Budleigh Salterton
LITERARY
FESTIVAL 2016
15-18 September
Festival Main Sponsor
Welcome message from Festival President, Dame Hilary Mantel
From one mind
to another.
#BeThere.
Words connect us. Spoken in real-time, perpetuated in writing.
Words move us beyond ourselves—invoking where we’ve come
from, igniting the new. Let nothing take that from us.
Audify® | Palatine House | Sigford Road | Matford Park | Exeter | EX2 8NL
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Welcome to the Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival.
Our committee, our artistic associates and our tireless volunteers
have worked hard since last September to equal or better what
we have offered in previous years; we have a gifted and popular
group of authors to entertain our guests through what we hope
will be a memorable long weekend. Many of our writers are
household names; many of them will be.
One of the wonders of our festival is that it’s walkable; our guests
can shuttle between venues in minutes, our visitors crowd into
our shops and cafes and, though it’s late in the summer season,
the town takes on a holiday air. We keep it small, we keep it local,
but it’s the opposite of parochial; no festival is more ambitious
in reaching through time and space. This year we will meet
Victorian child murderers, Russian revolutionaries, great cricketers and a Scottish Makar.
We will have a ringside seat at Downing Street debacles. We will create poetry, ponder the
meaning of liberty, follow the footsteps of forgotten explorers, and learn from Marcus du
Sautoy ‘What We Cannot Know.’
It is a thoughtful and ambitious programme and as president I should like to thank those who
have brought it together with ingenuity, optimism and patience. As the festival scene expands
abroad, East Devon finds itself competing for authors with Jaipur, Sri Lanka, Cartagena
and the Caribbean. September is the peak of the publishing year. Increasingly, companies
place embargoes on their top titles, and lock their authors in a cellar till the big day comes;
before that date, it’s agreed, they won’t give readings and won’t talk to the press. Sometimes
we congratulate ourselves on having recruited someone, only to find their publication date
has moved and put them out of our reach. It’s a constant juggling act – but worthwhile.
Our audiences, we think, deserve the best, the most stylish, the most sought-after. We are
not content to be passive recipients of culture. Through our education programme, we aim
to grow writers and readers for the future. And authors who choose to visit us will find
audiences who are curious, courteous and lively.
Peter Florence, the founder of the mighty Hay-on-Wye festival, said recently that in his 29
year career – he has run or consulted on over 200 festivals in 14 countries – he has yet to
work out the formula for success. But one thing is true, he says: ‘the only festivals that really
work are rooted in their communities.’
Our festival is now in its 8th year. More than ever we need our business community to get
behind it, and see how they can be part of an initiative that creates so much goodwill in our
town. As soon as the ink has dried on the final author’s signature, as soon as the lights fade
and the rooms are swept, next year’s festival begins…
Dame Hilary Mantel, DBE
Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival
Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival is a non-profit venture
that aims to raise money for literacy initiatives within East Devon.
Front cover artwork:
Courtesy of Becky Bettesworth
www.beckybettesworth.co.uk
INTRODUCTION
THURSDAY 15 September 2016
‘SOME THINGS ONLY become clear much later.’
At last year’s Festival, Ben Okri had the audience spellbound with these seven words. Words
that he stretched into a profound and playful meditation on art, creativity and storytelling.
This September, we are blessed to have award-winning biographers, historians, scientists,
broadcasters and poets alongside some of our most imaginative novelists. What stories will
they tell us? And what words will they use to entertain, inspire, move and challenge us?
Biographers Juliet Nicolson, Artemis Cooper and Simon Garfield will share with us their
fascinating stories about talented women in recent history whilst Kate Summerscale and
Luke Harding will offer new insights into the lives of Robert Coombes and Alexander
Litvinenko. Novelists Tahmima Anam, Harry Parker, Peter Hanington and Virginia Baily
will transport us to Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Italy whilst Jenny Balfour Paul will lead us
to India in search of her soul mate, forgotten explorer Thomas Machell. Short story lovers can
look forward to hearing how Mark Haddon and Hilary Mantel create their compelling and
brilliant stories. Meanwhile, I’m thrilled that Scottish Makar Jackie Kay and Human Rights
activist Shami Chakrabarti will be coming to the Festival to discuss their own remarkable
life stories.
As Artistic Director, one of the things I look forward to most each September is the element
of surprise. A great Festival should be a place where we discover new voices, hear different
narratives, exchange ideas and experiences, and emerge seeing the world through fresh eyes.
Listen to the words. Enjoy this year’s Festival.
Sarah-Jane Roberts
Artistic Director
FESTIVAL TEAM
Hon. President
Dame Hilary Mantel, DBE
Hospitality Team
Sue Briggs, Jane Burton, Lizzie Everett-Wright
Hon. Vice-President
Christopher Briscoe, Esq.
Production
Judy Russell, Steve Clewely, Pro Sound (Sound
& Light)
Artistic Director
Sarah-Jane Roberts
Chairman & Head of Sponsorship
Malcolm Elliott
Festival Board
Carol Ackroyd, Roger Bass, Bonnie Blackwell,
Sue Briggs, Elizabeth Cummings, Rosemarie Davis,
Lizzie Everett-Wright, Sonia Lapwood, Charles Ward,
David Marsden, Jennie Milverton, Judy Russell
Education Team
Malcolm Elliott, David Marsden, Jennie Milverton,
Penny Mear, Louise Burrows
Festival Friends
Elizabeth Cummings
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Artistic Associates
Rachel Cooke, Gerald McEwen, Erica Wagner,
Carol Ackroyd
Press & Media
Beth O’Sullivan & Jessie Powell, KOR Communications
Design & Website
Oliver Stone, Creative Engine Room
Festival Film
Andrew Johnstone, Wild Dog Limited
Festival Artist
Jed Falby
Festival Venue Managers
Steve Agger, Charles Ward, Martin Smith
HELEN RAPPAPORT: £9
MARCUS DU SAUTOY: £9
Continuing her fascination with Russian
history, Helen Rappaport’s forthcoming book
Caught in the Revolution tells the story of the
first year of the Russian Revolution using eyewitness accounts of the foreign nationals who
witnessed history being made on the streets of
Petrograd. Compellingly, she documents how
many of the most dramatic incidents occurred in
the fashionable Nevsky Prospekt where British,
French and American diplomats, journalists
and ex-pats watched the revolution unfolding
beneath their hotel and embassy windows.
