Category: Discussion posts

Henley Literary Festival 2021 – Authors and Books Galore! @henleylitfest

whatcathyreadnext3 Comments

Henley Literary Festival is back for 2021 with a combination of in person and live-streamed events running from 2nd to 10th October. Tickets went on sale to the public on Monday 19th July, following a priority booking period for Friends of the Festival.

Henley-on-ThamesThis year’s venues include Henley Town Hall, Christ Church, the River and Rowing Museum and, new for 2021, the Baillie Gifford Marquee in the grounds of Phyllis Court. Unfortunately there are no events aboard one of Hobbs of Henley’s river cruisers this year – always a favourite of mine in previous years – but fingers crossed for next year.

Here are a few events from this year’s programme that caught my eye, some of which I’ve already secured my tickets for. Links will take you to the event information on the Henley Literary Festival website. In many cases, there is an option to purchase a ticket to access a live-stream of the event.

Snow CountrySaturday 2nd October

Dr Lucy Pollock and Rachel Clarke talking about their books, The Book About Getting Older and Breathtaking: Inside the NHS in a Time of Pandemic

Sebastian Faulks talking about his new novel, Snow Country

Candice Brathwaite and Nikesh Shukla talking about their latest books, Sista Sister and Brown Baby: A Memoir of Race, Family and Home

Sunday 3rd October

Kate Mosse talking about her new historical novel, The City of Tears

Ruby Wax talking about her book, A Mindfulness Guide for Survival

Monday 4th October

Tom Allen talking about his memoir, No Shame

Forensic scientist Professor Angela Gallop talking about her book How To Solve A Crime

Tuesday 5th October

Ed Balls talking about his book, Appetite, billed as ‘part autobiography, part cookbook’

The very popular ‘Crime and Wine‘ event, this year featuring Imran Mahmood, and husband-and-wife team Nikki French, talking about their books, I Know What I Saw and The Unheard. One of the Festival sponsors, Laithwaites, provide the wine.

The Late Train to Gipsy HillWednesday 6th October

Former politician Alan Johnson discussing his first foray into fiction, The Late Train to Gipsy Hill

Robert Webb talking about his debut novel, Come Again

Thursday 7th October

Comedian Jack Dee talking about his book What Is Your Problem?

Friday 8th October

Carol Kirkwood and Jill Mansell talking about their recent books, Under A Greek Moon, and And Now You’re Back

Alexander McCall Smith discussing the return of Mma Ramotswe in The Joy and Light Bus Company

Saturday 9th October

Grace Dent talking about her memoir, Hungry

Talking of being hungry, I hope that taster has given you an appetite for taking a longer look at the Henley Literary Festival website to see the full programme of events. There is also a series of pop-up events – both before and after the Festival – plus a full programme of events for children. And anytime you’re in Henley, pay a visit to The Bell Bookshop, the Festival’s partner bookseller.

Are you hoping to attend a literary festival this year?

#TopTenTuesday Reasons Why I Love Reading

whatcathyreadnext14 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

The rules are simple:

Each Tuesday, Jana assigns a new topic. Create your own Top Ten list that fits that topic – putting your unique spin on it if you want. Everyone is welcome to join but please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own Top Ten Tuesday post. Add your name to the Linky widget on that day’s post so that everyone can check out other bloggers’ lists. Or if you don’t have a blog, just post your answers as a comment.

favouriteThis week’s topic is Reasons Why I Love Reading. And we’re supposed to limit ourselves to just ten reasons?

  1. It supports a creative industry
  2. It’s a way of helping small businesses, like my nearest independent bookshop Fourbears Books, or maintaining valuable public institutions, like libraries
  3. Because books can be now consumed in a variety of formats – phyical, digital, audio – depending on preference or circumstances. For example, I’m currently listening to the audiobook version of A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende, have just finished a paperback copy of Business As Usual by Jane Oliver & Ann Stafford, and am reading an eARC of For Lord & Land by Matthew Harffy.
  4. Because reading is a great way to pass the time on long journeys
  5. Because books can transport you to different parts of the world, such as to India in my recent read The Secret Keeper of Jaipur
  6. Because books can give you an insight into events you’d otherwise not – or perhaps rather not – experience, such as the evacuation of Dunkirk in Sword of Bone by Anthony Rhodes
  7. You can learn things you didn’t know, and not only from non-fiction.  For instance, as I learned from the introduction to The Penguin Book of Spanish Short Stories, Spain has four recognised languages
  8. Reading opens up the possibility of being part of a wider community of fellow readers
  9. Picking up a book can help to lift your spirits just when you need it most
  10. If you don’t believe me about the value of reading, then listen to the wise words of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as imagined by Alan Bennett in The Uncommon Reader – “A book is a device to ignite the imagination.”

What are some of the reasons you love reading?