course dinner and half a bottle of wine.
L250
Fiction
Tracy Chevalier
Join us for a delicious culinary experience inspired by the most memorable dishes from great literature. Editor of The Dish Laurel Ives and author and Sunday Times drinks columnist Damian Barr chat about the joys of food and words from three specially chosen books. Tuck in and join the conversation.
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Faulkner, Chandler… some of America’s most renowned novelists turned their hand to screenwriting during Hollywood’s heyday, with varying degrees of success. Sarah Churchwell charts the highs and lows of the literati-turned-Hollywood hack.
10–11.30pm
L257
Festival Lates
Akala
Lifestyle
7–8pm
L256
Classic Literature
Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £12 How great is America really? The comedian looks at how American history is told, with journalist Stephen Armstrong. De Tocquevilles’ theory of American ‘exceptionalism’ paints America as the ‘first nation’: liberal, democratic, egalitarian and laissez faire. Reginald D. Hunter asks what effect this version of the USA has had globally.
8.45–9.45pm
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £12 Taking hip-hop back from the corporate world, the MOBO award-winning artist, poet and Festival Guest Curator presents an evening of rap and spoken word with his diverse combination of influences including electro, punk, folk and soul. Please note, this is a standing-room event only.
L255
Fiction
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 The internationally bestselling author presents her latest work, At the Edge of the Orchard; a riveting and beautifully crafted 19th century drama about a pioneer family on the American frontier. Chaired by Cathy Rentzenbrink.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
Val McDermid With Mark Billingham Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8 Celebrating the publication of her 30th novel in 2016, the bestselling and brilliant crime novelist joins her fellow author to discuss her latest novel, Out of Bounds, and her impressive career to date.
75
SATURDAY 15 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270
DAY PLANNER 9am
10am
11am
12noon
1pm
2pm
3pm
4pm
5pm
6pm
7pm
8pm
L328 JONATHAN TROTT / ADRIAN CHILES
Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage
L259 THE DOPING DEBATE
L264 THE CHELTENHAM BOOKER
L270 MODERN PARENTING
L276 THE 2016 MAN BOOKER PRIZE SHORTLIST
L282 ALEXEI SAYLE
Town Hall, Drawing Room
L260 AKALA PRESENTS
L265 TRACY CHEVALIER
L271 ETGAR KERET
L277 PITCH YOUR BOOK
L283 SARAH HOWE / REBECCA PERRY
Town Hall, Pillar Room
L266 THE OBAMA YEARS
The Sunday Times Garden Theatre
L262 LIONEL SHRIVER
The Little Big Top
The Inkpot
L290 HOT OR NOT?
L281 ANDREW SOLOMON
The Times Forum
L268 AI WEIWEI
L273 THE TIMES DEBATE
L280 CLOSING THE GENDER GAP
L286 JEREMY PAXMAN
L293 DERREN BROWN
L272 VALLEY OF THE DOLLS AT 50
L278 FERRANTE FEVER
L284 NUJEEN MUSTAFA / CHRISTINA LAMB
L291 THE AGES OF BOWIE
LB66 MARCUS SEDGWICK
L261 HANS ULRICH OBRIST
L263 MUST READS
L269 TALES OF THE AMERICAN FRONTIER
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium
9pm
L288 SPARK TRUE STORYTELLING
L274 REDEMPTION BEHIND BARS
L279 A. A. GILL
LB75 RACHEL COHN / DAVID LEVITHAN
L285 10 FROCKS
L292 PACKING A PUNCH
L287 THE ALL STARS
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio The Spiegeltent
76
L258 WAKE UP HEALTHIER WITH JOE WICKS
L267 MIRIAM GONZÁLEZ DURÁNTEZ
L275 NADIYA HUSSAIN
L289 SABRINA GHAYOUR
10pm
SATURDAY 15 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com
10–11.30am
11.45am–12.45pm
L258
Wake Up Healthier With Joe Wicks
10.30–11.30am
L260
Lionel Shriver
Classic Literature
Akala Presents: Great Reads Live
Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £20
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £8
Ticket includes brunch.
Are you ready to get Lean in 15? Joe Wicks, aka The Body Coach, is a man on a mission to make the world healthier. He has helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world transform their bodies and his first book has become the UK’s fastest selling recipe book of all time. He talks to The Bookseller’s Caroline Sanderson about how he loves helping people make small changes and see big results.
The MOBO award-winning rapper, poet, academic and Festival Guest Curator’s literary interests are as eclectic as his music. In this special live version of his online Great Reads series, he discusses the books that have shaped him.
L259
Sport
The Doping Debate Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9 Sport has been rocked to the core by doping scandals. Is there any way to control performance enhancing drug use amongst athletes or is clean sport already a lost cause? Our brilliant panel of experts, The Sunday Times Insight Editor Jonathan Calvert, former Sports Minister and Chairman of the British Olympic Association Colin Moynihan and cyclist turned whistle blower Dan Stevens debate this topical issue with author and journalist Simon Jenkins.
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10 The prize-winning author of We Need to Talk about Kevin talks to Times Literary Editor Robbie Millen about her novel, The Mandibles: A Family, 2029–2047, portraying a United States in serious decline.
12.15–1.15pm 10.30–11.30am
L261
L263
Fiction
Hans Ulrich Obrist: Lives Of The Artists, Lives Of The Architects
The Sunday Times Must Reads: Sarah Perry And Francis Spufford
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8
The internationally-renowned curator and Serpentine Galleries’ Artistic Director is one of the art world’s biggest hitters. He talks to Mark Lawson about a life in art and his ongoing conversations with the world’s greatest living creators.
The authors of two of the most lauded historical novels of 2016, Sarah Perry and Francis Spufford, discuss their books with Sunday Times Literary Editor Andrew Holgate. The Essex Serpent follows a widow on the trail of a mythical beast at the turn of the 20th century while Golden Hill is a twisting narrative of a mysterious young man reinventing himself in 18th century New York.
Art & Design
10.30–11.30am
L262
Fiction
Lifestyle
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
77
SATURDAY 15 OCTOBER 12.30–1.45pm
L264
1–2.15pm
Box Office 01242 850270
America
The Cheltenham Booker: 1945
The Obama Years: Yes We Can, But Did We?
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10 Which 1945 title deserves to win our very own Booker? You decide! Akala, Raffaella Barker, Helen Dunmore, Rachel Johnson and Alexei Sayle discuss George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Elizabeth Smart’s By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept, Elizabeth Taylor’s At Mrs Lippincote’s, Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love and Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, chaired by James Walton. They fight it out to determine which would have triumphed, had The Man Booker Prize existed in 1945. Introduction by John Coldstream. Dedicated to the memory of Ion Trewin.
1.30–2.30pm
L266
Classic Literature
Marcus Sedgwick Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Young Adult Booktrust Teenage Prize-winning author Marcus Sedgwick takes you on a virtual trip into his writing space, as he shows how a book comes together from the first ideas to the finished copy. He reveals the research that went into his new book, Saint Death, and talks about the fascinating culture and topical issues he explores within its pages.
Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 America’s first black president swept into the White House on a wave of optimism. How will history regard his presidency? Norma Percy and Paul Mitchell, producers of the gripping documentary series Inside Obama’s White House, with unrivalled access to the president and his inner circle, join our former Ambassador to the US Peter Westmacott and Times columnist Daniel Finkelstein. They examine the highs and lows of the Obama years with BBC Radio 4 Today presenter Justin Webb.
1–3pm
L267
Lifestyle
Miriam González Durántez Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £30
12.30–1.45pm
L265
Fiction
Celebrate With… Tracy Chevalier Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £20
Ticket includes a glass of sparkling wine. Girl with a Pearl Earring has sold over three million copies in 36 languages and been made into an Oscar-nominated film. The author joins The Bookseller’s Cathy Rentzenbrink to share the inspiration behind the book and its success in this exclusive and intimate event.
78
LB66
Ticket includes two course lunch and a glass of wine. “Food is at the centre of everything we do in Spain”. Miriam González Durántez has always been keen to share her love of Spanish cooking with her sons so she started her blog mumsandsons from which her new book, Made in Spain, was born; packed with recipes to inspire home cooks everywhere. She takes us on a culinary tour through her native country via her favourite family recipes. Chaired by journalist Emma Barnett.
1.30–2.30pm
L268
Art & Design
Art And Activism: Celebrating Ai Weiwei Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9 There is perhaps no more powerful figure in the art world currently than Ai Weiwei, a brave and unrelenting critic of China’s authoritarian regime and a tireless human rights campaigner. The Royal Academy’s 2015 sell-out exhibition brought his daring art to a new legion of fans. RA Artistic Director, Tim Marlow (Ai Weiwei) and Serpentine Galleries’ Artistic Director Hans Ulrich Obrist (Ai Weiwei Speaks), who worked with Weiwei on the Herzog and de Meuron Pavilion, discuss his work and immense influence with Georgina Godwin.
SATURDAY 15 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 2.45–3.45pm
L270
Classic Literature
The Challenge Of Modern Parenting
Valley Of The Dolls At 50
Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9
2–3pm
L269
As young people live increasingly exposed lives online amid the pressures of a rapidly changing world, how can we raise happy and healthy adolescents? How do parents tackle tough subjects that are difficult to talk about? Politician Norman Lamb, who champions youth mental health care reform and writer Andrew Solomon (Far and Away), who has written about the complexities of contemporary family life, explore the role of a modern parent with clinical psychologist and Times columnist Tanya Byron.
Classic Literature
Tales Of The American Frontier Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 Most often represented by the lawlessness and pioneering spirit of the Wild West, frontiers in American literature are representative of a romanticised notion of unlimited opportunity and prosperity. From The Last of the Mohicans to The Great Gatsby, Professor of American Literature Sarah Churchwell and Professor of English Literature Zachary Leader discuss a selection of key frontier works and consider the position of the frontier as a powerful and enduring ideal in American writing, culture and psychology. Chaired by Alex Clark.
3.15–4.15pm
Psychology
2.45–3.45pm
L271
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9 Fame, fornication, and pharmaceuticals… Jacqueline Susann’s explosive novel caused a stir on its 1966 publication, selling 31 million copies in 30 languages and thrilling a generation of readers with its story of the seedier side of showbiz. Now in its 50th year, journalist and lifelong Dolls fan Daisy Buchanan, How to be a Heroine author Samantha Ellis and Whitney Robinson – Susann’s stepson and manager of her estate – join Damian Barr to celebrate the book’s enduring appeal.
Fiction
3.15–4.30pm
Etgar Keret
Current Affairs
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £8 The acclaimed Israeli author known for his short stories, graphic novels and scriptwriting, talks to Mark Lawson about The Seven Good Years; a life-affirming book about the need to find good in the least likely of places. Supported by English PEN
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
L272
L273
The Times Debate: The Special Relationship – What’s In It For Them?
3.30–4.30pm
LB71
Julie Mayhew And Simon Mayo Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £6 Young Adult It’s our world but not as we know it. Julie Mayhew (The Big Lie) and Simon Mayo (Blame) talk with Alex O’Connell of The Times about rebellion, protest and the power to explore important social issues in an imagined contemporary Britain. What makes a book YA? What fuels their writing? Find out in this dynamic, dystopian discussion.
3.45–4.45pm
L274
Faith
Redemption Behind Bars Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8
Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £12 The so-called Special Relationship between the US and the UK is 70 years old. Is the magic still there or are we looking at a 70 year itch? Steve Erlanger of The New York Times, the satirist and screenwriter Armando Iannucci, the acclaimed novelist Lionel Shriver and Chatham House analyst Xenia Wickett debate what lies ahead with BBC Radio 4 Today presenter Justin Webb. With introductory remarks by a distinguished guest speaker from the US government.
Erwin James (Redeemable) served twenty years for murder. He credits the prison psychologist for encouraging him to educate himself and turn his life around. Anglican minister and former Bedford Jail chaplain Sharon Grenham-Thompson (Jail Bird) described her role as ‘steadying the ladder’ for the men, providing respite from the chaos of life inside. No matter how far a person falls, they argue that redemption is possible with the right help. Chaired by BBC Home Editor Mark Easton. Supported by Diocese of Gloucester
79
SATURDAY 15 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270 4.45–6pm 4.30–6pm
L275
Lifestyle
Afternoon Tea With Nadiya Hussain Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £25
Ticket includes full afternoon tea. This year, the 2015 Great British Bake Off champion and Times cook was asked to bake the Queen’s 90th birthday cake… talk about pressure! She presents her new books Nadiya’s Kitchen and Bake Me A Story and shares her recipes for twists on traditional classics and perfect tantalising bakes and reveals all about the Queen’s celebratory centrepiece. Chaired by Julia Leonard. Leonard.
L276
Fiction
The 2016 Man Booker Prize Shortlist Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £12 Literary Director of the Booker Prize Foundation Gaby Wood talks to authors shortlisted for The 2016 Man Booker Prize, the winner of which is announced on Tuesday 25th October. Join some of the most exciting names in contemporary fiction, as they discuss their acclaimed novels, including selected readings.
4.45–6.15pm
L277
Workshops
Creative Writing: Pitch Your Book Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £20 Could you be the next number one bestselling author? Hear from our panel of experts and have the chance to pitch your book for constructive feedback. From Orion Publishers’ newest imprint, Trapeze, join Publisher Anna Valentine (non-fiction), Senior Commissioning Editor Sam Eades (fiction) and Editor Emma Smith (non-fiction). Discover how to get your manuscript to the right people, the rules of submission, and what publishers hope to see. Members of the audience will be invited to read from their work.
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SATURDAY 15 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 5.15–6.15pm
L278
Fiction
Ferrante Fever Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10 Publishing sensation Elena Ferrante keeps her identity a closely-guarded secret. Her translator Ann Goldstein, author Rupert Thomson (Katherine Carlyle) and literary critic Suzi Feay explore the almost evangelical excitement surrounding the author from her intensely passionate readers. They talk to The Bookseller’s Associate Editor Cathy Rentzenbrink about the lure of Ferrante’s feisty Neapolitan novels and the even feistier characters within them.