These are some of the fascinating questions
at the centre of Marcus du Sautoy’s What We
Cannot Know. A compelling read, it takes the
reader on a thought-provoking expedition to
the farthest boundaries of modern science.
Along the way, he investigates how leading
experts in quantum physics, neuroscience and
sensory perception have discovered the current
lie of the land and asks if there are limits to
what we can discover and comprehend about
the universe and ourselves. Bill Bryson describes
Sautoy as ‘Brilliant and fascinating. No one is
better at making the recondite accessible and
exciting.’
Caught In The Revolution
Public Hall, 10am
Drawing from a range of published and
unpublished materials including diaries and
letters, Rappaport captures the chaos of the
first revolution in February through to Lenin’s
Bolshevik Coup in October.
Helen Rappaport is a historian and writer
who specialises in Russia and the Victorians.
Her books include Ekaterinburg, Magnificent
Obsession and Four Sisters: The Lost Lives of the
Romanov Grand Duchesses. She was Historical
Consultant for ITV’s forthcoming 8-part drama
about Queen Victoria.
Helen will be in conversation
with broadcaster Erica Wagner.
What We Cannot Know
Public Hall, 12pm
Marcus du Sautoy is the author of The Music of
the Primes, Finding Moonshine and The Num8er
My5teries. He is Professor of Mathematics at the
University of Oxford and the Simonyi Chair
for the Public Understanding of Science, a post
previously held by Richard Dawkins.
Event sponsored by the FAB project.
www.fablink.net
5
THURSDAY 15 September 2016
HILARY MANTEL: £12
TOM BOWER: £9
DEBORAH MOGGACH: £12
Media gloom about the NHS... a Latin
proverb... Alan Bennett’s diaries... the plaintive,
insistent voice of an elderly lady with a strange
sense of humour... Taking time out from her
immersion in the Wolf Hall trilogy, Hilary
Mantel reads a new short story, and talks with
Helen Taylor about how its elements combined
to produce something between a black sitcom
and a state of the nation report.
When Tony Blair became Prime Minister in
May 1997 he was the youngest person to hold
office since 1812. With a landslide majority, his
approval rating was 93 percent and he went on
to become Labour’s longest serving PM. During
his first election campaign, he promised that
‘New Labour’ would modernise Britain, giving
priority to social justice and equal opportunity
for all. So, what went wrong?
‘Deborah Moggach is a delight to read - her
characters are wonderfully alive, and their
stories grip us unequivocally’ Daily Telegraph
Hilary Mantel won the Man Booker Prize for
her novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies.
Her story The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher,
from the collection of the same name, was
shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story
Award. She is working on The Mirror & The
Light, the final part of her trilogy about Thomas
Cromwell and the Tudor court.
In his controversial book Broken Vows: Tony
Blair The Tragedy of Power, Tom Bower looks
at the truth behind Blair’s claims of rebuilding
Britain’s schools, hospitals and welfare services.
He also examines Blair’s role in the invasion of
Iraq. With unprecedented access to Whitehall
officials, military officers and politicians, Bower
uncovers the full story of Blair’s decade in power
and the extraordinary commercial empire he’s
built since his resignation.
In A Right State
St Peter’s Church, 2pm
Hilary will be chaired by Helen Taylor.
Broken Vows
Temple Church, 4pm
Tom Bower is an investigative journalist who
has written biographies of Robert Maxwell,
Mohammed Fayed, Gordon Brown and
Richard Branson.
Tom will be in conversation with
author and Observer writer Rachel Cooke.
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THURSDAY 15 September 2016
Something To Hide
St Peter’s Church, 7.30pm
One of the country’s most loved novelists,
Deborah Moggach excels at creating warm,
engaging and extremely funny novels. Her
latest, Something to Hide, is another brilliant
page-turner that takes her readers from
London’s Pimlico to Texas, Shanghai, Beijing
and West Africa. Written with her trademark
wit and pace, it focuses on a group of middle
aged friends who are all searching for love,
fulfillment and adventures whilst navigating
modern life, loneliness, divorce and family
relationships.
Deborah Moggach is the author of 18 novels
including The Ex-Wives, Tulip Fever, Heartbreak
Hotel and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which
was adapted into a film starring Judi Dench, Bill
Nighy and Maggie Smith. An award-winning
screenwriter, she has written various screenplays
including Pride and Prejudice.
Be prepared to cry with laughter as Deborah reads
and discusses her work with host Carol Ackroyd.
Event sponsored by Home Instead
www.homeinstead.co.uk
7
FRIDAY 16 September 2016
FRIDAY 16 September 2016
VIRGINIA BAILY: £9
JENNY BALFOUR PAUL: £9
ALEXANDRA HARRIS: £9
VIRGINIA BAILY: £20
Set in Rome in October 1943, Early One
Morning focuses on an Italian woman who is
planning to escape the German occupation
by fleeing to the countryside. When she
encounters a young Jewish woman sitting
with her son however, she realises she has
an opportunity to save the boy and radically
alter both their lives. Wonderfully imagined,
Virginia Baily’s absorbing and fearless second
novel follows Chiara Ravello around Rome and
is infused with delightful references to the city’s
landmarks, writers and food.
