Cambridge
Literary
Festival
Spring 2017
18–23 April
In partnership with
Highlights include
Sebastian Barry
Maggi Hambling
Harriet Harman
Tom Kerridge
Paul Kingsnorth
Jo Malone
Thomasina Miers
Pankaj Mishra
Jack Monroe
Charlotte Rampling
John Simpson
Elif Shafak
Alexandra Shulman
Rose Tremain
Jacqueline Wilson
Book at
cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
01223 357851
Picture by Martin Bond www.acambridgediary.co.uk
Director’s Welcome
Contents
Preview Weekend
8
Main Programme
11
Children’s Programme
39
Festival Team
Director
Cathy Moore
‘‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the
age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of
belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it
was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the
winter of despair.”
Written in 1859 by Charles Dickens these words resonate today.
This year’s festival reflects the extraordinary times we find
ourselves living in. The need for public debate and conversation
has never been quite so urgent. This year’s programme grapples
with the critical tensions of today without losing sight of the
daily emotions, comforts, pleasures and creativity that shape the
ever-changing human experience.
Against this backdrop we celebrate the place art, culture and
discussion can play in transforming lives, uniting communities
and enriching society. We have gathered a roll-call of remarkable
writers, politicians, thinkers, scientists, economists, campaigners
and historians to ignite conversations and help us celebrate and
contemplate the best of times and the worst of times.
Alexandra Shulman celebrates 100 years of Vogue;
entrepreneurs Jo Malone and Richard Reed offer motivation,
insight and wisdom; Hygge devotee Louisa Thomsen Brits
introduces us to the Danish art of living well; Maggi Hambling
discusses the concept of ‘touch’; and Charlotte Rampling shares
her life story. Children from two to teens will enjoy visits from
Maisy, Kipper, Jacqueline Wilson, Star Wars and Harry Potter.
Top science writers cover a multitude of topics which offer
insight into what makes us who we are; we address pressing
issues including Brexit, the USA, Putin’s Russia, immigration and
climate change; and the New Statesman Debate makes the
chilling assertion that we are living through a new 1930s.
Join us and be a part of the conversation.
Manager
Anna Millward
Administrator
Heather Stallard
Programme Support
Jo Browning Wroe
Company Secretary
Jane Dix
Board Members
Denise Augar
Julia Collins
Richard Collins
Jill Dawson
Ángel Gurría-Quintana
Sian Reid
Andrea Reiner
Susan Richards
John Stanton
Peter Taylor
Honorary Patrons
Dame Gillian Beer
Melissa Benn
Jill Dawson
Dame Margaret Drabble
Sophie Hannah
Robert Macfarlane
Robert McCrum
Allison Pearson
Rowan Pelling
David Reynolds
David Runciman
Ruth Scurr
Ali Smith
Frances Spalding
Anna Whitelock
Cathy Moore, Festival Director
Graphic Design
Cambridge Design Studio
Cover photography © Martin Bond from his project A Cambridge Diary where Martin
takes a picture every day in and around the streets and public places of Cambridge. For
more information please visit: acambridgediary.co.uk
Photography
Chris Boland
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 3
Main programme by theme
POETRY
ART & ARCHITECTURE
Tom Dyckhoff
Maggi Hambling
15
34
Harry Baker
WORLD AFFAIRS
20
REAL LIVES
HISTORY
John Bew
Louise Foxcroft
22
30
LIFESTYLE
Richard Reed &
Jo Malone
Tom Kerridge
Bee Wilson
Louisa Thomsen Brits
Thomasina Miers
Alexandra Shulman
14
17
17
23
25
27
Michael Rosen
Allan Jenkins &
Alys Fowler
Richard Holmes
Martin Sixsmith
Charlotte Rampling
18
18
31
32
34
SCIENCE
Adam Rutherford
Barbara Sahakian
Stephen Westaby
Jo Marchant
Mark O’Connell
13
14
18
19
34
NATURE & ENVIRONMENT
Tony Juniper &
Emily Shuckburgh
Nicholas Crane
Paul Kingsnorth
Madeleine Bunting
12
25
26
33
NEW FICTION
Adam O’Riordan &
Alison MacLeod
Lisa McInerney &
Kit de Waal
Vivek Shanbhag &
Nadeem Aslam
Louise Doughty &
Julie Myerson
Elif Shafak
James Runcie
Debut Writers:
Eley Williams,
Luke Kennard &
Sally Rooney
Rose Tremain
Sebastian Barry
12
13
15
16
23
29
31
32
33
STATE OF THE NATION
The Good Immigrant:
Darren Chetty,
Vera Chok &
Coco Khan
Kate Raworth
Harriet Harman
New Statesman Debate:
Margaret MacMillan,
David Runciman,
John Bew,
Sarah Churchwell,
Philippe Sands QC &
David Lammy
Roman Krznaric
Polly Toynbee &
David Walker
Prejudice and Pride :
Jack Monroe
Andrew Soloman &
Paul Flynn
Brexit: What Next?:
Chris West,
David Goodhart &
Julian Huppert
Jess Phillips &
Catherine Mayer
4 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
19
23
23
24
25
26
27
29
30
Pankaj Mishra
John Simpson
USA 100 Days On:
Sarah Churchwell,
Erica Wagner &
Andrew Preston
Peter Conradi
16
17
22
32
WRITING MATTERS
Susan Elderkin &
Ella Berthoud
First Light:
Ali Smith,
Paul Kingsnorth &
Erica Wagner
Dan Kieran &
Clare Christian
Gillian Beer
The Virago/
New Statesman
Book Prize:
Lennie Goodings,
Helen Lewis &
Frances Weetman
26
29
30
31
33
14
© Cristian Barnett
PAGE
PAGE
16
Tom Kerridge
34
PAGE
17
27
Charlotte Rampling
PAGE
Pankaj Mishra
15
© Jonathan Ring
PAGE
Elif Shafak
© Yui Mok
© Zeynel Abidin
PAGE
23
17
© Liz McAauley
Jo Malone
Sebastian Barry
PAGE
PAGE
33
© The Irish Times
PAGE
Festival highlights
Rose Tremain
13
Adam Rutherford
Nadeem Aslam
PAGE
32
Alexandra Shulman
PAGE
PAGE
John Simpson
23
Harriet Harman
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 5
Events at a glance
Event
Times
Children’s Programme events
Tuesday 18 April
Tony Juniper & Emily Shuckburgh – Climate Change 6-7pm
Simplified
Adam O’Riordan & Alison MacLeod
7.30-8.30pm
Venue
Page
Old Divinity School
12
Old Divinity School
12
Wednesday 19 April
Adam Rutherford – A Brief History of
Everyone Who Ever Lived
Lisa McInerney & Kit de Waal
Richard Reed & Jo Malone
Barbara Sahakian – Sex, Lies and Brain Scans
6-7pm
Palmerston Room
13
6-7pm
7.30-8.30pm
7.30-8.30pm
Old Divinity School
Palmerston Room
Old Divinity School
13
14
14
Thursday 20 April
Tom Dyckhoff – The Age of Spectacle
Vivek Shanbhag & Nadeem Aslam
Pankaj Mishra – The Age of Anger
Louise Doughty & Julie Myerson
6-7pm
6-7pm
7.30-8.30pm
7.30-8.30pm
Palmerston Room
Old Divinity School
Palmerston Room
Old Divinity School
15
15
16
16
10-10.45am
11.15am-12pm
12.30-1.30pm
2-3pm
Palmerston Room
Palmerston Room
Palmerston Room
Palmerston Room
40
40
17
17
2-3pm
3.30-4.30pm
3.30-4.30pm
5-6pm
5-6pm
6.30-7.30pm
Old Divinity School
Palmerston Room
Old Divinity School
Palmerston Room
Old Divinity School
Old Divinity School
17
18
18
18
19
19
8-9pm
Old Divinity School
20
10-11am
Palmerston Room
22
10-11am
10-11am
10-10.45am
11.30am-12.30pm
11.30am-12.30pm
11.30am-12.30pm
11.15am-12pm
1-2pm
1-2pm
1-2pm
12.30-2pm
2.30-4pm
Old Divinity School
Union Chamber
Blue Room
Palmerston Room
Old Divinity School
Union Chamber
Blue Room
Palmerston Room
Old Divinity School
Union Chamber
Blue Room
Union Chamber
22
41
41
22
22
42
42
23
42
23
43
24
Friday 21 April
A Busy Day for Birds
Maisy
Tom Kerridge – Dopamine Diet
John Simpson – The World of the Foreign
Correspondent
Bee Wilson – This Is Not A Diet Book
Stephen Westaby
Michael Rosen –The Disappearance of Émile Zola
Allan Jenkins & Alys Fowler
Jo Marchant – The Cure
Darren Chetty, Vera Chok & Coco Khan –
The Good Immigrant
The Harry Baker Poetry Show
Saturday 22 April
Sarah Churchwell, Erica Wagner & Andrew Preston
