Southwold Literature Festival, Suffolk 10 - 14 November 2011
www.wayswithwords.co.uk 01803 867373
Twenty Years of Words, Words, Words (as Shakespeare would say) It has been a year of anniversaries. Twenty years ago we started our first Ways With Words festival at Dartington Hall in Devon. This year in March we celebrated ten years of Words by the Water, our 10 day festival on the banks of Derwentwater in Cumbria. A few years after we started our festival at Dartington Hall we added Southwold Ways With Words to our activities. I knew that a festival focusing on books and ideas would be popular in Suffolk and so it has proved. Whatever the topic, whoever the speaker, Suffolk audiences have shown great curiosity and open mindedness. Sometimes people ask which is our favourite festival. It is impossible to say. Each has huge charm and takes place in settings much loved by the visitors and writers. All Ways With Words’ festivals have grown and flourished over the years. Raise a glass of Adnams beer to the longevity of words and books and ideas. Cheers – and thank you to all who have supported Ways With Words for so many years. Kay Dunbar, Stephen Bristow, Chloë Bar-Kar, Videl Bar-Kar Ways With Words’ Directors
THURSDAY 10 NOVEMBER
Tony Benn
Penelope Lively
looking to the future
Reading Addiction
Beastly Buildings
1) 1pm
2) 2.30pm St Edmunds’s Hall
3) 4pm
St Edmund’s Hall
£10
Tony Benn is well known for his challenging and controversial views. Now he has turned his attention to the problems facing the next generation in ‘Letters to my Grandchildren’. The world our children are born into is vastly different from that of their grandparents. What lessons will help this generation avoid previous mistakes?
Lucinda Lambton (1) £10
Reading Addiction affects many of us, especially those who come to literary festivals. The Booker Prize winning author Penelope Lively, whose latest novel is ‘How it All Happened’, talks about her own book-infested life, about the directions her reading has taken, and the way in which her writing has been shaped by what she has read.
St Edmund’s Hall
£10
Lucinda Lambton is known for her interest in unusual buildings. Her book, ‘Palaces for Pigs’, shows her discovery of all sorts of eccentric animal buildings, from castles for goats to pyramids for pigs. Her talk about this phenomenon will be illustrated with her own photographs.
On Friday 11 November from 6.30pm - 7.30pm Adnams invites festival-goers to call in to the Cellar & Kitchen Store on Victoria Street to sample some wine and browse round the store. After all, it is nearly Christmas.
Melvyn Bragg
Book of Books 4) 5.30pm
St Edmund’s Church
£10
In its 400th anniversary year, Melvyn Bragg, one of our finest authors and broadcasters, has written the definitive history of one of the most influential books in the English language. In the splendid setting of St Edmund’s Church in Southwold he tells the political, linguistic and literary stories behind The King James Bible.
THURSDAY 10 NOVEMBER
Adnams’ Cellar & Kitchen Store
FRIDAY 11 NOVEMBER
Juliet Barker
Joanna Trollope
The Brontës Revisited
Daughters-in-Law
5) 10am
6) 11.30am
St Edmund’s Hall
£10
St. Edmund’s Hall
Jon Canter £10
you’re having a laugh! 7) 1pm
Juliet Barker, the foremost expert on the Brontës, has revised her 1994 biography of this astonishingly creative family. She gives a vivid picture of 19th century Yorkshire and an intimate chronicle of the Brontës’ daily lives in Haworth.
In Joanna Trollope’s latest novel a mother with three sons finds that she is becoming less important to them as their wives become more relevant to their lives. With her usual wisdom and insight Joanna Trollope examines the fraught relationship of mothers, sons and daughters-in-law.
St Edmund’s Hall
£10
Jon Canter has spent his writing life making people laugh, from his time at Cambridge where he was President of Footlights to his recent comedy writing for Lenny Henry and Arabella Weir. He has written three comic novels, the latest, ‘Worth’, is set in a Suffolk village – familiar territory as he lives on the Suffolk coast. How does he make us laugh?
Julia Blackburn
Margaret Drabble
Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House
Exploring an Italian Mountain Village
Social Changes, Short Stories
9) 4.15pm St Edmund’s Hall
10) 5.45pm St Edmund’s Hall
8) 2.45pm St Edmund’s Hall
£10
Designed by Lutyens, this famous dolls’ house recreates the time when an English man’s home was his castle. Yet it is the less grand views that enchant: the tin of Vim, the dish of Bronco paper on the WC, Lux soap flakes. Lucinda Lambton, who is passionate about places, people and the past, shows us around this miniature, magical world.