Praised by A.N. Wilson as ‘one of the most
remarkable books I have ever read’, Jenny Balfour
Paul’s Deeper Than Indigo is an enchanting read
that encompasses biography, memoir, history
and travelogue. After discovering the illustrated
journals of forgotten Victorian explorer Thomas
Machell in the British Library, the author
embarked on a quest to retrace his footsteps
from his ancestral home in Northern England
to remote parts of the Middle East and Asia.
A cultural historian and writer, Alexandra
Harris has been fascinated by place since she
was a child. For her latest book, Weatherland:
Writers & Artists Under English Skies, she turns
her attention to the weather and the inspiring
role it’s played in our art and literature.
Beautifully written, Weatherland argues that
our weather is written into the landscape yet
experienced individually. As evidence, she takes
us on a sweeping panoramic journey through
the centuries; reminding us of Milton’s love
of spring and sunshine, Shelley and Ruskin’s
fascination with clouds, Coleridge’s passion for
wind and the Brontes’ depictions of Yorkshire’s
wild storms. A joyous celebration of both the
elements and the imagination, Weatherland is to
quote A.S. Byatt ‘hugely ambitious, exhilaratingly
written and handsomely produced.’
This workshop will use solid objects, whether
real or imagined, as a way into the creation of
character and plot. If you can, bring one or two
small objects (or pictures of them) along on the
day. The aim will be to start a piece of writing
that can be extended afterwards.
Early One Morning
Temple Church, 10am
A Waterstones Book of the Month, Early One
Morning was adapted into a 10-part drama
for BBC Radio 4. Tessa Hadley described it as
‘vividly intelligent, gripping and moving’ whilst
The Herald praised ‘Virginia Baily pulls off a
triumph with an exquisitely rendered novel that
explores how one powerful and unexpected love
can change a life for ever.’ Virginia won the
McKitterick prize in 2012 for her debut Africa
Junction. She is currently working on her third
novel.
Virginia will be in conversation
with Helen Taylor.
8
Deeper Than Indigo
Public Hall, 10am
Beautifully documented with illustrations,
Deeper Than Indigo follows Machell’s tracks
to the city of Calcutta, indigo plantations in
rural Bengal and Bangladesh, coffee estates in
Kerala’s Malabar hills and by sea from India
to Egypt with Muslim merchants. Inspired by
their shared passion for indigo and adventures,
Jenny follows in his wake by cargo ship to the
most remote Polynesian islands and seeks his
colourful descendants in the New World.
Jenny Balfour Paul is an artist, lecturer, intrepid
traveller and author of two books on indigo.
Jenny will be in conversation
with host Carol Ackroyd.
Weatherland
The Public Hall, 12pm
Prose Fiction Workshop
The Playhouse, 1pm - 3pm
Virginia Baily is the author of two novels, the
Sunday Times bestseller, Early One Morning
and Africa Junction. She has won various prizes
for her poetry and short stories and is currently
writing her third novel. Based in Exeter, she is
co-founder and co-editor of Riptide, a journal
that champions the short story.
Alexandra Harris won the Guardian First Book
Award for her debut, Romantic Moderns. Since
then, she has written a short biography of
Virginia Woolf and co-edited the anthology,
Modernism on Sea.
Alexandra will be in conversation
with author and Observer writer Rachel Cooke.
9
FRIDAY 16 September 2016
JULIET NICOLSON: £9
MIKE BREARLEY: £9
PETER SNOWDON: £12
JACKIE KAY: £12
All families have their myths and legends.
For years, Juliet Nicolson accepted hers – the
dangerous beauty of her flamenco dancing,
great-great-grandmother Pepita, the flirty
manipulation of her great-grandmother
Victoria and the legendary eccentricity of her
free spirited grandmother Vita Sackville-West.
Curious to find out more, she began to sift
fact from fiction as she uncovered layers of
revelations about her family history.
Mike Brearley is a psychoanalyst and retired
first class cricketer. He first played for England
in 1976 and captained the side from 1977
to 1980, winning 17 Test matches. He was
recalled to the captaincy in 1981 for the Ashes
Home series, leading England to one of their
most famous victories against Australia. His
extraordinary galvanising of Ian Botham is
regarded as one of the greatest feats of sporting
psychology.
What kind of Prime Minister has David
Cameron been? What have been his biggest
achievements and downfalls? And what will his
legacy as a Leader be?
A powerful and deeply moving memoir that
examines familial patterns, memory, loss and
forgiveness, A House Full of Daughters takes
us through 200 years and seven generations of
women in Nicolson’s family. With the unblinking
eye of a historian, she navigates the nineteenth
century slums of Malaga, the salons of fin-desiècle Washington DC and the streets of New
York before bringing us back to the present day.
Recently reissued as a 30th anniversary edition,
The Art of Captaincy is still seen as a seminal
book for sportsmen and business leaders.
Drawing directly from Mike’s experience of
managing a team, it explains what it takes to be
a leader on and off the field, how to nurture and
inspire success in a team and the importance of
intuition, empathy and tactical understanding.
We are delighted to welcome back to the Festival
one of our most treasured poets, playwright and
author. Jackie Kay was born and brought up in
Glasgow and earlier this year was named the
Scottish Makar. Her many collections of awardwinning poetry include The Adoption Papers,
Other Lovers, Off Colour, Life Mask, Fiere and
The Empathetic Store. A born storyteller and
charismatic performer, she’s published three
collections of short stories and the memoir Red
Dust Road.