– USA: 100 Days On
John Bew – Citizen Clem
Jacqueline Wilson
Steve Antony – Mr Panda
Louisa Thomsen Brits – The Book of Hygge
Kate Raworth – Doughnut Economics
Gemma Cairney
Amy Sparkes – Ellie’s Magic Wellies
Elif Shafak – Three Daughters of Eve
Katherine Rundell & Abi Elphinstone
Harriet Harman – A Woman's Work
Spike Gerrell – Walker Big Draw
New Statesman Debate – This house believes
that we are living through a new 1930s
6 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
Event
Children’s Programme events
Times
Venue
Page
Old Divinity School
43
Palmerston Room
Blue Room
Palmerston Room
Old Divinity School
Blue Room
Palmerston Room
Old Divinity School
Union Chamber
25
43
25
25
44
44
26
26
Blue Room
Old Divinity School
44
26
Union Chamber
Union Chamber
27
27
10-11am
Palmerston Room
29
10-11am
Old Divinity School
29
10-10.45am
11.30am-12.30pm
11.30am-12.30pm
11.30am-12.30pm
11.15am-12pm
Blue Room
Palmerston Room
Old Divinity School
Union Chamber
Blue Room
45
29
30
30
45
12.15-1pm
The Fitzwilliam Museum
30
12.30-1.15pm
1-2pm
1-2pm
Blue Room
Palmerston Room
Old Divinity School
45
31
31
1-2pm
1.15-2pm
Union Chamber
The Fitzwilliam Museum
46
31
2.30-3.30pm
2.30-3.30pm
2.30-3.30pm
4-5pm
4-5pm
Palmerston Room
Old Divinity School
Union Chamber
Palmerston Room
Old Divinity School
32
46
32
32
33
4-5pm
5.30-6.30pm
Union Chamber
Old Divinity School
33
33
5.30-6.30
7-8pm
7-8pm
Union Chamber
Palmerston Room
Union Chamber
34
34
34
Nick Sharratt – Vikings in Supermarkets,
2.30-3.30pm
Kings at Car Boot Sales
Thomasina Miers – Home Cook
2.30-3.30pm
Samantha Shannon – The Song Rising
2.30-3.30pm
Nicholas Crane – The Making of the British Landscape 4-5pm
Roman Krznaric – Carpe Diem Regained
4-5pm
Mark Lowery – Attack of the Woolly Jumper
4-5pm
Star Wars Reads – Tom Huddleston & JAKe
5.30-6.30pm
Susan Elderkin & Ella Berthoud – Novel Cure
5.30-6.30pm
Polly Toynbee & David Walker – How the attack
5.30-6.30pm
on the state harms us all
Alex Wheatle – Straight Outta Crongton
5.30-6.30pm
Paul Kingsnorth – Confessions of a Recovering
7-8pm
Environmentalist
Alexandra Shulman – Inside Vogue
7-8pm
Jack Monroe, Andrew Soloman & Paul Flynn –
8.30-9.30pm
Prejudice and Pride
Sunday 23 April
David Goodhart, Chris West & Julian Huppert –
Brexit: What Next?
Ali Smith, Paul Kingsnorth & Erica Wagner –
First Light
Kipper and Wibbly Pig 21st Birthday Celebrations
James Runcie – Grantchester Mysteries
Dan Kieran & Clare Christian – Getting Published
Jess Phillips & Catherine Mayer
Greg Gormley & Steve Lenton – Fairytale Frankie
and the Mermaid Escapade
Louise Foxcroft – Gayer-Anderson: The Life and
Afterlife of the Irish Pasha
Pippa Goodhart
Richard Holmes
Sally Rooney, Eley Williams and Luke Kennard –
Debut Writers
Harry Potter: Boy. Wizard. Hero.
Gillian Beer – Alice in Space: The Sideways
Victorian World of Lewis Carroll
Peter Conradi – Who Lost Russia?
Laura Dockrill – Mermaid Tales
Rose Tremain – The Gustav Sonata
Martin Sixsmith – Ayesha's Gift
Virago & the New Statesman – Where Are
All the Women?
Sebastian Barry – Days Without End
Madeleine Bunting – Love of Country:
A Hebridean Journey
Maggi Hambling
Mark O'Connell – To Be a Machine
Charlotte Rampling – Who I Am
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 7
Saturday 8 April
Cambridge Literary Festival at Madingley Hall in
partnership with the Institute of Continuing Education
Dr Sarah Burton Making fiction truthful
2.30–3.30pm | £12
They say that clichés become clichés ‘because they’re true’. So how do we communicate truths
whilst resisting old and tired ways of telling? Come and discover ways of reaching beyond the
convenient ‘go to’ metaphors, the low-hanging-fruits in adjectives and adverbs, illuminate your
truths and brighten your writing.
Midge Gillies The path to publication
2.30–3.30pm | £12
How can you ‘up’ your game and make your writing as fresh and sparkling as possible? Is there
any such thing as writer’s block? How do you get published and what can you expect once you
are? Come and get ‘unblocked’ and revitalized in this informal, fun session.
Sue Teddern Scene and Heard
2.30–3.30pm | £12
When you write for radio, you provide the words while your listeners come up with costumes and
scenery. This much-loved medium is a happy fusion of film, theatre, TV and novels, from wide
vistas to internal monologues. A practical workshop, full of advice, tips and tools of the trade.
Lucy Hughes-Hallett Peculiar Ground
4.30-5.30pm | £12
Lucy Hughes-Hallett's last book, The Pike: Gabriele d'Annunzio,
won all three of the UK's most prestigious awards for nonfiction – the Samuel Johnson Prize, the Duff Cooper Prize and the
Costa Biography of the Year Award. She has also written on
Cleopatra and on Heroes. Now she's turned her hand to fiction.
Her first novel – Peculiar Ground – will be published in May. She
will be talking about her work as a critic and author, and about
how liberating but alarming it is to be free to make things up.
Literary Dinner
6.30pm | Madingley Hall | £50
Enjoy a three-course meal with a glass of wine in Madingley Hall's spectacular Dining Hall. The
dinner will be followed by a series of short talks and book signings by a group of authors.
Toppings, Ely's famous independent bookshop, will be selling books.
8 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
Sunday 9 April
Natasha Pulley Writing a Fantasy Novel: Myths and Realities
2.30–3.30pm | £12
How do you take that good idea and turn it into a fantasy novel? How does the writing process for
fantasy (and other fiction) work, and is it really as mystic as it sounds — or is there some practical
scaffolding underneath it all? Come and find out what really goes on behind the page in this
relaxed, fun session.
Derek Niemann Go wild with words
2.30–3.30pm | £12
Learn how to boost your powers of observation and write imaginatively about nature in a lively
practical session. Weather permitting, we will use the beautiful grounds of Madingley Hall as our
open air writers' workshop. Wildlife knowledge is a bonus, but by no means essential.
Rick Harvey What is it really about? An introduction to Theme
2.30–3.30pm | £12
What topics or issues do you feel passionate about? What motivates you to come up with
particular ideas, and tell particular stories at a particular point of time? How can theme help to
shape your ideas, and connect your writing to a reader/audience? Come and explore your ideas in
relation to these questions and more, in a relaxed and informal session.
All speakers are published authors and teach on ICE’s Creative Writing programme
For more information and booking visit: www.ice.cam.ac.uk/litfest
Email: [email protected]
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 9
10 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
© Martin Bond
Main Programme
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 11
Tuesday 18 April
Tony Juniper & Emily Shuckburgh
Climate Change Simplified
NATURE & ENVIRONMENT
6-7pm
Old Divinity School
£10/£7
Climate change is one of the most urgent problems we face. Tony
Juniper, environmentalist and writer, and Emily Shuckburgh, a
British Antarctic Survey scientist, have co-authored a book with
HRH The Prince of Wales on the subject. The book is part of the
new Ladybird Expert series tackling complicated subjects and
recruits experts in the field to provide readers with a way in.
