Special offer for Lovereading members 25% discount on all tickets. To redeem your 25% discount off tickets visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/curious-arts-festival-2014-tickets-3946682634 and enter the code: LoveReading.

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Taking place in the breath-taking grounds of Pylewell Park in the New Forest on 18th-20th July, Curious Arts Festival promises a glittering celebration of talent - mainstream and maverick, emerging and established - from the worlds of literature, music, film and the visual arts. It’s probably the only arts festival which opens with a cricket match, played in the grounds of the Park between the Authors XI and the Pylewell Park team; and at which a legendary octogenarian novelist (Fay Weldon) takes to the stage with her great nephew Roger Clarke to talk ghosts!

Against the sublime backdrop of the park, Booker prize winner DBC Pierre talks about his new novel Breakfast with the Borgias "hell is other people", while also introducing ‘Horror of Dracula’, the first Horror Hammer film to be produced, in the film tent; celebrated authors Matt Haig, Deborah Levy, M J Hyland, Rachel Joyce, Nathan Filer (winner of this year’s Costa Prize), Neil Bartlett and Lottie Moggach each discuss their work while novelists Emma Unsworth (Animals) and John Niven (Kill Your Friends, Single White Male) get to grips with being bad.

Taking centre stage, historian Lady Antonia Fraser, is in conversation with Ben Wilson about her life and work and her most recent book, Perilous Question; while another historian, Dan Snow closes the literary event strand on Sunday night. Keeping on the history theme, Sisters of Treason author Elizabeth Freemantle discusses Tudor women, Frances Welch talks Romanovs and Rasputin, Claudia Renton delves into the lives of the Wyndham sisters with The Times chief art critic Rachel Campbell-Johnston and novelists Robert Wilton and Isabel Wolff discuss history v ‘herstory’ with Rowan Pelling.

Finally, and by no means least, Piers Torday, shortlisted for Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2014 for his first novel The Last Wild brings the magical story of Kester and the animals he loves to life in a thrilling and enchanting event for all the family. He is joined in the children’s tent by The History Keeper author Damian Dibben and Rob Lloyd Jones who has wowed children and critics alike with his wonderful new series Wild Boy.

With everything from the unusual to the original, the Curious Arts Festival will feature an early morning cartoon club for children, a breakfast club with journalists and a broadcaster discussing local and national news, as well as ‘bibliotherapy’, with books prescribed especially for each reader. Other delights will include magic, fabulous insect and bat walks with founder of insect arts festival ‘Pestival’ Bridget Nicholls, a song-writing workshop with leading broadcaster Sandy Burnett, a dedicated film-tent, live gigs every night, a pop-up bookshop, ghost stories told at midnight by MR James, a Saturday afternoon tea-party with festival partner Persephone Books, and DJ sets from HMS Sweet Charity - who only play music found in thrift stores and charity shops. And Hendrick’s are bringing their Caravan of Knowledge containing an array of delights from wondrous summer cocktails to erudite periods of learning.

To ensure guests are properly looked after, there will be delicious food served from dawn ‘til dusk, fabulous bars, and scrumptious afternoon teas. And with easy, free parking, and four events specifically for children on both Saturday and Sunday, families will be more than welcome. Why not BYOT (bring your own tent!) and camp in the extensive grounds for free, or book a luxurious outdoor glamping experience.

To redeem your 25% discount off tickets visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/curious-arts-festival-2014-tickets-3946682634 and enter the code: LoveReading.

 

Festival Details:

Dates: 18-20 July 2014

Location: Pylewell Park, East End, Lymington SO41 5SJ

Accommodation: Camping and Glamping available on site

Ticket prices: Weekend Ticket £100 (includes camping); Day ticket (includes evening)

£45; Evening ticket £20 Website: www.curiousartsfestival.com