Taunton Literary Festival

Taunton Literary Festival is celebrating its 5th anniversary, making 2015 a landmark year.

The festival is organised and marketed by Brendon Books,Taunton’s independent bookseller, making it a unique event with an eye on overlooked corners of the publishing market, as well as the big names and bestsellers. Brendon Books believe that independent bookshops have an important role to play in the local community, which is why Taunton Literary Festival was born, in 2010.

To fully support the festival’s place in the heart of Taunton’s community, Brendon Books has become a Community Interest Company. All profits from Brendon Books go towards projects, such as Taunton Literary Festival, which has grown to become a highlight on Somerset’s cultural calendar. Taunton Literary Festival brings writers from around the world to Taunton to share stories and engage the community in the world of literature. Readers can meet their favourite authors or explore new subjects and ideas through workshops, readings and question and answer sessions at the end of each event.

Celebrating new and established writers, Taunton Literary Festival invites you into the worlds of history, poetry, science, nature, fiction and politics. Each year, the festival grows to include more exciting and inspiring events, attracting writers, comedians, politicians and artists, who want to meet you and share their passions.

When? 7 - 28 November 2015

Where? Brendon books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER and other venues within Taunton

Who? 2015 Programme below

Sat 7 Nov 2015, 2:00PM Vince Cable. After the Storm. A fascinating insight into state of the British economy. Richard Huish College

Sat 7 Nov 2015, 6:00PM Commons and Lords: with Emma Crewe and Martin Bell Brendon Books

Sat 7 Nov 2015, 7:45PM Martin Bell. The End of Empire: Cyprus: A Soldier’s Story Brendon Books Sun 8 Nov 2015, 2:00PM From Laugharne to Taunton: An interactive telling of Dylan Thomas’ Life CICCIC

Mon 9 Nov 2015, 7:30AM An Evening With….. ARCHERS Actress-Sunny Ormonde- (outrageous LILIAN BELLAMY!) Brendon Books

Tue 10 Nov 2015, 6:00PM Brian Wright. Andrew Cross and the Mite That Shook the World Brendon Books

Tue 10 Nov 2015, 7:45PM Charles Allen. The Prisoner of Kathmandu: Brian Hodgson in Nepal 1820-43 Brendon Books

Wed 11 Nov 2015, 6:00PM Diney Costeloe. The Throwaway Children Brendon Books

Thu 12 Nov 2015, 6:00PM Barbara Bond. Great Escapes: The story of MI9’s Second World War escape and evasion maps Brendon Books

Fri 13 Nov 2015, 7:45PM Anthony Wilson: Lifesaving Poems. Based on his popular blog and a poet in his own right. Brendon Books

Sat 14 Nov 2015, 11:00AM Historical Fiction Workshop with Kate Lord Brown The Museum of Somerset

Sat 14 Nov 2015, 6.00 PM Romantic Fiction Panel: Kate Lord Brown, Veronica Henry & Jenny Kane Brendon Books

Sat 14 Nov 2015, 7:00PM Douglas Hurd. Queen Elizabeth II. CANCELLED The Castle Hotel

Sun 15 Nov 2015, 7:00PM Oggy Boytchev. Simpson and I: Between Two Worlds Brendon Books

Mon 16 Nov 2015, 6:00PM Sean Mcglynn. Blood Cries Afar: The Magna Carta, war and the invasion of England Brendon Books

Mon 16 Nov 2015, 7:45PM 20 Questions on Historical Fiction with Michael Jecks and Karen Maitland Brendon Books

Tue 17 Nov 2015, 7:45PM Crime Panel. Chris Ewan, Clare Donoghue and Tim Weaver Brendon Books

Wed 18 Nov 2015, 7:30PM An Evening with Gervase Phinn, bestselling author of books St James Church

Thu 19 Nov 2015, 6:00PM Sinead Gillespie interviews Jane McLoughlin about her new novel The Unfriended Brendon Books

Fri 20 Nov 2015, 6:00PM Prof. Nessa Carey. Junk DNA: A Journey Through the Dark Matter of the Genome Brendon Books

Fri 20 Nov 2015, 7:45PM Hilary Bradt. Wild Adventures and Extreme Publishing Brendon Books

Sat 21 Nov 2015, 11:00AM Kerstin Muggeridge. The Day Granny Took Off Brendon Books

Sun 22 Nov 2015, 7:00PM The Garden - a play for radio aired for the first time at Taunton Literary Festival Brendon Books

Mon 23 Nov 2015, 6:00AM James Holder. Sport’s Great All-Rounders Brendon Books

Mon 23 Nov 2015, 7:45PM Richard Tomlinson. Amazing Grace: The Man who was WG. Brendon Books

Tue 24 Nov 2015, 6:00PM Richard Burr, Bake-Off finalist, will be talking about his book and helping students Somerset College

Tue 24 Nov 2015, 7:45PM Stephen Moss. Natural Histories: 25 extraordinary species Brendon Books

Wed 25 Nov 2015, 8:00AM Fraser McAlpine. Stuff Brits Like Brendon Books

Wed 25 Nov 2015, 6:30PM Pen Farthing. ‘One Dog’: Rescuing dogs in Afghanistan Brendon Books

Thu 26 Nov 2015, 7:00PM Graham Fawcett on Robert Frost Brendon Books

Fri 27 Nov 2015, 6:00PM Emma Carroll. Two Older Children’s books for Christmas Brendon Books

Fri 27 Nov 2015, 7:45PM Gulwali Passarly: The Lightless Sky Brendon Books

Sat 28 Nov 2015, 7:30PM Rachel Billington. Glory: A Story of Gallipoli. Brendon Books

Website? www.tauntonliteraryfestival.net

Twitter? @TauntonLitFest and @brendon_books

Facebook? Brendon Books

Festival Director? Lionel Ward tel: 01823 337742

Past Festivals?

Previous festivals have included comedian, David Mitchell, explorer, Ranulph Fiennes, politician and political biographer, Douglas Hurd, bestselling fiction author Rachel Joyce and biographer critic and novelist, Victoria Glendinning.

2014 authors below

2014 - David Mitchell (comedian,David Mitchell (author), Mark Kitto, Susie Barrett, Tom Moran, Suzie Grogan, Jonathan Miller, Anthony Sattin, Alexander Waugh, Paula Byrne, David Marsh, Aidan Dodson,Caroline Lawrence, William Philpott, Graham Fawcett, Richard Smith, Sinclair McKay, Paul Atterbury, John Lanchester, Christopher Simon Sykes, Candy Moggridge, Richard Kershaw, Katherine Reynolds, Lucy Hughers-Hallett, Alwyn Turner, Sinead Gillespie, Nicola Loxdale, John Sutherland, Paul Upton, Jeremy Brown, Jeremy Harvey, Matthew Parker, Philip Ball, Angie Sage, Chris Ewan, John Meikle.

Past Festivals? Salley Vickers; Allan Mallinson; Rebecca Shaw; Michael Dobbs; Stephen Moss; Graham Harvey; Ally Kennen and many more

2013 Programme

David and Hilary crystal; Christian Wolmar; Sir Ranulph Fiennes; Marcus Chown; Ffyona Campbell; Douglas Hurd; Peter Snow, Gervase Phinn and many others. Download flyer