Faversham Literary Festival announces stellar line-up
Speakers include Will Self, Jenny Eclair, Melvyn Bragg, Jack Straw, Michael Rosen, Maggie Gee and New Order drummer Stephen Morris
Michael Rosen
The third annual Faversham Literary Festival will be once again taking place in the town’s varioushistoric venues: the Old Brewery Store, Guildhall, Alexander Centre, The Limes and Shepherd Neame Visitor Centre’s 15th-century function room, as well as the newer Arden Theatre.
There’s a packed programme of events from 19 to 23 February, plus writing workshops and local author readings on the 15th & 16th.
Opening night on 19 February celebrates Kent cheese and ale in the company of raconteur cheesemonger Ned Palmer. Will Self returns to Faversham and other headline events include Melvyn Bragg, Jenny Eclair, Lemn Sissay, Dame Joan Bakewell, Ken Livingstone and Sarah Perry.
NATURE
There will be lots of great nature writers, including the inspirational Tim Dee on spring and bird migration, plus Kent nature writers Katherine May, Caroline Crampton, Lara Maiklem and Caroline Greville.
POLITICS
Politics features strongly on the programme with Jack Straw discussing the Middle East; Gavin Esler on Brexit; plus talks on the refugee crisis, Trump and the USA, and hard-hitting political fictions addressing dictatorship, genocide and writing in exile.
FICTION
Fiction highlights include the much-acclaimed historical debut by Sara Collins; Naomi Wood and Elizabeth Macneal writing on the Bauhaus and Pre-Raphaelite art movements; Lee Rourke on mother-son relationships and grief; Maggie Gee and William Shaw on crime in Kent; and much more. Taking fiction on the road, Peter Fiennes and travel writer Sara Wheeler discuss the literary greats of Britain and Russia.
MUSIC
For music lovers, I’m very excited to feature Stephen Morris from Joy Division and New Order; and Tracey Thorn from Everything But the Girl.
MORE…
Exciting new additions to the programme - Abbey Physic Garden will be hosting a session on mental health with local author Stephen Gillatt; plus an all-day poetry hub in The Limes on Saturday 22nd, with special guest poet Luke Wright - a whole day of poetry plus our now regular Friday-night Poetry Slam.
There’s events and activities for children and young adults, and an unmissable event for all the family with much-loved author Michael Rosen telling funny stories, funny poems and, of course, pulling funny faces!
For the full programme visit: https://www.favershamliteraryfestival.org
Wednesday 19 February
7–9pm Ned Palmer, Old Brewery Store
Thursday 20 February
5–6pm Jack Straw, Alexander Centre
7–8pm Will Self, Alexander Centre
Friday 21 February
7–8pm Joan Bakewell & Maggie Gee, Alexander Centre
7.30–11pm Poetry Slam, The Limes
Saturday 22 February
9.45–10.45am Stephen Gillatt, Physic Garden
11–12noon Michael Rosen, Alexander Centre
11–12noon Joe Dunthorne, Max Sydney Smith & Xanthi Barker, Arden
11–12noon John Gregory-Smith, Neame Visitor Centre
12.30–1.30pm Lemn Sissay, Alexander Centre
12.30–1.30pm Clare Pollard, Arden
12.30–1.30pm Gareth E. Reese, Neame Visitor Centre
2–3pm Jenny Eclair, Alexander Centre
2–3pm Christy Lefteri & David Herd, Arden
2–3pm William Shaw & Maggie Gee, Neame Visitor Centre
3.30–4.30pm Naomi Wood & Elizabeth Macneal, Alexander Centre
3.30–4.30pm Ken Livingstone, Arden
3.30–4.30pm Lee Rourke & Will Wiles, Neame Visitor Centre
5–6pm Stephen Morris, Alexander Centre
5–6pm Alia Trabucco Zerán & Sema Kaygusuz, Arden
5–6pm Writing Women's Lives, Neame Visitor Centre
6.30–7pm Tracey Thorn, Alexander Centre
6.30–7pm Hamid Ismailov, Arden
6.30–7pm Peter Williams, Neame Visitor Centre
8–9pm Jane Wenham-Jones, Arden
Saturday 22 February
11am–11pm Poetry Hub, The Limes
12.30–7.30pm YA workshops & author talks, Alexander Centre
12.30–3.15pm Children's events, Guildhall
Sunday 23 February
11am–12noon Tim Dee, Alexander Centre
11am–12noon Alex Preston, Sara Collins & Sarah Churchwell, Arden
12.30–1.30pm Melvyn Bragg, Alexander Centre
12.30–1.30pm Jon Henderson, Arden
12.30–1.30pm Lara Maiklem, Neame Visitor Centre
2–3pm Peter Fiennes & Sara Wheeler, Alexander Centre
2–3pm Sarah Churchwell, Arden
2–3pm Katherine May, Neame Visitor Centre
3.30–4.30pm Sara Collins, Alexander Centre
3.30–4.30pm Daniel Rachel, Arden
3.30–4.30pm Caroline Greville, Neame Visitor Centre
5–6pm Gavin Esler, Alexander Centre
5–6pm Caroline Crampton, Arden
5–6pm Julie Wassmer, Neame Visitor Centre
6.30–7.30pm Sarah Perry, Alexander Centre