This July sees 3 Great Book Festivals CURIOUS ARTS FESTIVAL at Pylewell Park, New Forest 17-19 July THE THEAKSTONS OLD PECULIER CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL at Harrogate 16-19 July NIDDFEST LITERARY FESTIVAL at Pateley Bridge, North Yorks, 24-26 JULY 2015 -------------   The Curious Arts Festival - Pylewell Park, New Forest, 17-19 July From bestsellers to book club favourites, the literary line up at Pylewell Park includes critically acclaimed writers of thrillers, history, crime, art, poetry, history, memoir and nature. Together with prize winning children’s fiction writers such as Piers Torday and high profile journalists including Kirsty Lang this eccentric literary garden party promises something for all culturally minded kids and adults of all tastes and ages. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: Literary bestsellers David Nicholls, author of ONE DAY and US, Jojo Moyes, author of ME BEFORE YOU and THE ONE PLUS ONE, SJ Watson author of phenomenon BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP on his latest novel SECOND LIFE, Matt Haig on his new book REASONS TO STAY ALIVE, John Niven and Patrick Gale. Literary luminaries Esther Freud, Polly Samson and Sarah Hall Ones to watch with exciting fiction debuts and follow ups such as Sydney Padua, Stephen Kelman, Alex Christoffi, Simon Wroe, Alex Preston, Antonia Hodgeson, and Caroline Sandon On history and politics - Rick Stroud, Misha Glenny, Tom Holland, and Wall Street Journal correspondent Simon Nixon Childrens and young adult fiction writers David Baddiel on his new book The Parent Agency, Nicky Singer, John Burningham, Tim Clare, Hugh Powell and Piers Torday Memoir and biography - Damian Barr, Lynn Barber and Katherine Norbury Gardens experts Wade Graham, Christopher Woodward and Susan Campbell   A cast of emerging artists bursting onto the UK music scene will rub shoulders with some of rock’s elder statesmen.   Rapper and Radio 1 favourite George the Poet brings his unique sparkle of street savvy verse, alongside the front men from Razorlight, Phil Manzanera from Roxy Music and John Illsley from Dire Straits on Saturday. Also performing are indie rock quintet Amber Run, whose debut album 5am went straight into the UK album chart this month. Other rising stars include 18 year old Irish singer songwriter Shaefri, Canadian rock pop band Roads and indie popsters Flyte for whom 2015 is shaping to be a big year following the release of their first album and Radio 1 playlisting.   The comedy line up includes stars of TV and radio Mark Watson, Lucy Porter, Richard Herring, Simon Evans and singer of chart topping punk band Carter USM JB (Jim Bob) Morrison.   Other curiosities to charm and delight include:
  • Writing and poetry workshops, life drawing classes, storytelling for adults and children, bat walks, poetry workshops, puppet theatre making, mind reading, contortionists, and breathing lessons.
  • An Alice in Wonderland Tea Party
  • A ‘News and Views’ Breakfast Club for early birds hosted by BBC Radio 4 Front Row presenter Kirsty Lang
  • Curious Opera on Thursday 16th July performing Puccini’s Tosca. Separately ticketed this ‘up close’ opera experience takes place at dining tables in Pylewell Park’s magnificent grounds.
  • A pop up fine dining restaurant and a wide variety of gourmet food to go, a beautifully dressed cocktail bar from Fever-Tree as well as a tea room, juice bar and gelateria ice cream parlour.
  The festival is also a rare chance to tour the private grounds of the Pylewell Park complete with 100 acres of pleasure gardens right on the Solent. Tickets are available at https://www.curiousartsfestival.com. All festival visitors are more than welcome to pitch a tent and stay on the estate during the festival (included in ticket price). Glamping tents can be booked through www.bluebelltents.com   The Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Harrogate 16-19 July The Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, which runs over a long weekend from 16 to 19 July, is considered to be one of the best crime writing festivals in the world. This year’s Programming Chair is the author of the bestselling Shetland and Vera books, Ann Cleeves. theakstons-crime-logo_400 The killer line up reveals this year’s Special Guests; comedian Eddie Izzard in conversation with fellow stand-up and author Mark Billingham, satirist Rory Bremner will interview the giant of the genre - creator of Jack Reacher - Lee Child. Ann Cleeves will be in conversation with the New York Times bestselling author, Lisa Gardner. Attendees are invited to join up to 80 of the world’s most celebrated crime authors ‘in conversation, in action and in the bar’. From overseas, Icelandic crime sensation Arnaldur Indridason features, alongside the American author and New York Times bestseller, Sara Paretsky, who is credited with transforming the mystery genre through the creation of her female private eye, V I Warshawski. Paretsky will be in conversation with Val McDermid. There will also be a TV Panel, featuring Yorkshire born Sally Wainwright, the BAFTA winning writer known for Happy Valley, Scott & Bailey, and Last Tango in Halifax. Also, author of the much-loved Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth books, M.C. Beaton will be in conversation with fellow Scot, comedian and presenter, Fred MacAulay. The festival features a dedicated writing workshop, Creative Thursday, which this year focuses on script writing, featuring seminars led by TV and