Copied from the catalogue for your delectation. Cheltenham is pleasingly serving the crime and thriller community very well this year. My comments in italics. Booking for members went live on 13 August and is open to the public from 20 August.
Writers in Residence:
Thomas Enger and Gunnar Staalesen, two of Scandinavia’s leading crime writers for a taste of Nordic Noir. (This, my dears, is fabulous news. The two writers in residence being crime writers!)
Friday 5 October
FAMILY EVENT
Anthony Horowitz
> LB1 >SKY ARTS GARDEN THEATRE > AGE 12+ > 6.30-7.30PM > £7
Saturday 6 October
THE BIG READ
James Bond – Dr No
Natalie Haynes, Charlie Higson, Tom Rob Smith & Andrew Taylor
Ian Fleming’s dark and stylish Dr No grips the reader with a taut, suave and sensual stranglehold. We join Fleming fans Charlie Higson, author of the Young Bond series, the Agent 6 author Tom Rob Smith, high octane crime writer Andrew Taylor and the critic and comedian Natalie Haynes to explore Fleming’s writing and the Bond phenomenon.
> L048 > IMPERIAL SQUARE > 2-3PM > £8
THE BIG READ
James Bond – Dr No
The Big Reading
Join us for these free live readings from Ian Fleming’s gripping and atmospheric thriller Dr No. Each reading is narrated either by our suave hero, James Bond, or the eponymous sinister villain, hell-bent on world domination. Who will you encounter?
> CINEWORLD > SCREENING ROOMS > 3-3.30PM > FREE
Alexander McCall Smith
The creator of the much-loved fictional series: The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency, 44 Scotland Street; and The Sunday Philosophy Club joins us to look back at his hugely successful writing career, and also discusses Precious and the Mystery of Meerkat Hill, his latest Botswana-set novel starring the inimitable Mma Ramotswe.
> L042 > SKY ARTS GARDEN THEATRE – IMPERIAL SQUARE > 4-5PM > £8 RES
STUDIO, STAGE & SCREEN
Benedict Cumberbatch
Sherlock – A thoroughly modern Victorian
What are the challenges of re-imagining a great Victorian classic for the modern age? The actor Benedict Cumberbatch discusses Sherlock, BBC TV’s triumphant remake, and shares fascinating insights into the creative process that brought this new detective for the 21st century to our screens. Chaired by journalist and Sherlock co-star Louise Brealey.
> L053 > CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE > CENTAUR > 8.45-10PM > £15 RES
STUDIO, STAGE & SCREEN
David Suchet
As he starts filming the final Poirot series, the much-loved English actor joins us to reflect on his 43 -year- long career. From humble beginnings as a spear-carrier at the RSC, to playing Agatha Christie’s suave Belgian super-sleuth and providing a voice for Aslan the Lion, he joins Christopher Cook to reflect on the joys of acting and why he has never been out of work.
> L037 > CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE > CENTAUR > 2-3PM > £15 RES
Sunday 7 October
THE BIG READ
James Bond – Dr No
The Big Reading
Join us for these free live readings from Ian Fleming’s gripping and atmospheric thriller Dr No. Each reading is narrated either by our suave hero, James Bond, or the eponymous sinister villain, hell-bent on world domination. Who will you encounter?
> L312 > WATERSTONES BOOK TENT – MONTPELLIER GARDENS > 2.30-3PM > FREE
THE BIG READ
James Bond – Dr No
Alyson Rudd’s Book Club
The Times’ writer Alyson Rudd brings her popular readers’ Book Club to Cheltenham as she delves between the pages of our Big Read title Dr No, and prompts audience discussion of Fleming’s writing and his characters, including the ever-suave James Bond and the sinister eponymous villain.
> L078 > THE LITERARY LOUNGE – MONTPELLIER GARDENS > 5-6PM > £3
Monday 8 October
REGENCY
P D James
Death Comes to Pemberley
In Death Comes to Pemberley, P D James, the doyenne of modern British crime writing crafts a follow-up to Pride and Prejudice and introduces a detective story into the world of Jane Austen, a writer whose work she has long admired. She joins us in conversation to explain how she achieved this intriguing blend of genres and gives her unique perspective on the language and novels of Jane Austen.
> L092 > IMPERIAL SQUARE > 12-1PM > £8
THE BIG READ
James Bond – Dr No
The Big Read Book Group
Suave, seductive, sophisticated, has a licence to kill and likes his drinks shaken, not stirred – it can only be Bond, James Bond. Join us as we venture in the world of the MI6 agent, following him to Jamaica in this Festival Book Group with local author Jane Bailey discussing this year’s Big Read, Ian Fleming’s Dr No.
> L103 > THE LITERARY LOUNGE – MONTPELLIER GARDENS > 2-3PM > £3
Tuesday 9 October
FICTION
Great Literary Detectives
Thomas Enger, James Runcie, Gunner Staalesen & Andrew Taylor
From Sherlock Holmes and Lord Peter Wimsey to Wallander and Rebus, why do fictional detectives play such a powerful role in our imaginations? In this lively discussion event, we bring together our Norwegian Crime Writers-in-Residence Thomas Enger and Gunnar Staalesen, and the British crime authors Andrew Taylor and James Runcie to nominate their favourite fictional detectives and discuss how these literary super-sleuths have influenced their own writing. Who would you choose?
