Stratford-upon-Avon's

First International

Festival of Literature

This is Stratford-upon-Avon's first International Festival of Literature, to be held over three days (Friday 18th, Saturday 19th, and Sunday 20th April, 2008) at The Mercure Shakespeare Hotel, with at least five major writers taking part every day – from 11am to 11pm.

By holding the festival under one roof, and over three intense days, the organisers hope to create a real celebration of all kinds of literature, from the spy thriller to romantic fiction, from the iconic literary past to a new work of theatre, from biography to military history, from TV tie-ins to ghost stories, from Dracula to award winning novels,from Ernest Hemingway to David Bradley, from fantasy to Sci-fi, from humour to sport. In other words something for everyone.

Writers Taking Part, So Far...

Friday 18th April

● 11am GUY ADAMS – Novelist and writer of three TV Tie-In titles about the hit TV series LIFE ON MARS
● 1pm MICHAEL RICHARDSON – Birmingham novelist and author of the hilarious The Pig Bin and Careless Talk
● 3pm SEBASTIAN PEAKE – Son of the artist and novelist MERVYN PEAKE and author of A Child of Bliss: Growing Up With Mervyn Peake

● 5pm COLIN WILSON – The original Angry Young Man and author of the seminal The Outsider, plus a couple of hundred other books
● 7.30pm CATHERINE O'FLYNN – The winner of the 2008 Costa First Novel Prize for her debut novel What Was Lost

Saturday 19th

● 11am GREG LEWIS – An award nominated Welsh journalist and author of A Bullet Saved My Life and Airman Missing
● 1pm JOAN MOULES – The eminent romantic novelist and author of the definitive biography of GRACIE FIELDS
● 3pm PAUL SMITH – Ex-Warwickshire Cricketer and author of Wasted?, his moving and provocative autobiography
● 5pm STEVE JACKSON – Spy novelist and author of The Mentor and The Judas. He's the new Ian Fleming
● 7.30pm BRIAN GORDON SINCLAIR – Canadian actor and playwright who will be performing the British premier of his new one-man show about ERNEST HEMINGWAY, Hemingway's HOT Havana. Not to be missed

Sunday 20th

● 11am TOM SANDERS, an American journalist in search of ERNEST HEMINGWAY
● 1pm (The Ballroom) DIGBY FAIRWEATHER – Jazz musician, biographer, and author of On The Road With George Melly: The Final Bows Of A Legend
● 1.30pm ( The Macbeth Room) Colin Brake, author of several Dr Who novels, and the writer of numerous scripts for the BBC's Eastenders and Doctors, will be in conversation with Guy Adams.
● 3pm ( The Macbeth Room) PAUL M. CHAPMAN – Author of Birth of a Legend: Count Dracula, Bram Stoker and Whitby – in conversation with Guy Adams.
● 4.30pm ( The Ballroom) DAVID BRADLEY – RSC actor who plays Argus Filch in the Harry Potter series of films. David will be reading from a spine chilling selection of ghost stories.
● 5pm ( The Macbeth Room) GARRY KILWORTH – Fantasy and Sci-Fi novelist; author of the acclaimed Welkin Weasels Adventures, and A Midsummer's Nightmare. As GARRY DOUGLAS KILWORTH he is the author of the 'Fancy' Jack Crossman series of 19th century wartime adventure novels set during the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny Throughout the festival there will be readings from the works of Stratford poets PETER CUBITT and DON LOVE, and another Stratford author ROY CANE, whose book The Happy Cafe was published last year.

Sunday 20th April

The last day of the festival – Sunday 20th April – will end with a formal black-tie dinner and (after a tribute to his life and work by Steve Newman ) the presentation of THE CHARLES WHITING AWARDS FOR LITERATURE. CHARLES WHITING, who died in 2007, was one of Britain's most prolific and respected military historians, who also wrote hugely popular World War II adventure fiction under his own name and that of LEO KESSLER, DUNCAN HARDING and KLAUS KONRAD

THE CHARLES WHITING AWARDS FOR LITERATURE.

The AWARDS will be in two categories:
● One for a work of MILITARY HISTORY
● And one for a piece of WARTIME ADVENTURE FICTION
The AWARDS - which, in their first year, will have a monetary value of £500 each - will be presented by Charles' widow, Gill Tidmus-Whiting, and the Mayor of Stratford, Cllr Donna Barker. The awards are sponsored by Fred Winter Ltd.

The Short list of nominated books are as follows:

In the Military History category...

Bloody Heroes, by Damien Lewis. Published by Arrow Books
Behind Enemy Line With The SAS: The Story Of Amédée Maingard – SOE Agent by Paul McCue. Published by Pen & Sword Books
In The Service Of The Sultan: A First Hand Account Of The Dhofar Insurgencey by Ian Gardiner. Published by Pen & Sword Books

In the Wartime Adventure Fiction category...

Undersea Prison, by Duncan Falconer. Published by Sphere
Cobra 405, by Damien Lewis. Published by Arrow Books
Rogue Officer, Garry Douglas Kilworth. Published by Severn House

CANADA'S HEMINGWAY ON STAGE AWARD

And if that wasn't enough Brian Gordon Sinclair will, on the Sunday evening, be presenting CANADA'S HEMINGWAY ON STAGE AWARD.
This award is to be presented to an individual who has given...
● Dedicated service to the memory of Ernest Hemingway
● Outstanding, continued assistance to the promotion of the life of Ernest Hemingway
● And for the advancement of knowledge about the life of Ernest
Hemingway

For more information, and to book tickets for the festival contact...

Steve & Hilary Newman – Festival Directors
01789 209172 email: ancientpinnacles@fsmail.net
Festival Site http://stratfordintfestofliterature.blogspot.com
Tickets are also available from The Mercure Shakespeare Hotel
01789 294997