MARTIN Bell, Sebastian Faulks and Vanessa Feltz will be among those helping to celebrate north London’s rich literary heritage at the inaugural Hampstead & Highgate Literary Festival.
Held at the London Jewish Cultural Centre (LJCC) in Golders Green from Sunday, September 13 to Tuesday, September 15, the festival will see a fascinating mix of writers – some of them well-known, many of them local – talking about their work and their experiences, during a series of events taking place throughout each of the three days.
Sunday begins with a walking tour of Hampstead, starting from the LJCC, led by author Harry Mount, who will give his personal view of the area.
Meanwhile, inside the centre, there will be a morning of events for children, titled Tots to Teens. It begins with author Sally-Ann Lever presenting a story time for five- to 11-year-olds.
Among those who will be in conversation during the evening is Esther Freud, author of Hideous Kinky among other works.
Then it is the turn of Sebastian Faulks (Birdsong, Engleby and the forthcoming A Week in December), who will talk from 8pm.
On Monday, you can start the day with a continental breakfast while listening to Gerald Ronson, founder of the Heron group, in conversation with Sir Harry Solomon, founder of the Portland Group.
The lunchtime schedule features authors who have written on subjects as diverse as Hollywood, conmen, travel journalism and Humphrey Lyttleton.
In the evening, Vanessa Feltz and Olivia Lichtenstein present Things Your Mother Never Told You, while Professor Richard Overy will talk about The Outbreak of the Second World War.
To start the day on Tuesday, Martin Bell, one of the most distinguished foreign affairs correspondents of his generation, and a former Member of Parliament himself, will talk on The Issue of MPs’ Expenses.
Lunchtime events include novelist and broadcaster Kathy Lette asking Is it Still a Man’s World?, while historian and television presenter Dan Cruickshank will talk about The Secret History of Georgian England.
Also, Amanda Craig and Joseph Connolly will talk about The Hampstead Novel.
The evening schedule features comedy actor and writer Arabella Weir, best known for The Fast Show and her international best-seller Does My Bum Look Big in This?
Rounding off the festival, at 7pm, will be Tappy Wright, author of the revealing Rock Roadie — Backstage and Confidential, in which he documents his experiences with some of showbiz’s biggest names.
The Hampstead and Highgate Literary Festival takes place at the LJCC, Ivy House, 94-96 North End Road, Golders Green from Sunday, September 13 to Tuesday 15. Ticket prices for each event vary: visit www.hamhighlitfest09.com or call 020 8511 7900 for full information and bookings. Some tickets will be available for each event on the door, on a first come, first served basis.
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