Southwold Literature Festival, Suffolk 11 - 15 November 2010
www.wayswithwords.co.uk 01803 867373
SOUTHWOLD – A PLACE FOR ALL SEASONS WELCOME TO WAYS WITH WORDS IN NOVEMBER In the past Southwold used to be very quiet in the winter months; dead in fact. Not any more. Even in the depths of winter people can be seen walking along the edge of the sea, watching waves and even getting in them as some hardy people swim in all weathers. When the Suffolk wind becomes too much for the beach now there is a colourful collection of galleries selling arts and crafts in the town. Stylish cafés and restaurants add to the lure while the new Adnams’ Cellar and Kitchen store tempts many more. So lots of people find many reasons to visit Southwold in winter. In November there are even more. A dazzling group of contemporary thinkers and writers give interesting talks at the Ways With Words literature festival. St Edmund’s Hall is packed with visitors enjoying them. This isn’t a hard sell for Southwold in November – honestly. Neither Southwold nor Ways With Words needs that as both are so popular. We just want more to enjoy what others have discovered already. Kay Dunbar, Stephen Bristow, Chloë Dunbar,Videl Bar-Kar Ways With Words’ Directors
THURSDAY 11 NOVEMBER
Roy Hattersley Sue Birtwistle
Janie Hampton
Behind the Scenes at Cranford
How the Girl Guides Won the War
1) 1pm
2) 2.30pm St Edmund’s Hall £9
St Edmund’s Hall
£9
How do you create the costumes, architecture and décor of an 1840 town? Sue Birtwistle has worked on the BBC Television’s version of ‘Cranford’ from the beginning. Since the start of research, filming and scripting in 2002 she has amassed a vast collection of visual and factual material. She tells us how ‘Cranford’ went from the page to our screens.
Author, journalist, biographer and BBC World Service producer, Janie Hampton has written books on a range of subjects from the life of Joyce Grenfell to ‘The Austerity Olympics’, the cut-price games of 1948. Now she turns her attention to the Girl Guides and provides an eye-opening account of their massive and little known role in the Second World War.
Lloyd George – The Great Outsider 3) 4pm
St Edmund’s Hall £9
Roy Hattersley has been living with Lloyd George for the last 6 years. He was the politician claimed to have won the war for England in 1918 who also pioneered old age pensions, sickness pay and unemployment benefit. Lloyd George’s contempt for the conventions of society explains the subtitle of Roy Hattersley’s long planned, carefully researched life and this talk today. Unsurprisingly he is much admired by his biographer, Roy Hattersley, himself much admired by our audiences.
Adnams’ Wine Cellar & Kitchen Store On Friday 12 November from 6.30pm - 7.30pm Adnams invites festival-goers to call in to the Wine Cellar & Kitchen Store on Victoria Street for a wine sampling reception.
Chris Mullin
Supporting Ways With Words, Supporting Books and Ideas Donations to Ways With Words are gratefully received and wisely spent to help our work and secure its future. Support at any level is much appreciated.
Dear Diary, Dear New Labour 4) 5.30pm St Edmund’s Hall £9 For more than 20 years, Chris Mullin acted as a Labour MP for Sunderland South and earned a reputation as one of Parliament’s most distinctive characters. His bestseller, ‘A Very British Coup’, became a hit TV series in the 80s. When Labour leader John Smith died in May 1994 he began a secret diary that would chart the rise – and fall – of New Labour with great insight, frankness and humour. He will share his observations of political life from that period.
Become a Friend of Ways With Words Many people use the Friends’ early booking scheme when applying for tickets for Southwold.
Thank you to Rachel Piercey for her help with writing this programme.
There are 4 levels of the Friends scheme ranging from £15 to £1,000 per annum. Contact Ways With Words at admin@wayswithwords.co.uk
FRIDAY 12 NOVEMBER
Richard Mabey The Mystery of Nature
Michael Holroyd
A Webb of Words
Family Secrets 5) 10am
St Edmund’s Hall
7) 2.15pm St Edmund’s Hall
Valerie Grove 6) 11.45am St Edmund’s Hall
£9
£9
Lives and their secrets have always fascinated the eminent biographer, Michael Holroyd. Besides delving into the lives of Lytton Strachey, Augustus John, George Bernard Shaw and the theatrical dynasties of Ellen Terry and Henry Irving for his intelligent biographies he has also dug into his own family’s past in ‘Basil Street Blues’ and ‘Mosaic’. He will talk about his memoirs and his latest book, which, sadly, he says will be his last, ‘A Book Of Secrets’.