5.30–6.30pm
5.30–6.30pm
A. A. Gill
6–7pm
Rachel Cohn And David Levithan
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8
Andrew Solomon
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £8 Young Adult
In his unflinching memoir Pour Me, the notorious Sunday Times restaurant critic recalls life as an alcoholic: the lost days, lost friends, failed marriages… and muses on childhood and family. Chaired by psychologist Tanya Byron.
LB75
Want to know what it takes to write a bestselling YA novel? Join Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist dream team Rachel Cohn and David Levithan for a discussion with We Love Pop editor Malcolm Mackenzie on all things YA. Rachel and David also introduce their newest collaboration, The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily.
L279
Psychology
5.30–6.30pm
L281
Travel
L280
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £8 One of our most original thinkers presents a riveting collection of essays chronicling 25 years of travel to places undergoing seismic shifts, political, cultural, and spiritual (Far and Away). Chaired by BBC Radio 4 Today presenter Justin Webb.
Current Affairs
Closing The Gender Gap Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 Despite equal pay legislation, women still earn significantly less than men over their careers. Sky broadcaster Dharshini David talks to three pioneering women about their ground-breaking work in tackling this persistent injustice: the lawyer Miriam González Durántez, who works with the Inspiring Women campaign, Eleanor Mills, chair of Women in Journalism, and EY partner Sayeh Ghanbari, who has piloted “reverse mentoring” where female employees coach their bosses on how to behave in the 21st century.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
7–8pm
L282
Stage & Screen
Alexei Sayle: Thatcher Stole My Trousers Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £12 Comedy underwent huge change in the 1980s, and Alexei Sayle was at its forefront. The pioneer of alternative comedy talks to Alex Clark about an era when comedy and politics came together in electrifying ways.
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SATURDAY 15 OCTOBER 7–8pm
L283
Poetry
Sarah Howe And Rebecca Perry Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £8 Two leading poets read from their new collections. Sarah Howe was awarded the T S Eliot Prize for her outstanding debut collection, The Loop of Jade, the first debut to win in the prize’s history. It explores her dual British and Chinese heritage and displays daring experiments with form. Rebecca Perry’s Beauty/Beauty (shortlisted for the T S Eliot, Fenton Aldeburgh and Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry Prizes) interrogates salvation, reparation and the fullness of being alive to incredible effect.
Box Office 01242 850270 7.15–8.15pm
L284
Current Affairs
Nujeen: One Girl’s Incredible Journey Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10 Award-winning Sunday Times journalists Christina Lamb and A. A. Gill share the powerful story of Nujeen Mustafa, a teenager who travelled 3,500 miles from Syria to Germany in a wheelchair. With her quirky observations on the world, Nujeen illustrates the people behind the numbers crossing Europe on a journey both Lamb and Gill have followed in person. Unable to be present because of her refugee status, Nujeen has recorded a short film for Cheltenham telling her remarkable story in her own words.
7.15–8.15pm
L285
Art & Design
10 Frocks That Rocked The World Imperial Square, The Inkpot £9 From Liz Hurley’s safety-pin dress to Princess Di’s revenge frock, The Times fashion director Anna Murphy and Justine Picardie, editor of Harper’s Bazaar, discuss iconic dresses in fashion history and why what you wear matters.
7.15–8.15pm
L286
Current Affairs
Jeremy Paxman Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £12 The journalist whose career includes 25 years as Newsnight‘s uncompromising presenter joins us to share his long-awaited and candid memoirs, A Life in Questions, filled with trademark wit and opinion. Chaired by journalist and broadcaster Emma Barnett.
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Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
SATURDAY 15 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 7.30–10pm
L287
Poetry
The All Stars Poetry Slam! Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £8 Expect bardic bravado and virtuoso verse as plucky wordsmiths leap from page to stage and parade their poetry in a contest to woo your hearts and hearing parts! Slampères Elvis McGonagall and Sara-Jane Arbury keep order as judges mark the quality of the writing, performances and response from the applaudience. To enter, contact Sara-Jane on 07814 830031 or email sjarbury@gmail.com
8–10pm
L288
Festival Lates
Spark True Storytelling Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £8 Get stuck into the action and share your story or sit back and listen to those around you. If you want to tell us a tale we only have three rules: it must be true; it must be your own story; and it must be under five minutes long. The night will be full of warmth, tears and laughter. Prepare to be surprised and moved!
8–10.30pm
L289
9–10pm
L291
Lifestyle
Stage & Screen
Sabrina Ghayour
The Ages Of Bowie
Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £55
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10
Ticket includes a three course dinner and half a bottle of wine. The golden girl of Middle-Eastern cookery, praised by chefs and cooks such as Raymond Blanc, Pierre Koffmann and Nigella Lawson, comes to Cheltenham for this special Spiegeltent evening. Her new book Sirocco brings a taste of the East to Western-style dishes and shares useful tips on how to use spices and store cupboard staples to transform the everyday into something different and delicious. She shares her inspiration and creative influences with writer and food consultant Julia Leonard. Leonard.
We didn’t just lose David Bowie in early 2016, we also said goodbye to Ziggy Stardust, Major Tom, Aladdin Sane, The Thin White Duke and Halloween Jack. Biographer Paul Morley (The Age of Bowie) and curator of the V&A’s landmark Bowie exhibition Victoria Broackes (David Bowie Is…) join GQ’s Dylan Jones (When Ziggy Played Guitar: David Bowie, The Man Who Changed the World) to discuss the many faces, styles and sounds of the late, great Starman.
9–10pm
L290
Fiction
Hot Or Not? Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £10 How erotic is erotic fiction? Does it really get our pulses racing and in the mood? What place do sex scenes have in novels and, heaven forbid, what if your mum reads it? Garth Greenwell, whose novel What Belongs To You tells the story of a man caught between longing and resentment, and L. S. Hilton, whose darkly decadent new thriller Maestra is soon to be a major Hollywood film, talk to Sunday Times columnist Damian Barr about getting hot under the collar.
L293
Stage & Screen
Derren Brown Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £15 The mind-blowing and hugely popular illusionist talks to Caroline Sanderson about his new book, Happy, exploring the changing concepts of happiness. He also discusses his TV and stage performances that have entranced and dumbfounded millions.
L292
Fiction
8.30–9.45pm
9–10pm
Packing A Punch: Violent Tales Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 Novelists Ryan Gattis and Lisa McInerney tell their stories of cities, gangs, street fighting, murder and riots. Gattis’ All Involved brings to life the L.A. riots of 1992 with scorching intensity, empathy and flashes of tenderness. McInerney’s debut, The Glorious Heresies, won the 2016 Bailey’s and Desmond Elliott Prizes; a gripping, edgy and often riotously funny tale of the lives of five misfits and how an accidental murder threatens their already unstable existence. Chaired by Georgina Godwin.
9–10pm
L328
Sport
Jonathan Trott With Adrian Chiles Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10 The much-respected England cricketer provides a unique perspective on a remarkably successful period in English cricket and its subsequent reversal, alongside a fascinating insight into the challenges faced as a sportsman carrying the hopes of a nation. Chaired by Adrian Chiles.
Supported by Poetry Ireland
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SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270
DAY PLANNER 9am Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage
10am
11am L295 ARMANDO IANNUCCI
12noon
1pm
2pm
3pm
L300 THE SHARING ECONOMY
4pm
L305 I, ME, MINE
5pm
6pm
L310 THE TIMES GUIDE TO MODERN MANNERS
Town Hall, Drawing Room
The Sunday Times Garden Theatre
L316 KEN CLARKE
L311 GET GRAPHIC
Town Hall, Pillar Room
The Times Forum
7pm
L294 REMEMBERING RAYMOND CHANDLER
L301 VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
L306 THE SUNDAY TIMES DEBATE
L299 BRIAN WILSON
L304 MICHAEL CONNELLY
L312 SHETLAND
L308 KARL OVE KNAUSGAARD
9pm
L321 OLIVER STONE
L317 JOEY BARTON / OWEN JONES L314 VICTORIA HISLOP
L320 AMERICA ON SCREEN: THELMA AND LOUISE
L323 NICK ROBINSON / IAN HISLOP L322 JOE LYCETT
The Little Big Top
The Inkpot
L298 THE TIMES LIVE
L303 MARK HADDON
L307 FAIRY TALE FASHION
L313 THE OPEN ROAD
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium Hotel du Vin
The Spiegeltent
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L297 DESCRIPTIVE WRITING WITH GARTH GREENWELL
L302 SUNDAY LUNCH WITH MARCUS WAREING
L309 BOOK AND A BOTTLE
10pm
L318 GLOUCESTERSHIRE WRITERS’ NETWORK
L315 THE GOOD IMMIGRANT L296 CLOSING THE OPPORTUNITY GAP
8pm
L319 WILKO JOHNSON
SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 10.30–11.30am
L294
Classic Literature
10.45–11.45am
L296
Current Affairs
Farewell My Lovely: Education: Closing Remembering The Opportunity Raymond Chandler Gap Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9 Creator of the archetypal fictional detective Philip Marlowe, Raymond Chandler’s atmospheric portrayals of the mean streets of L. A. have thrilled readers for decades and drawn praise from admirers including W.H. Auden and Somerset Maugham. Leading crime novelist Michael Connelly and literary agent and representative of the Chandler estate Ed Victor join Professor of American Literature Sarah Churchwell to celebrate the life and work of one of America’s greatest modern writers, sharing archive material plus a special contribution from Marlowe-reviver John Banville.
10.45–11.45am
How can we ensure that clever children from disadvantaged homes achieve their potential? Is the recent success of highly selective sixth forms such as The Academy of Excellence the way forward or can they only ever benefit the lucky few? The activist and writer Owen Jones (Chavs), the pioneering headteacher Marva Rollins and CEO of The Sutton Trust Lee Elliot Major debate one of the most challenging issues in education. Chaired by BBC Home Editor Mark Easton.
11.30am–2.30pm
L297
Workshops
Creative Writing: Descriptive Writing With Garth Greenwell Hotel Du Vin £60
Ticket includes tea, coffee and home-baked snacks. Join novelist and poet Garth Greenwell to explore how vivid, descriptive writing can develop character, plot and theme. Greenwell leads a discussion on passages from Iris Murdoch, Elizabeth Bishop, James Renard Allen, Paul Harding and Proust, interspersed with writing exercises that explore techniques for bringing your setting to life. Open to both poets and prose writers at any level.
L295
Stage & Screen
The Sunday Times Culture Interview: Armando Iannucci Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10 The hugely influential writer, broadcaster and undisputed king of TV political satire (Veep and The Thick of It) talks to Sunday Times columnist A. A. Gill about writing for the screen on both sides of the pond.
12noon–1pm
L298
Current Affairs
The Times Live Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 In a fascinating debate now firmly established as a popular fixture at Cheltenham, Deputy Editor Emma Tucker and The Times leader writing team, including columnists Daniel Finkelstein and Philip Collins, discuss the hot topics of the day and decide the subjects of the famous leading articles for the next edition.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
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SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER 12.30–1.30pm
Box Office 01242 850270
L299
Stage & Screen
Brian Wilson: A Life Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £9 One of the greatest musical minds, The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson created some of the most ground-breaking and timeless popular music ever recorded. But success came at an extraordinary personal cost, as he told The Times chief rock critic Will Hodgkinson in an exclusive interview for the Festival on his memoir, I am Brian Wilson. Accompanied by previously unseen archive material, Will references this conversation and discusses Brian’s extraordinary life and legacy with Rock’s Back Pages editor Barney Hoskyns and Lisa Verrico.
12.45–1.45pm
L300
Millennial Lives
The Sharing Economy Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9 In less than a decade the sharing economy, led by Uber and Airbnb, has changed the way we buy goods and services beyond all recognition. Entrepreneur and Sunday Times columnist Luke Johnson (Start It Up), Alex Stephany (The Business of Sharing) and Chair of Sharing Economy UK and Love Home Swap founder Debbie Wosskow examine the pros and cons of this modern phenomenon and ask: just how far will it take us? Chaired by Sky News presenter Dharshini David.
Long-term investment partners
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1–3pm
L302
Lifestyle
12.45–1.45pm
L301
Art & Design
Vivienne Westwood Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £12 Ever-provocative, ever-rebellious, Britain’s punk dame talks to Kirsty Wark about Get a Life: the product of six years of blogging from the forefront of climate change, fashion and social activism.
Sunday Lunch With Marcus Wareing Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £35
Ticket includes two course lunch, glass of wine and bottlegreen pressé. The restaurateur, Michelin-starred chef and MasterChef judge comes to Cheltenham. He shares the food he loves cooking away from the professional kitchen, at home relaxing with family and friends. Renowned for incredible, great tasting food, he reveals his secrets for recipes that are easy to make in a midweek rush and showstopping meals for lazy weekends. Chaired by Julia Leonard.
1.45–2.45pm
L303
Fiction
Mark Haddon Imperial Square, The Inkpot £10 The bestselling author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time talks to Sunday Times Literary Editor Andrew Holgate about his acclaimed first collection of short stories, The Pier Falls.
2.30–3.30pm
L304
Fiction
Michael Connelly Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10 Unstoppable detective Harry Bosch returns in The Wrong Side of Goodbye, the global bestselling author’s latest new thriller. He joins us all the way from Florida and talks to author Steve Cavanagh about his writing career.
SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 2.45–4pm
L306
Current Affairs
The Sunday Times Debate: No Platform! Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £12 2.45–3.45pm
L305
Stage & Screen
I, Me, Mine: A Celebration Of George Harrison Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10
Is real debate and tolerance being suffocated in our academic institutions? Do recent campus bans of campaigners and academics set a dangerous precedent or simply reflect a desire to protect minorities? Leading expert Timothy Garton Ash (Free Speech: Ten Principles for a Connected World), outspoken comedian Reginald D. Hunter and student campaigner Naa Acquah discuss whether, in the age of social media, we can agree to disagree. Chaired by The Sunday Times Editorial Director Eleanor Mills.