£10
Julia Blackburn and her Dutch husband Herman live in an old house high above the Ligurian coast. Their village was at the heart of the conflict between the fascists and the partisans, so the inhabitants learnt a lot about death and fear and hunger and how men and women could hide like foxes in the mountains. In her latest book, ‘Thin Paths’, Julia Blackburn explores the people and landscape of her Italian mountainside. She shares her stories today.
£10
Margaret Drabble’s penetrating evocations of character and place, her wide-ranging curiosity and her sense of irony are all on display in her recent collection of short stories that explore the social changes of the past 40 years. She offers her perceptive observations on what is vital to human beings.
FRIDAY 11 NOVEMBER
Lucinda Lambton (2)
SATURDAY 12 NOVEMBER
Martin Bell
From Television to Politics to Poetry 11) 10am St Edmund’s Hall
£10
In original verse Martin Bell offers a personal response to his life. He chronicles his time as a war reporter, as an independent MP and as a UNICEF ambassador. It is a funny, honest and moving account of his experiences and shows that he can add ‘poet’ to his many accomplishments.
William Feaver talks to Jon Blair
Patrick Barkham
The Pitmen Painters
A Passion for Butterflies
12) 11.45am St Edmund’s Hall
13) 2.15pm St Edmund’s Hall
£10
The noted art critic, William Feaver, author of the book on which Lee Hall based his play, ‘The Pitmen Painters’, tells their story to Oscar-winning director Jon Blair. Jon’s documentary, ‘Robson Green and the Pitmen Painters’, was broadcast on ITV earlier this year. What can we learn from these working class men in North East England who joined an art class in 1934?
£10
Patrick Barkham spent his childhood holidays chasing butterflies with his father. What was a youthful hobby has developed into an adult passion. Guardian columnist, Patrick Barkham, is recognised as one of the best of the new-wave of nature writers. He will analyse his fascination with British butterflies and attempt to infect you with his enthusiasm. Don’t let this event flutter by.
Andrew Davies
Yorkshire Tales
The Thrill of the Chaste
14) 4pm St Edmund’s Hall £10 Gervase Phinn’s stories come from more than 60 years of teaching, inspecting schools and Yorkshire life. His latest books are ‘The Little Village School’ and ‘Out of the Woods but not Over the Hill’. Expect an hilarious time.
15) 5.30pm St Edmund’s Hall £10 Everyone remembers Colin Firth’s wet shirt in Andrew Davies’ television version of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ but this is just one of many memorable moments from this much lauded writer. He has been responsible for many blockbuster adaptations for film and television: ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’, ‘Little Dorrit’, ‘Dr Zhivago’, ‘Brideshead Revisited’ as well as many original plays and novels. His latest television adaptation was ‘South Riding’. He tells us how he does it.
SATURDAY 12 NOVEMBER
Gervase Phinn
Tilly’s Tours with Ian Miller
SUNDAY 13 NOVEMBER
10am & 2.30pm
£8
See Southwold from a different perspective on an hour’s bus tour in Olive, a single-decker vintage bus, and hear the town’s stories from Ian Miller, author of local bestseller, ‘A Brief History of Southwold’. Ian has been described by the Southwold Organ as, “An ebullient uncle who can’t wait to share the town’s secrets and eccentricities . . . someone who still views the place with the freshness of a holidaymaker’s eyes but also knows it like the back of his hand.” Join Olive - and Ian - at St Edmund’s Hall. Booking in advance essential. (This event is not included in the packages.)
Joan Bakewell
John Sergeant
She’s Leaving Home
Give Me an Hour
16) 11.30am St Edmund’s Hall £10 The thoughtful and much-respected broadcaster, Baroness Bakewell, has turned to fiction to reflect on recent history: the late 1950s. It is a time of many escapes: Nureyev defects in London; Gagarin leaves the Earth’s atmosphere to be the first man in space; the Beatles escape the dreariness of Liverpool to seek their fortune in Hamburg. In Britain the drab 50s are giving way to the lively 60s and the young sense it. She addresses the intensity and passion that made the sixties an iconic decade.
17) 1pm
St Edmund’s Hall
£10
John Sergeant was in front of the camera at some of the most significant and dramatic events of our times. In his book, ‘Give Me Ten Seconds’, he tells of what he has seen and who he has met. Now he’ll talk and answer questions about life as it has unfolded to John Sergeant.
Maureen Lipman
Reflections of a Singer
I Must Collect Myself
18) 2.30pm St Edmund’s Hall £10 Ian Bostridge is one of the outstanding singers of our time, celebrated both for the quality of his voice and for the exceptional intelligence he brings to bear on the interpretation of the repertoire of the past and present alike. In ‘A Singer’s Notebook’, through short essays and reviews, he gives an intriguing glimpse into his mind and motivation. He talks to Professor Richard Stokes of the Royal Academy of Music.