Juniper and Shuckburgh are a dream combination of talent and
experience. Join them for a clear and accessible introduction to the
burning issue of global warming.
© George Chevalier
© Kate MacLeod Photography
Chaired by Professor Sir David King, Special Representative for
Climate Change at the FCO
NEW FICTION
7.30-8.30pm
Old Divinity School
£10/£7
Adam O’Riordan & Alison MacLeod
Two exceptionally talented writers turn their talents to the
short story and the result is two exquisite collections. Awardwinning poet, Adam O’Riordan, focusses his lyrical gaze on
fractured lives along America’s West coast in his collection,
The Burning Ground. Alison MacLeod, novelist and essayist,
takes us from Nova Scotia, to London, to Charleston, in her
playful and evocative collection, All the Beloved Ghosts.
Chaired by writer Jo Browning Wroe
12 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
Wednesday 19 April
Adam Rutherford
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived
SCIENCE
6-7pm
Palmerston Room
£10/£7
Everyone is talking about acclaimed science writer and
broadcaster, Adam Rutherford. In A Brief History of Everyone
Who Ever Lived Rutherford uncovers the epic history of the
human species, written in DNA. He examines where we came
from, what makes us who we are and how in every one of our
genomes we each carry the history of our species – births,
deaths, disease, war, famine, migration and sex. Spell-binding.
© Justine Stoddart
With thanks to
Lisa McInerney & Kit de Waal
Literary Voices
NEW FICTION
Two ferociously talented writers talk about their powerful new
novels. Baileys Prize winning author of The Glorious Heresies,
Lisa McInerney and Costa short-listed Kit de Waal author of My
Name is Leon, tackle difficult issues of identity, adoption, dual
heritage, and chaotic lives.
6-7pm
Old Divinity School
£10/£7
Chaired by writer Jo Browning Wroe
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 13
© Liz McAuley
Wednesday 19 April
Richard Reed & Jo Malone
Comparing Notes
LIFESTYLE
7.30-8.30pm | Palmerston Room | £10/£7
What a pairing. Co-founder of the successful Innocent Drinks
brand Richard Reed, and fragrance guru Jo Malone join forces to
serve up some personal wisdom and advice to comfort, motivate
and inspire. In If I Could Tell You Just One Thing, Reed has
collected stories from some of the world’s game-changers from
Bill Clinton to Margaret Atwood, while Jo Malone’s My Story
traces her remarkable journey from leaving school with no
qualifications, to becoming one of the world’s most successful
business women.
Chaired by Cathy Moore, Festival Director
With thanks to
Barbara Sahakian
Sex, Lies & Brain Scans
SCIENCE
7.30-8.30pm | Old Divinity School | £10/£7
Barbara Sahakian, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology at the
University of Cambridge, explores Functional Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (FMRI), the tool providing unprecedented
access to brain function. She describes the power and triumphs
of FMRI along with the inevitable ethical issues raised by its
potential use beyond the laboratory. As our ability to read minds
improves, a public debate on its implications has become urgent.
Be part of it today.
14 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
Thursday 20 April
Tom Dyckhoff The Age of Spectacle
ART & ARCHITECTURE
One of Britain’s best-known commentators on architecture and
contemporary society, Tom Dyckhoff, joins us to talk about his
latest book on show-stopping architecture and the modern city.
If you are interested in art, the city and the relationship between
our surroundings and those who hold powers, you are in for a
thought provoking and fascinating hour.
6-7pm
Palmerston Room
£10/£7
In conversation with Meredith Bowles, award-winning architect
With thanks to
Vivek Shanbhag & Nadeem Aslam
Literary Voices
NEW FICTION
Writing across countries and cultures Indian author Vivek
Shanbhag and Pakistani author Nadeem Aslam take to the
Cambridge stage with their stunning new novels. Vivek
Shanbhag’s, Ghachar Ghochar – his first to be translated into
English – is an enthralling, unsettling novel about the shifting
meanings and consequences of financial gain in contemporary
India. Nadeem Aslam’s The Golden Legend is a beautiful yet
devastating novel set in modern Pakistan and a community
consumed by religious intolerance.
6-7pm
Old Divinity School
£10/£7
Chaired by writer Jo Browning Wroe
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 15
Thursday 20 April
Pankaj Mishra Age of Anger
WORLD AFFAIRS
7.30-8.30pm
Palmerston Room
£10/£7
This is the book of NOW. A penetrating and disquieting history of
our present predicament, from Trump’s America to ISIS, Pankaj
Mishra makes his compelling and powerful argument about the
roots of current global disorder, delving into the past to throw
light on our current turmoil. Only when the West understands its
own dysfunction, Mishra argues, can it make sense of its anger.
These truly are the worst of times.
© Yves Salmon
© Barney Jones
In conversation with David Runciman, Festival Patron and
Professor of Politics at the University of Cambridge
NEW FICTION
7.30-8.30pm
Old Divinity School
£10/£7
Louise Doughty & Julie Myerson
Apple Tree Yard has caused quite a stir and for all the right
reasons. Lucky for us the mastermind behind it, Louise Doughty
joins fellow champion of gripping and dark psychological plots,
Julie Myerson to discuss their creative addiction. Louise Doughty’s
highly evocative new novel Black Water explores a forgotten part
of Indonesia’s turbulent history through the story of one troubled
man. Julie Myerson’s The Stopped Heart dares to look at what
happens when every parent’s worst nightmare is realised.
Chaired by Ángel Gurría-Quintana, literary journalist and translator
16 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
Friday 21 April
Tom Kerridge
Dopamine Diet
LIFESTYLE
12.30-1.30pm | Palmerston Room | £10/£7
Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge makes his debut festival
appearance at last. Having shed eleven stone in three years, his
new book Tom Kerridge’s Dopamine Diet, shows us how. Focusing
on low carbohydrate foods that release the ‘happy hormone’
dopamine, Kerridge offers advice on changing your eating habits
without compromising on flavour. Come and enjoy a calorie free
hour with one of the most entertaining chefs on the circuit.
In conversation with Sean Moore, Director, Cambridge Strategy
Centre
John Simpson
The World of the Foreign Correspondent
WORLD AFFAIRS
2-3pm | Palmerston Room | £10/£7
BBC World Affairs Editor John Simpson shares his experiences,
thoughts and findings on the difficult, dangerous, exciting and
glamorous world of the foreign correspondent to celebrate an
endangered tradition with stories from the past 200 years.
Simpson weaves his own experiences with those of the great
masters including Ernest Hemingway, Marie Colvin, Martha
Gellhorn and Don McCullin to take us on a journey through pivotal
moments in history by reporters who risked life and limb to bring
home news of our troubled world.
In conversation with Siân Kevill, former editor of Newsnight,
Director of Make Waves
Bee Wilson
This Is Not A Diet Book
LIFESTYLE
2-3pm | Old Divinity School | £10/£7
How can we change our diets for the better without going on a
'diet'? Whether changing the size of your plate, embracing
bitter foods or recognising sugar isn’t love, award-winning food
writer and BBC Radio 4’s Food Writer of the Year, Bee Wilson,
offers some of the most constructive advice for healthier,
happier eating.
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 17
Friday 21 April
Stephen Westaby
Life and Death on the Operating Table
SCIENCE
3.30-4.30pm | Palmerston Room | £10/£7
On the day his grandfather died, Stephen Westaby vowed to
become a heart surgeon. Today, as one of the most eminent
practitioners in the field, he shares the stories of the lives he has
fought to save. In Fragile Lives, Westaby opens a window onto
the fast-paced, exhilarating world of heart surgery and how it
feels to hold someone’s life in our hands. Hear him talk about his
extraordinary life doing an extraordinary job.
Michael Rosen
The Disappearance of Émile Zola
REAL LIVES
3.30-4.30pm | Old Divinity School | £10/£7
Michael Rosen has brought his spirited and engaging style to bear
on the telling of the incredible story of Émile Zola’s escape to
London in the aftermath of the scandalous Dreyfus affair. Forced
to leave Paris with nothing but the clothes he stood in and a
nightshirt wrapped in newspaper, Zola fled to England with no
idea if or when he could return. Find out about the little known
story of this great writer’s time in exile.