Originally published in 1980, George Harrison’s I, Me, Mine is the closest thing to an autobiography he would write. 36 years on his widow Olivia Harrison presents an extended edition of George’s story, continuing from where George left off in 1980 so that it now spans his life and music up to his passing in 2001. In this very special event, Olivia joins ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris to remember George and share new material from the Harrison archives featured in this extended edition, including never-beforeseen song lyrics and photographs.
4.15–5.15pm
Karl Ove Knausgaard: The Sunday Times Award For Literary Excellence 3.30–4.30pm
L307
Lifestyle
Fairy Tale Fashion Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 From Cinderella’s glass slipper to Little Red Riding Hood’s cape, dress plays a crucial role in fairy tales, symbolising the status, vanity or transformation of characters. In return, imagery from these classic stories has inspired generations of designers. Join curator Colleen Hill from the Museum at FIT in New York and The Times fashion director Anna Murphy for an illustrated exploration of fairy tales seen through the lens of high fashion. Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
L308
Fiction
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10 One of the world’s most celebrated writers talks to Mark Lawson about his autobiographical novel series, My Struggle, which have been called ‘masterpieces’ by many. He accepts The Sunday Times Award for Literary Excellence.
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SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER 4.30–6pm
5–6pm
L309
Lifestyle
Shetland
Book And A Bottle
Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10
Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent £15
Join us to celebrate the popular BBC Scotland drama series based on the novels by Ann Cleeves. The author is joined onstage by stars Douglas Henshall, who plays Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez, and Alison O’Donnell, who plays Detective Sergeant Alison ‘Tosh’ Macintosh, along with Creative Director of BBC Drama Elaine Collins and Lead Scriptwriter Gaby Chiappe. They discuss the show’s success with Alison Graham of the Radio Times.
Ticket includes wine tasting. Great books deserve great wine. Join your inimitable host Damian Barr and the outspoken novelist Lionel Shriver (The Mandibles) Mandibles) as they discuss her scabrously funny novel and taste a delicious selection of specially chosen wines.
4.45–5.45pm
L312
Stage & Screen
L310
Lifestyle
The Times Guide To Modern Manners Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £9 Is it OK to commit to something ‘nearer the time’ or answer your mobile during a conversation? Should we dress for the occasion? Vary our vocab to suit a situation? The Times Literary Editor Robbie Millen chairs a well-mannered panel of etiquette experts who can advise: co-author of The Official Sloane Ranger Handbook Peter York (Authenticity is a Con), novelist and critic D. J. Taylor (The New Books of Snobs) and the irrepressible Times columnist Rachel Johnson.
5–6pm
L311
Fiction
Get Graphic Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £8 This year we celebrate graphic novels, one of the fastest growing genres in publishing today. Isabel Greenberg, author of The Encyclopedia of Early Earth, presents her beautiful new book The One Hundred Nights of Hero, another Epic Tale of Derring-Do. Sarah Lippett talks about her heartwarming story Stan and Nan, a touching and tender tale of the relationship between her grandparents. Supported by Jonathan Cape
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit 88 cards. No fee for cash bookings.
5–6pm
LB95
Laini Taylor Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £8 Young Adult Following the huge success of her breath-taking Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, join New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author Laini Taylor for a special preview of her brand new heart-stopping novel Strange The Dreamer. Hear about a magical new world of alchemy and blood candy, nightmares and godspawn, moths and monsters, friendship and treachery, love and carnage.
SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com
5.30–6.30pm
L313
Travel
American Icons: The Open Road Imperial Square, The Inkpot £9 “Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.” From Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider, through Kerouac’s electric On the Road and the runaway American dream of Springsteen, no other country’s highways inspire as much myth-making as the American open road. Acclaimed photographer David Campany (The Open Road: Photography and the American Road Trip), film critic Jason Wood (100 Road Movies) and leading Beat Generation scholar Oliver Harris discuss its rich legacy with Sarfraz Manzoor.
6–7pm
L314
Fiction
Victoria Hislop Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10 The Sunday Times number one bestseller returns to Cheltenham with her latest novel, Cartes Postales from Greece. Uniquely woven with full colour photography, she discusses the book and her love of Greece with journalist Alex Clark.
6–7pm
L315
Current Affairs
The Good Immigrant Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £8 The Good Immigrant, published via crowdsourcing, brings together 21 British black, Asian and minority ethnic writers, poets, journalists and artists. Their essays on race and immigration paint a picture of what it means to be ‘other’ in a country that wants you, doesn’t want you, doesn’t accept you, needs you for equality monitoring forms and would probably prefer you if you won a major reality show. Two of the authors, Miss L and Vera Chok, discuss the collection with editor Nikesh Shukla.
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SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER
Box Office 01242 850270 7–9pm
L318
7.45–10.45pm
Locally Sourced
Film
Gloucestershire Writers’ Network
America On Screen: Thelma And Louise
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £8 Local writers and winners of the Gloucestershire Writers’ Network competition present a selection of writing inspired by the theme of ‘Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness’. Judged by poet Phil Kirby and author Eugene Lambert.
L320
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £8 Starring Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon as small-town friends whose road trip quickly escalates into a fugitive run, Ridley Scott’s Thelma and Louise made a radical entrance into Hollywood in 1991. A rare female-centric road movie, it became a landmark feminist film: putting strong women in the driving seat and delivering a powerful ode to female friendship. Film critic Helen O’Hara introduces a screening of the movie and discusses how its rebellious spirit endures 25 years on.
6.45–7.45pm
L317
L316
Current Affairs
Ken Clarke Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £10 A genuine ‘Big Beast’ of Westminster with a ringside seat in British politics for four decades, the veteran MP shares his life story and his passion for jazz. Chaired by Georgina Godwin.
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L319
Stage & Screen
Joey Barton With Owen Jones
Wilko Johnson: Don’t You Leave Me Here
Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £10 6.30–7.30pm
7.45–8.45pm
Sport
From the highs of the England football team to the lows of a prison cell, Joey Barton talks to author and journalist Owen Jones about his controversial career, philosophy, books and his game-changing memoir No Nonsense.
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £10 In 2013, the Dr Feelgood founder was given ten months to live… but he didn’t die. He talks to Mark Ellen about his musical life and the future he never thought he would see, accompanied by favourite tracks.
SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com
8.15–9.15pm
L322
Stage & Screen
Joe Lycett 8.15–9.15pm
L321
Stage & Screen
Oliver Stone Imperial Square, Town Hall, Baillie Gifford Stage £12 The multi Academy Award-winning filmmaker of American cinema behind Midnight Express, Scarface and Platoon talks to Mark Lawson about The Oliver Stone Experience, spanning his childhood, Vietnam and his continual reinvention as an artist.
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £10 The rising British comedy star, BBC Radio 4 presenter, wordsmith and professional complainer introduces Parsnips: Buttered, his selection of letters, tweets and other correspondence tackling the frustrations, injustices and ridiculousness of modern day life. Chaired by Alex Clark.
8.30–9.30pm
L323
Current Affairs
30 Years At Private Eye: Nick Robinson Meets Ian Hislop Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £16 At 26 years old, Ian Hislop was made Private Eye editor. Nowadays he’s more of an establishment than the institutions he mocks. With broadcaster Nick Robinson, he looks back on 30 years at the helm of the fearless satirical magazine.
Our booking fees are charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone bookings, £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
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Box Office 01242 850270
town
As well as our packed programme of events, there’s plenty more to discover on site and around town. Look out for free pop-up performances, poetry, family fun and literature where you least expect it!
Lit Crawl
A Way With Words
Choose Your Adventure
Literature hits the streets in our very first Lit Crawl. Created in San Francisco in 2004 and now in Manhattan, Brooklyn, LA, Miami and beyond, Lit Crawl blends a bar crawl with lively literary content, taking over a neighbourhood for a night of pop-up events and performances… all completely free. Join us as we embark on Lit Crawl Cheltenham – a melting pot of words, music and more, hosted in some surprising spots around town. Expect the unexpected!
Be amazed by a series of short and vibrant performances in unexpected settings in Hesters Way. The residents have been working with Cheltenham Festivals to tell their rich and varied stories and these will be brought to life on Saturday 8th October. Or experience the stories through the multi-media experience in town any day during the Festival.
Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 October
Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 October
Assemble your team, start at page one and then set off on your adventure around Cheltenham. Will you steal the magic potion at Neptune’s Fountain or solve the puzzles on the Promenade to get to the next page? A live adventure story game, for adults as much as it is for children.
Sometimes the most incredible stories are the ones that are true. Look out for real life tales appearing around town and hear the stories behind the faces you pass in the street.
Saturday 8 October
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FREE POP-UP PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS AROUND CHELTENHAM
Saturday 8 October
Cheltenham Stories
Keep an eye out for the full around town programme, revealed soon at cheltenhamfestivals.com/around-town
cheltenhamfestivals.com
EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY... Taking in all there is to see and do at Cheltenham Literature Festival is thirsty (and hungry) work… that’s why we have a fabulous selection of food and drink on offer in the beautiful Montpellier Gardens and Imperial Square. Quench your thirst and refuel between events, whether you want to grab a quick pizza, or linger over a cocktail or two…
Feast Café Bar – Montpellier Gardens
The Huddle – Montpellier Gardens
Relish return for 2016 with a range of fantastic food stalls from local suppliers, offering everything from barista-style coffee, superfood salads, handmade pizzas and freshly prepared tapas to a US-inspired smokehouse, all alongside a full bar. Hot food is served through the day and evening at Feast; it’s the ideal place for a pre or post-event meal or drink.
New for 2016 is The Huddle, located adjacent to Feast on Montpellier Gardens. This venue provides an intimate and engaging space to relax with friends over a drink, carry on those though-provoking discussions or be entertained by a range of pop-up performances from poetry to music. Daily offers on food and drink will be available between 5-7pm; make the most of those hours before your evening event or continue your Festival experience into the evening.
Throughout the day a great selection of sandwiches, pastries, cakes and soft drinks are available to eat in or take away. Across both weekends outside Feast we will hosting a fabulous grill, featuring all locally sourced BBQ food.
Bite Café Bar – Imperial Square The Bite Café Bar on Imperial Square will be offering a host of scrumptious snacks and treats, suitable for all the family to eat in or take away. Located next to the Waterstones Book Shop, Bite is perfect for relaxing over a coffee and cake, while picking up your latest read between events. 93
Family 7–16 October 2016 cheltenhamfestivals.com 01242 850270 #cheltlitfest
FEATURING DAVID BADDIEL, BABETTE COLE, ELMER, CHRIS HAUGHTON, JANE HISSEY, ABIE LONGSTAFF, SARAH J. MAAS, MAISY, CHRIS RIDDELL, KATHERINE RUNDELL, NICK SHARRATT, DAVID SOLOMONS, ROBIN STEVENS, DAN TDM, JACQUELINE WILSON. Part of The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival on Imperial Square and Montpellier Gardens 7–16 October 2016
Contents Friday 7 October
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Saturday 8 October
98
Sunday 9 October
100
Monday 10 October
103
Tuesday 11 October
103
Wednesday 12 October
104
Thursday 13 October
104
Friday 14 October
104
Saturday 15 October
104
Sunday 16 October
107
Welcome to this year’s Family and Young Adult Festival Programme. We are thrilled to present the very best of children’s publishing: over 90 events for everyone from tots to teenagers. We celebrate the birthdays of Roald Dahl, Beatrix Potter and William Shakespeare with events and free activities featuring Word Wizards, Peter Rabbit and The Tempest.
There are wonderful opportunities in our workshops to try your hand at everything from acting or model making to pop up books, writing, and illustration. Grab the chance to have a go! For our young adults we have special appearances from visiting American authors, David Levithan, Rachel Cohn, Laini Taylor and Sarah J. Maas. Join us for mocktails with three of our most popular YA authors talking about writing and feminism, catch up with Marcus Sedgwick about his new novel Saint Death and talk rebellion with Julie Mayhew and Simon Mayo.
Amazing picture book creators like Nick Sharratt and Debi Gliori share stories and pictures, as will the award-winning Chris Haughton, whose artwork features throughout the programme. The Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell is here for an event where you ask the questions and Chris draws the answer.
Calling all Youtubers and Minecraft fans! Dan TDM is here with his graphic novel adventure.
If you love Harry Potter or Star Wars, we have special events for you and young fans can meet favourite book characters like Maisy and Elmer, as well as enjoy weekday storytelling events.
Interactive, inspiring and incredible… come and meet your favourite authors, find some new ones and have a go yourself.
Our fiction writers enrapture us with stories about almost everything from animals and mystery, to fantasy and superheroes. Some are gripping, some are funny, some are surprising but all are fantastic. From Jacqueline Wilson and her new novel Clover Moon to M.G. Leonard’s first book Beetle Boy.
Finally, we have an extraordinarily rare, out of this world event with astronaut Chris Hadfield. He launches his picture book and shares his passion for space travel.
Thank you to all the authors, illustrators, practitioners and publishers that make our Festival such a wonderful place to visit this October. Loraine Evans Children and Young People’s Programme Manager, The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival 95
FAMILIES AND YOUNG ADULTS
Box Office 01242 850270
PLANNER 9am
10am
11am
12noon
1pm
2pm
3pm
4pm
5pm
6pm
7pm
Friday 7 October LB01 THE GRUNTS
The Little Big Top
Saturday 8 October LB21 FEMINISM RULES!
Town Hall, Drawing Room Town Hall, Pillar Room
LB03 WINNIETHE-POOH
The Times Forum
LB06 JACQUELINE WILSON
The Little Big Top
LB05 DARKMOUTH
The Inkpot
LB04 VIKINGS
CLC, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium
LB07 JEREMY STRONG
LB08 LYDIA MONKS
LB11 MONSTER
LB09 UH OH, NIXIE’S INVENTING…
LB14 MAISY
LB18 TWO CAN TOUCAN
LB12 FEATHER AND FANG
LB16 KING FLASHYPANTS
LB19 IT’S A MYSTERY!