A House Full of Daughters
Temple Church, 2.15pm
Juliet Nicolson is a social historian and the
author of The Great Silence 1918-1920,
Abdication and The Perfect Summer. She lives
in East Sussex, not far from Sissinghurst, where
she spent her childhood.
Chaired by Carol Ackroyd.
Event sponsored by the BSLF benefactors
10
FRIDAY 16 September 2016
The Art of Captaincy to On Form
Public Hall, 2.15pm
Mike’s forthcoming book On Form looks at how
one can’t guarantee form or creativity but how
we might make it more likely by giving houseroom to different aspects of the mind.
Mike will be in conversation with
Hilary Mantel, a long-time cricket fan
and president of the Author’s XI.
Cameron at 10: The Inside Story
St Peter’s Church, 4.30pm
As the co-author of Cameron At 10: The Inside
Story 2010-2015, Peter Snowdon seems the
perfect broadcaster to comment. Together with
Anthony Seldon, he has documented the first
five years of Cameron’s leadership, highlighting
forty dramatic moments in a turbulent period in
British politics. Their account covers everything
from the Coalition government, Andy Coulson’s
‘Big Society’, the London Riots, the Scottish
Referendum, the challenge of UKIP, controlling
immigration and the threat of global terrorism.
With unprecedented access to the inner circle
of politicians and civil servants who surround
the Prime Minister, Cameron At 10 also offers
insight into Cameron’s relationships with
foreign leaders.
Peter Snowdon is a journalist, author and a duty
editor on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Come and hear Peter discuss his critique
of Cameron’s premiership and the results of the
EU Referendum with broadcaster Erica Wagner.
An Evening with Jackie Kay
St Peter’s Church, 7.30pm
Whilst each of her books takes the reader down
a different path, Jackie often returns to notions
of identity, love, loss, home and transformation
in her work. Originally published in 1998, her
debut novel Trumpet was a groundbreaking tale
of love, truth and family inspired by transgender
musician Billy Tipton. Winner of the Guardian
Fiction Award, it was also a swansong to the
world of jazz.
Join us for this special event where
Jackie will read and discuss her work
with Observer writer Rachel Cooke.
Event sponsored by the BSLF Friends.
11
SATURDAY 17 September 2016
Matt Austin
SATURDAY 17 September 2016
ANDY BROWN: £20
SIMON GARFIELD: £9
Using interesting prompts from some
imaginative poets, we will run through a
number of quick fire poetry exercises to get your
imagination moving and the words flowing.
The emphasis will be on generating new ideas.
Throw yourself in and surprise yourself with
what you’ll be able to achieve in a short time in
this intimate workshop.
‘What a find! Jean’s voice sings across the
decades, fresh, vivid and desperate for love’
Deborah Moggach
Poetry Workshop
The Playhouse, 10am
Andy Brown is Professor of Creative Writing &
English at Exeter University. He has published
10 books of poetry, including Watersong,
Exurbia, The Fool and the Physician and Goose
Music with John Burnside. He recently co-edited
A Body of Work: Poetry & Medical Writing. His
first novel is Apples & Prayers.
A Notable Woman
The Public Hall, 10am
Simon Garfield first discovered Jean Lucey Pratt
when he read some of her diary entries at the
Mass Observation Archive in 2002. Her voice
stayed with him and many years later he was
invited to read the rest of her utterly absorbing
journals. Carefully edited, A Notable Woman: The
Romantic Journals of Jean Lucey Pratt chronicles
Jean’s life and thoughts from her schoolgirl
crushes as a 14 year old to a few weeks before
she died. Frank, intimate, joyous and extremely
funny, they offer snapshots of different stages
of her life from budding architecture student
to keen gardener, biographer, cat-lover and
bookseller. Aptly, they also offer a social history
of Britain between 1925 and 1986.
Simon Garfield is the author of 16 acclaimed
books of non-fiction including To The Letter,
My Dear Bessie, Just My Type and On The Map.
Simon will be in conversation with
author and Observer writer Rachel Cooke.
12
NEW VOICES:
HARRY PARKER &
PETER HANINGTON: £9
Anatomy of A Soldier
& A Dying Breed
Temple Church, 10am
Two of the most bold and exciting new voices in
fiction, Harry Parker and Peter Hanington both
explore combat, conflict and the aftermath of
war in their acclaimed debut novels.
Harry Parker’s highly original Anatomy of A
Soldier tells the story of a British army officer
in the middle of a war zone. Told through the
perspective of 45 different inanimate objects, from
a drone to dog tags, it’s a powerful and enthralling
read. Harry joined the British Army when he was
23 and served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Described as ‘a tremendous novel’ by William
Boyd, Peter Hanington’s A Dying Breed features
a wayward, veteran BBC reporter and a young
producer sent to Kabul to control him. Set
in a shadowy le Carre-esque world, it’s about
journalism in a time of war and how hard it is to
tell the stories that need to be told. Peter is a long
serving editor on BBC Radio’s Today programme.
Harry and Peter will read and discuss their work
with author and broadcaster Erica Wagner.
TAHMIMA ANAM: £9
The Bones of Grace
Temple Church, 12pm
Tahmima Anam was inspired to become a
writer by her parents, who were freedom
fighters during the Bangladesh Liberation.
Her first novel, A Golden Age, won the 2008
Commonwealth Writers Prize and told the
story of the civil war that led to Bangladesh’s
independence - through the eyes of a mother
struggling to keep her children safe. Her second
novel, The Good Muslim, returned to Dhaka
in the aftermath of war and was a profound
examination of parenthood, radicalisation and
human resilience.
Her new novel, Bones of Grace, is a sweeping
love story that explores migration, belonging
and identity as her characters traverse countries,
continents and communities. Kamila Shamsie
describes it as ‘A novel of heart, brain and
muscle – the competing pulls of history and
love are evoked here with a rare honesty, and
great skill.’
