The town’s Community Library has organised the Festival which starts on Friday 6th with Ally Kennen presenting a workshop
Starting That Novel in the Wiveliscombe Community Centre at 6.15pm.
Ally has written several books for younger readers including
The Secret Viking Adventure,
Sparks,
Quarry and
Daybreak. She is currently writing for adults and opening a book shop in Wiveliscombe.
Ally is followed by Catherine Hanley discussing
The King of England You’ve Never Heard Of. Dr. Catherine Hanley is a medieval historian specialising in the warfare and politics of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Among her recent books are
Matilda: Empress, Queen, Warrior, and
Two Houses, Two Kingdoms: A History of France and England, 1100-1300. She is a huge fan of libraries in general and Wiveliscombe Community Library in particular.
The remainder of the Festival occurs on Saturday 7th which starts off at the Community Centre with Judy Leigh at 10am. Judy writes stories that feature characters of all ages, but focus on the lives of older women. These novels celebrate communities, fun and friendship, love and the power of laughter, the belief that everyone should have another chance at happiness. She also writes under the name of Elena Collins, her grandmother. These are dual timeline historical stories, slightly spooky. Writing in this genre gives her the opportunity to focus on history, injustice and the lives of women then and now.
Justin Adams discusses his book
The Unexpected Mourner, a heart tugging story spanning 3 generations. The characters are vividly described, true life being stranger than fiction and infinitely more complex. A very well written tale, that starts before 1900 and runs for over a 100 years. There is a backdrop of social conditions and attitudes and historical events. The epicentre is in Somerset, but the story spans Nigeria, London and the rest of the UK. A truly fascinating insight.
Michelle Werrett discusses
Songs of the Streams. The streams and rivers of Exmoor appear little changed since Claude Wade described them in his classic 1903 book, Exmoor Streams, yet the number of fish he and others reportedly caught are almost unbelievable today. In
Song of the Streams, the author sets out to fish where Wade fished. To cast the same flies on the same pools, to compare how fishing the streams of Exmoor might compare to then.
Rod McRiven is a local author and a familiar figure in Wiveliscombe. Following the publication of his first novel,
Swell, two new books are on their way:
TickTock, a semi-autobiographical novel, and
Ovular Curios, a book of narrative verse. Rod intends to read a short section from each.
Lionel Ward, whom many locals know Lionel as the owner of Brendon Books in Taunton, presents his latest book,
The Shakespeare Thief and Roman Holiday: The Elliot Todd mysteries.
Ben Mears has written many books from high fantasy to early mediaeval whodunits to Young Adult books, including the six-book YA fantasy Tyler May series. The first book in this series is The Haunting of Tyler May. Join Ben for a session
It’s All a Mystery to Me in which he will talk about his books and his writing process. An event for all, but especially for young people and teenagers.
Also suitable for this audience is Steve Cole, a good friend to the Literary Festival having brought the house down on his last visit. Steve is the author of more than 200 children's books, including
Astrosaurs,
Cows in Action,
Adventure Duck,
Young Bond,
the Eco-Adventures and
Doctor Who. He will lead the children on a laugh-a-minute, high-energy, often ukelele-accompanied, masterclass entitled
Adventures in Storytelling.
Adam Garland is a brilliant local illustrator, author and musician. Adam will show off his illustrative skills as he and Gavin James Bower discuss the bond and collaboration between author and illustrator. Gavin is the author of two novels
Dazed & Aroused and
Made in Britain and one non-fiction title
Claude Cahun: The Soldier with No Name. His journalism has featured in the Guardian, the Independent and Independent on Sunday, the Sunday Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Esquire and BBC Radio 5 Live. He now lives in Somerset.
An evening with William Sitwell concludes the Festival at 6.30pm on the Saturday. William is well known from his TV and media work, and in more recent years from his work in the local community supporting the flower show, and of course his culinary evenings. He will be talking about his career and his work, and will be taking questions from attendees.
Tickets are on sale from Wiveliscombe Library or via
www.wiveylitfest.co.uk where the full programme is available.