book festival days....

 

 

As many of you will know....I love reading. I also adore books....the smell and feel of them, the excitement of having a new book just sitting waiting to be read.

 

So naturally I'm really looking forward to this coming week.....and for the launch of a new venture - the Leicester Book Festival.

 

Now, we already have a Literary festival  in the city which is run by the University of Leicester . But this has been organised by the dynamic Debbie James who runs the Kibworth Bookshop. I've already written about her here....

http://thinkingofthedays.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/days-of-mooching-about-in-bookshops.html

 



 

There's an eclectic mix of events ....from the launch of a new poetry book by John Gallas, a storytelling  event in Leicester's atmospheric Guildhall featuring folk tales of Leicestershire and Rutland and beyond, to tea and cakes with Persephone Books at the Bookshop in Kibworth .

Julie Summers is appearing in Kibworth too to talk about her book Jambusters..the role of the W.I in
the Second World War. It's a fascinating read  so I shall definitely be there. I've given talks to about seventy W.I 's across the county and country over the years...and my darling Mum is a past president and very loyal member of her local one, so I thought I knew quite a bit about the movement. I do now though after reading the book!

Another must go to event is to see Sarah Gristwood whose book "Blood Sisters" about the women behind the Wars of the Roses is very topical. I've been immersed in the mediaeval world of Richard III since last August both as a history fan and as a reporter with a seat in the front row in the wonderful unfolding story of his discovery in a Leicester car park. To read about his wife Anne Neville in such detail and the other royal women is a joy.

And then at the New Walk Museum a week today, there's Ian Broome and Sam Mills from Legend Press.

A new venture is always an unknown quantity....a risk....but I'm hoping that this one will be a huge success .It should be, with some interesting events at diverse locations such as a mediaeval guildhall, a cricket club, a museum and a bar/café...what's there not to like? 

Which event will you be going to ?

Today's track is from By the Rivers....a Leicester band who've launched their debut album last week. Such a talented band, so creative and musically tight....I think they're destined for big things....

 

So here's to the success of two new local launches....