Chiddingstone Castle Literary Festival

Chiddingstone Castle Literary Festival In association with

Tuesday 2nd May Schools Programme

TERRY WAITE SIR ANTHONY SELDON ARTEMIS COOPER REV RICHARD COLES ALISON WEIR PIERS TORDAY CONN IGGULDEN LAUREN ST JOHN NICHOLAS CRANE

West Kent’s Literary Festival for story-lovers of all ages

Chiddingstone Castle, Chiddingstone, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7AD

Box Office:

www.chiddingstonecastle.org.uk/literary-festival

01892 872746

2017

Sunday 30th April and Bank Holiday Monday 1st May

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Programme Welcome to our second Literary Festival at Chiddingstone Castle. We are delighted to announce our new Title Sponsors for this year’s festival; Brooks Macdonald, an award-winning company that specialises in providing investment management services across the UK and internationally. We hope you’ll find something for everyone in our impressive line-up this year. We have authors of biography, memoir and musings; writers of fiction, historical and heroic; stories for children of nature, family and friends; lively storytelling shows and a musical theatre performance for all the family. From the making of the British landscape, to the history of the Great War, from good mood food to coping with bereavement, from Brexit and Trump to great lives well lived – we’ve got a surplus of literary treats lined up, and a few surprises.

Adult events will take place on Sunday, whilst Bank Holiday Monday sees a range of author events for all the family along with storytelling shows for children, a Comic Art Masterclass, Sock Puppet Shakespeare, a tour of Chiddingstone with a local historian and much more. Tuesday’s Schools Day offers local pupils the chance to hear top children’s authors inspire and celebrate reading and imagination. Come for one event or stay all day. Enjoy delicious food from our vintage vans, tea and cakes from our tea rooms, drinks from the bar and Larkins beer. All tickets to the festival include free entry to the castle and its collections. We are delighted to welcome back Sevenoaks Bookshop as our festival booksellers, and look forward to hosting literacy charity Beanstalk and Book Activist Victoria Dilly. A huge thank you to all our supporters, generous sponsors and donors, volunteers and book-lovers for helping us bring some very special authors to this beautiful historic house in West Kent. 3

Sunday 30 April Adult Events

With Geoffrey Streatfeild

Anne Sebba

Patrick Leigh Fermor A Celebration

Les Parisiennes: How the Women of Paris Lived, Loved and Died in the 1940s

1.30-2.30pm £12 The Main Marquee

10.30-11.30am £12 The Main Marquee How did it feel to be a woman living in Paris from 1939 to 1949? Years of fear, power, aggression, courage, deprivation and secrets. It was the women who came face to face with their German conquerors daily. By looking at women from collaborators to resisters, actresses to prostitutes to teachers and writers, acclaimed author Anne Sebba shows they made life-anddeath decisions every day. How did those who survived to see Paris liberated come to terms with their actions and those of others? Sponsored by Slightly Foxed Artemis Cooper Elizabeth Jane Howard: A Dangerous Innocence 11.45-12.45pm £12 The Main Marquee

Elizabeth Jane Howard (1923-2014) wrote brilliant novels about people and love, but in her own life the lasting relationship she sought so ardently always eluded her. She yearned to be an actress; but when that ambition was thwarted by marriage and the war, she turned to fiction. Her numerous marriages and affairs turned her into a literary femme fatale, but Artemis Cooper reveals her as a romantic innocent trying to make sense of her life through her writing, whilst illuminating the literary world she lived in. Sponsored by Roland Legg Property Consultants 4

Artemis Cooper and Adam Sisman

Widely regarded as one of our greatest ever travel writers, Sir Patrick ‘Paddy’ Leigh Fermor (1915 – 2011) was also one of the most remarkable men of his times. Described as “a cross between Indiana Jones, James Bond and Graham Greene”, Paddy was as renowned for his feats of derring-do as for his opulent prose. Paddy’s biographer Artemis Cooper and Adam Sisman, editor of Dashing For the Post (a collection of Paddy’s letters), will discuss the life and work of this erudite and spirited writer, war hero and friend to many. Actor Geoffrey Streatfeild (RSC, National Theatre) will read excerpts from Paddy’s letters. Sponsored by Larkins Brewery Sir Anthony Seldon with David Walsh Education and the Great War 2.45-3.45pm £12 The Main Marquee In this centenary year of the battles of Arras and Passchendaele, renowned biographer and educationalist Sir Anthony Seldon talks to David Walsh about the impact of the Great War on public schools and the sacrifice made to the victory of 1918. Sir Anthony Seldon is former headmaster of Brighton College and Wellington College, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham. He is also a political historian and commentator on contemporary political and educational issues. They will discuss his views on education, the importance of happiness and the current political situation. David Walsh is co-author of Public Schools and the Great War and former Second Master at Tonbridge School. Sponsored by Knocker & Foskett Solicitors

