Pop legend Adam Ant, a co-author of the King's Speech film, and a former Sex Pistol are among the top names from the world of books and music heading to a North Norfolk venue for a major new literary garden party event later this month.
The first ever Voewood Festival takes place at High Kelling over the weekend of August 27-29 at the house voted the best in the region in this year's England Favourite House awards.
Authors of Oscar winning film The King's Speech Mark Logue and Peter Conradi will open the festival.
Ex MI5 boss Sir John Scarlett joins literary heavyweights including Man Booker prize winner DBC Pierre and Norfolk's Diana Athill, who won the 2009 Costa Biography Prize for her memoir Somewhere Towards The End, as well as local writer and columnist Rafaella Barker.
From the world of television, country house historian Dan Cruikshank and presenter Peter Snow do conversational sessions on their specialist subjects.
A programme of evening music events features 1980s charter topper Adam Ant, who had number ones with Stand and Deliver and Prince Charming in 1981 and recently appeared at the Latitude Festival. Other music acts include East Dereham born singer-songwriter Beth Orton, Sex Pistol Glen Matlock, Richard Strange, David McAlmont and Louis Eliot.
The event is the brainchild of Voewood owner Simon Finch, a rare book dealer and long time friend and literary agent Clare Conville.
Mr Finch said: 'Dealing in Rare books has been my passion all my life and since acquiring Voewood it has been my dream to produce a festival of this quality at the house.
'With amazing help from many people it has become a reality. The house and gardens lend magic to any event and with such a stellar line up it promises to be an unforgettable weekend.
'We will produce the festival every year on the same weekend and endeavour to make it a significant date in the literary calendar.'
Guardian Masterclass, one of Voewood's festival partners, will be running a series of their renowned sessions during the three days, led by some of the major festival authors.
Artists Gavin Turk and Deborah Curtis will engage young and old alike in their magical Art Room and visitors will be able to climb into Bed with David Whitehouse.
London Zoo artist in residence, Bridget Nicholls will recreate her brainchild Pestival by taking the whole family on walks around the grounds. Voewood will also boast a unique pop up bookshop created by Norwich based Henry Layte of the Bookhive.
The festival will be supporting Love Hope Strength – the world's leading rock and roll cancer foundation.
Voewood Festival will take place from Saturday August 27 to Monday August 29 at Voewood House, High Kelling, Holt. Tickets: day only �45 (concessions �35); evening only �25; day and evening �65 (�55); whole weekend �145 (�125).
For further information visit www.voewoodfestival.com
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
SATURDAY
10.30am – official Opening with Mark Logue and Peter Conradi
11am – Mark Logue and Peter Conradi, authors, tell the story of The King's Speech, on which the Oscar winning film is based.
12pm – Roderick Gordon on his best-selling series Tunnels
12pm – Sarah Hall – The Booker shortlisted author gives a Guardian Masterclass on the art of the short-story
1pm – The Dollar Princesses - Daisy Goodwin, TV producer, lover and promoter of poetry and author of Richard and Judy pick My Last Duchess talks about American heiresses and their love affair with English Country Houses.
1pm – James Lefanu, Doctor and Telegraph columnist in conversation with Bridget Nicholls, Artist in Residence at London Zoo on 'Why Us?
2.15pm - Poetry Tent, curated by Sam Riviere and Nathan Hamilton
3pm – In Praise of Older Books. Simon Finch on the beauty of the physical book in conversation with Paul Blezzard.
3pm – Diana Athill, Norfolk born and bred, in conversation with Damian Barr
4.00pm – Sunday Times Best-seller novelist SJ Watson gives a Guardian Masterclass on 'Plotting'.
5pm – DBC Pierre Booker Prize winning author in conversation with Paul Blezzard
5pm - Booker short-listed novelist Sarah Hall in conversation with Orange short-listed novelist Jane Harris.
Throughout the Day (all thre days)
Pestival with Bridget Nicholls, Artist in Residence at London Zoo
Gavin Turk and Deborah Curtis – The Art Tent: a series of unusual events
Get Into Bed with David Whitehouse - David Whitehouse takes to his bed to read to you from his prize-winning novel Bed.
Wade Graham: Garden Historian and Arts and Crafts expert walks you through the beautiful gardens of Voewood.
Evening Music: Beth Orton, Sam Amidon, Lail Arad
SUNDAY
11am – Louis de Bernieres, author of the international best-seller Captain Corelli's Mandolin, on writing and music
11am – East Anglian based author James Buchan in conversation with Paul Blezzard
11am – Meg Rosoff – Guardian Masterclass
12pm – John Mitchinson and Unbound, an exciting new publishing venture. Come and find out how to participate!
1pm – Julian Lewis author of Racing Ace, the biography of famous pilot Kink Kinkaid, in conversation with Lady Olga Maitland
1pm – Sophie Hannah and SJ Watson in conversation about thriller fiction with Telegraph columnist Rowan Pelling.
1.00pm – Robert Wilton author of The Emperor's Gold on the British Obsession with Spy novels
3pm - Poetry Tent curated by Sam Riviere and Nathan Hamilton
3pm – Misha Glenny, journalist, historian and author of the international best-seller McMafia on Dark Market: CyberThieves, CyberCrime and You
3.00pm – Meg Rosoff author of The Way We Live Now and Rowan Pelling in conversation
5pm – John Niven, author of Kill Your Friends and The Second Coming, on how to write comedy.
5pm – Rowan Pelling in conversation with local author DJ Taylor on the art of biography.
5.00pm – DBC Pierre – Guardian Masterclass on Burning Desire: How to Write Books without Dying
Evening Music: Adam Ant, Glen Matlock, Louis Eliot, Gabriel Bruce, Richard Strange
MONDAY
11am – Sir John Scarlett in conversation with Misha Glenny on the history of MI6
11am – Norfolk based author Rafaella Barker, first time novelist Emma Unsworth and Rowan Pelling on 'Bridget Jones, Dead or Alive?'
12.00pm – Clementine Cecil on saving Russia's History, in conversation with Damon Murray of Fuel, creator of Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia Volume I
1pm - Allison Pearson author of I Don't Know How She Does It in conversation with author Christobel Kent on watching her book being turned into a film.
1.00pm – Rachel Campbell-Johnston talks about one of England's greatest artists Samuel Palmer and her book Mysterious Wisdom: The Life and Work of Samuel Palmer.
2pm – John Niven, author of The Second Coming and Kill Your Friends, gives a Guardian Masterclass on writing for the Silver Screen.
3pm – Poetry event curated by Sam Riviere and Nathan Hamilton
3pm – Adventure in Architecture - Dan Cruikshank, author of The Country House Revealed: A Secret History of the British Ancestral Home, in conversation with Matthew Rice
3.00pm – Polly Samson in conversation with Damian Barr and Esther Freud.
4pm – Hisham Matar, author of In The Country of Men, in conversation with Kirsty Lang
4.15pm – Francesca Beauman, social historian and author of Shapely Ankle Preferred and How to Crack an Egg with One Hand, in conversation with Rowan Pelling on The History of Lonely Hearts
5.15pm – Peter Snow, broadcaster and historian, in conversation with his daughter the actress Shuna Snow about To War with Wellington: From the Peninsula to Waterloo
5.30pm – Glen Duncan author of The Last Werewolf in conversation with Paul Blezzard, plus a reading and performance from The Real Tuesday Weld.
Evening Music: David McAlmont, Cleveland Watkiss, HMS Sweet Charity
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