Tahmima Anam was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh
and now lives in East London. She was a Judge
for the 2016 Man Booker International Prize and
is one of Granta’s Best Young British Novelists.
Tahmima will be in conversation
with Carol Ackroyd.
13
SUNDAY 18 September 2016
SUNDAY 18 September 2016
HELEN PEARSON: £9
A.C. GRAYLING: £9
Progress in Troubled Times
The Public Hall, 12pm
ARTEMIS COOPER: £12
Elizabeth Jane Howard
St Peter’s Church, 2.15pm
HELEN DUNMORE: £12
One of the most acclaimed non-fiction books
of 2016, The Life Project tells the extraordinary
story of the unique British birth cohort studies.
The envy of scientists around the world, the
studies were introduced in 1946 when scientists
started tracking thousands of British children
born in one particular week in March. The
studies were continued until the millennium,
growing to encompass five generations of
children and over 70,000 people from teenagers
to pensioners.
‘If you step outside on a warm clear night and
look up, what do you see? Imagine answering
this question 400 years ago. What did people
see then, gazing at the stars?’
Elizabeth Jane Howard was an award-winning
English novelist and former actress. Her first
novel The Beautiful Visit won the John Llewellyn
Rhys Prize but she is perhaps best known for
her quartet, The Cazalet Chronicles. A prolific
writer, she also penned short stories, screenplays
and a memoir before she died in 2014.
Set in London in late 1960, Exposure is a
masterful thriller that captures the tension
and paranoia of the Cold War perfectly.
Spy fever fills the newspapers and when a
sensitive file goes missing, Simon Callington is
accused of passing information to the Soviets
and arrested. His wife Lily suspects that his
imprisonment is part of an elaborate cover-up
by the establishment, and that she must fight
to protect her whole family. What she will learn
is that no-one is immune from betrayal or the
devastating consequences of secrets. Described
as ‘a marvelous piece of seamless storytelling’
by Penelope Lively, Exposure is a compelling
and atmospheric novel that’s been praised as
Dunmore’s finest to date.
The Life Project
The Public Hall, 10am
Initially started as a maternity study looking
at the country’s falling birth rate, the studies
went on to show some remarkable discoveries
about nutrition, health, class, wealth, social
divisions, education, lifestyle and divorce.
These discoveries have greatly influenced
social science, medical practice, government
legislation, public policy and in turn, influence
how we raise and parent our children.
Helen Pearson is a science journalist and editor
for Nature. She spent five years talking with
geneticists, economists, epidemiologists and
statisticians, piecing together and writing The
Life Project. Join her to hear this remarkable
story.
16
In his latest book The Age of Genius, A.C.
Grayling suggests that the birth of the modern
mind was established in the 17th century. It was,
he argues, amidst this period of war, injustice
and immense turbulence that a period of great
intellectual revolution and discovery took
place. Science moved from the alchemy and
astrology of John Dee to the observation and
astronomy of Galileo and Newton. Referencing
Shakespeare, Francis Bacon and Descartes,
he examines some of the developments of the
Enlightenment and how they were fundamental
in creating the world we know today.
One of Britain’s most eminent philosophers,
A.C. Grayling has written over 30 books
including The God Argument, The Good Book
and The Challenge of Things: Thinking Through
Troubled Times. He is a frequent guest on BBC
Radio and a regular contributor to Prospect.
Artemis Cooper’s forthcoming biography
Elizabeth Jane Howard – A Dangerous Innocence
paints a colourful picture of Jane’s life both on
and off the page. Drawing on interviews and
conversations with family, friends and stepson
Martin Amis as well as Jane herself, it examines
the gap between her insightful perceptions of
men and women and her own turbulent love
life and failed marriages.
Exposure
St Peter’s Church, 4.30pm
Artemis Cooper is the author of Patrick Leigh
Fermor: An Adventure, Cairo in the War, 19391945 and Writing at the Kitchen Table, the
authorised biography of Elizabeth David. She
wrote Paris After the Liberation, 1945-1949
with her husband, historian Antony Beevor.
A prolific novelist, poet and writer, Helen
Dunmore’s bestselling novels include Zennor
in Darkness, A Spell of Winter, The Lie and The
Siege. She grew up in the Cold War era and
remains fascinated by the period, its drama and
politics.
Chaired by Hilary Mantel, a good friend and
champion of Elizabeth Jane Howard’s work.
Helen will be in conversation with
author and broadcaster Erica Wagner.
17
BOX OFFICE INFORMATION
BOX OFFICE
EVENT TITLE VENUE COST
Information Centre, Fore Street, Budleigh Salterton, Devon EX9 6NG.
Tel: 01395 445 275
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday - 10am to 4pm, Sunday and Bank Holidays - Closed.
THURSDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2016
10am
Helen Rappaport
Caught in the Revolution: Petrograd 1917
12pm
Marcus du Sautoy What We Cannot Know: Explorations
at the Edge of Knowledge
Public Hall
Public Hall
HOW TO BOOK
2pm
4pm
St Peter’s Church £12
Temple Church £9
•
•
•
•
In person at the Box Office
By telephone on 01395 445 275
By post to the Box Office at the above address,
cheques made payable to Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival
Online at www.budlitfest.org.uk (Please note that this is not connected to the Box Office)
WHEN TO BOOK
Friends’ Priority Bookings (in person and by post) – Monday 18th July 2016 from 10 am
Online Bookings – Monday 25th July 2016
General Bookings (in person & by post) – Monday 25th July 2016 from 10am
BOOKING DETAILS
Your tickets can be posted to you for an extra charge of £1 (per transaction) or can be
collected in person from the Box Office prior to the event. All online bookings incur a
transaction charge of £1.