LB15 SARAH J. MAAS LB10 ROALD DAHL
LB13 CERRIE BURNELL
LB17 CLARE BALDING
LB20 M. ROSEN / D. TAZZYMAN
Sunday 9 October LB37 DRAW YOUR RIGHTS!
Town Hall, Drawing Room Town Hall, Pillar Room
LB23 WHERE’S THE STARFISH?
LB29 BEARSPOTTING
LB34 DEBI GLIORI
LB39 ODD DOG OUT
LB42 THERE’S A BEAR
LB28 CHRIS HADFIELD
The Times Forum The Little Big Top
LB26 BEETLE BOY
The Inkpot
LB25 CHRIS RIDDELL
CLC, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium
LB24 HOOT OWL
CLC, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio
LB27 YOUNG PAPER ENGINEERS
LB31 BEATRIX POTTER
LB36 G. LEWIS / K. RUNDELL
LB41 AUBREY
LB44 DRAW YOUR OWN
LB32 CHRIS HAUGHTON LB30 DAISY
LB35 SCHOOL OF DANGER? LB33 YOUNG PAPER ENGINEERS
LB40 J. CLARY / D. ROBERTS
LB43 ILLUSTRATING THE LIE TREE
LB38 YOUNG ILLUSTRATORS
Monday 10 October The Little Big Top
96
LB46 DINNER LADIES
8pm
cheltenhamfestivals.com 9am
10am
11am
12noon
1pm
2pm
3pm
4pm
5pm
6pm
7pm
8pm
Tuesday 11 October LB49 DAN TDM
The Sunday Times Garden Theatre The Little Big Top
LB47 BORIS BABYSITS
LB48 SIMON JAMES
Wednesday 12 October LB51 BARRY LOSER
The Little Big Top
Thursday 13 October LB53 OLD BEAR
The Little Big Top
Friday 14 October The Little Big Top
LB54 ANIMAL ADVENTURES
Saturday 15 October Town Hall, Pillar Room
LB56 POM POM IS SUPER
LB61 SQUISHY MCFLUFF
LB65 ATLAS
LB69 THE STORM
The Sunday Times Garden Theatre
LB57 BABETTE COLE
The Little Big Top
LB58 MARSH ROAD MYSTERIES
LB62 ACCIDENTAL SECRET AGENT
LB66 MARCUS SEDGWICK
CLC, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium
LB59 HORRIBLE SCIENCE
LB63 STAR WARS READS
LB67 HARRY POTTER
CLC, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio
LB60 THE TEMPEST
LB64 AUTHORS & ILLUSTRATORS
LB72 THE GREAT AAA-OOO
LB70 BODYGUARD: TARGET
LB74 ATTICUS CLAW
LB71 J. MAYHEW / S. MAYO LB68 AUTHORS & ILLUSTRATORS
LB75 R. COHN / D. LEVITHAN
LB73 THE TEMPEST
Sunday 16 October Town Hall, Drawing Room
LB79 YOUNG MODEL MAKERS
LB86 YOUNG MODEL MAKERS
LB90 YOUNG MODEL MAKERS
Town Hall, Pillar Room
LB78 THE FAIRYTALE HAIRDRESSER
LB83 HOW TO FIND GOLD
The Little Big Top
LB81 SHIFTY MCGIFTY
LB84 LOCKWOOD & CO.
LB88 TIME TRAVELLING
LB92 HERCUFLEAS
The Inkpot
LB80 JOLLY FOUL PLAY
CLC, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium
LB77 ELMER
LB85 DAVID BADDIEL
LB89 MY GYM TEACHER
LB93 LUCY WORSLEY
The Spiegeltent
LB82 HYDE AND SQUEAK
LB87 SUPERHERO
LB91 HOW TO CATCH A WITCH
LB94 DOTTY DETECTIVE
The Times Forum
LB95 LAINI TAYLOR
97
FAMILIES AND YOUNG ADULTS 10–10.45am
Friday 7 October 4–4.30pm
LB01
The Grunts Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £4 Age 8+ Join Roald Dahl Funny Prize-winning author Philip Ardagh for some frankly improbable but hilarious adventures with the Grunt family! They wash with cheese (if there’s no soap to hand), eat roadkill and argue with one another all the time but they are strangely lovable… as is Philip’s famous beard. Come along and marvel at both!
LB02
Tatty Bumpkin Imperial Square, Waterstones Children’s Hideaway FREE Age 3+ but younger siblings welcome Come along and join Tatty on her story adventures which combine music, yoga movement and specific activities to help your child develop their creativity, physical strength and overall confidence.
98
LB03
10–11am
LB05
10–11am
LB07
Winnie-the-Pooh
Darkmouth
Jeremy Strong
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £5 Age 4+
Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Age 9+
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £6 Age 7+
Put your party hats on: it’s Winnie-the-Pooh’s birthday! Storyteller Liz Fost takes you on a celebratory adventure into The Hundred Acre Wood to visit the famous bear and his friends. Expect party games, much-loved stories and a brand new tale from the sequel. Come and help Winnie-the-Pooh celebrate his special day!
Shane Hegarty’s monstrously funny and action-packed Darkmouth series has been shortlisted for both an Irish Book Award and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. Visual cues, quick wit and creative games will reveal how he conjures up a fantastical world of beguiling characters and terrifying creatures steeped in the traditions of myths and legends.
10–11am
10–11am
LB04
Vikings In The Supermarket
Saturday 8 October 9.30–10.15am
Box Office 01242 850270
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £6 Look out as much-loved illustrator Nick Sharratt sets loose six Vikings on a rollicking, rhyming adventure! Pencils and paper will be provided for the whole family so you can draw along with Nick. Look out for a tartan-patterned cat, a naughty vampire bat and a clever mermaid!
Get ready to laugh your socks off with the king of comedy Jeremy Strong, as he shares the giggles and fun from the latest story in the My Brother’s Famous Bottom and The Hundred-Mile-An-Hour Dog series.
11.30am–12.15pm LB06
Jacqueline Wilson Montpellier Gardens, The Times Forum £8 Age 8+ The much-loved former Children’s Laureate and author of over 100 books, including Tracy Beaker and Hetty Feather, talks about her brand new book, Clover Moon. Discover how she started her writing career and created some of her best-loved characters.
LB08
Lydia Monks Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £5 Age 4+ Mungo Monkey is very excited to be joining his daddy at work in the fire engine. Who will he rescue today? Come along to find out and meet Lydia Monks, bestselling illustrator of Julia Donaldson’s What the Ladybird Heard. She presents her bold and colourful lift-the-flap book, Mungo Monkey to the Rescue. You can draw along as Lydia draws live.
FRIDAY 7 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 8 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 11.45am–12.45pm
LB09
1–1.45pm
Uh Oh, Nixie’s Inventing…
Monster In The Hood
Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Age 5+
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £5 Age 3+
Nixie is a mischievous tomboy fairy – better with a spanner than a magic wand. Cas Lester hosts a very lively event for boys and girls, including a quiz about inventors, a vote for the silliest invention, fabulous flying contraptions, inventing stories, and turning the children into inventors.
11.45am–12.45pm
LB10
The Word Wizards’ Guide To Roald Dahl Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £6 Age 7+ Calling all Roald Dahl fans, wordsmiths and wannabe writers! Don’t be biffsquiggled, come and join our Word Wizards as they swashboggle their way through the wonderful writing of Roald Dahl. Through games and performance you’ll find how to gobblefunk with words and hear all about the amazing new Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary.
LB11
Have you heard of the Monster in the Hood? He’s rumbly, grumbly and frighteningly hungry! Steve Antony, bestselling author of Please Mr Panda, Betty Goes Bananas and The Queen’s Hat, hosts a story and drawing session about his latest book. It features an animal trio in search of the legendary Monster in the Hood. Come along for some Monster fun!
1.30–2.30pm
LB12
The Shapeshifter: Feather And Fang Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Age 9+ Ali Sparkes has been stalked by a fox for the past decade. Part-time fox Dax Jones has built up a passionate fan base in ten adventures spanning The Shapeshifter series and Unleashed. Now he’s back – in Feather and Fang. The Blue Peter Award-winning author shares the ups and downs of her life with Dax, The Fantastic Master Fox.
1.30–2.30pm
LB13
3.15–4.15pm
Cerrie Burnell
Sarah J. Maas
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £6 Age 6+
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £8 Young Adult
LB15
Children’s TV presenter and author Cerrie Burnell talks about her wonderful new series following the adventures of Harper and her scarlet umbrella. Told with Cerrie’s trademark sense of beauty and wonder, prepare to be whisked away to a very magical world of stories.
Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times bestselling author of the A Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass series, including the new book, Empire of Storms. More than 2.7million copies of Sarah’s books have sold worldwide. If you’re a fan of fairy tales, high-fantasy and fierce heroines, this event is not to be missed!
2.30–3.15pm
3.15–4.15pm
LB14
Happy Birthday Maisy Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £5 Age 3+ Maisy the lovable mouse has delighted young children and parents alike for more than 25 years. Join Maisy for her birthday celebrations with professional storyteller Liz Fost and hear all about Maisy’s adventures with her friends. It’s always more fun with Maisy!
LB16
King Flashypants And The Evil Emperor Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Age 6+ Andy Riley, Emmy award-winning writer, invites you to a royally good drawing event based on King Flashypants, described as ‘brilliantly original and hilarious’ by David Walliams. Don your crowns, take part in an evil laugh contest, learn how to draw King Flashypants, and attempt a bellowing sing-a-long to the Evil Emperor’s scary, striding music.
99
FAMILIES AND YOUNG ADULTS 3.15–4.15pm
LB17
5–6pm
Box Office 01242 850270 LB19
Clare Balding
It’s A Mystery!
Feminism Rules!
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £6 Age 8+
Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Age 9+
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £10 Young Adult
Join bestselling author and broadcaster Clare Balding for inspirational stories and family entertainment to mark the publication of her very first children’s book The Racehorse Who Wouldn’t Gallop. With stories from her own childhood growing up surrounded by animals, and a special reading from the new book, be sure to bring your own horsey questions!
Grab your super-sleuthing kits and join Katherine Woodfine, author of bestselling The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow and The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth, and Sarah Rubin, author of Alice Jones: The Impossible Clue, with Alex O’Connell of The Times, to uncover what it takes to write a mystery adventure. You may even have the chance to solve a mystery puzzle of your own!
5–6pm
LB20
Michael Rosen And Theatre Production: David Tazzyman Two Can Toucan Cheltenham Ladies’ College, 4–5pm
LB21
Have you ever wondered how the Toucan got its name and amazing colours? TwoCan Theatre Company presents Two Can Toucan, a modern fable adapted for stage from Elmer creator David McKee’s colourful story. This mischievous theatrical adventure integrates a creative use of sign language and audio description, making the story something for everyone to enjoy.
Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £6 Age 7+
Ticket price includes a mocktail and free goody bag Is feminism still relevant? Meet YA authors Holly Bourne, C. J. Daugherty and Holly Smale, who think it is. This lively interactive panel, chaired by ELLE’s literary editor Anna James, discuss making feminism central to their novels – women’s rights, smashing traditional gender roles and creating worlds that go beyond girl power to a new kind of feminism – and why this matters.
Prepare for a riotous celebration of words and pictures with Jelly Boots, Smelly Boots: the first collaboration between Michael Rosen and David Tazzyman. Poems will be perfectly performed by Michael while David draws along. A lively, fun event sure to have you laughing your socks off.
LB23
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £5 Age 4+ Illustrator Barroux introduces his follow-up to the Kate Greenaway Medal-nominated Where’s the Elephant? Join in for fun games of hide and seek with starfish, jellyfish and clownfish at the bottom of the sea, and draw your own fintastic friends! A gentle way to introduce little ones to taking care of the planet.
10–10.45am
Sunday 9 October 9.30–10.15am
10–10.45am
Where’s The Starfish?
LB18
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £6 Age 3+ Relaxed Performance
100
6–7.15pm
LB22
Sunday Storytime Imperial Square, Waterstones Children’s Hideaway FREE Join teacher training students from the University of Gloucestershire for interactive storytime for our youngest book readers!
LB24
Hoot Owl, Master Of Disguise Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £5 Age 4+ Sean Taylor brings to life his hilarious adventure Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise with riddles, rhymes and storytelling, and will delight you with his beautiful new picture book A Brave Bear. Help him write an animal poem based on his latest book, and find out all you want to know about being a writer.
SATURDAY 8 OCTOBER – SUNDAY 9 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 10–11am
LB25
Ask The Laureate: Chris Riddell Imperial Square, The Inkpot £6 Age 6+ Come along and meet Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell, ask him a question and he will illustrate the answer. Find out how much fun you can have with a pencil as Chris talks about his laureateship so far and the inspiration behind some of his much-loved work.
10–11am
LB26
Beetle Boy Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Age 9+ M.G. Leonard, author of the bestselling Beetle Boy, is joined by a beetle expert from The Bug Farm for an un-beetle-able event. Learn all about these incredible creatures and why they are so essential to our planet. There might even be some real-life critters there too…
10–11am
LB27
Young Paper Engineers Workshop Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio £10 Age 7+ How do pop-up books work? Paper engineer David Hawcock reveals the mechanics behind some of the amazing pop-up books he has worked on, and leads a workshop in which children will colour and assemble their very own dinosaur pop-up to take away.
11.15am–12.15pm
LB28
Chris Hadfield The Times Forum £8 Age 5+ Astronaut Chris Hadfield launches his new picture book, The Darkest Dark, at this unique and inspiring family event. As a child, Chris was keen to become an astronaut, but was uncertain about night time and the dark. Find out how Chris overcame his fears and became Commander of the International Space Station, entertaining and educating us with news, amazing photographs of Earth and his spine-tingling zero-gravity rendition of David Bowie’s Space Oddity. With the right start, you really can make your wildest dreams come true.
