First Autumn Edition for Derby Book Festival this weekend

The first Autumn Edition of Derby Book Festival begins this Friday and includes ten author events between Friday 25th to Sunday 27th October.   The Festival includes a range of the most popular genres: politics, thrillers and biography.

One event is already sold out: the Closing Event with Raynor Winn talking about her Costa Prize nominated memoir, The Salt Path on Sunday 27 October. 

Highlights of this year’s Autumn Edition Festival will include:

  • Politician and author Sir Vince Cable MP, who recently stood down as Leader of the Liberal Democrats and was first elected to Parliament in 1997
  • BBC Editorial Director and former Economics Editor, Kamal Ahmed talking about his memoir of growing up in 1970s London
  • Writing partnership, Nicci French, whose first thriller in ten years, The Lying Room, has just been published
  • Best-selling Derbyshire based author Joanna Cannon on her memoir of being a junior doctor
  • Lara Maiklem on Mudlarking: Lost and Found on the River Thames
  • David Barrie on Incredible Journeys: Exploring the wonders of animal navigation
  • Poet Helen Mort on her first novel, Black Car Burning
  • Charlotte Philby, grand-daughter of Kim Philby, Britain’s most famous communist double-agent on her acclaimed debut thriller, The Most Difficult Thing
  • Novelists Sofka Zinovieff and Emma Glass talking about their novels and responses to #MeToo

Derby Book Festival was held for the fifth time in June 2019 with 90 events over nine days.  Just under 7000 tickets were sold making it their biggest Festival to date.  The Festival is organised in partnership with all the major arts and cultural partners in the city with funding from the Arts Council England, the University of Derby and over 20 businesses and individuals across the city.

Liz Fothergill, Chair of the Festival says: “With five Festivals under our belt, our audiences are asking for more and we are delighted that ticket sales have been so strong for our first Autumn Edition.   We anticipate that over 1000 tickets will be sold for the ten events.

“We already have a loyal following in the city but we hope to welcome new audiences too, encouraging them to enjoy the pleasure that books bring to our lives.”

Vicky Dawson, the Festival Director who joined the Festival team in August, said: “I’m really looking forward to my first Festival in Derby.  It will give me a flavour of what our audiences enjoy, soak up the atmosphere and help us put together our exciting plans for the sixth Festival next year.”

QUAD will host all but one of the events, with one at Derby Museum and Art Gallery.  Book sales will be organised by Waterstones Derby. 

The Festival programme, designed by local company, Burnthebook, is available from QUAD, Artboxes, all libraries and tourist offices. Tickets can be booked online at:  www.derbybookfestival.co.uk/whatson or in person or by phone at QUAD. 

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