RETURNS
Tickets are non-refundable unless the organisers have to cancel a particular event. In
this case, please contact the BSLF by letter c/o The Box Office, which will deal with
your request for a refund. Please note we cannot refund credit card transaction or online
booking fees.
The Box Office will not accept returns. If you wish to return your ticket(s), please send the
ticket(s) in to BSLF, c/o Information Centre, Fore Street, Budleigh Salterton EX9 6NG
which will deal with your request. If they are able to re-sell your tickets(s), you will receive
a full refund.
DISABILITIES
The Festival welcomes visitors with disabilities. Please advise the Box Office when booking
if you will be in a wheelchair or require assistance. Visitors with a disability who need to
bring a personal assistant are offered one free ticket.
OTHER INFORMATION
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18
TIME FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE
Event times are punctual. Please note that doors open 30 minutes before each event.
If there is an event following immediately afterwards, it will be necessary for the venue
to be fully vacated before individuals take their seats for the subsequent event.
Programmes and performers may be subject to change. All information in this
programme was correct at the time of going to press.
Hilary Mantel
Tom Bower
7.30pm Deborah Moggach
In A Right State
Broken Vows: Tony Blair The Tragedy
of Power
Something To Hide
FRIDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2016
10am
Virginia Baily
Early One Morning
10am
Jenny Balfour Paul Deeper Than Indigo: Tracing Thomas
Machell, forgotten explorer
12pm
Alexandra Harris
Weatherland: Writers and Artists
Under English Skies
1-3pm Virginia Baily
Prose Fiction Workshop: Keeping It Real
2.15pm Juliet Nicolson
A House Full of Daughters
2.15pm Mike Brearley
The Art of Captaincy to On Form
4.30pm Peter Snowdon
Cameron at 10: The Inside Story
7.30pm Jackie Kay
An Evening with Jackie Kay
SATURDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2016
10am
Andy Brown
Poetry Workshop: Get Your Imagination
Going
10am
Simon Garfield
A Notable Woman: The Romantic Journals
of Jean Lucey Pratt
10am
Harry Parker &
New Voices - Anatomy of A Soldier
Peter Hanington
& A Dying Breed
12pm
Tahmima Anam
The Bones of Grace
12pm
Luke Harding
A Very Expensive Poison: The Definitive
Story of the Murder of Litvinenko and
Russia’s War with the West
2.15pm Shami Chakrabarti On Liberty
4.30pm Kate Summerscale The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of
A Victorian Child Murderer
7.30pm Mark Haddon
An Evening with Mark Haddon
SUNDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2016
10am
Helen Pearson
The Life Project: The Extraordinary Story
of Our Ordinary Lives
12pm
A.C. Grayling
Progress in Troubled Times: Learning
from ‘The Age of Genius’
2.15pm Artemis Cooper
Elizabeth Jane Howard: A Dangerous
Innocence
4.30pm Helen Dunmore
Exposure
£9
£9
St Peter’s Church £12
Temple Church
Public Hall
£9
£9
Public Hall
£9
Playhouse
Temple Church
Public Hall
St Peter’s Church
St Peter’s Church
£20
£9
£9
£12
£12
Playhouse
£20
Public Hall
£9
Temple Church
£9
Temple Church
Public Hall
£9
£9
St Peter’s Church £12
St Peter’s Church £12
St Peter’s Church £12
Public Hall
£9
Public Hall
£9
St Peter’s Church £12
St Peter’s Church £12
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EDUCATION OUTREACH 2016
LITERATURE for young people is going through a golden age with terrific writers who often appeal
to adult readers as much as to their target audience.
We celebrate this at the Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival and again this year we are hosting a series of
events where we take acclaimed authors to children - or bring children to the work of exciting writers.
Also we are proud to announce the second year of our exciting Arvon Bursary where we offer aspiring
young writers the opportunity to join a residential workshop with the world renowned Arvon
Foundation.
Following on from the success last year, we are offering two places to Post 16 students to attend the
highly regarded Starting to Write course at the Arvon centre at Totleigh Barton near Torrington.
Of course, all this important work cannot happen without our sponsors and we are delighted that
Western Power Distribution and the Norman Family Trust are both supporting the Education
Outreach Programme.
THE BOY WHO CLIMBED
INTO THE MOON
By David Almond
Adapted by Daniel Jamieson
Theatre Alibi
St Peter’s CofE School, Budleigh Salterton
Wednesday September 14
Some pretty odd ideas are floating around Paul’s
street. There’s Mabel, whose brother hides under
a brown paper bag. And Clarence the poodle
who thinks he can fly. But Paul has the oddest
idea of all. He thinks that the moon is a big
hole in the sky and he’s going to climb into it...
Anything’s possible in this warm and very funny
story by David Almond, award-winning writer
of Skellig and My Dad’s A Birdman.
A Taste of Dahl - Anthony Pedley
TANYA LANDMAN
School Visits
June 29 - July 1, 2016
Award winning writer Tanya Landman has
written more than 30 books for children
and young adults. Last year her historical
novel Buffalo Soldier scooped the Carnegie
Medal and was highly praised by young
readers as well as the judges. She says she
had no intention of becoming a writer until
the idea of her story Waking Merlin popped
into her head.
Tanya Landman
20
Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival is delighted
to support the opening performance of this
production by the acclaimed Devon based
Theatre Alibi, at the launch of their national
tour.
POETRY SLAM
Workshops: St Peter’s Church Hall
Performance: Public Hall, 5.30pm
Thursday September 15
Born and brought up in Kent, Tanya now
lives and works in North Devon and the
nearby coastline was the inspiration behind
her Flotsam and Jetsam series.