19) 4pm
St Edmund’s Hall
Sam Leith - Literary Dinner £10
Maureen Lipman, a much-loved and admired actress, has the knack of making the ordinary absurd and the everyday entertaining. Encounters on the street, at the hairdresser’s, home and abroad: all provide material for her stories, some of which we’ll hear today.
You Talkin’ To Me? Rhetoric from Aristotle to Obama 20) 7 for 7.30pm Swan Hotel, Southwold £50 (to include a copy of Sam Leith’s book) Sam Leith, columnist and former literary editor of the Telegraph, casts a witty, elegant look into the art of persuasion. Rhetoric, he argues, isn’t the exclusive preserve of politicians: it’s everywhere, from your argument with the insurance company to your plea to the waitress for a table near the window. Rhetoric is what gives words power.
SUNDAY 13 NOVEMBER
Ian Bostridge
MONDAY 14 NOVEMBER
Become a Friend of Ways With Words Many people use the Friends’ early booking scheme when applying for tickets for Southwold. There are 4 levels of Friends starting at £15 per annum. Contact Ways With Words on 01803 867373 or email admin@wayswithwords.co.uk
Salley Vickers
Martin Gayford
Differing Shades of Love
Talking to Hockney
21) 10.30am St Edmund’s Hall
22) 12 noon St Edmund’s Hall
£10
£10
Salley Vickers, author of many thought-provoking books including ‘Miss Garnett’s Angel’, explores the complex geography of the human heart in her new collection of short stories. Love given, withheld, lost, met: she examines all shades.
For more than a decade the art critic Martin Gayford has had many conversations with the remarkable painter David Hockney who, with passion and humour, reflects on the problems of representing a threedimensional world on a flat surface. Martin Gayford will tell of his time spent talking to Hockney and hearing his shrewd insights on painting, California and Yorkshire.
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. TERMS & CONDITIONS Ways With Words (WWW) reserves the right without prior warning to alter the programme if circumstances dictate. For full details of our policy on event cancellations, ticket refunds, exchanges and re-sales please refer to the website www.wayswithwords.co.uk/terms LOST / STOLEN TICKETS: Please take great care of your tickets. WWW will not replace lost tickets. No unauthorised photographing or recording of events.
Beyond festivals . . . Holiday Courses with Ways With Words Be Creative, Be Imaginative, Be Thoughtful – or just have a good rest at Villa Pia, Umbria, Italy Writing, Reading, Art and Discussion Workshops Week one: 24 Sept. – 1 Oct. 2011 Week two: 1 - 8 Oct. 2011
Fingals, Dittisham, Devon Writing and Reading course 13 – 18 May 2012
Both places have a swimming pool, inspiring landscapes, lovely local walks and delicious food. All abilities are catered for. All activities are optional. www.wayswithwords.co.uk Tel. 01803 867373
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 (except Tilly’s Tours). 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 (except Tilly’s Tours). 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 until 20 August) Both hotels are offering a free dinner for guests wishing to stay on Wednesday 9th and/ or Monday 14th. 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 Payments by cheque (to ‘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 6 September.) PLEASE NOTE: Friends’ booking for tickets will start on Tuesday 30 August (post & phone only) (2 tickets per event limit). General booking will start on Tuesday 6 September. Any postal bookings received before these dates will be filed but will not be processed until booking opens.
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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) Tony Benn 2) Penelope Lively 3) Lucinda Lambton (1) 4) Melvyn Bragg All-day Thursday 5) Juliet Barker 6) Joanna Trollope 7) Jon Canter 8) Lucinda Lambton (2) 9) Julia Blackburn 10) Margaret Drabble All-day Friday 11) Martin Bell 12) William Feaver & Jon Blair 13) Patrick Barkham 14) Gervase Phinn 15) Andrew Davies All-day Saturday 16) Joan Bakewell 17) John Sergeant 18) Ian Bostridge 19) Maureen Lipman All-day Sunday 20) Literary Dinner - Sam Leith T1) Tilly’s Tour (10am) T2) Tilly’s Tour (2.30pm) 21) Salley Vickers 22) Martin Gayford
PACKAGES Prices are per person. Please circle the package you would like. Swan Crown Crown 4 night 4 night 3 night Lighthouse Stnd. £568 N/A N/A single occ. £773 N/A N/A Standard £589 £537 £408 single occ. £804 N/A N/A Classic / Superior £636 £579 £439 single occ. £852 N/A N/A Premier / Suite £699 £621 £471 Single Room £647 £631 £476
Tickets & Information 01803 867373 www.wayswithwords.co.uk
Joan Bakewell Tony Benn Ian Bostridge Melvyn Bragg Andrew Davies Margaret Drabble Lucinda Lambton Maureen Lipman Gervase Phinn John Sergeant Joanna Trollope – and more