April sees the return of the festival packed full of all things wordy, giving you the chance to get up close and personal with your favourite literary figures.
Chipping Norton Literary Festival is a four-day celebration of books, reading and writing, with a host of author talks, signings, discussions and workshops. This year’s speakers include television producer John Lloyd, the man behind Spitting Image, Blackadder and QI; crime writers Nicci French, Tania Carver and Mark Billingham; columnists Tim Dowling, Lucy Mangan and India Knight; and novelists Kate Mosse, Joanna Trollope, and Rachel Joyce; as well as Jonathan Aitken, Alan Johnson, Kate Adie, and economist Tim Harford.
The festival is now in its third year, and Festival Director Clare Mackintosh believes it’s going from strength to strength. ‘There are lots of literary festivals around,’ she says, ‘but ChipLitFest offers something very special. We bring big names into intimate, local venues, which means audiences benefit from a fantastic, up-close-and-personal atmosphere. We also have a strong focus on the ‘how to’ side of writing, with workshops including writing for radio, becoming a Mills & Boon author, and creating suspense in your novel.’ Writers can even pitch in person to literary agent Carole Blake, in a ‘Dragon Den’ style event for aspiring authors.
This year ChipLitFest has partnered with BITE, the food festival that has taken the Cotswolds by storm. On Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 April Chipping Norton market square will be filled with food stalls and tasty titbits – perfect for refuelling readers and writers. BITE will also host a conversation with Claudia Roden, who will talk about her life as a food writer and cultural anthropologist.
There are free lectures on economics, Italian literature, the animal world and more, from the ‘Very Short Introduction’ series of books published by Oxford University Press, and masses to do for the whole family, including a ‘Meerkat Mayhem’ hunt with prizes from Cotswold Wildlife Park. Children will be delighted by Charlie & Lola’s Lauren Child, Winnie-the-Witch’s Korky Paul, and a puppet show featuring Peter Rabbit.
Chipping Norton Literary Festival takes place between 24 and 27 April 2014, in association with EFG Private Bank. The full programme is available on the festival website www.chiplitfest.com and tickets are on sale now, starting from just £5. Buy online, contact the box office on 01608 642350 or visit The Theatre, Chipping Norton.
