Cambridge Wordfest & Winter Wordfest
What? An twice a year literature festival held in the spring in Cambridge and surrounding area. It aims to provide a richly packed weekend of some of the best in contemporary fiction, political debate, workshops and events for children. It is a festival for writers as well as readers.
When? April 9-11, 2010
Where? Cambridge at the historic ADC Theatre and the University’s McCrum and Babbage lecture theatres
Who? Cambridge Wordfest Spring 2010 Line-up
Authors appearing include:
- Hilary Mantel, 2009 Booker Prize winner for Wolf Hall and recently proclaimed “The Tudors' finest portraitist yet” [The Observer, 26 April 2009];
- The epic and controversial Philip Pullman, with his newest book, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, already provoking heated debate;
- Scottish Poet Don Paterson, whose collection Rain won the 2009 Forward Poetry Prize and who was just awarded the ultra-prestigious Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry;
- Rebecca Stott, whose second novel The Coral Thief is this year’s Book of the Festival;
- John Simpson, one of the greatest reporters of his day, who joins us to discuss his latest book, Unreliable Sources: how the 20th Century was Reported.
The programme for 2010 also engages with some of the key events coming up this year. A football event with sportswriter Tom Watt pays tribute to the World Cup, and there are several pre-election events as well: Blake Morrison and Lionel Shriver discussing Politics & Literature; a panel discussion on the topic Democracy: Why Should We Vote?; Will Hutton on the Economy; and a series of events curated by Tony Juniper in support of the 10/10 environmental campaign.
On a lighter note, Hanif Kureishi will read from his wistful new novel Gabriel’s Gift; there’s comedy with Jeremy Hardy plus a special Friday night comedy line-up; an Amazing Women programme will take place at Newnham College; there are unmissable children’s events including the much awaited return of Francesca Simon with her latest Horrid Henry story; and there are loads of stimulating workshops, opportunities to meet industry insiders and events for and about new writers.
How much? Check site
Festival Website: www.cambridgewordfest.co.uk
What you missed (or maybe didn't) at previous festivals: Authors who have attended in the past include: Andrew Motion, David Starkey, Malorie Blackman, Michael Morpurgo, Libby Purves, Kamila Shamsie, Jackie Kay, Philip Ardagh, Louise Rennison, Ali Smith, C J Sansom, Gillian Slovo, Joanne Harris, Nadeem Aslam, Salley Vickers, Rebecca Abrams, Nicola Beauman, Susan Sellars, Louise Doughty, Jill Dawson , John Fardell, Mark Steel, Polly Toynbee, David Walker, A C Grayling, Jane Wilson-Howarth, Irma Kurtz, Louise FoxcroftCarol Ann Duffy, Lionel Shriver, Andrew Cowan, Kathryn Hughes, Helen Dunmore, Geraldine McCaughrean, Sandi Toksvig and Marina Lewcka.
Cambridge Winter Wordfest
Sunday 29th November, 2009 ADC Theatre (November 28th in 2010)
The second Winter Wordfest brims with a variety of events to inspire, entertain, challenge and provoke. Authors appearing this year include: David McKee, creator of Elmer, everyone's favourite patchwork elephant; Roy Hattersley, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party (1983 - 92), who will discuss In Search of England, his charming celebration of England and Englishness; prize winning novelist Margaret Drabble, making her Wordfest debut to introduce A Writer's Britain, her highly praised appreciation of British writers and their love of landscape; two of our top crime writers, Val McDermid & Mark Billingham, reading from their latest books; and a treat for foodies with Ruth Rogers of River Café fame in conversation with Prue Leith about the newly published The River Café Classic Italian Cookbook.
And that's not all: sociologist Anthony Giddens will discuss his important new book The Politics of Climate Change; Booker Prize winner Penelope Lively talks about the unexpected aspects of being a writer for 40 years and her sixteenth novel, Family Album; and in a Wordfest first, we have a theatrical production of Woyzeck, George Büchner's famous unfinished play about a soldier's descent into murderous madness. By turns horrific and hilarious, this extraordinary production by the vibrant and inventive Splendid Productions received critical and popular acclaim at this summer's Edinburgh Festival. Finishing off the day is witty irreverence from comedy scriptwriter, journalist and "grumpy old man" John O'Farrell sharing his Utterly Exasperated History of Modern Britain - you won't want to miss this!
