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