In conversation with Ruth Scurr, Festival Patron, writer and
historian
Allan Jenkins & Alys Fowler
Nature’s Cure
REAL LIVES
5-6pm | Palmerston Room | £10/£7
Two brave and moving memoirs that are testament to the power
of nature to nourish and heal. In Hidden Nature Alys Fowler,
award-winning Guardian columnist and passionate gardener,
explores the 100 miles of Birmingham canals, whilst making her
own personal journey. Plot 29 by Allan Jenkins, award-winning
editor of Observer Food Monthly, recounts the solace he found in
attending a small London allotment as he dug deeper into his
past to uncover the violence and neglect that lay at the heart of
his family.
Chaired by Cathy Moore, Festival Director
18 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
© Garry Simpson
Friday 21 April
Jo Marchant
The Science of Mind Over Body
SCIENCE
Can meditation fend off dementia? Can your thoughts ease
physical pain? Award-winning science journalist, Jo Marchant
attempts to answer these questions. Travelling the world to
meet the physicians, patients and researchers on the cutting
edge of mind-body medicine she asks how the brain can heal the
body and how we can all make changes to keep ourselves
healthier.
Darren Chetty
Vera Chok
5-6pm
Old Divinity School
£10/£7
Coco Khan
Darren Chetty, Vera Chok & Coco Khan
The Good Immigrant
STATE OF THE NATION
6.30-7.30pm | Old Divinity School | £10/£7
The Good Immigrant was the unlikely success story of 2016. In
this extraordinary crowd funded anthology, 21 emerging writers
of colour explore life in modern Britain. These outstanding
essays about race and immigration paint a picture of what it
means to be ‘other’ in a country that doesn’t seem to want you,
doesn’t truly accept you, but needs you for its equality
monitoring forms. Join three writers who will help us get to the
heart of the race issue in Britain.
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 19
Friday 21 April
POETRY
8-9pm
Old Divinity School
£10/£7
The Harry Baker Poetry Show
Harry Baker, World Poetry Slam Champion, brings his blistering
word play, ferocious intelligence and delightful daftness, to the
festival on Friday night. His debut anthology, The Sunshine Kid,
came out in 2014 and the subsequent show was voted Best
Spoken Word Show of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2015. His
work has been shared on TED.com, viewed millions of times
worldwide, and translated into 15 languages. Come and see
what all the fuss is about.
With thanks to St John’s College School
20 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 21
100
Saturday 22 April
DAYS
USA 100 Days On
Sarah Churchwell, Erica Wagner & Andrew Preston
WORLD AFFAIRS
10-11am | Palmerston Room | £10/£7
The result of the American election sent shock waves
throughout the world. 100 days on our panel of experts discuss
these extraordinary times: the repercussions and threats posed
to what we consider the basic values of democracy, civil liberty
and human rights. Be part of the conversation.
Chaired by David Runciman, Professor of History, University
of Cambridge
John Bew
Citizen Clem
HISTORY
10-11am | Old Divinity School | £10/£7
Despite long stretches of Tory government, we still live in a
society shaped by the post-war Labour Prime Minister, Clement
Attlee. King’s College Professor and prize-winning writer, John
Bew, explores the scale of Attlee’s achievement, whose
governance oversaw the end of the Empire in India, the
foundation of the NHS, Britain’s place in NATO and the nuclear
arms race. Citizen Clem reveals a public servant and patriotic
socialist whose view of humanity and belief in solidarity was
grafted onto the Union Jack.
In conversation with Jason Cowley, Editor, New Statesman
Louisa Thomsen Brits
The Danish Art of Living Well
LIFESTYLE
11.30am-12.30pm | Palmerston Room | £10/£7
‘Hygge’ is a Danish word with no direct English translation – the
feeling we have when we are most at home, most anchored and
at ease. Hot on the heels of the Hygge trend Louisa Thomsen
Brits shows us how to establish a place of belonging wherever
we are. In her beautiful Book of Hygge, she explores the concept
and shares how we can find our own Hygge in the rhythm of our
lives.
In conversation with writer Jo Browning Wroe
22 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
Saturday 22 April
Kate Raworth
Doughnut Economics
STATE OF THE NATION
11.30am-12.30pm | Old Divinity School | £10/£7
A chance to hear about a greener, fairer, safer way to think about
the global economy, Kate Raworth renegade economist, Senior
Visiting Research Associate at Oxford University’s Environmental
Change Institute, former Senior Researcher at Oxfam and coauthor of the UN Human Development Report from 1997-2001,
looks at how economists can bring humanity into the global
sweet spot that combines human prosperity with ecological
sustainability. Too important to ignore.
With thanks to
Elif Shafak
Three Daughters of Eve
NEW FICTION
1-2pm | Palmerston Room | £10/£7
Elif Shafak is one of today’s most influential international writers
and intellectuals who straddles east and west. With a suitcase of
awards behind her she is the most widely read female writer in
Turkey and her work has been translated into over 40 languages.
Her latest novel, set in Istanbul and Oxford, is a sweeping tale of
faith and friendship, tradition and modernity. As hopeful as she is
politically sophisticated, Shafak shares her optimism and insight
with translator Maureen Freely.
With thanks to
Harriet Harman
A Woman’s Work
STATE OF THE NATION
1-2pm | Union Chamber | £12/£7
Labour MP Harriet Harman is a much needed voice in women’s
progressive politics. Joining the House of Commons in 1982
when it was still 97% male, she introduced the National
Childcare Strategy, the Equality Act, changed the law on
domestic violence and had three children. This is a wonderful
opportunity to spend time with the first woman to represent the
Labour Party at Prime Minister’s Questions.
In conversation with Jackie Ashley, President, Lucy
Cavendish College
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 23
Saturday 22 April
New Statesman Debate
This house believes that we are living through a new 1930s
STATE OF THE NATION
2.30-4pm | Union Chamber | £12/£7
The rise of populist politics, the spread of nationalism and the reprise of fascism, a depression, a
banking crisis, a split in the Labour party – echoes of the 1930s are everywhere in today's politics.
But should we take seriously the parallels with the climate that produced a devastating world
war – or is the analogy an alarmist one that ignores the huge leaps forward society has taken in
the late 20th and early 21st century?
Speaking for the motion
Sarah Churchwell Professor of American Literature and Public Understanding of the Humanities
at the University of London and author of Careless People: Murder, Mayhem and the Invention of
The Great Gatsby
David Lammy Labour MP for Tottenham and author of Out of the Ashes: Britain After the Riots
Philippe Sands Professor of Law at the University of London and author of the prize-winning
East West Street: On the Origins of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity
Speaking against the motion
John Bew Author of Citizen Clem: A Biography of Attlee and Professor in History and Foreign
Policy at King’s College London
Margaret MacMillan Professor of International History at the University of Oxford and author of
books including, most recently, History's People: Personalities and the Past
David Runciman Professor of Politics at Cambridge University and author of books including The
Confidence Trap and Political Hypocrisy
Chaired by Helen Lewis, Deputy Editor, New Statesman
24 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
Saturday 22 April
Thomasina Miers
Home Cook
LIFESTYLE
2.30-3.30pm | Palmerston Room | £10/£7
One of the joys of life is a delicious meal and Thomasina Miers
certainly knows how to deliver. Joining us to discuss her
sumptuous new morsel Home Cook, Guardian columnist and
Wahaca co-founder, Miers has produced an essential book on
enjoying good food any day of the week. Bursting with new ideas
and culinary combinations this former Master Chef winner will
send you home salivating.
In conversation with Bee Wilson
Nicholas Crane
The Making of the British Landscape
NATURE & ENVIRONMENT
4-5pm | Palmerston Room | £10/£7
Award-winning writer, President of the Royal Geographical
Society and television presenter of Coast, Nicholas Crane is a
man with a passion. His urgent and timely new book combines
the latest research in global climate change with compelling
storytelling about the ancient relationship between people and
place and the modern tensions between town and countryside.
For all those who care about our countryside.
Roman Krznaric
Carpe Diem Regained
STATE OF THE NATION
4-5pm | Old Divinity School | £10/£7
In this era of incessant iPhone checking, email obsession and
social media slavery we are increasingly living in an age of mass
distraction. Join leading social philosopher and TedX speaker
Roman Krznaric as he claims that Carpe Diem has been hijacked
by brands and retailers. He argues that we have forgotten how to
actively take part in the world around us and offers a corrective
to contemporary follies and a reminder to live with greater
compassion, consciousness and intention. An enlightening event.