Valerie Grove has chosen as her latest subject the Puffin editor, Kaye Webb, who in the 1960s opened the world of good books to a generation of children. She will introduce us to this extraordinary woman who transformed children’s publishing with her charm and inventiveness. Previously the acclaimed biographer and journalist, Valerie Grove, revealed to readers the lives of Laurie Lee, the children’s writer Dodie Smith and John Mortimer in her biography ‘A Voyage Around John Mortimer’.
£9
In 1993 nightingales were celebrated in Richard Mabey’s enchanting book, ‘Whistling in the Dark’. He has revisited the nightingale in his latest book, ‘The Barley Bird’, published by Full Circle Editions, a new publishing company, based in Suffolk and focusing on East Anglian writers. Also this autumn, Profile publishes his book on ‘Weeds’ where he looks at these vagabond plants that arrive in the wrong places and are often the scourge of gardeners. He will tell how his passion for birds, animals, flowers, weeds, bugs and all aspects of the countryside and nature shape his life.
The Truth About Leo, David Yelland and Life 8) 4pm
St Edmund’s Hall
Michael Buerk £9
The Whole World in His Hand 9) 5.30pm St Edmund’s Hall
David Yelland was deputy editor of The New York Post, editor of The Sun, and latterly a financier in the city. He has had many challenges to overcome: he stopped drinking alcohol in 2005 when he realised continuing would kill him; in 2006 he faced the death of his ex wife from breast cancer. His troubles have shaped his powerful, first novel. He discusses why writing this potent and moving book was the most important thing he has done in his life.
£9
Legendary broadcast journalist, Michael Buerk, will deliver a unique talk that links journalism and anthropology. From a long and distinguished career in BBC News, spanning 30 years, Buerk will draw on his immense global experiences in an attempt to explain why people across our geographically diverse planet have developed in such radically different ways.
FRIDAY 12 NOVEMBER
David Yelland
SATURDAY 13 NOVEMBER
Anna Pavord
David Aaronovitch talks to Michael Buerk
A Year in Flowers An Illustrated Talk 10) 10am
St Edmund’s Hall
Conspiracy Theories £9
Writer and journalist, Anna Pavord, brings together her expertise as a gardener and her skill as a storyteller to explore a year in the life of a garden. Advice on what to do, when, and how, will be interspersed with reflections on life, nature and even favourite old gardening clothes. Anna Pavord is gardening correspondent for the Independent and author of eight books, including the best-seller, ‘The Tulip’.
11) 11.45am St Edmund’s Hall
£9
Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, Dr. David Kelly, 9/11: conspiracy theories abound when people attempt to explain these and other historical events. David Aaronovitch, the award-winning journalist and broadcaster, talks with Michael Buerk about the historical context of conspiracy theories and why they can be so attractive yet so dangerous.
Work/Life Balance – Have We Got It Right? 12) 2.15pm St Edmund’s Hall
£9
“What do you do?” we often ask when we meet people. Discussing his new book, ‘The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work’, Alain de Botton asks, “Does work make us?” He will analyse our work culture and behaviour with his usual provocative, playful and witty panache. De Botton’s books, television programmes and creative ideas have made him famous as Britain’s ‘philosopher of everyday life’. His writing always sparks intense debate, challenging us to question and think about the choices we make.
Benedict Gummer Black Death in the British Isles
Polly Toynbee and David Walker
13) 4pm St Edmund’s Hall
Does Politics Change Lives?
£9
14) 5.30pm St Edmund’s Hall Nothing experienced in human history, before or since, eclipses the terror, tragedy and scale of the Black Death, the disease which killed millions of people in medieval Europe. Benedict Gummer, recently elected MP for Ipswich, paints a vivid picture of Britain before, during and after the plague and challenges widely-accepted theories about its spread and effects.
£9
Two of the UK’s best-known commentators discuss this question when they look at the impact of Labour’s time in office. Are we happier, healthier, wealthier and wiser because of the last 13 years? Did things get better? Will they now? How will our lives change with a different government? No two writers are in a better position to comment.
