Oxford/Times Literary Festival - anything take your fancy?

[LightShinesInTheDarkness]

I have just looked at the programme and there I so many things I want to go to, I am seriously thinking about taking a day or two off work!

Last year I heard Justine Picardie speaking about 'Daphne' and just loved the whole atmosphere and ambience of the event.

Looks amazing, wish we lived closer as all the childrens ones look such fun.

Agree about the kids ones - we have seen both Korky Paul and Jacqueline Wilson in previous years. The setting of the festival really helps.

I've just recently moved away from Oxford . When are they going to have a Shrewsbury Literary Festival??

Well, all it takes is a bit of initiative.
Do you have a job, BendyLegs?

I work freelance editing on-line books and cd-roms and the like. What I need is initiative I agree, and time.

You sound as if you have the right background to start something in your area.
Why not start off small, hire one venue, contact local authors first, advertise locally...

See, I have given you the seed of an idea...I can see you are tempted...!!

BeckyBendyLegs - you have to go to the Hay Festival! We travelled down to Hay-on-Wye from SW Cumbria last year, so I'm sure you can manage it from Shrewsbury.

Despite the rain and the mud it was fantastic and we are all planning to go again this year.

I am tempted... I'll have to have a nose around. Shrewsbury is quite un-literary generally so needs a bit of help. We have one tiny Waterstones, which quite frankly is pretty rubbish, and one independent bookshop. I'll go there and nose around for info. Coming from Oxfordshire where in Oxford we were blessed with Borders, Waterstones, Blackwells, loads of second-hand bookshops and other little bookshops I have found it quite an adjustment moving here. Crumbs there was even a bookshop in the small town I lived in, which was a lovely little bookshop.

Roisin I would love to go to Hay. I might have to start planning for a visit this year!

We moved from Oxfordshire too Beckbendylegs to a soul-less bookshop-less place. In my town (60,000 pop) we have just one small, dodgy Waterstones with unhelpful staff!

There was a tiny independent bookshop with wonderful staff in the next town, but I believe that is closing down.

We use to go on bookshop-crawls round Oxford very often. I remember once ds1 asked me at about 11.00 "Are we going in another bookshop mummy?" We counted up and at that point we had been in 7 bookshops!

Hay is wonderful - you must go. Even ds2 (9), who is not a keen reader of fiction, had a great time and can't wait to go again.

I miss Oxford and the bookshops too Roisin . We often used to do bookshop-craws, my DSs and I, and spend hours just in bookshops. There is a really good one in Woodstock too which my DSs and I used to spend ages in whenever we went to Woodstock. It only opened about 5 months before we moved too - I bought some real little gems in there. I could spend hours in a good bookshop.

We used to live in Woodstock! My boys learned to pedal their trikes and feed the ducks in Blenheim Great Park. Happy Days

We left 6.5 years ago when the boys were 3 and 5 - it feels like a different life now.

We lived in Charlbury and left in September when my boys were 5 and nearly 3! Spooky.

Ive booked my tickets - Kate Atkinson, Susie Orbach, Raymond Blanc, Rory McGrath, Gloria Hunniford and Francesca Simon (Horrid Henry) for DCs.

I am sooooo excited now!

There are a few I fancy. DS likes the look of the Horrid henry one but I keep telling him he is too old (he's 12) he had loved HH for years. It is his comfort read when he is ill He likes the Gagdet show one and Helena Pielichaty & Penny Dolan's Reality or Fantasy one.

DH and I got excited about he Elmer one then realised our youngest is now 8 Memories!

I havent even started looking at the Adult ones yet

Might invite myself to see PILs in Oxford

Mrs W - the Horrid Henry one says 7+ so its obviously not aimed at teenies. I'm taking DD (10) and she was thrilled at the idea.

You might have to give Elmer a miss though, unless you can borrow a toddler for the day.

We saw Francesca Simon at Hay last year. ds2 was (just) 9 and loved it: she was very entertaining. I think ds1 (10) would have enjoyed it too, hell I enjoyed it myself, but he had far too many teen authors he wanted to see.