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 25
Saturday 22 April
Susan Elderkin & Ella Berthoud
Novel Cure
WRITING MATTERS
© Johnny Ring
5.30-6.30pm | Old Divinity School | £10/£7
Fiction is more than made up stuff. Writers and bibliotherapists,
Susan Elderkin and Ella Berthoud celebrate the power of fiction to
shine a light on the many facets of our humanity. In Novel Cure
and The Story Cure they celebrate the restorative power of fiction
for both young and old and remind us that when read at the right
moment, a novel can change your life.
Chaired by Caroline Crampton, Assistant Editor, New Statesman
Polly Toynbee & David Walker
How the attack on the state harms us all
STATE OF THE NATION
5.30-6.30pm | Union Chamber | £12/£7
Tireless champions of our welfare state, Toynbee and Walker
have gathered the voices of nurses and patients, teachers and
parents, police and civilians, the protected and unprotected. The
story they tell is of a mutilated NHS, a crippled police force,
divided schools and a vulnerable military. Dismembered is an
important contribution to the debate on how the attack on the
state harms us all.
Chaired by Stephen Bush, Special Correspondent, New
Statesman
Paul Kingsnorth
Confessions of a Recovering
Environmentalist
NATURE & ENVIRONMENT
7-8pm | Old Divinity School | £10/£7
Paul Kingsnorth is a radically original writer. Former activist and
ardent environmentalist, he has gathered the wave-making
essays that have charted the change in his thinking. In
Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist, Kingsnorth, full of
grief and fury, articulates his new vision of ‘dark ecology,’ arguing
for a renewed balance between the human and nonhuman
worlds and refusing to believe that technology can save us.
Come and join this urgent conversation.
In conversation with Tom Gatti, Culture Editor, New Statesman
26 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
Saturday 22 April
Alexandra Shulman Inside Vogue
LIFESTYLE
Who better to tell the inside story of British Vogue in its centenary
year than its longest serving editor, Alexandra Shulman? Uniquely
placed to give an insight into the fascinating world of fashion and a
British institution, Shulman has also given a rich, personal, and
sharply observed account of being a businesswoman,
entrepreneur, cultural figurehead and mother, in twenty-first
century Britain.
7-8pm
Union Chamber
£12/£7
Jack Monroe
© Timothy Greenfield
© Fox Fisher
In conversation with Rowan Pelling, Journalist and Editor,
The Amorist
Andrew Soloman
Paul Flynn
Prejudice and Pride
STATE OF THE NATION
Jack Monroe, Andrew Soloman & Paul Flynn
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of
homosexuality in the UK. To celebrate, we are joined by a rainbow
panel of LGBT activists, advocates and enthusiasts including
cookery writer, campaigner and columnist Jack Monroe,
journalist Paul Flynn and writer and lecturer Andrew Soloman,
author of award-winning Far From the Tree. Join us for a
reflective and celebratory look at the highs and lows of the last
50 years.
8.30-9.30pm
Union Chamber
£12/£7
Chaired by Alex Clark, literary critic
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 27
Sunday 23 April
Brexit: What Next?
Chris West, David Goodhart & Julian Huppert
STATE OF THE NATION
10-11am | Palmerston Room | £10/£7
For many of us the prospect of post-brexit Britain looks
incontrovertibly like the worst of times. Our panel of experts is here
to discuss the process of leaving the European Union and its
aftermath and to reflect on whether we could possibly envision a
future that could be the best of times.
Chaired by Stephen Bush, Special Correspondent, New Statesman
Ali Smith, Paul Kingsnorth & Erica Wagner
First Light
WRITING MATTERS
10-11am | Old Divinity School | £10/£7
First Light is an anthology edited by Erica Wagner that celebrates
the work of Alan Garner, whose fiction – from The Weirdstone of
Brisingamen to The Owl Service to Strandloper – has
transformed the way so many readers and writers think about
literature and landscape. Acclaimed authors Ali Smith and Paul
Kingsnorth will join Erica to discuss Alan Garner’s enduring
influence.
James Runcie
Grantchester Mysteries
NEW FICTION
11.30am-12.30pm | Palmerston Room | £10/£7
Come and meet the author of the much loved Grantchester
Mysteries. These gentle but artfully fashioned stories have been
beautifully adapted for ITV’s Grantchester and have charmed
millions. Be ready to be captivated and beguiled by James Runcie
and his protagonist Sidney Chambers.
In conversation with Bridget Kendall, Master, Peterhouse,
Cambridge
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 29
Sunday 23 April
Dan Kieran & Clare Christian
Getting Published
WRITING MATTERS
11.30am-12.30pm | Old Divinity School | £10/£7
Dan Kieran
Clare Christian
Crowdfunding and subscription models of publishing are not new
but with new online tools and smart marketing techniques
writers can see their work published and promoted by committed
professionals. Come and ask Dan Kieran of Unbound and Clare
Christian of RedDoor Publishing how they can help writers find
the widest audience for their books. Chaired by Rachel Calder,
literary agent.
With thanks to
Jess Phillips & Catherine Mayer
Women on the March
STATE OF THE NATION
11.30am-12.30pm | Union Chamber | £12/£7
Two women who make no apology for shouting long and loud
about gender inequality. Catherine Mayer is co-founder of the
Women’s Equality Party and Jess Phillips is Labour MP for
Birmingham Yardley and chair of the Women’s Parliamentary
Party. Together they discuss gender inequality in the aftermath
of the largest single day march in history. This couldn’t be a more
timely conversation.
Chaired by Helen Lewis, Deputy Editor, New Statesman
Louise Foxcroft
Gayer-Anderson
HISTORY
12.15-1pm | The Fitzwilliam Museum | £10/£7
Based on the journals of Robert Grenville Gayer-Anderson
(1881–1945), Egyptologist, poet, surgeon, soldier, psychic, and
noted collector, this candid and charming biography tells of a
strange and eclectic life in the final days of the British Empire.
Drugs, race, class, family, sex, and selfhood are vividly mixed in
this tale of two wars, colonial life, medicine, anthropology, and
psychic phenomena. Afterwards you are welcome to visit Gallery
20, The Gayer-Anderson Room, named in recognition of the
bequest of part of his Egyptology collection to the Museum.
With thanks to
30 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
Sunday 23 April
Richard Holmes
Reflections of a Romantic Biographer
REAL LIVES
1-2pm | Palmerston Room | £10/£7
Richard Holmes, the great chronicler of the Romantics, is here to
talk about his spellbinding meditation on the nature of
biographical knowledge. With his infectious curiosity, erudition
and empathy, Holmes shares his experiences on the art of
biography which he calls the vital, ‘handshake across time,
cultures, beliefs, disciplines and genders’.
Sally Rooney
Eley Williams
Luke Kennard
Ali Smith’s Debut Writers
NEW FICTION
1-2pm | Old Divinity School | £10/£7
Personally picked and chaired by Festival Patron Ali Smith, our
Debut Writers sessions have been the launching pad for many
successful novelists. The best of debut fiction is represented
here by three sparkling new voices: Sally Rooney (Conversations
with Friends), Eley Williams (Attrib. and other stories) and Luke
Kennard (The Transition). Be there at the start of something.
Ali Smith
Gillian Beer Alice in Space
WRITING MATTERS
1.15-2pm | The Fitzwilliam Museum | £10/£7
Festival Patron Gillian Beer unveils her new book Alice in Space –
what a pleasure. She reveals the contexts within which the Alice
books first lived, bringing back the zest to jokes lost over time and
poignancy to hidden references. After the talk, you are welcome to
enjoy the display of prints and drawings, including depictions of
Alice by Ronald Searle, and a letter written by Lewis Carroll
suggesting that society needs a unit of measurement for pleasure
to consist of 'the pleasure felt in eating one penny bun in one minute’.
In conversation with poet, Ruth Padel
With thanks to
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 31
© Antonia
© Jonny L Davies
In conversation with Michael Prodger, Assistant Editor,
New Statesman
Sunday 23 April
Peter Conradi
Who Lost Russia?
WORLD AFFAIRS
2.30-3.30pm | Palmerston Room | £10/£7
Russia is never far from the headlines but understanding it is more
difficult. Having witnessed the collapse of USSR first hand as
Foreign Correspondent in Moscow, few people are as well placed
as Peter Conradi to present such a revealing study. He argues that
we have consistently failed to understand Russia and its motives,
and in doing so have made a powerful enemy. Conradi’s crucial
analysis of the rise of Putin deserves our attention.