Poetry comes off the page and into the spotlight
in poetry slams – a style of performance poetry
that has grown from its American roots to
become a worldwide phenomenon. Teams from
secondary schools in Exmouth, Sidmouth,
Ottery St Mary, Exeter and Crediton will be
taking part in workshops with performance
poet John Paul O’Neill from Farrago Poetry
Slam. During the day they will work with the
Farrago team to explore the art of performance
poetry and come up with their own pieces.
Tanya has been our Visiting Writer this
year, talking to young people at six Devon
secondary schools: Exmouth, Sidmouth,
Ottery St Mary, St Peter’s Exeter, Crediton
and Maynard - which are also hosting
Exeter School pupils.
According to the Evening Standard, Farrago
excels in “energetic verse for the 21st century.
Pretentiousness should be left at the door”.
Come and hear what ideas preoccupy our
young people in what promises to be a lively
and entertaining event.
CHILDREN’S LITERARY
QUIZ
Primary Schools Event
St Peter’s CofE School, Budleigh Salterton
Festival Marquee, 4pm
Wednesday September 14
Following heats between local primary schools
in Budleigh Salterton and surrounding towns
and villages, we are delighted to host the finals
of our literary quiz for keen young readers.
The heats focused on a whole range of books
and authors, but the finals will be part of our
celebrations to mark the centenary of the birth
of Roald Dahl. How well do YOU know your
BFG and Matilda? See if you’re as good as these
young readers!
A TASTE OF DAHL
Sidmouth College (morning)
Exmouth Community College (afternoon)
Friday September 16
September 16 marks the 100th anniversary of
the birth of Roald Dahl – one of our best loved
writers. To mark the event, Royal Shakespeare
Company veteran actor and Roald Dahl expert
Anthony Pedley, brings his one-man show A
Taste of Dahl to the Budleigh Salterton Literary
Festival. The play is a biographical adventure,
using only Dahl’s own words from many of his
most popular books.
Local secondary schools Sidmouth College
and Exmouth Community College are hosting
performances for their feeder primary schools in
this special celebration event.
ROALD DAHL TENT
The Green, Budleigh Salterton
10.30am - 4pm, Saturday September 17
Come and join us in our Dahl Tent on the
Green, beside the Festival Marquee. Colouring
and other creative activities are promised
for children as we continue to celebrate
the centenary of the birth of Roald Dahl.
Giant peaches? Possibly... Children must be
accompanied by an adult.
21
FOOD & DRINK IN BUDLEIGH SALTERTON
FESTIVAL MARQUEE ON THE GREEN
You will always be made very welcome at our Festival Marquee on the Green. Over the past two
years, our Marquee has built up a somewhat legendary local status. Not only is it a place to relax
with food and drink between events, it’s also a venue with free entertainment. Just turn up and
you may see Festival regulars Just Misbehavin’ or the Budleigh Ukelele Strummers.
Daily opening times for our Festival Marquee will be:
Thursday, Friday & Saturday: 10am - 7.30pm
Sunday: 10am - 4pm
Posh Nosh, with a reputation for fabulous and inspiring food, will be providing the refreshments
in the Festival Marquee. Posh Nosh have 25 years of events experience. Their dedicated team
look forward to serving high quality dishes made with seasonal ingredients from local suppliers.
They will offer a selection of homemade cakes, hot and cold lunch and supper options, as well
as coffees, teas, hot chocolate, refreshing cold drinks, beers, spirits and wines.
Budleigh Ukelele Strummers
In the meantime, we list below, in no particular order, the opening times of Restaurants,
Eateries, Pubs and Cafés in Budleigh Salterton for light meals or snacks whilst visiting.
The Cosy Tea Pot
13 Fore Street. T 01395 444016
Open: 10am-6pm
Tea & Tittle Tattle
4 Fore Street. T 01395 443203
Open: 10am to 4.30pm-ish
The Creamery
34 Fore Street. T 01395 442064
Open 11am to 5pm (usually)
Mcmillans Delicatessen
17 High Street. T 07980 024437
Open: 7am to 7pm. Booking advisable.
Jotty’s
43 High Street. T 01395 446580
Open: 9.30am to 5pm. Booking advisable.
Delytes Delicatessen
44 High Street. T 01395 443182
Open: 9am to 5pm, Mon to Sat.
The King Billy
53 High Street. T 01395 446644
Open: 11am to midnight daily. Drinks only.
Taj Mahal
18 High Street. T 01395 446093/97
Open daily: Lunch 12pm-2pm, Dinner 5.30pm11pm.
Bowmers
7 High Street. T 01395 442676
Open: Thu: 10am-5pm; Fri & Sat: 10am till late
(last orders 9pm); Sun: 10am-5pm.
The Feathers
35 High Street. T 01395 442042
Open: Mon-Sat, 11am-11pm.
Sun, 12pm-0.30am. Reservations advisable.
The Salterton Arms
22 Chapel Street. T 01395 445048/9
Open daily: Lunch, 12pm-5pm; Dinner, 6pm9pm. Booking advisable.
The Premier Café (Fish and Chips)
2 Chapel Street. T 01395 442962
Festival Marquee on the Green
BOOK SIGNING
Waterstones return once again as Festival Booksellers and will be selling a wide selection of
books in the Festival Marquee, from Thursday morning to Sunday afternoon. It is advisable
to pay in cash – debit and credit cards are accepted but delays can sometimes be caused by
unreliable WiFi connections.
Some authors will be signing books in the Festival Marquee immediately after their events,
offering our audiences an opportunity to meet their favourite novelists and non-fiction
writers in person. Other authors will be signing their books at their venue.
Open: Thur, 12pm-2pm, 5pm-8pm; Fri/Sat,
12pm-2pm, 5pm-9pm. Last orders 30 mins
before closing time.
