Chiswick Book Festival

ChiswickBookFestival

Director Torin Douglas introduces this year’s line-up of authors

Chiswick has been home to many BBC performers – from Richard Briers and Morecambe & Wise to Clare Balding and Jeremy Vine - and its Book Festival often includes some of the Corporation’s best-known faces and voices. But this year’s Festival features more BBC authors than ever, as Auntie approaches her 100th birthday in October. From Ronnie Archer-Morgan of Antiques Roadshow and the Reverend Richard Cole of Radio 4’s Saturday Live, to Dame Eileen Atkins, who won an Emmy for her performance in Cranford, and Dame Sheila Hancock, who made her name in the sitcom The Rag Trade, this year’s Festival is chockfull of the Corporation’s finest, past and present. Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen will talk about his forthcoming book The Making of the Modern Middle East. The BBC’s head of history, Robert Seatter, will celebrate its remarkable past and discuss its uncertain future with Will Wyatt, former chief executive of BBC Broadcast. Jane Garvey will interview Justin Webb of Radio 4’s Today programme about his memoir The Gift of A Radio. And Radio One breakfast presenter and children’s author Greg James will lead a story-telling session with Chris Smith. There will be sessions with former BBC journalists, Nick Higham (The Mercenary River), Alex Gerlis (Agent in Peril) and Mihir Bose (The Battle to Create a Non-Racial Sports World). Political film-makers Michael Cockerell and Michael Crick will

MARKS BBC CENTENARY WITH A HOST OF ITS STARS

shed new light on party politics, chaired by Jo Coburn; and the former BBC chairman Lord Patten will talk about his time as Britain’s governor of Hong Kong in The Hong Kong Diaries. But authors don’t have to have worked at the BBC to appear! Sir Vince Cable will talk about the next volume of his memoirs. Everpopular children’s authors Cressida Cowell and Rob Biddulph return, along with the children’s dramatist David Wood, who will present the prizes for the 12th Young People’s Poetry Competition. Historians speaking include Jessie Childs, discussing how to create great historical fiction with Lucy Jago and Miranda Malin, and there’s a full line-up of popular novelists including Adele Parks and Sadie Jones. Two of Chiswick’s greatest writers, WB Yeats and Dame Iris Murdoch, will also be featured, reminding people of Chiswick’s great literary heritage.

The Chiswick Book Festival runs from September 7 to 14 at St Michael and All Angels Church and other venues. Full programme and booking at the festival website.