In conversation with Michael Prodger, Assistant Editor, New
Statesman
Rose Tremain
The Gustav Sonata
NEW FICTION
© David Kirkham
2.30-3.30pm | Union Chamber | £12/£7
The consistently brilliant Rose Tremain never fails to delight and
this year she joins us to talk about her latest novel, The Gustav
Sonata. Set in Switzerland after the Second World War, this is a
story of betrayal, the struggle for happiness and the healing
power of friendship.
‘…beautifully rendered, and magnificent in scope. It glows with
mastery.’ Ian McEwan
In conversation with Tom Gatti, Culture Editor, New Statesman
With thanks to The Royal Literary Fund
Martin Sixsmith
Ayesha’s Gift
REAL LIVES
4-5pm | Palmerston Room | £10/£7
Another true story from Martin Sixsmith, investigative journalist
and author of the book which became the award-winning film,
Philomena. Pakistan born Ayesha Rahman, was a successful
career woman when her life was thrown into turmoil by the
violent death of her father. Told he committed suicide, Ayesha
knew this couldn’t be true. This is the account of her struggle to
find the truth with the help of Sixsmith, who accompanies her to
Pakistan to confront her father’s killers. A riveting, moving story.
In conversation with Alex Clark, literary critic
32 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
Sunday 23 April
Where are all the women?
Lennie Goodings, Helen Lewis & Frances Weetman
WRITING MATTERS
4-5pm | Old Divinity School | £10/£7
Does the world of non-fiction have a gender problem? Look at
prize shortlists, review coverage or publishing schedules and the
answer would seem a resounding yes. It is male-dominated,
particularly in the vital, society-shaping fields of economics and
politics. The Virago/New Statesman Women’s Prize for Politics
and Economics hopes to change that. Join Lennie Goodings of the
women’s publishing imprint Virago, Helen Lewis, Deputy Editor of
the New Statesman and Frances Weetman, the winner of the
first prize, to discuss why women need to re-claim territory
traditionally owned by the ‘men of ideas’.
The Virago/
New Statesman
Women’s Prize
for Politics and
Economics
With thanks to Virago and New Statesman
Sebastian Barry
Days Without End
NEW FICTION
4-5pm | Union Chamber | £12/£7
Sebastian Barry’s new novel Days Without End is this year’s
literary sensation. Set in mid-nineteenth century America,
Barry’s latest work is a masterpiece of atmosphere and
language, and a deserving winner of the Costa Book of the Year
Award. Barry discusses his success with Observer Associate
Editor Robert McCrum who considers it ‘pitch perfect, the
outstanding novel of the year’.
Madeleine Bunting
A Hebridean Journey
NATURE & ENVIRONMENT
5.30-6.30pm | Old Divinity School | £10/£7
Award-winning, best-selling author, Madeleine Bunting has a
passion for the north-west of Scotland and has spent years
travelling and staying in the Hebrides. Love of Country is her
deeply researched, penetrating book about the iconic islands.
Come and hear her fascinating take on the islands’ history as a
backdrop to current debates about the meaning of Britain.
In conversation with Fiona Reynolds, Master of Emmanuel
College, Cambridge
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 33
Sunday 23 April
Maggi Hambling
ART AND ARCHITECTURE
5.30-6.30pm | Union Chamber | £12/£7
One of Britain's foremost contemporary artists, Maggi Hambling is
renowned for a prolific corpus, best known for her portraits,
paintings of the sea, and public sculpture – both celebrated and
controversial. Less familiar but equally significant are her works on
paper, dynamic and sensuous – condensing the themes of life and
death which underscore her art. She forges an immediate and
powerful connection with the subject being drawn, and it is this
concept of ‘touch’ which pervades her work. Hambling will be
discussing her new book which was published to coincide with a
major retrospective of her work on paper at the British Museum in
2016. Most recently her exhibition of new paintings and sculpture,
EDGE, is at Marlborough Fine Art in London 2 March - 13 April.
In conversation with Tim Knox FSA, Director, The Fitzwilliam
Museum
Mark O’Connell To Be a Machine
SCIENCE
7-8pm | Palmerston Room | £10/£7
Mark O’Connell, journalist and essayist, presents his engaging and
often astounding exploration of transhumanism, the philosophical
and technological movement that is working on an update of the
human machine. Is this vision of the future, which could be closer
than you might think, hopeful, terrifying or absurd?
In conversation with Dr Beth Singler, Research Associate at the
Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, University of
Cambridge
With thanks to
Charlotte Rampling Who I Am
REAL LIVES
7-8pm | Union Chamber | £12/£7
A rare opportunity to spend an hour with the actress, model and
sixties icon Charlotte Rampling. Most recently on our screens in
ITV’s Broadchurch, HBO’s Dexter and 45 Years, Rampling’s
career spans popular entertainment and arthouse cinema,
starring in English, French and Italian films. Until now, she has
shied away from ‘too personal’ autobiography, but with Who I
Am, Rampling gives an idiosyncratic and beguiling insight into one
of our most consistently adventurous and interesting actors.
In conversation with Alex Clark, literary critic
34 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
Wimpole
Announcing...
a unique partnership between Cambridge
History
Literary Festival and the National Trust.
Festival
Box Office opens Friday 28 April.
7–9 July 2017
Highlights include
Orlando Figes
Bridget Kendall
Andrew Marr
David Olusoga
Chris Patten
Stephen Poliakoff
Lucy Worsley
Andrew Marr
Brought to you by
David Olusoga
Lucy Worsley
36 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 37
38
Children’s Programme
Funded by
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 39
Friday 21 April
A Busy Day for Birds!
10-10.45am | Palmerston Room | £6 | Age 2+
Flap your wings, fly up high, open your beak and sing in this fun
action rhyme story about fantastical birds by multi-awardwinning author Lucy Cousins. "Can you imagine ... just for one day
... you're a busy bird? Yes, a bird! Hooray!" A bouncy sing-a-long
event to start the day with a chorus.
Maisy Goes to London
11.15am-12pm | Palmerston Room | £6 | Age 3+
Join Maisy Mouse and her friends for an exciting day visiting the
big city – and there is so much to see! Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus,
Buckingham Palace, and even the Globe Theatre… and it's very
noisy in the city. Honk! Honk! Honk! What an exciting day, with the
chance to meet Maisy Mouse herself.
40 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
Saturday 22 April
Jacqueline Wilson
A Celebration
10-11am | Union Chamber | £8 | Age 9+
Join former Children’s Laureate and internationally best-selling
author Jacqueline Wilson OBE as she remembers her much-loved
classic children’s books and offers a sneak-peek of her not-yet-out
newest novel. Jacqueline Wilson has sold over 40 million copies of
her books worldwide, translated into over thirty languages. Several
of her books have been adapted for TV including Tracy Beaker
(CBBC), Girls in Love (ITV) and The Illustrated Mum (Channel 4
TV). How could you even think of missing it?
© Nick Sharratt
Please note there will be no book signing after this event but
books bought from the bookstall will contain printed bookplates.
Steve Antony
Thank You, Mr Panda
10-10.45am | Blue Room | £6 | Age 2+
Mr Panda is back and this time he is happy to help his friends
prepare for a special surprise – if they remember to say thank
you! Come along and meet the loveable Panda and creator Steve
Antony, to explore the importance of good manners with this
simplistic, visually striking and beautifully crafted book. Perfect
for young children.
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 41
Saturday 22 April
Gemma Cairney
OPEN: A Toolkit for How Magic and Messed
Up Life Can Be
11.30am-12.30pm | Union Chamber | £6 | Age 13+
BBC Radio 1 presenter, TV personality, journalist and teen
ambassador Gemma Cairney OPEN's up to talk about how magic
and messed up life can be: from mental health to families to first
love, and everything in between. Gemma Cairney is an important
advocate for young people and between her life experiences and
her personal insight from her time as BBC Radio 1's resident
agony aunt on The Surgery, she is perfectly placed to offer hope
to young people (and the people that love them) questioning
what life's all about or dealing with hard times.
Chaired by Alice Wroe, founder of Herstory, a project that uses
feminist art to engage people of all genders with women's
history (@herstory_uk)
Amy Sparkes
Ellie’s Magic Wellies
11.15am-12pm | Blue Room | £6 | Age 3+
Ellie Pengelly is fed up and bored, until she gets a pair of
MAGICAL new wellies! When Ellie goes out to explore in her
new wellies she jumps into a puddle but... something jumps out!
A fantastic rhyming picture book that fizzes with fun from Roald
Dahl Funny short-listed author Amy Sparkes.