11.30am–12.15pm
LB29
11.45am–12.45pm
LB31
A Beginner’s Guide To Bearspotting
The Magical World Of Beatrix Potter
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £5 Age 4+
Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Age 3+
Author/illustrator duo Michelle Robinson and David Roberts provide a laugh-out-loud, essential guide for all would-be bearspotters. Bring your own bears along for games, storytelling, live drawing and practical advice to avoid being (gulp!) eaten when coming face-to-face with the furry creatures themselves.
11.30–12.30pm
Hop inside the world of Beatrix Potter! Hear a professional storyteller read from The Tale of Peter Rabbit and create your very own rabbit-ear crown to wear for a special song and dancea-long. Children will have the chance to act as Beatrix’s best-loved characters and everyone will go home with an exclusive Peter Rabbit notebook to spark their own creativity.
LB30
Daisy And The Trouble With Vampires Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £6 Age 6+ The trouble with Daisy is that she’s always getting in trouble. The mischievous Kes Gray, accompanied by his many props, promises an event packed full of funny stories, audience interaction and silly games.
12–1pm
LB32
Chris Haughton Imperial Square, The Inkpot £6 Age 4+ Acclaimed picture book creator of A Bit Lost, Oh No George! and Shh! We Have a Plan Chris Haughton brings you an action-packed interactive event. Full of stories, fun animation, clever props, dancing and drawing games, children and adults alike will delight in meeting a cast of quirky characters!
101
FAMILIES AND YOUNG ADULTS 12–1pm
LB33
LB35
Young Paper Engineers Workshop
Danger Really Is Everywhere: School Of Danger?
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio £10 Age 7+
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £6 Age 7+
How do pop-up books work? Paper engineer David Hawcock reveals the mechanics behind some of the amazing pop-up books he has worked on and leads a workshop in which children will colour and assemble their very own dinosaur pop-up to take away.
Do you enjoy enjoyment? Do you find danger dangerous? Award-winning comedian David O’Doherty and illustrator Chris Judge will have you in stitches in this hilariously silly and wonderfully wild event. Find out how to escape the Page 9 scorpion, how to tell if your teacher is a vampire and why bikes are RAD (Really Awfully Dangerous)!
1–1.45pm
LB34
Debi Gliori
1.30–2.30pm
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £5 Age 4+
Wild Writers: Gill Lewis And Katherine Rundell
Debi Gliori is the writer and illustrator of over 80 picture books and novels for children of all ages, including the much-loved No Matter What. Hear Debi read her latest book Goodnight World, see this award-winning illustrator draw live and have a go yourself.
102
1.15–2.15pm
Box Office 01242 850270
LB36
Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Age 10+ A wonderful opportunity to hear two of our most popular children’s authors in conversation with Alex O’Connell of The Times as they discuss their most recent novels Gorilla Dawn and The Wolf Wilder. Discover what influences and inspires them to write about wild animals, wild places and the special relationship between people and animals.
2–3pm
LB37
2.30–3.15pm
LB39
Draw Your Rights!
Odd Dog Out
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £6
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £5 Age 4+
To celebrate the awarding of the new Amnesty CILIP Honour, winner Ross Collins (There’s a Bear on My Chair) and Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell draw live on stage, exploring the links between illustration, libraries and human rights. They are joined by Amnesty International UK’s Nicky Parker and Chair of CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, Joy Court.
Join Rob Biddulph, Waterstones Children’s Book Prize-winning author of Blown Away and GRRRRR! for mischief, heart and humour with his new picture book Odd Dog Out. Packed full of live illustration, superb storytelling and amazing activities that will have the whole audience laughing and learning about words, pictures and dogs!
2–3pm
3–4pm
LB38
LB40
Young Illustrators Workshop
Julian Clary And David Roberts
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio £10 Age 3–6
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £6 Age 7+
Join bestselling illustrator Marion Deuchars for a fun-filled arts and crafts workshop. Bob the Artist is a heart-warming story about a young blackbird whose confidence blossoms after he discovers he has a flair for art. Learn how to draw Bob, and get stuck in with a beak-making masterclass.
Comedian, entertainer and writer Julian Clary and award-winning illustrator David Roberts introduce you to their latest book: a brand new adventure about a family of hyenas living in an ordinary suburban street. An unmissable event packed with wildly hilarious readings in Julian’s unique style, live-drawing from David and lots of laughter.
SUNDAY 9 OCTOBER – TUESDAY 11 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 3.15–4.15pm
LB41
4.45–5.45pm
LB43
Monday 10 October
Tuesday 11 October
Aubrey And The Terrible Yoot
Illustrating The Lie Tree
10–10.45am
Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Age 8+
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £6 Age 12+ / Young Adult
Storytelling Adventure: The Gruffalo
Boris Babysits
Montpellier Gardens, The Huddle
Uh-oh. Boris is babysitting – and he’s not very good at it! Can you help Boris babysit Monster Baby before things get really out of hand? Stories, music and laughter will make way for a hands-on craft session where you can make your own monster baby with Boris Babysits author and illustrator Sam Lloyd.
The Branford Boase Award-winning novel Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot is a funny, fearless and life-affirming story about one boy’s mission to save his dad from a terrible monster – with the help of some wise woodland creatures. But what is the Terrible Yoot? Nicolette Jones talks with author Horatio Clare about his funny and magical tale of rambunctious boys, talking animals and rushing woods.
4–4.45pm
LB42
The Lie Tree is a dark and powerful novel, and was the 2015 Costa Book of the Year. Its author Frances Hardinge, Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell and Alex O’Connell of The Times explore how this remarkable novel evolved into such a beautiful special illustrated edition.
5–6pm
LB44
There’s A Bear On My Chair
Draw Your Own Adventure!
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £5 Age 4+
Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Age 7+
Take a huge bear. Take a chair. Take one tiny mouse. Put them together and what have you got? A big problem AND a hilarious picture book from Scottish Children’s Book Award-winning author and illustrator Ross Collins. You’ll laugh so much you might just fall off YOUR chair.
Author/illustrator duo Chris and Andrew Judge present an interactive live drawing event based on their books Create Your Own Alien Adventure and Create Your Own Spy Mission, where you draw the story’s end. An alien army is ready to conquer Earth and it’s up to you and some unexpected characters to save the planet. What will you draw?
LB45
LB47
Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £5 Age 4 and under
FREE Age 3+ but younger siblings welcome Go on an adventure with storyteller Vickie Long, as she reads Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s charming tale The Gruffalo. Follow her into the deep dark wood to build log pile houses, meet a snake, climb the tree to owl’s treetop house and dig underground to meet a fox!
4–4.30pm
10–10.45am
LB46
Attack Of The Demon Dinner Ladies Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £4 Age 8+ Blue Peter Book Award-winning author Pamela Butchart introduces you to demon dinner ladies, vampire rat headteachers, school dinner-loving spies and teacher-getting baby aliens. You’ll never look at school dinners in the same way ever again! She can make up a story about anything and often uses oddly-shaped crisps as inspiration. Stories are everywhere, if you look for them…
4–4.30pm
LB48
Simon James Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £4 Age 4+ Celebrate 25 years of Dear Greenpeace with award-winning picture book creator Simon James (Baby Brains, Nurse Clementine). Little Emily writes to Greenpeace for tips on looking after the whale in her pond. Story time is accompanied by live drawing, as Simon journeys with you through this much-loved classic and introduces you to his new book, Rex.
103
FAMILIES AND YOUNG ADULTS 5.30–6.30pm
LB49
4–4.30pm
LB51
4–4.30pm
LB53
Saturday 15 October
Dan TDM
Barry Loser
Old Bear
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £8 Age 8+
Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £4 Age 7+
Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £4 Age 4+
9.30–10.15am
Barry Loser author and Roald Dahl Funny Prize-winner Jim Smith brings you hilarious stories, belly laughs and burps. You’ll also meet the amazing star of Jim’s new series – Future Ratboy! Find out how Jim comes up with the ideas for stories, and even discover how to draw Barry Loser and his mates.
Jane Hissey has written and illustrated over 25 picture books for children, all featuring her soft toy characters. As Jane reads some of her stories, you can meet the original toys and find out how they came to be in the books. Discover where she gets her ideas, how she writes and draws and how a book is put together.
Imperial Square, Waterstones Children’s Hideaway FREE Age 3+ but younger siblings welcome
Popular YouTuber Dan TDM launches his first graphic novel adventure: Trayaurus and the Enchanted Crystal, a reimagining of his Minecraft-style worlds and characters as you’ve never seen them before. Dan’s favourite characters, Trayaurus and Grim race against time to save humanity from the evil Denton. See Dan live in action and have a chance to ask your Diamond Minecart questions.
Wednesday 12 October 10–10.45am
LB50
Bear On A Bike Montpellier Gardens, The Huddle FREE Age 3+ but younger siblings welcome Meet Hannah Shaw, award-winning author and illustrator. Join her for action-packed stories followed by an exciting drawing session. Bear is delivering a present to Mouse but how can he get there? Bear takes whatever means of transport he can find: a bike, a lorry, a bus, a trolley… with lots of scrapes and japes along the way.
104
Box Office 01242 850270
Thursday 13 October 10–10.45am
LB52
Friday 14 October 10–10.45am
LB54
Storytelling Adventure: Aliens Love Underpants
Animal Adventures
Montpellier Gardens, The Huddle FREE Age 2+
Czech illustrator Petr Horáček creates wonderful picture books for young children about all sorts of animals from a blue penguin to a greedy goat, a silly goose and even a mouse who reached for the sky. Join Petr and his animal friends for storytelling and live drawing.
Go on an adventure with storyteller Vickie Long as she reads Claire Freedman’s hilarious rhyming story Aliens Love Underpants. Follow her into space, build a rocket, blast off to meet aliens and visit the space station!
Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £5 Age 2+
LB55
Tatty Bumpkin
Come along and join Tatty on her story adventures which combine music, yoga movement and specific activities to help your child develop their creativity, physical strength and overall confidence.
10–10.45am
LB56
Pom Pom Is Super Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £5 Age 3+ Join bestselling author and illustrator Sophy Henn for an interactive event featuring everyone’s favourite little panda, Pom Pom. Step into Pom Pom’s world for storytelling, live drawing and arts and crafts. Children (and parents!) will learn what makes them real superstars and have the chance to make their very own souvenirs. Everyone will leave the event a SUPERHERO!
cheltenhamfestivals.com 10–11am
LB57
TUESDAY 11 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 15 OCTOBER 10–11am
LB59
Babette Cole
Horrible Science
Imperial Square, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre £6 Age 4+
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £6 Age 8+
First published 30 years ago, Princess Smartypants is an iconic British picture book, beloved by parents and children alike and sold in 32 languages. Its multi-million bestselling creator celebrates Princess Smartypants’ first early reading adventure, Princess Smartypants and the Missing Princes, in this interactive family event. The princes of Cinderella, Snow White and Rapunzel have been kidnapped... Princess Smartypants to the rescue!
It’s ‘20 Yucky Years’ since Horrible Science burst onto the book scene in all its squishy glory. The superb and lively presenter Nick Arnold and the tremendous live illustrator Tony De Saulles bring science to life with all the gory and gloopy bits left in.
10–11am
LB58
Marsh Road Mysteries Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Age 8+ Meet Piotr, Minnie, Andrew, Flora and Sylvie, stars of the Marsh Road Mysteries and their creator, Elen Caldecott, for a crash course in creating a story. No need to bring anything to this event, except your imagination and best ideas. Elen will do all the writing but be prepared to join in.
10–11am
LB60
RSC Workshop Introducing: The Tempest Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio £10 Age 8+
Children and adults must each buy a ticket for this workshop. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Take part as a whole family in this fun workshop to celebrate the Royal Shakespeare Company’s new spectacular production of The Tempest. We approach the play from the first day of rehearsal, exploring the script and its characters, and speaking Shakespeare’s language. No previous acting experience or knowledge of the play required, as you’ll be introduced to the story on the day.
11.30am–12.15pm
LB61
Squishy McFluff: The Big Country Fair Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £6 Age 4+ Meet Ava and her mischievous invisible cat, Squishy McFluff. During this interactive event children help author Pip Jones create the ultimate imaginary pet and hear some of Ava and Squishy’s adventures. In this adventure Ava and Squishy are heading to the big country fair. But can an invisible pet win a best in show? Mayhem may ensue….
11.45am–12.45pm
LB62
Accidental Secret Agent Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Age 7+ Tom McLaughlin reads from his new book The Accidental Secret Agent – the follow-up to last year’s The Accidental Prime Minister, which was nominated for 12 awards. There will be drawing, there will be storytelling, there will be some dodgy accents, and all in the name of amateur dramatics!
11.45am–12.45pm
LB63
Star Wars Reads Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £6 Age 7+ Join Cavan Scott, comic book writer and author of Star Wars: Adventures in Wild Space series, which features this year’s bestselling World Book Day book. Learn all about the brand new Star Wars characters that feature in the series and then test your knowledge with a fun quiz about all things Star Wars! Costumes welcome.
12–1pm
LB64
Young Authors And Illustrators Workshop Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio £10 Age 7+ Calling all budding authors and illustrators! Join Swapna Haddow and Sheena Dempsey, the team behind Dave Pigeon, to create your very own characters as you step into the world of pigeons. In this interactive workshop full of live drawings and readings, you’ll create a brand new pigeontastic adventure complete with heroes, villains and all manner of feathery mayhem.
The RSC’s The Tempest is produced in collaboration with INTEL and in association with THE IMAGINARIUM STUDIOS.
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FAMILIES AND YOUNG ADULTS 1–1.45pm
LB65
LB67
2.30–3.15pm
LB69
Atlas Of Animal Adventures
Harry Potter: Boy. Wizard. Hero.
