Cambridge Literary Festival announces its winter 2022 headliners
The Cambridge Literary Festival has announced a star-studded line-up for this winter’s programme – including Downton’s Hugh Bonneville, Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, comedian Al Murray and Gavin and Stacey’s Ruth Jones and award-winning novelist Ian McEwan, writes Alex Spencer.
The festival will run from Thursday, November 17 to Sunday, November 21 and booking opens this week. Organisers are also launching a collaboration with the University Arms Hotel, which will hold a literary soiree hosted by Alex Clark featuring Kate Mosse, co-founder of the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and screenwriter Abi Morgan, writer of The Iron Lady, Shame and Suffragette and BBC series The Split.
The winners of both the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction and the Goldsmiths Prize 2022 will be joining the festival straight from the winners’ announcement and will be giving their first interviews over the festival weekend.
Cathy Moore, festival director, said: “Our winter festival is always a bright light of the winter season. This year, more than ever, our rich burst of art and culture will, amidst the global gloom of war, soaring energy prices and climate breakdown, provide respite, diversion, explanation, solace and joy.”
Over the course of the weekend, Downton’s very own Earl of Grantham, Hugh Bonneville will take an audience through his career highlights and life as an actor – with some hilarious anecdotes along the way, including how he once mistook a Hollywood star for an estate agent.
Nineties Britpop phenomenon Pulp are to reform in 2023, and singer Jarvis Cocker will be discussing this plus his first book of prose (Good Pop, Bad Pop). Meanwhile, comedian Al Murray’s love of comedy has always been a dual passion alongside his less well-known love of military history and he will be talking about his latest book, Command: How the Allies Learned to Win the Second World War.
Headlining Sunday’s programme, Ian McEwan returns following a sell-out appearance in November 2019, with new novel Lessons.
The University Arms will play host to a feast of literary fun including authors discussing their work over breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, evening and cocktails.
On Saturday, the University Arms plays host to the Literary Lunch, a two-course meal with a glass of wine alongside a conversation between two acclaimed Cambridgeshire novelists Jill Dawson and Sarah Vaughan (author of Netflix hit series Anatomy of a Scandal). Flick through the Sunday newspapers with New Statesman editor Jason Cowley and his team at a Breakfast with the Editors on Sunday morning or relax at afternoon tea with a household name soon to be announced.
Evening drinks in the ballroom will be accompanied by a quiz from Cambridge’s Frank Paul, quizmaster extraordinaire.
Philip Greer, commercial director of the University Arms, said: ‘With our roots firmly in Cambridge’s history, arts and culture, we are proud to be partnered with the Cambridge Literary Festival. The seasonal festival is an important event in the city’s cultural calendar, and we are delighted to play host to some of the literary world’s most highly regarded personalities. During the winter festival, we hope to blend our love for literature with warm hospitality through a series of playful, engaging events complemented by our warm hospitality…”
The festival is also hosting a wide range of TV personalities, including broadcasters David Dimbleby, who will discuss his new book, Keep Talking: A Broadcasting Life, and BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen, who will explore a career reporting from the frontline and discuss his book The Making of the Modern Middle East.
The winner of the sixth BBC series of Great British Bake Off, Nadiya Hussain will make an appearance as will BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Adrian Chiles, who opens up about his journey from heavy drinker to moderation in his memoir The Good Drinker. Gavin & Stacey’s Bafta-winning writer and actor Ruth Jones will be talking about her latest novel, Love Untold.
The Fitzwilliam Museum will host three events for the festival, including one featuring Celia Paul, author of Letters to Gwen John, a memoir and artistic biography. Internationally acclaimed Egyptologist Prof Toby Wilkinson explores Tutankhamen’s artefacts, alongside an exclusively- curated exhibition of Egyptian objects. And Edmund de Waal and Norman McBeath present Perdendosi, their collaborative study of leaves at the stage of transformation, when they have lost all colour and become more like parchment than plant. They will feature alongside a specially-curated exhibition.
Visit cambridgeliteraryfestival.com to book.
More bookish events
Waterstones BookTok Festival
Waterstones will be holding a BookTok Festval to celebrating the new phenomenon of BookTok and the books that are making waves on the social media platform.
The event will take place over the first and second floors of the Cambridge store with news of the most exciting upcoming releases, BookTok merchandise, competitions, and unique photo opportunities. There will also be free, ticketed activity sessions including embroidery and badge-making as well as a special event with author Nicole Arend discussing her new novel VAMPS: Fresh Blood – the next must-read. The shop will stay open until 8pm.
- Where: Waterstones Cambridge, 22 Sidney Street, Cambridge, CB2 3HG.
- When: Wednesday, September 21 from 3pm to 8pm.
- Tickets: waterstones.com/events/booktok-festival/cambridge
Robert Harris at Toppings, Ely
Toppings bookshop is welcoming author Robert Harris to Ely to discuss his new book, Act of Oblivion about a manhunt for the king’s killers following the civil war in England.
Robert is the author of 14 best-selling novels: Fatherland, Enigma, Archangel, Pompeii, Imperium, The Ghost, Lustrum, The Fear Index, An Officer and A Spy, Dictator, Conclave, Munich, The Second Sleep and V2.
Several of his books have been adapted for stage, film and tv, including The Ghost, starring Euan McGregor, Munich (Netflix) starring Jeremy Irons and The Fear Index starring Josh Hartnett. The Cicero Trilogy was also adapted by Mike Poulter and directed by Greg Doran for a stage adaptation for the RSC.
- Where: The Lighthouse Auditorium, Chapel Street, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB7 4EG
- When: Monday, September 12 at 7pm
- Tickets: £22 with book, £8 event only. Visit toppingbooks.co.uk/events/ely/
Tom Kerridge at Toppings, Ely
Tom Kerridge is returning to Ely to celebrate his new book, Real Life Recipes. These are the dishes to make when you don’t have time to cook for hours. From quick tasty meals that you can rustle up on a weeknight to massively lush Sunday lunch, it’s all here. Get stuck in to Cheddar and chutney sausage rolls, crispy-skin mustard chicken, smoky beef and bean pie, creamy mushroom and sage lasagne, pork pot roast, and self-saucing cherry and chocolate pudding.
The book is packed with great recipes from a professional chef who can dish up the best flavours you never imagined from ‘normal’ ingredients and classic British food, time after time.
- Where: The Lighthouse Auditorium, Chapel Street, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB7 4EG
- When: Monday, September 26, 7pm.
- Tickets: £28 with book, £22 event only. Visit toppingbooks.co.uk/events/ely/
Cressida Cowell at Heffers
Join children’s author Cressida Cowell at Heffers for a signing session for her latest book, Which Way to Anywhere, the first in a brand new series. Cressida is the creator of the How to Train Your Dragon (also a DreamWorks film and TV franchise) and The Wizards of Once series. The book is about children who must keep their family’s magical history a secret. When their baby sister Annipeck is kidnapped, the warring step-siblings will have to cross into a magical world and embark on a daring rescue mission. With a terrible beast and a robot assassin in their way, they must learn how to work together quickly – because the future of their family is at stake
- When: Saturday, September 17, 5-7pm.
- Where Heffers Bookshop, 20 Trinity Street,Cambridge, CB2 1TY
- Tickets: register a place for free on Eventbrite.