A Slice of Lyme
1 Rolle Street. T 01395 442628
Open: 10am for Coffee; Lunch 12pm to 3pm,
& Dinner 6pm to 9pm (not Sunday)
22
Patrick Gale
Xinran
23
VINTAGE FUN - SEASIDE POSTERS & PRINTS
What can you see out of the window?
Where I work overlooks our very secluded
tree-lined garden, past our Victorian style terrace.
Her seaside posters exude all the unspoilt charm that characterised
the originals, skilfully updating them with the use of sharp colours
and bold designs. With each new print celebrating a different town
or area of South Devon, Becky’s reputation has gone from strength
to strength.
How do you work?
It is hard to switch off in the evening and I am
a bit of a night owl, so I tend to work into the
night to make up for the short day. I love the
peace and quiet and stillness at night and this
is when I can be my most creative. My images
are a combination of my initial sketches, photos
and images which are merged together with a
large dose of artist licence. The final image
is made up in Photoshop so I can produce
the crispness of line and flatness of colour.
However, I am a purist at heart and the initial
drawing and composing is crucial, it is vital for
me that the end product looks like a painting
and not a digital image.
Before this, married life and the pressures of being a full time mum to three young children meant that
Becky’s art had taken a back seat for a while. This was a difficult time for Becky – art had always been
her passion and a crucial part of her identity, as far back as her primary school days. She had obtained
a distinction at art foundation and a BA Hons in Graphic Design at Bath Art College and had gone
on to forge a successful career as an art director for a major advertising company in London. She had
numerous exhibitions and sold her paintings in Devon and London, exhibiting her work at The Mall
and the Affordable Art Fair in London. The invitation from Greenway gave Becky an opportunity to
rediscover her creative confidence and she leapt at the chance. The exhibition was a huge success and
from there Becky’s portfolio and popularity blossomed.
Becky feels blessed to be living in South Devon, within walking distance from the beach and loving
being in such a stunning part of the world.
© Becky Bettesworth
Becky distributes her posters online via her website. She is now taking commissions from hotels,
companies and individuals. Becky also does freelance work for advertising agencies and design
companies.
© Becky Bettesworth
with Becky Bettesworth
Becky is famous for her wonderful vintage seaside posters and
prints. Winner of ‘Venus Business Mother of the year in Devon
2015’, Becky takes inspiration from classic railway posters of the
1930’s and her prints are modern, fresh, and enchanting with the
idealistic notion of life drifting at an easier, slower pace.
Becky began this style of work when she was asked to exhibit in
the gallery at Greenway National Trust in 2013. She realised the enchanting look of the 1930s railway
posters would lend itself perfectly to capturing the beauty of the Greenway estate.
24
Q&A
Choose five words to describe yesterday.
Productive, creative, grateful, hectic, happy.
What work do you most enjoying doing?
Life is busy and a real juggle and my day isn’t
long between school drop off and pick up
at 3pm. However, I love my art and it is so
important to me as a person to be creative.
What is the kindest thing someone
has done for you?
When strangers tell me how much they love
my artwork, mainly by posting comments and
photos on my Facebook page, that means the
absolute world to me.
facebook.com/beckybettesworth.artist
Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?
When the kids were babies and very small, I
had to put my creativity to one side. It was hard
to give up and I felt like I’d lost my identity and
confidence a bit, so now it is fabulous for me
to be back doing what I love doing, and even
better that people seem to be liking it too.
What memorable responses have you
had to your work?
The National Trust shop at Greenway soon
asked me to be a supplier and I had my posters
printed by Pollards in Exeter, who have been
incredibly supportive of my work.
What are you currently working on?
I am taking on commissions and am doing
some fun work for hotels and private houses
located in stunning spots.
What are your plans for the weekend?
Family fun, walks on the beach or on the coastal
path with the family and our dog Twiggy.
What themes do you pursue?
I started doing this style of work when I was
asked to exhibit at Greenway in 2013. I wanted
to produce new work which was nostalgic and
I have always loved the 1930s railway posters
so I produced some new pictures which were
evocative of this era but current and fresh.
There was an immediate positive response and
so the collection quickly grew and developed
into a wider range of images of the surrounding
stunning areas, where I feel so lucky to live.
Becky’s vintage style travel posters
& seaside prints available at
www.beckybettesworth.co.uk
© Becky Bettesworth
THE front cover image of this year’s Festival brochure was created
by South Devon artist Becky Bettesworth. It features the iconic
Budleigh trees and Jurassic cliffs as well as the beach huts, pebbles
and fishing boats. The artist has captured all the things we love
about Budleigh.
25
Budleigh Salterton Literary Festval Venues
Thanks to all our Sponsors and Supporters
Lead Sponsor
Mr & Mrs Jackaman
Mr & Mrs Kinnersley
Mr & Lady Hadley
Mrs Horrell
Mr & Mrs R Rowe
Donations
Event Sponsors
Budleigh Salterton
Chamber of Commerce
Premium Corporate Members PLUS
Friends of Budleigh
Salterton Literary
Festival
Lily Farm Wines
Donate
Premium Corporate Members
Exmouth
Community
College
Supporting Grants from ...
Corporate Benefactors
Media Partners
26
Benefactors
As a not-for-profit, we
welcome all donations,
large or small. We invite
you to contribute to our
sustainable growth and
future development as
a dynamic, regional hub
for stories, conversations
and ideas that matter.
How your
donations help us
Supporter donations help us
in many and varied ways,
including travel for authors,
Festival infrastructure,
as well as the provision
of skills development
workshops.
In addition, philanthropic
donations assist
underwriting communitybased programmes such
as Education Outreach.
budlitfest.org.uk
Twitter: @BudleighLitFest | Facebook: BudleighSaltertonLiteraryFestival