SATURDAY 13 NOVEMBER
Alain de Botton
SUNDAY 14 NOVEMBER
Blake Morrison
Peter Stanford
Will Hutton
Friendship, Jealousy, Sexual Revenge, Passion
Holy Sites in Britain An Illustrated Talk
Righting the Recession
15) 11.30am
St Edmund’s Hall
£9
These are the themes Blake Morrison tackles in his latest novel, ‘The Last Weekend’. Whether in his memoir of his parents, his study of the Bulger case, his journalism or his fiction, Blake Morrison, who teaches creative writing at Goldsmith’s College, takes on big issues that resonate with his readers.
16) 1pm St Edmund’s Hall
17) 2.30pm St Edmund’s Hall
£9
£9
Peter Stanford makes a modern-day pilgrimage around some of the most ancient religious sites in Britain, to take the spiritual temperature of an age often described as secular and sceptical. Are the present-day pilgrims he meets en route simply in search of history? He tells the story of his pilgrimage to look for faith in Britain today.
Eminent writer and journalist Will Hutton discusses the big question mark that hangs over capitalism after the recession. If the old model doesn’t work, where and how do we find a new one? Join Will Hutton, columnist and one time editor of The Observer, and chief executive of The Work Foundation, as he provides a brilliant, convincing answer to this crucial problem.
Josceline Dimbleby
Big Thoughts in Small Packages
Literary Dinner - A Flavoursome Life
18) 4pm
19) 7 for 7.30pm Swan Hotel, Southwold £50 (including a copy of Josceline Dimbleby’s book)
St Edmund’s Hall £9
Besides being the founder and editor of The Philosophers’ Magazine, writing for all the major newspapers and broadcasting on Radio 4, Julian Baggini has written 15 books many of which have been concerned with the puzzle – how to tackle the big questions in life. He’ll offer some answers.
Food, travels and memories: Josceline Dimbleby will talk about all of these. As one of the most creative and successful cookery writers it is appropriate that at our literary dinner, over The Swan’s delicious food, she speaks of her life spent travelling the world sampling dishes and collecting recipes.
SUNDAY 14 NOVEMBER
Julian Baggini
MONDAY 15 NOVEMBER
Gavin Pretor-Pinney
John Miller
Riding the Waves An Illustrated Talk
Back in the USSR 21) 12pm St Edmund’s Hall
£9
20) 10.30am St Edmund’s Hall £9 The bestselling author of ‘The Cloudspotter’s Guide’ has started looking down rather than up to consider the world of waves and life’s many undulations. He’s fascinating and funny and, as he persuaded us to appreciate clouds, now he’ll probably convert us to wavewatchers. There’s no better place to do this.
You couldn’t make it up – John Miller’s account of life as a foreign correspondent in the USSR is every bit as dramatic as a Russian novel. The once Russian Correspondent to The Daily Telegraph but now keen Southwold resident, draws us into this mysterious world, chock full of heroes, villains and intriguing details of an ‘everyday’ life so radically different from our own.
Ways With Words EVENTS IN 2011 WORDS BY THE WATER LITERATURE FESTIVAL, CUMBRIA 4 - 13 March 2011 Based at Theatre by the Lake, on the banks of Derwentwater this popular festival has everything: first-class speakers and a fantastic lakeside venue. Programme available in early January. THE TELEGRAPH WAYS WITH WORDS FESTIVAL OF WORDS AND IDEAS DARTINGTON HALL, DEVON 8 - 18 July, 2011
A sparkling 10-day celebration of words and books in the magical setting of Dartington Hall. This will be the twentieth anniversary festival and so we plan to celebrate. We hope you can join us. We are taking bookings now for 10 and 5-day packages in beautiful accommodation in the medieval courtyard at Dartington Hall.
WAYS WITH WORDS SOUTHWOLD LITERATURE FESTIVAL 10 - 14 November, 2011
We will be taking bookings for the hotel packages at the 2011 festival from the beginning of this year’s festival. For those who enjoy books, ideas, and lively debate.
To rent a place to stay during the Southwold festival contact Acanthus Property Letting Services
01502 724033
Contact: Ways With Words, Droridge Farm, Dartington, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6JG Tel: 01803 867373 www.wayswithwords.co.uk
The Orwell Bookshop will be running the on-site book shop at St Edmund’s Hall during the festival. Please note that the bookshop will not be selling tickets to events before or during the festival.
