SEVENOAKS LITERARY CELEBRATION 2008

The 2010 Sevenoaks Literary Celebration promises to be another two weeks of sparkling literary events to delight all ages. Last year's festival proved lucky for Hilary Mantel, who won the Booker Prize two days after talking about Wolf Hall. This year focuses strongly on history writing and also features two leading novelists.

The town's book festival is one of only two in Kent and has been growing for almost a decade. It opens with an appearance by Sarah Dunant, whose historical and mystery novels have a big following, and the main programme closes with a keenly awaited return visit by Lionel Shriver to read from her new novel So Much For That.

This year's line-up of historians will include the UK's best-known academic expert on Nazi Germany Michael Burleigh. His new book Moral Combat, a sweeping new history of World War II, restores the traditional view of the conflict as a titanic battle against evil. Adrian Tinniswood will talk about his fascinating book on 17th century Barbary pirates, a little-known chapter of European history with strong relevance today. Two speakers address contrasting aspects of country house history. Robert Sackville-West, better known as Lord Sackville, will talk about Inheritance, his new book about Knole and his wayward ancestors. Jeremy Musson, an expert on country house history, will focus on the world below stairs and the life of servants. Much-travelled Kirsten Ellis will present Star of the Morning, her biography of the Regency traveller Lady Hester Stanhope, and Sue Brown will talk about her book on Joseph Severn, the artist and friend of John Keats who was the poet's companion at his death in Rome. Anna Parkinson, author of a biography of her ancestor John Parkinson, herbalist to Charles I, will discuss how plants can unlock the past.

To mark the centenary of the Sevenoaks Poetry Society, there will be a reading by Gillian Clarke, the National Poet of Wales. Readers will also be invited to a literary lunch with Juliet Nicolson, author of two much-praised books of social history about the period before and after World War I. For the third year running there will be a special event for book groups, who will meet to swap notes on their Desert Island Books. The festival is staging a special free event for Sevenoaks primary schoolchildren with Christopher Lloyd on the theme of What on Earth Happened? The final event will be the very popular literary walk around Weald village, led by Gilly Moysey, returning for its seventh year. The walk, which includes tea and readings and a visit to Long Barn, always sells out fast, so this year a ballot will be held for tickets on 27th August. Tickets will be limited to 2 per family.

Full details of times, venues and prices are listed on this site, www.sevenoaksliterarycelebration.com. Press enquiries & photos: John Morrison (Publicity Officer) 01732 454536 Email: johnmmorrison7@aol.com.

Events take place in a variety of venues in Sevenoaks,
mostly at 7.30 pm. Tickets from £5.

Friday 24th September

Sarah Dunant on Novel History in Renaissance Italy

Monday 27th September

Robert Sackville-West on Knole & The Sackvilles

Tuesday 28th September

Kirsten Ellis on Lady Hester Stanhope

Wednesday 29th September

Christopher Lloyd (event for primary schools)

Wednesday 29th September

Sue Brown on Joseph Severn

Thursday 30th September

Literary Lunch with Juliet Nicolson

Friday 1st October

Poetry with Gillian Clarke

Saturday 2nd October

Book Groups Tea: Desert Island Books

Monday 4th October

Adrian Tinniswood on Barbary Pirates

Tuesday 5th October

Jeremy Musson on Up and Down Stairs

Wednesday 6th October

Anna Parkinson on Unlocking the Past through Plants

Thursday 7th October

Michael Burleigh on Moral Combat

Friday 8th October

Lionel Shriver on So Much For That

Sunday 10th October

Weald Literary Walk with Gilly Moysey