> L133 > IMPERIAL SQUARE > 12-1PM > £6
THE BIG READ
James Bond – Dr No
Members’ Book Group
Exclusively for Members and Patrons
Suave, seductive, sophisticated, has a licence to kill and likes his drinks shaken, not stirred – it can only be Bond, James Bond. Join us as we venture in the world of the MI6 agent, following him to Jamaica in this exclusive Members Festival Book Group with local author Jane Bailey discussing this year’s Big Read, Ian Fleming’s Dr No, including martinis – shaken of course.
> L140 > THE LITERARY LOUNGE – MONTPELLIER GARDENS > 2PM-3PM > £3 INCLUDES A FREE MARTINI
HISTORY
Kate Summerscale – Mrs Robinson’s Disgrace
Gripping true crime mystery, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher was a huge bestseller and was later adapted for television. For her new book Mrs Robinson’s Disgrace, Kate Summerscale has chosen to unravel a rather different mystery. She joins us to tell the compelling and tragic story of Isabella Robinson, an unhappily married Victorian lady, whose confidences to her private diary caused a national scandal.
> L155 > IMPERIAL SQUARE > 8.45-10PM > £7
Wednesday 10 October
C Day-Lewis
Sean Day-Lewis & Peter Stanford
Poet Laureate C Day-Lewis was one of Britain’s leading poets of the 20th century. He starred in Cheltenham’s very first Literature Festival in 1949 and was a master at Cheltenham College. He also had a fascinating alter-ego – crime writer Nicholas Blake – who created the unforgettable detective Nigel Strangeways. His son and biographer Sean Day-Lewis and fellow biographer Peter Stanford join us to discuss C Day-Lewis’s extraordinary life and legacy.
> L160 > MONTPELLIER GARDENS > 10-11AM > £6
Thursday 11 October
THE BIG READ
James Bond – Dr No
Big Read Book Group
Suave, seductive, sophisticated, has a licence to kill and likes his drinks shaken, not stirred – it can only be Bond, James Bond. Join us as we venture into the world of the MI6 agent, following him to Jamaica in this Festival Book Group with local author Jane Bailey discussing this year’s Big Read, Ian Fleming’s Dr No.
> L207 > THE LITERARY LOUNGE – MONTPELLIER GARDENS > 4.00 – 5PM > £3
SEVEN AGES OF MAN
Funerals & Mourning
Kitty Aldridge, Catherine Arnold, Thomas Enger & Tim Lott
From Emily Bronte to Jane Austen, James Joyce to Evelyn Waugh novels often reflect how the society of their time has come to terms with death, and in their portrayal of funerals and mourning sometimes reveal a mordant humour to illuminate dark times. Join novelists Thomas Enger and Kitty Aldridge, social historian Catherine Arnold and Tim Lott, author of The Scent of Dried Roses, to discuss their choice of novels and explore some fascinating fictional funerals.
> L210 > IMPERIAL SQUARE > 4-5PM > £7
Agatha Christie and Art Deco – The History Wardrobe
Agatha Christie was born into a world of Edwardian elegance but later embraced the streamlined modernity of Art Deco style and found fame as the prolific writer and creator of enduringly popular sleuths, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Join historian and writer, Lucy Adlington and friends as they don the dazzling fashions of the 1920s and 30s to celebrate the eventful life of the Queen of Crime, and set us a mystery to solve.
> LT14 > SPIEGELTENT – MONTPELLIER GARDENS > 8.45-10PM > £8 RES
HORIZONS
Nordic Noir – Don Bartlett, Thomas Enger, Barry Forshaw & Gunner Staalesen
How can a translator replicate the spirit and atmosphere of an author’s writing – especially in a crime novel? Translator Don Bartlett (Jo Nesbo, and many others) literary critic Barry Forshaw, author of Death in a Cold Climate and our Norwegian Writers-in-Residence Gunnar Staalesen and Thomas Enger discuss this very special working relationship and the challenges of translating crime across borders.
> L221 > IMPERIAL SQUARE > 6.45 – 7.45PM > £6
Friday 12 October
HISTORY
Bletchley Park: The Secret Listeners – Sinclair McKay
Before Britain could break the German war machine’s code, the enemy’s military communications had to be monitored and recorded by ‘the Listening Service’ and relayed to Bletchley Park. In this absorbing illustrated talk, Sinclair McKay, author of The Secret Life of Bletchley Park tells the stories of the men and women posted to Cairo, Malta, Gibraltar, Iraq, Cyprus and other far flung outposts to ‘listen in’; as described in his book, The Secret Listeners.
