Revel in the might and majesty of words at a series of literary talks this month, courtesy of Cambridge Literary Festival. From comedians to politicians, fiction writers to poets, this event attracts some of our finest minds and best-loved personalities. Here are our must-sees
28 November
Charles Clarke, Follow The Leader
2.30pm, Union Chamber, £6/£12
The former Home Secretary looks back on Labour and Conservative leaders through history, and gives his take on the recent election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour Party leader. He is joined by journalist and President of Lucy Cavendish College, Jackie Ashley, to discuss Parliament’s finest (and feeblest) statesmen, from Attlee and Churchill to Thatcher and Blair.
Richard Mabey, The Cabaret of Plants
4pm, Union Chamber, £6/£12
The celebrated nature writer talks about his latest book, in which he celebrates the fun and feistiness of our native flora. A chance to look with different eyes at our own gardens and countryside.
Carol Ann Duffy, Dark Rose for Christmas
7.30pm, Union Chamber, £8/£16
The Poet Laureate presents readings from her award-winning collections, with music supplied by Little Machine, Britain’s foremost poetry band. Expect wit, warmth and the occasional singalong.
29 November
Vince Cable, After The Storm
10am, Union Chamber, £6/£12
A previously unreported view from within the coalition, by a key figure in British politics. Cable, who read economics at Cambridge, presents his view of how the British economy should be handled now and in the future. He will be in conversation with Jason Cowley, editor of New Statesman.
The Blank Page
10am, The Winstanley, £6/£10
Novelists Jon McGregor, Elif Shafak, and James Runcie, author of The Grantchester Mysteries, lead a debate about reading and writing, and how literature can be enjoyed by everyone. The finale of The National Conversation.
Jenny Eclair, Moving
11.30am, Union Chamber, £6/£12
Spend an hour in the delightful company of one of our most treasured comedians. Eclair is one of only two women to win the Perrier Award as a solo act, and will be discussing her new, fourth novel – a gripping story laced with black humour and family secrets.
Neel Mukherjee, The Lives of Others
11.30am, The Winstanley, £6/£10
Born in Calcutta, Mukherjee offers astute observations of the inequalities of Indian society. His novel looks into the nature of political action as a family history unfolds. He will be in conversation with Sarah Moss, author of Signs for Lost Children and Bodies of Light.
David Mitchell, Slade House
1pm, Union Chamber, £6/£12
The Booker Prize-winner and author of Cloud Atlas and The Bone Clocks makes his Cambridge Literary Festival debut. Don’t miss this talk, introducing his latest thriller, Slade House, which began on Twitter, is set in the same universe as The Bone Clocks and has turned into a surprise novel.
Ali Smith, Public Library and Other Stories
2.30pm, Union Chamber, £6/£12
Local literary legend Ali Smith, patron of the Festival, launches her book of short stories about what books mean to us. Concerned by the threat of library closures, she celebrates the wonders of books and reading. She will be in conversation with Claire Armitstead, books editor for The Guardian.
Being Human
2.30pm, The Winstanley, £6/£10
Take a closer look at the relationship between mind and body in this conversation between doctors Suzanne O’Sullivan and Gavin Francis, covering psychosomatic illnesses, the unchartered territory of our bodies and the secret workings of the womb.
Jonathan Dimbleby, The Battle of the Atlantic
4pm, Union Chamber, £6/£12
A compelling look into the most destructive naval campaign of all. The writer, broadcaster and historian narrates the horror and the decisions that led us to victory in 1945.
Andrew Marr, We British –The Poetry of A People
5.30pm, Union Chamber, £6/£12
A very British talk from the likeable presenter and writer, charting the landscape and history of British poetry from Chaucer to Carol Ann Duffy, as well as uncovering some lesser-known poems worthy of wider recognition.
Simon Armitage, Walking Away
7pm, Union Chamber, £6/£12
In this companion piece to Walking Home, the poet and modern-day troubadour trekked the coastal fringes of the south west giving poetry readings every night. The result is Walking Away. Hear stories (and poems) from his adventure in this talk, with fellow walker and nature lover Robert Macfarlane.
Andrew Lownie, Stalin’s Englishman
7pm, The Winstanley, £6/£10
A culmination of 30 years of research, this book paints a fascinating portrait of the notorious and complex Cambridge spy, Guy Burgess. Lownie is introduced by Anna Whitelock, historian and author.
Simon Schama, The Face of Britain
8.30pm, Union Chamber, £6/£12
The much-loved historian, presenter of the wonderful A History of Britain, introduces his new book, which studies the history of portraiture and what it says about our nation. Includes a riveting account of the portrait of Churchill which the wartime Prime Minister hated so much that he had it burned.
www.cambridgeliteraryfestival.com
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