DAY TICKETS You can buy tickets to all of the events on a particular day at a reduced rate. See the booking form for details. BOOKING CONDITIONS Ways With Words (WWW) reserves the right without prior warning to alter the programme or substitute speakers if circumstances dictate. If a speaker is unable to attend, a substitute speaker will be found and your ticket will be valid for the substituted event. However, in these circumstances WWW does not offer a refund. If no substitute can be found and an event is cancelled outright WWW will offer a full refund. Subject to availability WWW will exchange your ticket(s) for another event of similar value. LOST/STOLEN TICKETS: Please take great care of your tickets. WWW will not replace lost tickets. EXCHANGING TICKETS: Tickets may be exchanged for another event of similar value (provided the exchanged event has not already run) at a charge of £1 per ticket. RE-SELLING TICKETS: The box office will try to resell returns if an event is sold out. (£1 per ticket) No unauthorised photographing or recording of events.
PACKAGES Ways With Words offers half-board (dinner, B&B) packages inclusive of tickets at both the Swan Hotel and the Crown Hotel in Southwold. The Swan package is for 4 nights (Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun) and includes tickets for all events during the festival and the literary dinner. The Crown package is for 4 nights (as Swan above) or 3 nights (Fri, Sat, Sun) including tickets for all events on Sat, Sun & Mon and the literary dinner. In each room there will be discount vouchers to the value of £50 for use in Adnams’ Hotels and the Wine Cellar and Kitchen Store. Packages can be booked at any time using the form opposite or by telephone 01803 867373 (NB. The Ways With Words office will have limited opening between 1 - 13 August) Both hotels are offering a free dinner for guests wishing to stay on Wednesday 10th and/or Monday 15th. Please phone the hotel where you are staying quoting ‘WWW 5th Night’. Swan Hotel: 01502 722186 Crown Hotel: 01502 722275 These must be booked in advance.
HOW TO BOOK
The booking form opposite can be used to book packages and tickets for individual events. Please send with s.a.e. to:
Ways With Words, Droridge Farm, Dartington,Totnes, Devon TQ9 6JG Payment can be made by cheque (payable ‘Ways With Words’) Please leave the amount in figures blank. On the line for amount in words write: “not to exceed: (the amount of your order in words)”. Then sign the cheque. This is in case some of your order is not available, in which case we shall complete your cheque for the lesser amount unless you tell us to do otherwise. Bookings using credit/debit card can be made on this form, by telephone: 01803 867373 and online: www.wayswithwords.co.uk (online ticket sales available from 30 August.) PLEASE NOTE: Friends’ booking for tickets will start on Monday 23 August (post & phone only) (2 tickets per event limit). General booking will start on Monday 30 August. Any postal bookings received before these dates will be filed but will not be processed until booking opens.
INDIVIDUAL AND DAY TICKETS
TOTAL
£
I am already a Friend E-mail
I would like to become a Friend (add £15 to your total)
Tel.
If some of your order is unavailable we will sell you the tickets which are available unless you say otherwise.
please phone
Postcode
3-digit security code
expiry date
issue no. (Switch/Maestro)
Address
valid from
No.
Name
card number
£ 9 9 9 9 32 9 9 9 9 9 40 9 9 9 9 9 40 9 9 9 9 32 50 9 9
Booking Conditions Payment in full is required at the time of booking. Cancellations cannot be refunded. Customers are strongly advised to take out holiday insurance.
Event 1) Sue Birtwistle 2) Janie Hampton 3) Roy Hattersley 4) Chris Mullin All-day Thursday 5) Michael Holroyd 6) Valerie Grove 7) Richard Mabey 8) David Yelland 9) Michael Buerk All-day Friday 10) Anna Pavord 11) David Aaronovitch 12) Alain de Botton 13) Ben Gummer 14) Toynbee & Walker All-day Saturday 15) Blake Morrison 16) Peter Stanford 17) Will Hutton 18) Julian Baggini All-day Sunday 19) Literary Dinner 20) Gavin Pretor-Pinney 21) John Miller
PACKAGES Prices are per person. Please circle the package you would like. Swan Crown Crown 4 night 4 night 3 night Lighthouse Stnd. £538 N/A N/A single occ. £733 N/A N/A Standard £558 £508 £394 single occ. £763 N/A N/A Classic / Superior £603 £548 £424 single occ. £808 N/A N/A Premier / Suite £663 £588 £454 Single Room £613 £598 £459
Tickets & Information 01803 867373 www.wayswithwords.co.uk