BIG STORIES, LITTLE VILLAGE: FIRST LITERARY FESTIVAL TO BE HELD IN REPTON
Repton Village is celebrate its literary roots in a new 3 day programme of events from 26th October - 28th October 2018.
Repton Literary Festival is the first of a new annual festival - telling stories and bringing engaging speakers to this historic Derbyshire village.
Politician, journalist and writer Lord Roy Hattersley opens the festival and will discuss his latest book ‘The Catholics’.
Donald Sturrock (Artistic Director of the Roald Dahl Foundation and Dahl’s biographer) will share a unique and personal insight into Dahl’s journey into becoming a children’s writer.
Heather Wheeler MP shares stories from a career in Parliament and Sir Michael Pownall joins the festival to discuss working in the House of Lords as Clerk to Parliament.
Authors joining the festival include number one bestselling romantic novel authors Christie Barlow and Bella Osbourne and award-winning beer writer, Pete Brown will present a history of the drink. Best-selling crime writers, Lisa Hall and B A Paris will discuss why the Peak District makes a perfect setting for a crime novel.
For families, there are Spooky Storytelling sessions, creative writing workshops and a short story competition judged by fantastic children’s author Michael Molloy.
The festival has local support from popular pub and restaurant The Boot and East Midlands Trains.
Alumni from Repton School include Roald Dahl, Jeremy Clarkson, Christopher Isherwood, actors Basil Rathbone and Tom Chambers, ex-Derby County footballer, Will Hughes and legendary publisher, Victor Gollancz who published George Orwell and Daphne du Maurier.
Actor and Strictly winner Tom Chambers, who attended Repton School, and as seen on Holby City and Casualty, will read excerpts of Road Dahl's best-loves stories.
Other events include ‘A Short History of Repton’, Halloween Storytelling for adults and an author’s question time.
The festival is being set up by two long-time Derbyshire community members Nick Brown and Chris Ward-Brown.
Nick Brown, founder said: “We are delighted to be beginning this exciting journey for Repton. It seems only right that Repton should have a festival of its own: celebrating the great literary connections and history that it has and an opportunity to bring exciting speakers to such a fabulous setting”
“With the support of the community, our aim is to establish a new tradition for this village with such a deep and rich history”
Leading literary agent Kate Nash, programme director for the Repton Literary Festival said: “It’s a deep honour to be involved with putting Repton back on the literary map. Our inaugural programme is so varied and exciting that frankly I can’t wait.”
To view the full programme of events and book tickets please visit: www.reptonliteraryfestival.co.uk