The Storm Whale In Winter
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £5 Age 5+
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £6 Age 8+
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £5 Age 3–6
Meet some adventurous creatures in Lucy Letherland’s illustrated exploration of the natural world. Lucy gives an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the book and brings some of her favourite characters to life – from penguins of Antarctica to hummingbirds of Costa Rica – in this fun-filled drawing workshop. Sure to inspire any adventurer to set off on their own worldwide voyage of discovery…
Come and share the magical world of Harry Potter with Fleurble, Professor Potter’s new assistant. Learn about the great characters from J.K. Rowling’s much-loved books, join in with spells and potions and be part of a slow-motion Quidditch match. A fun and interactive family event, whether you are new to the books or a dedicated fan. Pick up your free souvenir poster afterwards.
Author, illustrator and Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Award-winner Benji Davies introduces his new book The Storm Whale in Winter, a beautiful and touching follow up to his bestselling debut picture book. Learn how he goes about writing and drawing his stories, watch him create an amazing scene before your eyes and then join in with a hands-on creative session.
1.30–2.30pm
2–3pm
LB66
Marcus Sedgwick Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Young Adult Booktrust Teenage Prize-winning author Marcus Sedgwick takes you on a virtual trip into his writing space, as he shows how a book comes together from the first ideas to the finished copy. He reveals the research that went into his new book, Saint Death, and talks about the fascinating culture and topical issues he explores within its pages.
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1.30–2.30pm
Box Office 01242 850270
LB68
Young Authors And Illustrators Workshop Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio £10 Age 7+ Calling all budding authors and illustrators! Join Swapna Haddow and Sheena Dempsey, the team behind Dave Pigeon, to create your very own characters as you step into the world of pigeons. In this interactive workshop full of live drawings and readings, you’ll create a brand new pigeontastic adventure complete with heroes, villains and all manner of feathery mayhem.
3–3.30pm
3.15–4.15pm
LB70
Bodyguard: Target Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Age 9+
LB97
Pete’s Magic Pants Imperial Square, Waterstones Children’s Hideaway FREE Meet Paddy Kempshall, author of a hilarious new series in which one boy’s very magic pants take him on some unbelievable adventures! In The Lost Dinosaur, Pete’s magic pants pelt him back to prehistoric times. He quickly makes friends with a Dino Baby but can he escape the T Rex? And will he find the Dino Dada in time? Find out in this pant-astic storytelling session with free stickers.
Top ten bestselling author Chris Bradford launches his new book, with a rock concert experience like no other. Join heroine Charley as she protects Ash Wild, the most successful teen rockstar in history, on his world tour. Test your bodyguard skills. Will you spot the killer in the crowd? Includes live stunts.
3.30–4.30pm
LB71
Julie Mayhew And Simon Mayo Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £6 Young Adult It’s our world but not as we know it. Julie Mayhew (The Big Lie) and Simon Mayo (Blame) talk with Alex O’Connell of The Times about rebellion, protest and the power to explore important social issues in an imagined contemporary Britain. What makes a book YA? What fuels their writing? Find out in this dynamic, dystopian discussion.
SATURDAY 15 OCTOBER – SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 4–5pm
LB72
5–6pm
LB74
The Great Aaa-Ooo
Atticus Claw
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £6 Age 5+
Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Age 7+
9.30–10.15am
Meet the Red House Children’s Book Award-winning author Jennifer Gray and learn all about her amazing characters like Atticus Claw, the world’s greatest cat burglar, and the hen-sational Amy Cluckbucket, heroine of Jennifer’s new Chicken Mission series. Answer a quiz, hear all about the characters and help Jennifer plan the next part of the story.
Imperial Square, Waterstones Children’s Hideaway FREE
5.30–6.30pm
10–10.45am
Author, illustrator and paper engineer Jonny Lambert wants to show you how he creates his amazing animals. Join Jonny as he talks about the inspiration behind his latest book, The Great Aaa-Ooo, and guides us through the art of illustration and storytelling. Get a sneak peek at his next book Tiger Tiger, and discover the art of creating a character.
4–5pm
LB73
RSC Workshop Active Storytelling: The Tempest Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio £10 Age 4–8 and their parents
Children and adults must each buy a ticket for this workshop. Children must be accompanied by an adult. To celebrate the Royal Shakespeare Company’s new spectacular production of The Tempest, take part as a whole family in this fun session to tell Shakespeare’s stories with our storyteller leading the way! No previous acting experience or knowledge of the play required, as you’ll be introduced to the story on the day.
LB75
10–11am
Sunday 16 October LB76
Sunday Storytime
Join teacher training students from the University of Gloucestershire for interactive storytime for our youngest book lovers!
LB77
Rachel Cohn And David Levithan
Theatre Production: Elmer
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £8 Young Adult
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £7 Age 3+
Want to know what it takes to write a bestselling YA novel? Join Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist dream team Rachel Cohn and David Levithan for a discussion with We Love Pop editor Malcolm Mackenzie on all things YA. Rachel and David also introduce their newest collaboration, The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily.
Riverside Performing Arts present Elmer, adapted for stage from David McKee’s well-loved children’s book. Elmer the patchwork elephant loves to make his friends laugh but when he hides his “true colours” he discovers, with help from his friends, that he’s happiest being himself. Follow Elmer on a vibrant, musical safari through the jungle, celebrating everything that makes us unique.
LB78
The Fairytale Hairdresser Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £5 Age 3–6 Abie Longstaff is every girl’s dream fairy godmother, transporting you to a modern fairytale world where the Big Bad Wolf runs the opticians (all the better to see you with...) and Red Riding Hood has a skateboard shop. She reads her latest Fairytale Hairdresser story, The Princess and the Pea, revealing where her ideas come from. You can even practise hairdressing yourselves.
10–11am
LB79
Young Model Makers Workshop: Gromit Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £10 Age 6+ Join an expert model maker from Aardman, the creators of Wallace and Gromit, for this cracking workshop. Create your very own clay model of Gromit to take home.
The RSC’s The Tempest is produced in collaboration with INTEL and in association with THE IMAGINARIUM STUDIOS.
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FAMILIES AND YOUNG ADULTS 10–11am
LB80
Jolly Foul Play
10–11.30am
Join the Murder Most Unladylike author and 2015 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize (Younger Readers) winner, Robin Stevens, for murder mysteries and dastardly villains! She reads from the book, shares her inspiration behind the series and lets you create your very own detective story. There is also the chance to ask your burning questions, like any good detective!
Montpellier Gardens, The Spiegeltent Adults £10.00 Children £8.00 Age 3+ Ticket includes brunch and newspapers.
Look out! Squeak has turned into Hyde – a massive, hungry monster mouse! Roll up for a tasty family breakfast with author/illustrator Fiona Ross, featuring storytelling, live drawing and goody bags to celebrate her hilarious comic-book twist on the classic Jekyll and Hyde tale.
11.45am–12.30pm LB81
Shifty McGifty And Slippery Sam: The Diamond Chase Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Age 4+ Notorious robber dogs Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam have swapped their life of crime for a career in cupcakes. But adventure – and crime! – is never far behind, with a thieving penguin on the loose. This case looks to be more than black and white... Tracey Corderoy and Steven Lenton entertain with comic rhymes and illustrations from their most recent smash-hit.
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LB82
Hyde And Squeak Family Brunch
Imperial Square, The Inkpot £6 Age 8+
10–11am
Box Office 01242 850270
LB83
How To Find Gold Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £5 Age 4–6 Join picture book creator Viviane Schwarz on a journey through the imagination as you search for hidden treasure in How to Find Gold and discover Is There a Dog in This Book? With live drawing, treasure maps and story times, this is the perfect session for little adventurers.
11.45am–12.45pm
LB84
Lockwood & Co. Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Age 10+ Jonathan Stroud welcomes young psychic investigators to the world of Lockwood & Co., filled with ghosts, ghouls and paranormal activity. Discover his latest book, The Creeping Shadow; find out how to recognise a Phantasm from a Spectre; and learn what kit you need when fighting a Type II apparition. Do you have what it takes to be a ghost hunter?
11.45am–12.45pm
LB85
David Baddiel Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £6 Age 7+ The bestselling author, comedian and inaugural Laugh Out Loud Award-winner David Baddiel invites you to join him on a roaring adventure that you’d be absolutely barking mad to miss. Malcolm is a boy who HATES animals, stuck in a family that LOVES them. So imagine his distress when he wakes up one day to find that he has become one!
12.30–1.30pm
LB86
Young Model Makers Workshop: Shaun the Sheep Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £10 Age 6+ Join an expert model maker from Aardman, the creators of Wallace and Gromit, for this cracking workshop. Create your very own clay model of Shaun the Sheep to take home.
1.15–2pm
LB87
How To Save A Superhero Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £5 Age 3+ Follow Albie into a world of flying superheroes, crazy contraptions and daring rescues in another fantastically fun adventure, as read by the author of How to Grow a Dinosaur and Supermarket Zoo, Caryl Hart. Then have your photo taken in the How to Save a Superhero photo booth or try the Superhero Name Generator to find out your superhero name!
SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER
cheltenhamfestivals.com 1.30–2.30pm
LB88
Time Travelling Authors Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Age 9+ Time travel is a mind-bending way of telling a story! The brilliant Ross Welford (Time Travelling with a Hamster) and Christopher Edge (The Many Worlds of Albie Bright) talk about their hilarious and heart-warming novels and the danger and science of time-travelling.
1.30–2.30pm
LB89
My Gym Teacher Is An Alien Overlord Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £6 Age 8+ Luke KNOWS that aliens disguised as gym teachers are about to attack Earth, but will anyone listen? No. Author and screenwriter David Solomons introduces the sequel to his Waterstones Children’s Book Prize-winning debut novel, My Brother is a Superhero, with his highly anticipated follow-up: My Gym Teacher is An Alien Overlord.
2.30–3.30pm
LB90
Young Model Makers Workshop: Gromit Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Drawing Room £10 Age 6+ Join an expert model maker from Aardman, the creators of Wallace and Gromit, for this cracking workshop. Create your very own clay model of Gromit to take home.
2.45–3.45pm
LB91
3.15–4.15pm
LB92
Hercufleas
Dotty Detective
Imperial Square, The Little Big Top £6 Age 8+
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £5 Age 7+
Greta needs a hero to save her town Tumber from destruction by a giant monster. Many heroes have tried and failed but one small flea is up to the challenge. Author Sam Gayton presents a high energy event all about Hercufleas, the hugely humorous and inventive adventure of a tiny hero.
3.15–4.15pm
LB93
Lucy Worsley
How To Catch A Witch
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £6 Age 11+
Imperial Square, Town Hall, The Pillar Room £6 Ages 7+
Calling all history fans! Join historian Lucy Worsley to find out about life in a Tudor Court. Lucy’s first novel for children, Eliza Rose explores the fascinating story of Katherine Howard and life at Henry VIII’s court through the eyes of maid of honour, Eliza Rose. Expect costumes, trivia and all manner of behind-the-scenes facts about Tudor life.
Charlie Samuels is a witch. She just doesn’t know it yet... Join bestselling author Abie Longstaff as she talks about her new book How to Catch a Witch, packed with magic, spells and witches!
4.30–5.15pm
LB94
Clara Vulliamy brings the warmth, wit and whimsy of her dazzling debut Dotty Detective to life with a fun-filled event packed with drawing, storytelling and laughter. Join Clara and Dotty (plus trusty sidekick, Beans and TOP DOG McClusky) as they unravel the mystery of who, or what, is making the strange noises that Dotty is hearing at night…
5–6pm
LB95
Laini Taylor Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Main Auditorium £8 Young Adult Following the huge success of her breathtaking Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, join New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author Laini Taylor for a special preview of her brand new heart-stopping novel Strange The Dreamer. Hear about a magical new world of alchemy and blood candy, nightmares and godspawn, moths and monsters, friendship and treachery, love and carnage.
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Free Family Activities As well as our packed programme of events, there’s plenty more for all the family to discover.
Come dressed as your favourite character and join in our fancy dress parade and prize-giving.
Imperial Gardens
Sat 8 October Winnie the Pooh
Come and enjoy arts and crafts, music, storytelling, treasure hunts and challenges themed around family favourites.
Sun 9 October Beatrix Potter Sat 15 October Other Worlds Sun 16 October Superheroes
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cheltenhamfestivals.com
26 APRIL– 1 MAY 2017
6–11 JUNE 2017
5–16 JULY 2017
6–15 OCTOBER 2017
Look ahead to an exciting year of Festivals... Keep up to date with Festival news and go behind the scenes at cheltenhamfestivals.com 111
Box Office 01242 850270
Literature for Schools 2016 We welcome thousands of children to Cheltenham over six days for a host of inspiring events and opportunities. Schools can choose from over fifty exciting events designed to motivate and empower young people as readers and writers. As well as events for those considering a writing career, the Festival offers the chance to come face to face with some of today’s most engaging authors. A series of workshops led by top writers and journalists support students in honing the craft of writing, for example Inventing Villains with Abi Elphinstone and Journalism From Scoop To Story with Deputy Editor of The Times Emma Tucker. View the full programme and book online at: www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/education/ take-part/literature-for-schools-2016/
“I came away having had one of the best school trips of my 22 years as a teacher.” Teacher, The John Moore Primary School
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cheltenhamfestivals.com
Calling all Primary Teachers! The Festival offers some incredible opportunities to work with leading experts to enhance and refresh your classroom practice. £20 for 1 or £50 for 3. Book online at: www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/education/ take-part/literature-for-schools-2016/
Monday 10 October
CPDL1
5.15–6.45pm
Story Building: Unlocking Creativity and Confidence Ben O’Donnell, Head of Learning, Discover Children’s Story Centre.
Tuesday 11 October
Teacher, Warden Hill Primary School
CPDL2
5.15–6.45pm
Igniting Children’s Imagination: Quality Children’s Literature in Your Classroom Kate Sayer, Centre for Literature in Primary Education and Philippa Jones, St. Peter’s C of E School, Bristol (UKLA Literacy School of the Year).
Thursday 13 October
“The children came back buzzing! It really made our reluctant readers want to pick up a book!”
CPDL3
5.15–6.45pm
Apps and e-Books at Your Fingertips Dr Natalia Kucirkova, Manchester Metropolitan University, Deb Willans, Swallowfield Lower Primary School, Milton Keynes and David Miller, Kuato Studios.