Alison Weir Six Tudor Queens: Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession 4.00-5.00pm £12 The Main Marquee

A literary exclusive for Chiddingstone Castle sees the launch of Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession; the latest in Alison Weir’s Six Tudor Queens series. Drawing on the Boleyn family’s local links with Hever Castle and Chiddingstone, Alison will unveil an unforgettable portrait of the ambitious woman whose fate is so familiar, but whose true motivations are surprising. Alison Weir is the top-selling female historian in the UK and has published seventeen history books and five historical novels. Sponsored by Consultus Care and Nursing

Terry Waite in conversation with James Lee Taken On Trust 5.15-6.15pm £12 The Main Marquee

It is now 25 years since Terry Waite was released after spending 1,763 days in captivity in Beirut. He will talk about his career in International Affairs before and after his time in solitary confinement, and his continued interest in the Middle East. He will reveal how he wrote books in his head during those years and the importance of language in maintaining inner harmony. James Lee chairs the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and had a long career in film and TV production. Sponsored by Berry & Lamberts Solicitors

Tim Shipman and Andy Bell Brexit and Trump: All Out War 6.30-7.30pm £12 The Main Marquee

Tim Shipman, political editor of the Sunday Times and Andy Bell, political editor of Channel 5 News will discuss the ongoing drama that is Brexit, and the first 100 days of Trump’s Presidency. Why did David Cameron choose to take the biggest political gamble of his life and why did he lose? Both speakers have unrivalled access to key politicians and their advisers here and in the US and will reveal anecdotes and juicy leaks from their ringside seats. Tim Shipman is the author of All Out War: The Full Story of How Brexit Sank Britain’s Political Class. Sponsored by Harwoods Land Rover Edenbridge

Monday 1 May Adult Events Decca Aitkenhead and Julia Samuel in conversation with Imogen Lycett Green Bereavement and Grief 11.00-12.00pm £12 The Main Marquee Death is the last taboo in our society, and grief is still profoundly misunderstood. Guardian journalist Decca Aitkenhead, author of All At Sea, suffered the catastrophic loss of her husband who drowned whilst rescuing one of their sons. Julia Samuel, author of Grief Works: Stories of Life, Death and Surviving, is a grief psychotherapist working with bereaved families. Imogen Lycett Green is a writer and co-founder of Narrative Workshops CIC. Together they will discuss love, loss and survival; sharing their own and others’ stories of coming to terms with grief. Sponsored by Jigsaw South East 5

Nicholas Crane The Making of the British Landscape: From the Ice Age to the Present 2.00-3.00pm £12 The Main Marquee Penny Harris A Wealden Woman’s War 12.10-12.45pm Free with ticket to visit the Castle/ Festival The Victorian Kitchen Penny Harris has lived in the parish of Chiddingstone all her life. She will entertain you with anecdotes and stories from her mother Edwina Hall’s Chiddingstone Memoir: A Wealden Woman’s War.

Bob Golds A Walking Tour of Chiddingstone Village 12.50-1.50pm Free with ticket to visit the Castle/ Festival Meet at the Main Door to the Castle

Enjoy a tour of the Castle grounds and Chiddingstone Village with local historian Bob Golds. Starting with a brief history of the Castle and its surrounds, Bob will then walk the route of the old High Street to the Castle Inn and present High Street. He will cover the origins and history of the village, church and Chiding Stone, with a climb up the Church tower (for those that wish) for a bird`s-eye view of the village. 6

Nicholas Crane takes an epic geographical journey through time, combining the latest research in global climate change with compelling storytelling. He describes the ancient relationship between people and place and the modern tensions between town and countryside, with a closer look at the landscape of the South-East. Nicholas Crane is a presenter of BBC TV’s Coast and President of the Royal Geographical Society. Sponsored by NFU Mutual

Rev. Richard Coles in conversation with Nicolette Jones Bringing in the Sheaves: Wheat and Chaff from My Years as a Priest 3.15-4.15pm £12 The Main Marquee

After a life of sex, drugs and the Communards, the Reverend Richard Coles has devoted himself to Christianity. He is now Vicar of Finedon, as well as a much-loved presenter of Radio 4’s Saturday Live, and a regular on Radio 2’s Pause for Thought. With a unique insight into his daily ministry, he describes the joy, drama, difficulty and humour which life - and indeed death - serves up. Nicolette Jones is a writer, critic and broadcaster, specialising in literary and arts journalism, and author of The Plimsoll Sensation. Sponsored by RH and RW Clutton