Katherine Rundell & Abi Elphinstone
1-2pm | Old Divinity School | £6 | Age 9+
Giants lurk between snow-capped peaks, the Russian Army
looms, wolves are taught to be wild and witchdoctors, goblins
and dark magic abounds. Join authors Katherine Rundell (The
Wolf Wilder) and Abi Elphinstone (The Shadow Keeper and The
Night Spinner) on an adventure into the northern wilderness and
magical landscapes. They might even share some secrets of their
own…
Chaired by Broadcaster and Writer Leigh Chambers
42 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
Saturday 22 April
Walker Big Draw with Spike Gerrell
12.30-2pm | Blue Room | £7 | Age 8+
Ready. Set. Draw! Do you dream of becoming a famous
illustrator? Come along and learn how to design “spikey-nosed”
sketches, kooky characters and awesome art in this hands-on
event for budding young artists. Roll up your sleeves
and create a GIANT picture book with your
friends, pinching tips of the trade from prolific
children’s book illustrator and comic strip
creator Spike Gerrell (New Scientist,
Independent, Guardian). An event for
those who love to draw just as much
as those who think they can’t!
With thanks to
Nick Sharratt
Vikings in Supermarkets, Kings at Car Boot
Sales
2.30-3.30pm | Old Divinity School | £7 | All ages
Join award-winning children’s illustrator Nick Sharratt for livedrawing, games and all-round silliness as he shares some brand
new picture books plus old favourites too. Nick has illustrated
hundreds of books for Julia Donaldson, Jeremy Strong and
Jacqueline Wilson including Tracy Beaker, which was the most
borrowed library book in the UK for the first decade of this
century. Come along for this opportunity to ask Nick questions
about being a best-selling illustrator!
Samantha Shannon
The Bone Season Series
2.30-3.30pm | Blue Room | £6 | Age 14+
Paige Mahoney has risen to the dangerous position of
Underqueen, ruling over London’s criminal population: but little
does she know that her reign may be cut short by the
introduction of Senshield, a deadly technology that spells doom
for the clairvoyant community and the world as they know it.
Join internationally best-selling author of the Bone Season series
Samantha Shannon for the hotly-anticipated third book. Expect
an hour of ground-breaking, dystopian fantasy of extraordinary
imagination.
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 43
Saturday 22 April
Mark Lowery
Attack of the Woolly Jumper
4-5pm | Blue Room | £6 | Age 9+
Roman endures a royal visit and a school fashion show in a
jumper knitted by his Grandma…which would be fine, if she
hadn't knitted him the crummiest jumper (AKA "crumper") on
earth. When the jumper causes a swan attack and a biker to
swerve off the road, can Roman keep his whole life from
unravelling? Join Roald Dahl Funny Prize short-listed author of
The Jam Doughnut that Ruined My Life and Chicken Nugget
Ambush, Mark Lowery for some side-splitting fun and a
great yarn.
Star Wars Reads:
Tom Huddleston & JAKe
5.30-6.30pm | Palmerston Room | £7 | Age 8+
Can you speak Droid? Want to draw a Wookiee? In a galaxy not
so far away, join author of Star Wars: Adventures in Wild Space
Tom Huddleston and illustrator of How to Speak Wookiee and
How to Speak Droid with R2-D2 JAKe for an intergalactic voyage
into the world of Star Wars. Learn to draw characters, meet new
ones and test your knowledge of the super-selling space series.
Costumes welcome!
Alex Wheatle
Straight Outta Crongton
5.30-6.30pm | Blue Room | £6 | Age 14+
Join Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize winning author of Crongton
Knights Alex Wheatle as he returns to the fictional inner-city
council estate Crongton, plagued by knife crime and crawling
with “hood rats” in his latest book Straight Outta Crongton. Alex
regularly appears on BBC1’s The One Show, represents English
PEN and is active in promoting diverse voices in literature. Don’t
miss this fast-paced and edgy event with the Brixton Bard
himself.
44 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
Sunday 23 April
Kipper and Wibbly Pig 21st Birthday
Celebrations
10-10.45am | Blue Room | £6 | Age 2+
Join professional storyteller Liz Fost and have fun with
everyone’s favourite dog, Kipper, and pig, Wibbly Pig. There will be
exciting stories and fun games – all based on author and
illustrator Mick Inkpen’s much-loved stories. Kipper himself will
be making an appearance, and he’ll want a hug, so be prepared!
Liz Fost is a professional actor and children’s storyteller who has
appeared in numerous television programmes including The
Shiny Show, Numberjacks and Dr Who and was a regular
presenter on Playdays.
Greg Gormley & Steve Lenton
Fairytale Frankie and the Mermaid
Escapade
11.15am-12pm | Blue Room | £6 | Age 2+
Down at the seaside, everyone is afraid of the awful sea monster!
Only plucky Frankie can reassure her friends and teach them how
to be brave together. Join author, Greg Gormley and illustrator,
Steve Lenton for Frankie’s latest adventure and to take part in
some monstrously fun art activities.
Pippa Goodhart
My Very Own Space
12.30-1.15pm | Blue Room | £6 | Age 2+
Come and enjoy the story of a rabbit who wants a place of his
own. My Very Own Space is Pippa Goodhart’s new picture book,
but she will also be sharing old favourites such as You Choose,
and lifting the flaps to reveal Little Monster at a spooky party.
Event comes with free stickers!
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 45
Sunday 23 April
Harry Potter – Boy. Wizard. Hero.
Celebrating the Harry Potter books
1-2pm | Union Chamber | £8 | Age 9+
©Johnny Duddle
Attention all Harry Potter fans. Have you ever wanted to explore
the magical world of Harry Potter books? Which Professor of
Hogwarts would you like to meet? Join Fleurble Laffalott
(super-assistant to the Professor of Potter) for a fun and
interactive hour as she introduces some of the great Professors
from J.K. Rowling’s much loved books, and throws in some
transfiguration, potions and even a slow-motion Quidditch match
along the way! New and exclusive bookmarks for all who attend.
Come dressed for the occasion.
Laura Dockrill
Mermaid Tales
© Sonny Malhorta
2.30-3.30pm | Old Divinity School | £6 | Age 12+
Forget fairy stories and damsels in distress: being a teenage girl
is tough, but when you’re a mermaid living on land it is even
tougher. Dive in with performance poet and novelist Laura
Dockrill for a hilarious and riotous adventure exploring her fintastic Carnegie Medal nominated YA novel Lorali, and glimpse a
sneak peek of her newest character, the badass steampunk
mermaid Aurabel. Don’t miss this mermaid tale with a twist.
In conversation with Alice Wroe, founder of Herstory, a project
that uses feminist art to engage people of all genders with
women's history (@herstory_uk)
46 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 47
47
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com
JOIN
US
Are you a Friend of the Festival?
Become a Friend of Cambridge Literary Festival and enjoy great benefits
including free tickets, priority booking, discounts on tickets and books.
Join us and be part of something outstanding. With two festivals each year and
inspiring events all year round you will never be far from the newest books, the
latest issues and the best literary events.
Choose the membership that is right for you
Friend – £25
Whether you want tickets for Ali
Smith, Zadie Smith or Alexander
McCall Smith, a Friend’s
membership, with priority bookings,
will guarantee you get the tickets
you want. It will also allow you to
beat the queues into the event itself.
Great value Student Friend – £15
We love students and with our
student membership we give-away
2 free tickets per festival.
Best Friend – £45
Our Best Friends get all of the
Friend benefits plus discounts on
tickets and books and, because we
like to meet you, invitations to
festival parties.
Benefactors – £250
Our lovely and growing group of
Benefactors get all of the other
benefits plus free tickets and
exclusive invitations to events.
Join us today by visiting our website
www.cambridgeliteraryfestival.com
or emailing
[email protected]
to request a membership form.
48 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 49
Where to stay
Duke House
1 Victoria Street, Cambridge, CB1 1JP
01223 314773
[email protected]
dukehousecambridge.co.uk
Nestling alongside Christ’s Pieces in the very
heart of historic Cambridge, Duke House is a
boutique B&B offering outstanding
accommodation to suit all visitors. All the
city’s colleges and attractions are within just
a few hundred metres.
Lucy Cavendish College
Lady Margaret Road
Cambridge, CB3 0BU
01223 332181
[email protected]
www.lucycavendishconferences.co.uk
Lucy Cavendish is an ideal location for your
event or conference. The mix of traditional and
modern buildings presents a friendly but
professional atmosphere, combining beauty
and tranquillity with up-to-date facilities.