Calling Everyone! Friday 7 October
LS02
1.30–2.30pm
Young Writers Showcase Imperial Square, The Inkpot £2 Award-winning author Juno Dawson chairs this celebratory event showcasing the talent of local young people unlocked through Cheltenham Festivals’ year-round outreach programme. Juno shares the stage with students from All Saints’ Academy, Pittville School, Millbrook Academy and the Gloucestershire Hospital Education Service. Be inspired by the students as they perform favourite extracts from their professionally published anthologies.
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PATRONS
Box Office 01242 850270
We would like to thank all of our Patrons for their generous support, including those who have chosen to remain anonymous: Life Patron Mark and Sue Blanchfield Peter and Anne Bond Dominic and Jannene Collier Michael and Felicia Crystal Colin and Suzanne Doak The Eaton Family Charles Fisher David and John Hall Margaret Headen Diane and Mark Hill Jeremy and Germaine Hitchins Family Jonathan and Cassinha Hitchins Family Stephen and Tania Hitchins Family Jeff and Keren Iliffe Elizabeth and Michael Jones and Family Rick and Lisa Jones Steven and Linda Jones Hugh and Sue Koch The Kwintner Family Robert and Moira Leechman Hazel and Jeremy Lewis Graham and Eileen Lockwood The McKelvie Family Fiona McLeod The McWilliam family in loving memory of Ruth McWilliam Keith Norton and Piers Norton Mark and Elizabeth Philip-Sørensen John and Susan Singer Simon Skinner and Jean Gouldsmith Skinner Andrew Smith Phil and Jennifer Stapleton Sharon Studer and Graham Beckett Chris and Bridgette Sunman Fiona and David Symondson Ludmila and Hodson Thornber The Walker Family
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Directors’ Circle Dr Lynda Albertyn and Pat Gallasch Mike and Kerry Alcock Jack and Dora Black Jennifer Bryant-Pearson Andrew Chard Michael and Angela Cronk Nigel and Sally Dimmer Stephen Hodge Andrew and Caroline Hope Simon and Emma Keswick Sir Peter and Lady Marychurch Hayden and Tracy McKinnes Des and ChiChi Mills Chris Morgan The Oldham Foundation Dr Gill Samuels CBE Peter Stormonth Darling Charitable Trust
Gold Patron David and Hayley Ashley Geraldine and Jim Beaty Christopher Bence Stephen and Victoria Bond Charlie Chan Stuart and Gillian Corbyn Wallace and Morag Dobbin Peter and Sue Elliott Maurice Gran and Carol James Lord and Lady Hoffmann Anthony Hoffman and Dr Christine Facer Hoffman Elizabeth Jacobs Sir Michael and Lady McWilliam Janet and Charles Middleton Paul and Kathy Mottershead Ian and Sarah Passmore Martin and Susan Pickard Shelley and Paul Roberts Sharon and Toby Roberts Khal and Zoe Rudin Brenda Salters and Harold Longmate Esther and Peter Smedvig Andy and Ali Stalsberg Giles and Michelle Thorley Ian and Liz Topping Michael and Rosie Warner Stephen Wood Anne Wood CBE William Wyman We would also like to thank all of our Silver Patrons, who are listed on the website: cheltenhamfestivals.com/support-us/patrons/patron-acknowledgements/
‘I have gained so much from the Festivals over the years that it is great to be able to give something back.’ Charlie Chan, Gold Patron
Get closer to the Festivals with Patronage Join this exclusive group of supporters and make a real difference to our work as a charity. • Dedicated ticket line with advance booking • Access to hospitality areas at the Literature and Jazz Festivals • Invitations to special events and parties throughout the year From £75 per month*, your Patronage covers all four Festivals and will support our artistic programme and our education work. * With Gift Aid tax relief, becoming a Patron doesn’t cost as much as you might think and can make your donation go further. Please ask for details.
To find out more please contact Arlene McGlynn, Patrons Manager on 01242 537252, email arlene.mcglynn@cheltenhamfestivals.com or visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/patrons
INDEX
Aaronovitch David 75 Abell Stig 35 Acquah Naa 87 Agard John 29 Akala 75 77 78 Alderton Dolly 40 Alexander Caroline 55 Alexander Clare 67 Amedi Tomer 53 Anam Tahmima 72 Annesley Jackie 40 Antony Steve 99 Appignanesi Lisa 65 Arbury Sara-Jane 83 Ardagh Philip 98 Armitage Simon 72 73 74 Armstrong Alexander 57 Armstrong Stephen 75 Arnold Nick 105 Ash Alec 25 Ashdown Paddy 62 Aspinall Margaret 50 Axl Sund Erica 71 Baddiel David 108 Baggini Julian 50 51 Bailey Jane 26 40 Baker Sam 43 Baker Sam 74 Bakewell Joan 67 Balding Clare 32 100 Balls Ed 74 Barker Juliet 26 Barker Raffaella 78 Barnes Stuart 44 Barnett David M. 73 Barnett Emma 78 82 Barr Damian 75 79 83 88 Barroux 100 Barrow Becky 61 66 Barson Tanya 51 Barton Fiona 74 Barton Joey 90 Bate Jonathan 59 60 Bate Marisa 33 Bates Laura 45 Bauer Belinda 67
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Baxter Jane 33 Baxter Sarah 36 Beard Mary 35 39 Benington Jon 74 Betts Alexander 49 Beverley Bill 50 Bhargava Parag 66 Biddulph Rob 102 Bidisha 39 55 Billingham Mark 75 Bird Lliana 34 Blackburn Robert 54 Blanc Raymond 56 Bleach Stephen 54 Blezard Paul 55 61 Bond Primula 29 Borzello Frances 41 Boulton Adam 36 Bourne Holly 35 100 Boyne John 67 Brackenbury Alison 60 Bradbury Megan 37 Bradford Chris 106 Brandreth Benet 61 Bray Carys 62 Bridgewater Emma 40 Brigstocke Marcus 39 44 Broackes Victoria 83 Broadbent Rick 60 Brotton Jerry 48 50 Brown Derren 83 Buchanan Daisy 79 Buhring Juliana 28 Buist Anne 27 Burnell Cerrie 99 Burroughs Katrina 73 Burton Jessie 42 Burton Ken 62 Butchart Pamela 103 Byrne Liam 53 Byrne Paula 55 59 Byron Tanya 79 81 Cadogan Garnette 57 61 Caldecott Elen 105 Calill Carmen 65 Calman Susan 29
Calvert Jonathan 77 Campany David 89 Campbell-Johnston Rachel 51 Cannon Joanna 68 Carew Keggie 50 Carluccio Antonio 48 Carr Alan 37 Cavanagh Steve 86 Chakrabarti Pratik 66 Chakrabarti Shami 50 Chalmers Barbara 73 74 Chancellor Anna 29 Cheltenham College Chapel Choir 50 Chevalier Tracy 71 75 78 Chiappe Gaby 88 Chiles Adrian 83 Chok Vera 89 Churchwell Sarah 36 68 69 72 75 79 85 Claeys Gregory 65 Clare Horatio 103 Clark Alex 33 36 37 43 56 62 66 68 69 72 79 81 Clark Clare 31 34 Clarke Gillian 60 Clarke Ken 90 Clary Julian 102 Cleeves Ann 88 Clegg Nick 34 Cohen Nick 32 Cohn Rachel 81 107 Coldstream John 78 Cole Babette 105 Cole Teju 37 Coles Richard 61 Collins Elaine 88 Collins Philip 39 43 51 57 Collins Robert 43 Collins Ross 102 103 Collison Martha 73 Connelly Michael 85 86 Conradi Peter 59 62 Cool Kenton 60 Cooper Davina 65 Cooper James 63 Cooper Jilly 32 Cooper Louise 61
Corderoy Tracey 108 Court Joy 102 Cowie Ian 61 Cowley Jason 33 Cox Danny 61 Cox Oliver 53 55 Crace Jim 72 Crampton Robert 44 Croft Claudia 40 Crystal David 51 Cumming Alan 40 Cumming Charles 25 Cumming Laura 72 D’Souza Crista 25 Dan TDM 104 Daugherty C. J. 35 100 Daunt James 67 David Dharshini 81 86 Davies Andrew 41 Davies Benji 106 Davies Hunter 66 67 Davis Jane 75 Dawson Jill 56 Dawson Juno 25 De Saulles Tony 105 Dean Jules 27 Dempsey Sheena 105 106 Dennison Matthew 67 Deuchars Marion 102 Dhami Narinder 59 Dibley Janet 62 Dines Martin 51 Don Monty 26 Donachie Kaye 51 Doran Gregory 36 Downing Taylor 67 Duhig Ian 49 Dunmore Helen 66 78 Dunn Daisy 49 Dunne Peter 73 Dymond John 69 Eade Philip 59 Eades Sam 80 Eagle Eddie The 36 Eagleton Terry 61 Easton Mark 79 85
INDEX
cheltenhamfestivals.com
Edge Christopher 109 Ellen Mark 63 90 Elliot Major Lee 85 Ellis Janet 72 Ellis Samantha 79 Emerson Louise 53 Eric Elie Lolis 63 Eric-Udorie June 34 Erlanger Steve 79 Evans Siân 55 Extence Gavin 36 Faulks Sebastian 33 Feay Suzi 81 Fiennes Ranulph 60 Finkelstein Daniel 75 78 Finlay Deborah 65 Fletcher Susan 56 Fost Liz 98 99 Foxtrot Jemima 57 Frame Gregory 35 Frank Thomas 32 36 Frankopan Peter 48 Freeman Anna 69 Freeman David 36 57 63 Freeman John 61 68 Freeman Michael 32 Freud Emma 40 Frostrup Mariella 29 Gale Steven 35 42 49 55 56 66 67 73 Gannon Emma 34 41 42 45 Gardner Chris 49 Gardner Frank 66 Gardosi Jasmine 69 Garton Ash Timothy 87 Gattis Ryan 83 Gayton Sam 109 Gebrial Dalia 55 Ghanbari Sayeh 81 Ghayour Sabrina 83 Giles Keir 73 Gill A. A. 81 82 85 Gliori Debi 102 Glover Fi 31 34 Godden Salena 28 29 39 Godwin Georgina 27 55 78 83 90 Goldsmith Rosie 41 42
Goldstein Ann 81 Gomringer Nora 36 González Durántez Miriam 78 81 Gordon Bryony 49 51 Gordon Edmund 65 Graham Alison 88 Grant Thomas 47 Gray Jennifer 107 Gray Kes 101 Grayburn Tim 40 Grayling A. C. 50 Green Matthew 67 Greenberg Isabel 88 Greenwell Garth 83 85 Grenham-Thompson Sharon 79 Groom Nick 53 54 Haddon Mark 86 Haddow Joe 71 73 74 Haddow Swapna 105 106 Hadfield Chris 40 101 Halson Penrose 66 Hamer Kate 55 Hamilton Duncan 60 Hanington Peter 66 69 Hanson Michele 33 Hardinge Frances 42 103 Harper-Cuss Kerryn 40 Harris Bob 87 Harris Oliver 89 Harrison Olivia 87 Hart Caryl 108 Haslam Chris 54 Haughton Chris 101 Hawcock David 101 102 Hawley Noah 74 Hazeley Jason 62 Heaney Catherine 72 Hegarty Peter 43 Hegarty Shane 98 Henn Sophy 104 Hennessy Peter 31 33 Henry Diana 59 Henshall Douglas 88 Hepworth David 63 Hill Colleen 87 Hill Damon 74
Hilliam Oliver 71 Hilton Boyd 35 37 39 Hilton L. S. 83 Hinton Marianne 72 Hislop Ian 91 Hislop Victoria 89 Hissy Jane 104 Hodge Margaret 53 Hodges Ben 73 Hodgkinson Will 86 Holgate Andrew 27 48 77 86 Holland James 59 60 Holland John 51 Hollinghurst Alan 72 Hollis Matthew 72 73 Holloway Richard 56 Hoppen Kelly 73 Horáček Petr 104 Hornak Francesca 51 Horne Philip 72 Horowitz Anthony 37 Hoskyns Barney 29 86 Howe Sarah 82 Hubbard Tim 25 56 Hughes Sali 27 28 Hunter Reginald D. 68 75 87 Hussain Nadiya 80 Hutchinson Jeremy 47 Ianucci Armando 79 85 Iuzzolino Walter 42 Ives Laurel 75 James Anna 35 100 James Denis 55 James Erwin 79 James Sebastian 56 James Simon 103 Jays David 41 Jefferies Dinah 53 Jenkins Simon 71 77 Jenkins Tiffany 55 Jinks James 31 John Emma 69 Johnson Alan 41 44 Johnson Dominic 61 Johnson Hugh 34 Johnson Luke 86
Johnson Rachel 78 88 Johnson Wilko 90 Jones Dylan 83 Jones Nicolette 39 66 67 71 103 Jones Owen 85 90 Jones Pip 105 Jones (i) Stephen 40 Jones (ii) Stephen 44 Jory Christopher 53 Judge Andrew 103 Judge Chris 102 103 Kaufman Will 69 Keay Anna 55 Kemp Peter 33 Kempshall Paddy 106 Kennard Luke 45 Kennedy Emma 62 Kennedy Helena 50 Keret Etgar 79 Keyes Marian 40 Khan Sara 48 Kinane Rory 34 Kirby Phil 90 Knapp Cecilia 37 39 40 Knox Joseph 67 Lamb Christina 82 Lamb Norman 79 Lambert Eugene 90 Lambert Jonny 107 Landesman Cosmo 40 Lawrence Doreen 50 Lawson Mark 72 74 77 79 87 91 Leader Zachary 79 Lederer Helen 36 Lee-Houghton Melissa 45 Lenton Steven 108 Leonard Julia 33 53 80 83 86 Leonard M. G. 101 Lerner Ben 61 Lester Cas 99 Lester Jem 28 Letherland Lucy 106 Levine Alice 63 Levithan David 81 107 Lewis Gill 102 Lippett Sarah 88
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INDEX