Rachel Kelly in conversation with Imogen Lycett Green The Happy Kitchen: Good Mood Food 4.30-5.30pm £12 The Main Marquee Rachel Kelly, former Times journalist and bestselling author of Walking on Sunshine: 52 Small Steps to Happiness, discusses her holistic approach to staying calm and well after a long battle with anxiety. Rachel will share wellbeing strategies for mind and body that really work, including the science of eating to be happy - the basis of her latest book The Happy Kitchen: Good Mood Food. Imogen Lycett Green is a writer and co-founder of Narrative Workshops CIC and director of the Betjeman Poetry Prize. Sponsored by Buzzacotts Chartered Accountants

Conn Iggulden with Angus Donald I, Dunstan: Seven Kings and the Birth of England

Monday 1 May Family Events The award-winning Pericles Theatre Company and Atelier Community Theatre present The Ugly Duckling 10.30-11.30am £10 adult plus child £5 child Under 3s free The Orangery Suitable for All Ages

The Ugly Duckling is a new adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen tale about the cygnet born into a duck’s nest, mercilessly teased by his siblings, who begins his journey towards self-discovery. Pericles are much loved for producing work for children which simultaneously tickles the funny bone of the grown-ups. Directed by Vasile Nedelcu. Sponsored by Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells

5.45-6.45pm £12 The Main Marquee

Beanstalk for Kent/ Book Activist Reading Zone

Conn Iggulden gives us an exclusive preview of his new novel I, Dunstan. The year is 937. England is a nation divided, ruled by minor kings and Viking lords. The Wessex king Æthelstan, grandson of Alfred the Great, is readying himself to attack the north. Behind him stands Dunstan, the man who will control the destiny of the next seven kings of England, and the fate of an entire nation. Conn is author of the best-selling Emperor, Conqueror and Wars of the Roses series, and one of the most successful authors of historical fiction writing today. Angus Donald is author of The Outlaw Chronicles, a series about the legendary hero Robin Hood. He lives in Tonbridge. Sponsored by Olden Property Consulting

Storytelling and Reading Advice 11.00-5.00pm Free with ticket to visit the Castle/Festival The Housekeeper’s Room Suitable for All Ages

Whether your child is a book worm or a reluctant reader, here’s an opportunity to meet volunteers from literacy charity Beanstalk for Kent, and the Book Activist, who love to read and want to inspire parents and children to enjoy reading too. Pop in for a chat, browse some wonderful kids’ books or join a storytelling session. 7

Rachel Sellers reads the

Comic Art Masterclass

Winners of the Short Story Competition

With Kev F Sutherland

11.40-12.00pm Free with ticket to visit the Castle/ Festival

1.30-4.00pm £10 per child The Streatfeild Room

The Children’s Marquee Voiceover artist Rachel Sellers will read out the winning entries from this year’s Chiddingstone Castle Literary Festival Short Story Competition for Children.

Piers Torday The Last Wild 12.15-1.15pm £10 adult plus child £5 child The Main Marquee

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Suitable for children 7+

Join Kev F Sutherland, writer and artist for The Beano, Marvel and many other comics, for 2 ½ hours of Comic Strip fun. Kev knows everything about comic strips, cartoon art and manga. Learn all the tricks of the trade and produce a comic containing a strip by every single person, a copy to take home, plus a caricature of everyone taking part.

Really Big Pants Theatre Company present Suddenly 2.00-2.50pm £10 adult plus child £5 child


The Children’s Marquee

Meet Piers Torday, best-selling author of The Last Wild and its sequels The Dark Wild (winner of the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize) and The Wild Beyond. Discover how Piers started writing and the real-life story which inspired The Last Wild Trilogy. Piers’ award-winning stories take readers to worlds full of wonder, with a dash of danger. His latest book for children There May Be a Castle has been widely critically-acclaimed, with The Times calling him ‘the new master of books for children’. Sponsored by Chilstone Makers of Fine Cast Stone


Red loves bedtime stories at Grandma’s. But one evening they are interrupted by their wily neighbour, Mr Wolfe, and a race begins to save their treehouse from a faulty genie and a wicked stepmother with a magic mirror, all before midnight! A fast, fun twist on traditional tales. Help with a special spell, ride on a flying carpet and battle some bad manners!

Mr Dilly’s World of Wonder Storytelling The Legend of Perseus 3.30-4.15pm £10 adult plus child £5 child The Children’s Marquee Suitable for children 4+

Gods, Monsters, Heroes. Fight the gorgon and save the world! Come and see Mr Dilly’s World of Wonder bring the Greek myth of brave Perseus and the terrifying Medusa to life in a hilarious, fun and interactive story theatre show. Dress up and take part…just don’t look into Medusa’s eyes! Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre

Programme for Schools Tuesday 2 May Mr Dilly’s World of Wonder Storytelling George and The Dragon 10.00 and 11.00am Brave Knights wanted! The beautiful Princess Sabre and her castle are being attacked by the fearsome Dragon. Can Saint George save the day? An interactive, magical storytelling adventure. Really Big Pants Theatre Company present Suddenly 12.40 and 1.45pm

Socks Do Shakespeare 5.00-6.00pm £10 adult plus child £5 child The Children’s Marquee

A fast, fun twist on traditional tales. Help with a special spell, ride on a flying carpet and battle some bad manners! Christopher Lloyd 10.00-11.00am


Earth’s funniest footwear perform a brand new show of songs, sketches, socks & violence, taking on The Bard Of Avon himself. Howl at their Hamlet, roar at their Romeo & Juliet, and peer into their Coriolanus, plus all the usual satirical nonsense from the Two Gentlesocks Of Verrucca. A comedy act that must be seen to be believed, with hilarious songs, sketches, parodies and puns.

