This year’s Chiswick Book Festival will celebrate the BBC’s centenary by showcasing a range of its authors. From Ronnie Archer-Morgan of Antiques Roadshow and the Revd Richard Coles of Radio 4’s Saturday Live, to Dame Eileen Atkins, who won an Emmy for her performance in Cranford, and the diaries of former BBC chairman ChrisPatten, this year’s Festival is full of the Corporation’s finest, past and present.
BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen will talk about his book The Making of the Modern Middle East. BBC historian Robert Seatter will discuss its amazing past and uncertain future with Will Wyatt, former CEO of BBC Broadcast. And Justin Webb of R4’s Today will talk to Jane Garvey about The Gift of A Radio.
There’ll be sessions with former BBC journalists Nick Higham (The MercenaryRiver), Alex Gerlis (Agent in Peril) and Mihir Bose (The Battle to Create a Non-Racial Sports World). Film-makers Michael Cockerell and Michael Crickwill shed new light on party politics. Radio 1 breakfast presenter and children’s author Greg James will lead a story-telling session with Chris Smith.
Not all of this year’s authors have worked for the BBC (though many have appeared on its airwaves). Among many names still to be announced: –
Sir Vince Cable will talk about how to be a politician. Historians include Jessie Childs on how to create great historical fiction, with Lucy Jago and Miranda Malins; popular novelists include Adele Parks and Sadie Jones; and there are sessions on two of Chiswick’s greatest writers, WB Yeats & Dame Iris Murdoch; plus creative writing workshops, walks and much more.
‘Early Bird’ tickets for our first three events are now available. These are for the Waterstones Local Authors Party at 7pm on Wednesday September 7th, An Evening With Dame Eileen Atkins at 7pm at Chiswick House on Thursday September 8th and the Young People’s Poetry Prizegiving at 4.30pm on Friday September 9th (free but must be booked). Book here via our website.
Tickets for all other events go on general sale at 9am on Tuesday July 26th, when the full programme and schedule of events will be announced.