BOOKS: Delve between the pages of Bury Literature Festival 2023

Published: 11:11, 29 August 2023

| Updated: 11:13, 29 August 2023

From spine-tingling gothic mysteries set on the Suffolk coast to fearless explorations of motherhood, Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival celebrates East Anglia’s most riveting reads. Louise Cummings slips between the pages. . .

*BEST FOR. . .Escapism
Kate Sawyer – This Family
Prepare to be swept away by the story of one family told through a chorus of intriguing characters. Set over the course of an English summer’s day, This Family explores memories of love and loss, hope and joy, heartbreak and grief, spanning a 40-year period. Join local author Kate Sawyer, whose debut novel The Stranding, was Costa shortlisted, as she chats about the inspiration for her new book, This Family, set in Bury St Edmunds.
* Saturday, October 21, 4.30pm

*BEST FOR. . .Little People (and the young at heart)
Hannah Gold – Finding Bear
Are you sitting comfortably? Then award-winning children’s author Hannah Gold will begin, conjuring up the enthralling world of April and Bear from her bestseller The Last Bear. If you’ve ever imagined what it would be like to make friends with a polar bear, you’ll adore Hannah’s heart-warming stories which celebrate the love between children and animals and show that even the smallest folk can make a big difference. In this discussion for children, young people and parents, Hannah will unveil her highly anticipated sequel, Finding Bear.
* Saturday, October 21, 12pm

*BEST FOR. . .Sports Lovers
Ashley Hickson-Lovence – YOUR SHOW
Ever wondered what life was like for the Premier League’s first black referee, Uriah Rennie? Norwich based author, Phd and creative writing lecturer Ashley Hickson-Lovence did, and has written a stirring, stylistically unorthodox novel that fictionalises Uriah’s life, from Jamaica to Sheffield to the highest level of our national game.
Rising through the ranks as a referee, Uriah is confronted with tensions and prejudices, which emerge as his every move is watched, analysed and commented on. An inspiring triumph over adversity tale.
* Saturday, October 21, 3pm

*BEST FOR. . .History Buffs
Annie Garthwaite – CECILY
Dubbed ‘the new Hilary Mantel’, Annie Garthwaite will discuss her hugely successful debut novel CECILY, which invites us into the closed bedchambers and bloody battlefields of the first days of the Wars of the Roses. Told through the eyes of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, CECILY uncovers one of the greatest untold stories in British history, of an extraordinary 15th century heroine who mothered two kings, bore 12 children (burying all but two) and survived beyond her house’s ruin.
* Saturday, October 21, 6pm

*BEST FOR. . . Mums
Marianne Levy – DON’T FORGET TO SCREAM
Welcome to the real story of motherhood, warts and all, courtesy of Marianne Levy, who writes with dazzling honesty about love and loss, rage and pain, heartache and joy. A frank, funny and fearless dive into what it means to become a Mum, DON’T FORGET TO SCREAM looks at the psychological shifts that can overturn a woman's sense of self. Join Marianne as she breaks the silence around the emotional turmoil that having a child can unleash.
* Saturday, October 21, 1.30pm

*BEST FOR . . . Chilling Tales
The Women They Called Witches; AK Blakemore, Margaret Meyer and Marion Gibson
One of medieval history’s most notorious figures - the self-styled Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins - spearheaded around 100 witch executions across East Anglia.
In one of the most distressing cases in 1645, 16 women and two men from villages surrounding Bury St Edmunds were found guilty of witchcraft, with all 18 executed on August 27, 1645.
Celebrated authors AK Blakemore, Margaret Meyer and Marion Gibson will lead a fascinating panel event, reading from their individual books dedicated to the women they called witches and discussing why we should never forget the plight of the people who lost their lives to the terrifying East Anglian witch trials.
*Sunday, October 22, 7pm