radio industry professionals. Panels include ‘The Morality of Murder’ with Belinda Bauer, Jonathan Freedland and Nicci French, ‘Yorkshire Pride’ featuring local talent Peter Robinson, Steve Mosby, and Lee Child, and ‘The Black Art of Criticism’ with Anne Widdecombe, SJ Parris and Telegraph journalist, Jake Kerridge. There’ll also be a special exclusive event on the ‘new’ Stieg Larsson book, exactly ten years after the publication of ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’, featuring Larsson’s original publisher and editor. Simon Theakston, Executive Director, T&R Theakston said: “Each year I wonder how this unique celebration of the crime genre can throw up a new plot twist or bigger revelation than the previous year’s killer line up. 2015’s incredible programme is thanks to this year’s Programming Chair, Ann Cleeves.” The event is one of the most important in the crime publishing calendar; agents, publishers, publicists and authors attend from all over Europe and the world.  It also features the 11th Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, one of the most prestigious awards of the genre. It is ranked as one of the top three literary festivals in the UK by The Guardian, and featured in The Independent’s ‘The 50 Best Festivals’. Ann Cleeves has a long association with the Festival as its first Reader-in-Residence, she said: “This year we focus on crime fiction’s ability to take us to strange lands and to see familiar places in a new and unsettling way. From our comfortable base in North Yorkshire we’ll be travelling the globe. Throughout the weekend we’ll be sharing our passion for the best crime writing around. There’ll be intense debate during the panels and special guest conversations, arguments late into the night in the bar and fascinating discussions at a new innovation for 2015: our Thursday afternoon Readers’ Tea.” For tickets, tel: 01423 562 303 or email: crime@harrogate-festival.org.uk, visit: www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/crime   NIDDFEST LITERARY FESTIVAL 24-26 JULY 2015 NiddFest - a new festival celebrating nature in writing - have announced their inaugural programme of events set in the glorious landscape of the Yorkshire Dales. With up to 20 events spread out over the weekend of 24-26 July, the festival promises a thought-provoking weekend packed with talks, outdoor adventures and activities for all ages. Highlights of the 2015 programme include the opening event, an exclusive evening with the festival’s patron and Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, and Gillian Clarke, National Poet of Wales. Over a light supper, and with musical accompaniment, our foremost poets will be sharing their favourite passages of nature writing and will be reading extracts from their own work. Award winning novelist Evie Wyld, whose second novel All The Birds, Singing has hit the short and long lists of every major prize this year, will be speaking on Saturday 25th July in the evening. Katherine Norbury – author of the acclaimed The Fish Ladder will be interviewed by top UK literary agent Clare Conville. Sunday 26th sees Jackie Bennett, gardener, journalist and author of The Writer’s Garden discussing 20 inspiring gardens created by our most famous writers, followed by TV chef and author Valentine Warner treating festival-goers to a revealing talk on nature’s bountiful larder and its inspiration in the kitchen. That morning will see a foraging event, with edible plants picked from Nidderdale’s hedgerows, to be included in a dish prepared by Valentine at his event. The festival closes with Herdwick Shepherd, James Rebanks, whose tale of life as a shepherd in the Lake District - The Shepherd’s Life - has been one of this year’s literary phenomenon.   FAMILY FRIENDLY Children of all ages are invited to participate at NiddFest with events to suit even the littlest visitors. Saturday 25 July will see a morning of arts, crafts and face painting, with ‘Best Bug’ awards for the cleverest crafters. 5-11 year olds will be invited to an exciting afternoon in the woods, including woodland games and activities, a lesson on building the perfect outdoor den and hot chocolate and marshmallows around the campfire. For families, a day trip to Studfold Adventure Trail is on offer. Set in a hidden valley in Upper Nidderdale, this full day adventure has a focus on bugs and all things creepy crawly! Leading childrens’ authors Piers Torday and Michelle Harrison will be reading from their award winning books on Saturday 25 July. Michelle’s event will be followed by the prize giving for the NiddFest Poetry Prize, open to all Yorkshire schoolchildren. Winners will receive their awards from Carol Ann Duffy.   BEYOND THE FESTIVAL TENT Visitors will be encouraged to step beyond the traditional festival venue and explore the dramatic landscape of Upper Nidderdale. Highlights from the outdoor programme including a morning of foraging with wild food expert Chris Bax, a walk along the banks of the river Nidd to learn about the fragile ecosystem, and a safari to the far reaches of Upper Nidderdale to explore the wild moorland, and a birding walk with Mark Cocker, following his talk on humankind’s relationship with birds. Ticket prices vary with prices starting from just £7 per event and discounts for children under 18. All tickets will be available to purchase from the festival box office in Nidderdale from Friday 24th July. For more information and to view the full programme, please visit www.niddfest.com/programme