26 SEPTEMBER - 28 OCTOBER
WHAT'S ON
This year Sevenoaks will be celebrating its literary festival for a seventh year, and once
again a full and varied programme will be on offer with a wide range of literary events.
Last year's Sevenoaks Literary Celebration was an extremely successful event, attracting many
full houses and much critical appreciation. Our opening speakers were Sarah Waters in conversation with John Mullan,
and other well-attended events included Kathryn Hughes on Mrs Beeton, Gillian Tindall and Jerry White on Historic London,
Kate Williams on Emma Hamilton, a literary lunch with Xinran and a wonderful Poetry at Penshurst with Daljit Nagra and Ruth
Padel. Local literary associations were not forgotten, with a talk by Jonathan Smith on Taking Liberties with Real Lives
and the every-popular Weald Literary Walk.
Sevenoaks Literary Celebration 2008 will begin with a flourish with a trio of best-selling
novelists, Victoria Hislop on 26 September, Penelope Lively on 27th September and Salley Vickers on 29th September.
On 1 October there will be a literary lunch with an Indian flavour, with a talk by Charles Allen on Kipling in India, and
4 October a tea for local book groups featuring the inspiring Nicola Beauman from Persephone Books. Real lives
feature at the end of the week, when on 2 October Hester Davenport will be describing Fanny Burney's years at the court of
King George III, with readings from her diaries by Karin Fernald. This will be followed by ex-ambassador
Rodric Braithwaite on the Russians in Afghanistan on 3 October, and on 4 October Selina Hastings, who will be discussing the
letters and friendship of Evelyn Waugh and Nancy Mitford. On the 9 October, the nation's favourite poet, Wendy Cope will be
at the Sevenoaks Library to celebrate National Poetry Day.
On the afternoon of the 2 October, younger readers will be delighted to welcome the popular
author of teenage novels Tim Bowler at a free event for schools. And, as always, we will feature writers with local
associations: our first speaker, Victoria Hislop, was born in Tonbridge and lives in Kent, as does Frank Barnard, who
will be talking at the library on 30 September about his novels about World War II fighter pilots. On 5 October
there will be the annual Weald Literary Walk, with readings and afternoon tea. Our final event will be on 28 October,
when Sir Roy Strong will give a talk at Knole on 'Saving the English Country Church'. This will be a sell-out, so book
early!
Full details of the Sevenoaks Literary Celebration
2008 Programme, with venues, dates, times and ticket prices, can be found by clicking on the
OUR PROGRAMME IN BRIEF
* 26 September, 7.30 pm: Victoria Hislop, 'The Return'
* 27 September, 2.30 pm: Penelope Lively, 'The Writer in the Garden'
* 29 September, 7.30 pm: Salley Vickers, 'The Myth in Modern Times'
* 30 September, 7.30 pm: Frank Barnard, ' The Fighter Pilots of World War II'
* 1 October, 12 for 12.30 pm: Indian Literary Lunch with speaker Charles Allen
on 'Kipling Sahib'
* 2 October, 2.30 pm: Schools event, Tim Bowler, 'Dangerous Worlds'
* 2 October, 7.30 pm: 'Fanny Burney at the Court of King George', with Hester Davenport
and Karin Fernald
* 3 October, 7.30 pm: Rodric Braithwaite on 'The Russians in Afghanistan'
* 4 October, 2.30 pm: Books Groups Tea with Nicola Beauman
* 4 October, 7.30 pm: Selina Hastings, 'Evelyn Waugh and Nancy Mitford: A
Literary Correspondence'
* 5 October, 2.30pm: Weald Literary Walk with readings and tea
* 9 October, 7 pm: An evening with Wendy Cope
* 28 October, 2.30 pm: Sir Roy Strong, 'Saving the English Country Church'
