AUTHORS! AUTHORS!
THE first authors to appear at next year’s Derby Book Festival have been announced – and there are some big names on the list. Crime writer Val McDermid will open the Festival at Derby Theatre on Friday, May 29, when she will be interviewed – and then sing with – the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers (fellow crime writers Stuart Neville, w, Chris Brookmyre, Doug Johnstone and Luca Veste).
Journalist and broadcaster John Humphrys, who recently retired after 32 years as BBC Radio 4 Today presenter, is also on the list along with authors and events that will appeal to a variety of ages and interests, including poet and “The Bard of Barnsley”, Ian Macmillan; biographer Andrew Lownie on the Mountbattens; Lennie Goodings on her career with the iconic Virago Press and naturalist Mark Cocker.
Local history is always popular at the Festival and the 2020 Festival will welcome historian Patricia Fara on Erasmus Darwin at Derby Museum & Art Gallery where his portrait by Joseph Wright of Derby hangs.
The Festival is always keen to celebrate local writing talent and debut authors. In 2020 one of the debuts is Russ Thomas. The former Waterstones Derby worker is launching his first novel, Firewatching.
The Festival is chaired by Liz Fothergill, who is also chairman of Pennine Healthcare.
Liz said: “The festival continues to grow and grow. We know people have a real appetite for more book-related events and we are now offering two festivals each year.
“Derby Book Festival is putting Derby firmly on the literary map and attracting world-class authors each year.
“We believe it is the largest and most successful literary festival in the East Midlands and something Derby can be proud of.”
Other festival authors will be announced in the coming months and tickets for all events will go on sale on Tuesday, April 7. Tickets will be available online at derbybookfestival.co.uk or from the festival box office at QUAD, among other venues.
This will be the sixth Derby Book Festival, and will be held in venues across Derby from Friday, May 29, 2020, until Wednesday, June 6, 2020.