> L330 > THE FORUM – MONTPELLIER GARDENS > 10-11AM > £7 RES
HISTORY
Bletchley Park: The Truth Behind the Myth – Sinclair McKay & Michael Smith
Bletchley Park was a key player in the allied victory in World War Two and its work has at last been justly celebrated on stage and screen. Join Bletchley expert Michael Smith and historian Sinclair McKay, author of the bestselling The Secret Life of Bletchley Park and The Secret Listeners as they reveal some of the extraordinary stories and debunk some of the popular myths that have grown up around Bletchley Park. Join them after the event to see a real example of the legendary Enigma machine.
> L229 > THE FORUM – MONTPELLIER GARDENS > 12-1PM > £7 RES
FESTIVAL FOCUS
Helen Dunmore & Andrea Gillies – Turning Up the Tension
What is the secret of writing a truly chilling and suspenseful story? Helen Dunmore’s critically-acclaimed and spine-tingling ghost story The Greatcoat tells the tale of a passion across time, whilst Andrea Gilles’ stunning debut novel The White Lie explores how a single white lie can resonate down the years. Join them to find out how they create realistic characters whilst turning the screw to keep the reader transfixed until the final denouement.
> L257 > IMPERIAL SQUARE > 2-3PM > FREE – ADVANCED BOOKING REQUIRED
THE BIG READ
James Bond – Dr No
Big Read Book Group
Suave, seductive, sophisticated, has a licence to kill and likes his drinks shaken, not stirred – it can only be Bond, James Bond. Join us as we venture into the world of the MI6 agent, following him to Jamaica in this Festival Book Group with local author Jane Bailey discussing this year’s Big Read, Ian Fleming’s Dr No.
> L237 > THE LITERARY LOUNGE – MONTPELLIER GARDENS > 2.00 – 3PM > £3
Saturday 13 October
Kathy Reichs & Val McDermid – From Page to Screen
We welcome two bestselling crime writers whose writing has inspired successful TV series on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Kathy Reichs from the US, whose Temperance Brennan novels were the inspiration for TV series Bones, reveals the next instalment with Bones Are Forever. And from the UK, Val McDermid, whose Tony Hill & Carol Jordan novels have inspired Wire in the Blood, discusses new thriller The Vanishing Point.
> L267 > MONTPELLIER GARDENS > 12-1PM > £7
BOOK IT!
Murder Mystery?
Meet three of our most compelling crime writers for young adults to find out whodunit? Dead Time is the first in The Murder Notebooks series by Anne Cassidy, award-winning author of Looking for JJ. Street Duty: Knock Down by BAFTA-winning screenwriter Chris Ould brings the very real world of the police force to life. Gregg Olsen is one of America’s favourite crime writers and explores the dark underbelly of society in the Betrayal, his latest Empty Coffin novel for teens.
> LB64 > THE STUDIO > AGE 13+ > 2.30-3.30PM > £5
THE BIG READ
James Bond – Dr No
The Big Reading
Join us for these free live readings from Ian Fleming’s gripping and atmospheric thriller Dr No. Each reading is narrated either by our suave hero, James Bond, or the eponymous sinister villain, hell-bent on world domination. Who will you encounter?
> L275 > HOTEL DU VIN BISTRO > 3-3.30 PM > FREE
The Book: Extinction or Survival?
James Daunt, Ian Rankin & Gail Rebuck
From the rise of the e-book to the phenomenon that is Fifty Shades Of Grey, many believe that the change faced by publishing right now is the most significant since Caxton. Join Chairman and CEO of The Random House Group Gail Rebuck, MD of Waterstones James Daunt and bestselling crime novelist Ian Rankin to hear the backroom secrets behind this publishing revolution. Hear their predictions for the future and how this will affect the relationship between author, publisher and reader.
> L276 > THE SALON – MONTPELLIER GARDENS> 4-5PM > £6 RES
SCIENCE AT LITERATURE
Silent Witnesses
Stuart Hamilton, Ian Rankin & Kathy Reichs
The science and the art of murder come together in this fascinating discussion. The bestselling exponent of taut and compelling Scottish noir Ian Rankin, forensic anthropologist and author Kathy Reichs, and forensic pathologist Stuart Hamilton Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists, join us to discuss the true relationship between writing about murder and getting the science right.
> L287 > IMPERIAL SQUARE > 6.30-7.30 PM > £7
Ian Rankin
Since the publication of his first Rebus novel in 1987, Ian Rankin has become one of our bestselling and best-loved crime writers. Talking about latest creation Malcolm Fox and the highly anticipated return of John Rebus, he provides a sneak preview of his new novel Standing in Another Man’s Grave, published in November.
> L293 > IMPERIAL SQUARE > 8.45-10PM > £8
Sunday 14 October
THE BIG READ
James Bond – Dr No
The Big Reading
Join us for these free live readings from Ian Fleming’s gripping and atmospheric thriller Dr No. Each reading is narrated either by our suave hero, James Bond, or the eponymous sinister villain, hell-bent on world domination. Who will you encounter?
> L312 > WATERSTONES BOOK TENT – MONTPELLIER GARDENS > 2.30-3PM > FREE
Included, as who can resist the talents of Tom Hollander and Amelia Bullmore?
Find the PDF of the festival brochure here: CheltLF12_Brochure
Gosh there are some really good events here. And I have relatives in Cheltenham. I might see if I can go….
It looks very good this year…