Programme launched for Derby Book Festival Autumn Edition
The programme for the first Autumn Edition of Derby Book Festival is released today (Monday 9 September) with tickets on sale for ten author events. The Festival, which will be held from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th October, will feature some of the Festival’s most popular genres: politics, thrillers and biography.
Derby Book Festival was held for the fifth time in June 2019 with 90 events over nine days. Just under 7000 tickets were sold making it their biggest Festival to date. The Festival is organised in partnership with all the major arts and cultural partners in the city with funding from the Arts Council England, the University of Derby and over 20 businesses and individuals across the city.
Highlights of this year’s Autumn Edition Festival will include:
- Politician and author Sir Vince Cable MP, who recently stood down as Leader of the Liberal Democrats and was first elected to Parliament in 1997
- BBC Editorial Director, Kamal Ahmed talking about his memoir of growing up in 1970s London
- Raynor Winn on her Costa Prize nominated memoir, The Salt Path
- Writing partnership, Nicci French, whose first thriller in ten years, The Lying Room, has just been published
- Best-selling Derbyshire based author Joanna Cannon on her memoir of being a junior doctor
- Lara Maiklem on Mudlarking: Lost and Found on the River Thames
- David Barrie on Incredible Journeys: Exploring the wonders of animal navigation
- Poet Helen Mort on her first novel, Black Car Burning
- Charlotte Philby, grand-daughter of Kim Philby, Britain’s most famous communist double-agent on her acclaimed debut thriller, The Most Difficult Thing
- Novelists Sofka Zinovieff and Emma Glass talking about their novels and responses to #MeToo
Liz Fothergill, Chair of the Festival says: “With five Festivals under our belt, our audiences are asking for more and it does always seem a very long time to wait from one June to the next. We hope our weekend Autumn Edition satisfies Derby’s yearning for more book related events.
“We know we have a loyal following in the city but we aim to attract new audiences to enable them to enjoy the pleasure that books bring to our lives. The programme is our usual eclectic mix of events and genres which will introduce people to the Festival if they haven’t joined us before.”
Vicky Dawson, the new Festival Director, said: “It’s wonderful to be involved with our first Autumn Edition so soon after starting in my new role. It will give me the chance to experience Derby’s Festival and to get a flavour of what our audiences like as we put together our exciting plans for our sixth Festival next year.”
All but one of the events will be hosted at QUAD, which will again provide the Festival Box Office. Derby Museums will host the other event. Book sales will be organised by Waterstones Derby.
The Festival programme will be available from QUAD, Artboxes, all libraries and tourist offices. Tickets can be booked online at: www.derbybookfestival.co.uk/whatson or in person or by phone at QUAD from 9 September.