Lipscomb Suzannah 54 55 Littlejohns Doug 31 Livesey Lauren 26 Lloyd Richard 71 Lloyd Sam 103 Long James 65 66 Long Vickie 103 104 Longstaff Abie 107 109 Lucy Cosslett Rhiannon 33 Lycett Joe 91 Maas Sarah J. 34 99 MacDonald Lyn 54 Macintyre Ben 26 Mackenzie Malcolm 81 107 MacMillan Margaret 49 Mahey-Morgan Crystal 39 67 Malik Abdul-Rehman 53 Mallinson Allan 54 65 67 Malmgren Pippa 56 Malone Jo 56 Mann Neela 54 Manzoor Sarfraz 89 Markovits Ben 68 Marlow Tim 78 Masters Alexander 27 Mayhew Julie 79 106 Mayo Simon 79 106 McBride Eimear 43 McDermind Val 72 75 McEwan Ian 27 McFadden Bernice L. 57 McGagh Michelle 35 McGonagall Elvis 83 McGowan Claire 71 McGregor Heather 41 McGregor Renee 73 McGuire Bill 47 48 McInerney Lisa 83 McIntyre Blanche 61 McKee David 100 McLaughlin Tom 105 McMillan Angela 75 McNish Hollie 51 Mears Ray 27 Mehdiyeva Nazrin 73 Miles Barry 29 37
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Millen Robbie 50 77 88 Milligan Becky 41 Mills Eleanor 36 73 81 Mills Ella 31 34 Milton Giles 26 Miss L 89 Mitchell Paul 78 Mohamed Hashi 49 55 Monaghan Andrew 73 Monks Lydia 98 Monroe Jack 43 Morley Paul 83 Morris Joel 62 Morrison Blake 73 75 Mort Helen 49 Morton Jamie 63 Mostrous Alexi 68 Mount Mary 25 Moyle Franny 65 Moylett Lisa 29 Moynihan Colin 77 Mugglestone Lynda 65 66 Murphy Anna 82 87 Murphy Joe 50 Murray Jenni 54 Mustafa Nujeen 82 Myskow Nina 62 Nagra Daljit 47 Nashef Samer 56 Naughtie James 66 69 72 Naughton Sarah J. 73 Neumann Peter 48 Nicol Patricia 67 Nicolson Juliet 50 Nobus Dany 65 O’Brien Edna 48 O’Connell Alex 42 79 100 102 103 106 O’Connell Christian 63 O’Connell Paddy 33 53 56 O’Doherty David 102 O’Donnell Alison 88 O’Farrell Maggie 32 34 O’Hara Helen 90 O’Rourke P. J. 43 Ockelford Adam 59 Olusoga David 55
Ormiston Rosalind 47 Osman Richard 57 Ove Knausgaard Karl 87 Pachico Julianne 55 Paravicini Derek 59 Parker Harry 43 Parker Nicky 102 Parris Matthew 47 49 Pascoe Sara 37 39 Paskin Layo 53 Pavey Jo 28 Paxman Jeremy 82 Payne Alex 44 Peirce Gareth 50 Percy Norma 78 Perry Rebecca 82 Perry Sarah 77 Phillips Adrian 62 Picardie Justine 82 Pipkin Dom 63 Plitt Carrie 29 Portes Jonathan 49 Power Carla 53 Prasad Aarathi 66 Preston Alex 69 Prior Joanna 67 Puett Michael 51 Purves Libby 25 26 27 31 Qadir Hanif 48 Quick Harriet 28 Ray Pollock Donald 50 Rayner Jay 62 Reed James 41 Rentzenbrink Cathy 67 68 75 78 81 Rhys Rachel 67 Richards Steve 74 Riddell Chris 42 101 102 103 Rieff David 42 Rifkind Hugo 27 Rifkind Malcolm 50 Riley Andy 99 Roberts Alice 68 Roberts David 101 102 Robinson Anne 26 Robinson Michelle 101 Robinson Nick 91
Robinson Tony 28 Robinson Whitney 79 Rogan Richard 47 53 59 65 71 Rollins Martha 85 Rooney Sally 55 Rosen Michael 100 Ross Fiona 108 Rubin Sarah 100 Rubinstein Helena 25 Runcie James 61 Rundell Katherine 102 Rutherford Adam 68 Rutherford Sarah 53 Safran Foer Jonathan 43 Sanderson Caroline 32 35 50 53 55 56 67 77 83 Sanghera Sathnam 56 Sawday Alastair 62 Sawyer Miranda 25 Sayle Alexei 78 81 Schmitz Rob 25 34 Scholz Philip 36 Schwarz Viviane 108 Scott Cavan 105 Sebag-Montefiore Hugh 54 Sedgwick Marcus 78 106 Sergeant John 33 Sethi Anita 42 43 Shah Ritula 51 66 69 Shapcott Jo 72 Sharratt Nick 98 Shaw Hannah 104 Shaw Madeleine 73 Sheers Owen 43 Sheffield Gary 42 Shipman Tim 56 57 Shirreff Richard 59 Shriver Lionel 77 79 88 Shukla Nikesh 89 Sigurðardóttir Yrsa 71 Simpson John 72 Simsion Graeme 28 36 Sinai Nicolai 53 Singer Amelia 34 Singh Robert 34 Sisman Adam 65
INDEX
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Sissay Lemn 28 Smale Holly 35 Smale Holly 100 Smit Tim 31 Smith Emma 80 Smith Jim 104 Snow Dan 26 Snow Peter 26 Soames Nicholas 26 Solomon Andrew 79 81 Solomon Tom 66 Solomons David 109 Sparkes Ali 99 Spufford Francis 77 Stadlen Matthew 28 Stafford Smith Clive 25 Stanley Tim 57 Stephany Alex 86 Stevens Dan 77 Stevens Robin 108 Stibbe Nina 67 Stokes Richard 50 Stone Oliver 91 Stothard Peter 39 Strayed Cheryl 43 Strong Jeremy 98 Stroud Jonathan 108 Strunckel Shelley von 40 Stuart Keith 28 Sturrock Donald 66 Supple Tim 50 Suttie Isy 57 Swift Graham 33 Sykes Pandora 40 Sylvester Rachel 26 Taylor D. J. 88 Taylor Laini 88 109 Taylor Sean 100 Tazzyman David 100 Thomas Michelle 41 Thomson Alice 71 Thomson Rupert 81 Thubron Colin 65 66 Tillett Wright iO 43 Titchmarsh Alan 25 Todd Matthew 40
Tomson Alice 57 Town Hall Gospel Choir, Birmingham 62 Travis Robyn 39 Treneman Ann 48 Trott Jonathan 83 Tucker Emma 71 85 Turner Sarah 51 Ulrich Obrist Hans 77 78 Valentine Anna 80 Verrico Lisa 86 Victor Ed 85 Vincent John 33 Vulliamy Clara 109 Waal Kit de 68 Waggot Amanda 62 Wagner Anne 51 Wallace Victoria 42 Wallman James 35 Walsh Vincent 60 Walton James 56 78 Warburton Nigel 71 72 Wareing Marcus 86 Wark Kirsty 86 Warwick Kevin 69 Waugh Alexander 59 Wax Ruby 63 Webb Justin 78 79 81 Webster Philip 57 Weekes Carrie 73 74 Weir Alison 60 Welford Ross 109 Weng Shihui 50 Wessely Simon 67 Westmacott Peter 78 Westwood Vivienne 86 Wheeler Julia 62 66 Wheeler Sarah 65 White Adam 45 Whitehead Richard 60 Whitehouse David 62 Whitmarsh Tim 61 Wickett Xenia 79 Wicks Joe 77 Wilby Rosie 69 Williams Rhys 65
Williams Sian 25 Williamson Tom 53 Wilson A. N. 54 56 59 61 Wilson Bee 73 Wilson Jacqueline 98 Winkett Lucy 56 59 Winter Henry 69 Witchell Nicholas 59 Wood Gaby 80 Wood Jason 89 Woodfine Katherine 100 Worsley Lucy 109 Wosskow Debbie 86 Wright Luke 75 Wright Tim 65 Wyatt Caroline 61 Wyld Evie 71 Xinran 25 York Peter 88
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival is presented by Cheltenham Festivals, a company limited by guarantee, and is a member of the British Arts & Science Festivals Association (artsfestivals.co.uk). Cheltenham Festivals Board of Trustees Dominic Collier –Chair Diane Savory OBE – Vice Chair Susan Blanchfield Lewis Carnie Oli Christie Prof Mark Lythgoe Edward Gillespie OBE Prof Averil Macdonald OBE Baroness Gail Rebuck (Chair of Literature Festival) Theresa Grech – Company Secretary Chief Executive Louise Emerson Registered Office 28 Imperial Square Cheltenham GL50 1RH
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The Times and The Sunday Times Literature Festival Literature Festival Director Antonia Byatt Head of Programming Nicola Tuxworth Programme Managers Sophie Hoult Madeline Toy Loraine Evans – Family Programme Programme Co-ordinator & Around Town Lyndsey Fineran Festival Programmers Caroline Hutton Susan Sinclair Christina Poulton (Around Town) Administration, Executive and Finance Helena Bibby, Adrian Farnell, Angie Hawkins, Aline Imray, Robin Pitt, Jessica Taylor, Megan Watt, Emma Whittle, Emma Rowbotham, Mari Mittelhaus Education Philippa Claridge, Ali Mawle, Sharron Pearson, Rose Wood
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Marketing Alex Booth, Lauren Brice, James Davis, David Drakeley, Ian George, Hanna Goldschmidt, Bairbre Lloyd CF Productions Andrew Bate, Cathie Harris-Hawkins, Elaine Holt, Silvia Loi, Jo Marsh, Helen Nightingale, Martin Perks, Pete Riley Production Tim Hawkins, Adrian Hensley, Anna Pickton, Anna Poulton
Development Sarah Cobley, Malcolm Dunn, Hayden-Lee Downey, Lisa Garrett, Louisa Hancox, Holly Haynes, Rod Hebden, Sue Heritage, Bex Kelly, Arlene McGlynn, Jenna Marks, Laura Popperwell, Sarah Rawlings, Hollie Smith-Charles, Charlotte Stevens With many thanks to our programming partners and the publishers, agents, staff and volunteers, all of whom provide invaluable support and help make the Festival a success. Literature Festival Advisory Group Clare Alexander Shami Chakrabarti Clare Clark Geraldine Collinge James Daunt Tiffanie Darke Allie Esiri Jonny Geller Andrew Holgate Caroline Hutton Dotti Irving Laurel Ives Annalena McAfee Robbie Millen Eleanor Mills Catherine Newman Alex O’Connell Sandra Taylor Emma Tucker Contact If you have specific comments about any aspect of the Festival, please email literature@cheltenhamfestivals.com Artwork Credits Main programme illustration © 2016 illustrator Michelle Thompson Family illustration © 2016 Chris Haughton, author of Goodnight Everyone Printed by Orchard Press Cheltenham Ltd. 01684 850960 Photography Credits Visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/photos for a full photo credit list.
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HOW TO BOOK 7–16 October 2016 cheltenhamfestivals.com cheltenhamfestivals.com
Getting to The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival
01242 850270 Before the Festival: CF Ticketing Box Office, 15 Suffolk Parade, Cheltenham, GL20 2AE (Office and phone lines open Tue–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat 10am–2pm). Please note that the the Suffolk Parade Box Office will be closed during the Festival and on the key priority booking days, as noted below. However, Box Offices will be open during the Festival on Imperial Square and Montpellier Gardens. During the Festival: Festival Box Offices, Imperial Square (GL50 1QA) and Montpellier Gardens (GL50 1UW), Cheltenham. For full details about Box Office opening hours, in person and telephone ticket sales, booking fees, terms & conditions and Membership, visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/booking Spiegeltent bookings: Our dining seating plans are pre-allocated on the day by our events team and tables may be shared. Please inform our Box Office about any special dietary or seating requirements. Family events: All children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by a responsible person aged 16 or over. All attendees require a valid ticket. If you have any special access requirements, such as needing to book a wheelchair space, you can book using our online form which will be available from Saturday 13 August at cheltenhamfestivals.com/booking
Quicker & Easier Booking with Wish Lists You must create a Wish List in advance to buy tickets on day 1 of Members or Public booking (31 Aug / 7 Sept). Go to cheltenhamfestivals.com/literature before booking opens.
Booking Dates Members’ Priority Booking: Wednesday 31 August, from 1pm: Online booking (Wish Lists only). Please note that our Box Office will be closed on this day.
Public Booking: Wednesday 7 September, from 1pm: Online booking (Wish Lists only). Please note that our Box Office will be closed on this day.
Thursday 1 September, from 10am: Online and phone booking. Please note that our Box Office will be closed on this day.
Thursday 8 September, from 10am: Online and phone booking. Please note that our Box Office will be closed on this day.
Friday 2 September, from 10am: Online, phone and in person booking.
Friday 9 September, from 10am: Online, phone and in person booking.
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Cheltenham is easily accessible from all over the UK, by road and rail. Most events take place on the main Festival sites, located in central Cheltenham on Montpellier Gardens (GL50 1UW) and Imperial Square (GL50 1QA) – just a 9 minute walk apart. Most other venues are within walking distance. For more information on public transport and car parks go to cheltenhamfestivals.com/your-visit
Postcodes Imperial Square (including Cheltenham Town Hall Baillie Gifford Stage, Drawing Room and Pillar Room, The Sunday Times Garden Theatre, The Inkpot, The Little Big Top, Waterstones Children’s Hideaway) GL50 1QA Montpellier Gardens (including The Huddle, The Spiegeltent, The Times Forum) GL50 1UW Cheltenham Ladies’ College Parabola Arts Centre GL50 3AA Cheltenham College Chapel GL53 7LD Hotel du Vin GL50 3AQ 131 The Promenade GL50 1NW The New Club GL50 1UD INCLUDES
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