The author of the What on Earth? Science Timeline, takes an epic voyage through the story of inventions, with his giant wallbook and his technicolour coat of many pockets. Sponsored by Chiddingstone Parish Council Lauren St John 11.15-12.15pm

Join the bestselling author of The White Giraffe series and the Blue Peter Award-winning mystery adventure series Laura Marlin, to hear how growing up with animals in Africa inspired her to write. Sponsored by Scoop Magazine 9

Piers Torday

A F Harrold

12.30-1.30pm

1.45-2.45pm

Guardian Children’s Fiction Award-winning author of The Last Wild Trilogy will talk about blending fantasy and the modern world in his beautiful new story There May be a Castle. Sponsored by Beanstalk for Kent All Schools Day Tickets £4 per pupil. Schools Tickets available by emailing: [email protected]

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Meet the hilarious poet and author of Fizzlebert Stump, The Imaginary and The Song from Somewhere Else. Bring your imagination and find out what fun words can be! Sponsored by the Betjeman Poetry Prize

Sponsors With grateful thanks to all our sponsors and donors, including Kent Community Foundation, Molly and David Borthwick and Waitrose, Edenbridge

Programme at a Glance Sunday 30 April

Adult Day

Adult Events 10.30-11.30

Anne Sebba 11.45-12.45 Artemis Cooper 1.30-2.30 Artemis Cooper, Adam Sisman & Geoffrey Streatfeild 2.45-3.45 Anthony Seldon & David Walsh 4.00-5.00 Alison Weir 5.15-6.15 Terry Waite 6.30-7.30 Tim Shipman & Andy Bell

Les Parisiennes: How the Women of Paris Lived, Loved and Died in the 1940s Elizabeth Jane Howard: A Dangerous Innocence Patrick Leigh Fermor: A Celebration

Monday 1 May

Family Day

Education and The Great War Six Tudor Queens - Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession Taken on Trust Brexit and Trump – All Out War

Adult Events 11.00-12.00

Decca Aitkenhead, Julia Samuel & Imogen Lycett Green 12.10-12.45 Penny Harris 12.50-1.50 Bob Golds 2.00-3.00 Nick Crane 3.15-4.15 Rev Richard Coles 4.30-5.30 Rachel Kelly & Imogen Lycett Green 5.45-6.45 Conn Iggulden & Angus Donald

Bereavement and Grief A Wealden Woman’s War Walking History Tour of Chiddingstone Village The Making of the British Landscape Bringing in the Sheaves: Wheat and Chaff from My Years as a Priest The Happy Kitchen: Good Mood Food I, Dunstan: Seven Kings and the Birth of England

Family Events 10.30-11.30 11.00-5.00 11.40-12.00 12.15-1.15 1.30-4.00 2.00-2.50 3.30-4.15 5.00-6.00

Pericles Theatre Company Beanstalk for Kent/the Book Activist Rachel Sellers Piers Torday Kev Sutherland Really Big Pants Theatre Mr Dilly’s World of Wonder Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre

The Ugly Duckling Storytelling and Reading Advice Reading of Short Story Competition Winners The Last Wild 8+ Comic Strip Art Masterclass 7+ Suddenly 4+ Medusa and Perseus 4+ Socks Do Shakespeare 7+

Sunday and Monday gates open 10.00am, Castle open from 10.30am 11

Proud title sponsor of Chiddingstone Castle Literary Festival. We are an award-winning provider of comprehensive investment solutions. To discover how we can help you achieve your financial goals contact our team or visit our website.

Contact our local office: T: 01892 554 900 E: [email protected] www.brooksmacdonald.com

How To Book Box Office

Tickets Adult £12 Child (3-13) £5 Adult plus child at Family Events £10

Book tickets online: www.chiddingstonecastle.org.uk/literary-festival

Adult Festival day pass Sunday £60

Phone: 01892 872746

Comic Strip Masterclass £10 per child

Payment: Please note that all bookings are subject to a booking fee

Adult Festival day pass Monday £50

Under 3s free No concessions Early Bird Tickets Discounted tickets available from 1-15 March £10/£4/£55 Sunday/£45 Monday

Denys Eyre Bower Bequest, Chiddingstone Castle registered charity no 291203 12