Whitehouse Lane, Huntingdon Road,
Cambridge, CB3 0LX
01223 277977
[email protected]
www.hotelfelix.co.uk
Madingley Hall
University of Cambridge,
Madingley, CB23 8AQ
01223 746222
www.madingleyhall.co.uk/accommodation
The four-star boutique Hotel Felix is set in
beautiful surroundings, a short drive from the
city centre. Luxuriate in one of its 52
bedrooms, dine in the stylish award-winning
Graffiti Restaurant or relax in the light and
airy Orangery, the Bar or on the tranquil southfacing Terrace.
Why not stay the night at Madingley Hall?
Situated 3 miles from the city centre,
Madingley Hall offers fully en suite
accommodation (Including double rooms)
which has a 5 star rating for Campus
Accommodation. Rates from £70 per night,
both online booking and telephone booking
available.
Hotel du Vin & Bistro
15-19 Trumpington Street
Cambridge, CB2 1QA
01223 227330
[email protected]
www.hotelduvin.com
Dating back in parts to medieval times, the
Hotel du Vin has 41 bedrooms and boasts a
wonderful bistro, cosy library, private events
room, wine tasting and cellar bar.
50 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
Meet Cambridge
[email protected]
There’s no better way to see Cambridge than
from inside of one of its famous Colleges…
A unique B&B experience for your festival visit
• Historic and contemporary settings
• A range of styles to suit all budgets
• From single study rooms through to
executive style double en suite bedrooms
• Choose, book and pay online through
www.stayinacambridgecollege.com
quoting CLF2017
Regent Hotel
41 Regent Street
Cambridge, CB2 1AB
01223 351470
[email protected]
www.regenthotel.co.uk
A fine Georgian listed building, The Regent
Hotel was the original home of the first
Newnham College students. We are a small
independent Hotel, overlooking Parker’s Piece,
a short stroll away from the colleges,
museums, botanical gardens and shopping
areas.
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 51
Booking information
Box Office opening hours
Telephone: Monday – Saturday 10am – 6pm.
Counter service Monday to Friday
12pm – 6pm and Saturdays 10am – 6pm.
Book online
www.cambridgelivetickets.co.uk
Book by telephone
01223 357851
Book in person
Cambridge Live Tickets,
Wheeler Street, CB2 3QB
Group bookings
Please contact the Box Office by telephone for
details and reservations.
Young person standby tickets
People aged 25 and under can buy tickets
half-price if purchased on the day of the event.
Please visit the Box Office at the event venue
for more information. Proof of age will be
required.
Ticket delivery
Tickets booked up to seven days in advance
can be posted out for a charge of £1 or can be
collected from the Cambridge Live Tickets Box
Office free of charge up to the day before the
event. Tickets may also be collected at the
event venue on the day.
Refund and exchange policy
If you inform the Box Office at least 72 hours
prior to an event, we will be happy to
exchange your ticket for another Spring 2017
event (subject to availability). Refunds to
credit on your Cambridge Live account will
only be made where an event is sold out, this
value will then be redeemable against future
bookings with Cambridge Live.
If your event is cancelled you can exchange
your ticket for another event at the festival
(subject to availability). If you don’t wish to
exchange, you are entitled to a refund of the
ticket’s value.
Please note
The Box Office does not keep a waiting list for
sold-out events. The best way to guarantee
tickets is to book well in advance.
Children’s events
All children under the age of 11 must be
accompanied at all times by an adult with
their own ticket.
Accessibility
All festival venues have wheelchair access,
please request a wheelchair space when
booking. Front row seats will be reserved at
all venues for the hard of hearing.
The Art of Reading
18-23 April
Old Divinity School, St John’s College, CB2 1TP
An exhibition of portraits celebrating the pleasure of reading by the Lots Road Group of
artists, in association with BookTrust. The tranquil image of sitter and book has attracted
artists since the beginnings of portraiture; this exhibition presents contemporary
interpretations of the theme. Sitters aged from two to ninety include well known authors
and academics, including Dame Gillian Beer, Honorary Patron of the Festival. Paintings are
accompanied by narratives giving insights into the sitters’ reading choices, which together
convey a palpable sense of the joys of reading.
Nasty Women: Cambridge
21-30 April
ArtSpace, 5 Green’s Road, Cambridge, CB4 3EF
Imagine how placards in a demonstration create a chorus of voices. As part of
an international collective response to a world where division and intolerance
are on the rise Nasty Women Cambridge is an exhibition of text-based art of resistance.
All artworks will be sold to raise money for local women’s charities.
52 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
Venues
Old Divinity School
St John’s College, University of Cambridge
St John’s Street
Cambridge, CB2 1TP
www.joh.cam.ac.uk
Palmerston Room
Fisher Building
St John’s College, University of Cambridge
St John’s Street
Cambridge, CB2 1TP
www.joh.cam.ac.uk
Blue Room & Union Chamber
Cambridge Union Society
9A Bridge Street
Cambridge, CB2 1UB
www.cus.org
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Trumpington Street
Cambridge, CB2 1RB
www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
Please note the festival box office will be
located in the Round Church gardens
(Bridge Street, CB2 1UB) over the festival
weekend.
Festival Food & Drink
Light refreshments will be available from the
following festival venues:
St John’s College Bar
open 12.30 – 11.00pm, Friday – Sunday
Union Society Bar
open 10am until late, Friday – Sunday
Old Divinity School
tea and coffee available Friday – Sunday
Palmerston Room (Fisher Building)
tea and coffee available Friday – Sunday
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 53
Richard Ford
Tuesday 23 May
6.30-7.30pm
Emmanuel United Reformed Church
£12/£9
Pulitzer-Prize winning American
author Richard Ford makes his
Cambridge Literary Festival
debut appearance with his
memoir Between Them.
Written with intelligence,
precision and humanity,
Ford evokes a vivid
panorama of midtwentieth century
America and an intimate
portrait of family life. Born
into the divided American
South, Ford has been a candid
critic of Trump and US politics
and is best known for his
Bascombe trilogy of novels.
A unique opportunity to
spend an hour in the
company of one of
America’s top
contemporary
writers.
54 Book at: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 01223 357851
We would like to thank our supporters
Principal sponsor
National media partner
Creative partner
Festival bookseller
Media partners
Sponsors and supporters
CDS
cambridge design
studio
Event partners
Patrons
Anonymous Patron
Daphne Astor
Gerald Avison
Andrew & Fiona Blake
Chadwyck-Healey
Charitable Trust
Peter Coomber
Adam Glinsman
Catherine Lucas
Sarah Lucas
Louise Makin
Denise Augar
Lily Bacon
Joanna Bowen
Alessandra Cirani Almgren
Ann Cotton
Jane Dix
Stephen Ferron
Andrew Freeman
Catherine Galloway
Rosy Gounaris Milner
Brian Human
Antoinette Jackson
Lise Lambton
Jackie Latham
Margaret & Robert Mair
Stella Manzie
Ann McAllister
Willa McDonald
Gillian McFarland
Jeremy Newsum
Andrea & David Reiner
Margaret Reynolds
Pippa Rogerson
Vera Schuster-Beesley
John Stanton
Granta
Guardian Faber
Hachette
HarperCollins
Hodder Children’s
Hodder & Stoughton
Hot Key Books
HQ
Hurst
Hutchinson
IB Tauris
Icon Books
Influx Press
John Murray
Jonathan Cape
Little, Brown
MacMillan
Melville House
Oneworld
Orchard Books
Orion
Oxford University Press
Penguing Life
Penguin Random House
Piccadilly Press
Riverrun
Simon & Schuster
Unbound
Unbound Digital
University of Chicago Press
Viking
Vintage
W&N
Walker Books
William Collins
Allison Pearson
Sian Reid
Sarah Street
Paul Taylor
Benefactors
Participating publishers
Abrams & Chronicle
Absolute Press
Allen Lane
Atom
Bloomsbury
Bonnier Zaffre
Canongate
Chatto & Windus
Doubleday Childrens
Egmont
Faber & Faber
Fig Tree
Fourth Estate
cambridgeliteraryfestival.com 55
Follow us
@camlitfest
Cambridge Literary Festival
camlitfest
camlitfest
The Cambridge Literary Festival is a charity
registered in England and Wales, no. 1153944.
Diary Dates
Winter Festival 2017
25/26 November
Printed by www.printerbello.com
Spring Festival 2018
3–8 April
Picture by Martin Bond www.acambridgediary.co.uk