Harrogate Book Festivals July 2014

Read on for news of

Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival 10-13 July 2014 at St George Hotel

and

Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival 17-20 July, at the Old Swan Hotel  and we have a competition to win 2 tickets to see Sophie Hannah in conversation with S.J. Watson on 19 July.

For the full programme, times and ticket sales visit www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com or call the Box Office: 01423 562 303

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RAWORTHS HARROGATE LITERATURE FESTIVAL 10-13 JULY 2014 | ST GEORGE HOTEL, HARROGATE

The 2014 Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival ventures boldly into books with war correspondent Kate Adie, world-renowned explorer, Ranulph Fiennes and adventurous foodie, Jay Rayner.

The festival also includes Matthew Dennison discussing his biography, Queen Victoria A Life of Contradictions. Actor Timothy West will read Wilfrid Owen’s poetry in the ‘Pity of War’ to mark the WW1 Centenary, and actor and producer, Ben Crystal, will celebrate Shakespeare’s 450^th birthday with a troupe of Shakespearean actors.

Other authors include: BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner; architectural historian Simon Thurley who has been the Head of English Heritage since 2003; ‘The Two Johnnies’ the Guardian’s Digested Read’s John Crace and biographer John Sutherland on ‘digesting literature’; Mark Watson, stand-up comic and author of four acclaimed novels; prolific journalist and broadcaster Viv Groskop on her remarkable account of how she became a stand-up comic; the Financial Times’ Mrs Moneypenny’s with hilarious and wise advice for women on all things money matters, and Linda Collley on ‘Acts of Union, Acts of Disunion’ looking at the forces that have unified Britain.

Acclaimed journalist, editor and broadcaster Mark Ellen talks to crime-writer Mark Billingham about his ‘big bad love affair with music’.

Bestselling authors Mark Forsyth and Simon Garfield take a journey through language, from workaday notes and correspondence between friends to advertising slogans and legendary speeches.

Comedian, writer, broadcaster and all-round British institution Arthur Smith brings an evening of laughter and off the wall humour.

A special DCI Banks panel ‘From Page to Screen’ also features the executive producer Gabriel Silver, author Peter Robinson, and actor Stephen Tompkinson.

The festival also features a Salon North event with three experts on stage exploring the topic ‘Personal Taste’, including of course, our taste for books, with the author of ‘The Novel Cure’, Ella Berthoud, who will be leading the audience in a bibliotherapy session.

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KILLER LINE UP FOR 2014 CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL

Europe’s largest celebration of crime writing has announced its star line-up including an exclusive appearance by J.K. Rowling, writing as Robert Galbraith, as well as Ann Cleeves, John Harvey, Sophie Hannah, Lynda La Plante, Laura Lippman, Peter May, Val McDermid, Denise Mina, and S.J. Watson. The 2014 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival takes place between the 17-20 July, at the Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate.

J.K. Rowling will be in conversation with Val McDermid in her first and only appearance in 2014 as Robert Galbraith. She’ll be discussing her new book The Silkworm, the second crime novel in the Cormoran Strike series, at a special event hosted at the Royal Hall in Harrogate at 7.30pm on Friday 18 July. The Silkworm is published by Little Brown on 19 June.

This year’s stellar list of names has been put together by, award-winning author Steve Mosby, who takes over the reins from Val McDermid as this year’s Programming Chair. Based in Leeds, he’s the author of seven novels – The Third Person, The Cutting Crew, The 50/50 Killer, Cry for Help, Still Bleeding, Black Flowers, and Dark Room. His eighth novel, The Nightmare Place is published in June 2014.

Steve said: “It’s a pleasure and honour to be Chair of this year’s Festival. It’s one of the most sought after events in the crime writing community, attracting the biggest names from around the world. It’s a big pressure to live up to its legacy, but the 2014 programme is really quite special.”

The annual Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, which first launched in 2003, is hosted at The Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate, where Agatha Christie was famously found in 1926 after disappearing from her home.

Attendees are invited to join up to 80 of the world’s most celebrated crime authors ‘in conversation, in action and in the bar.’

Headline sponsor, Simon Theakston, Executive Director of T&R Theakston, said: “We’ve supported the festival since almost from the start, and every year I think it surpasses already high expectations. 2014 is no different with this remarkable line-up of world-class authors. It truly is a delight for Theakstons to be part of such an iconic annual event on the literary calendar.”

Behind the festival atmosphere, the event is one of the most important in the crime publishing calendar, with publishers scheduling new releases to coincide with the July date.  Agents, publishers, publicists and authors attend from all over Europe and the world.

It is ranked as one of the top three literary festivals in the UK by The Guardian, and featured in The Independent’s ‘The 50 Best Festivals’.

With four days packed with events, the full programme will be announced in early May.

For more details, visit www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/crime or call the Box Office:01423 562 303