Great booking (From The Northern Echo)

Great booking

10:42am Thursday 3rd September 2009 in

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THE 19th annual Durham Book Festival, produced by Durham City Arts, has retained an impressive number of star names in spite of the event’s finances being stretched to the limit this time.

The headline performers linked to Durham’s Gala Theatre are already selling quickly in spite of tickets only going on sale officially on Tuesday for the festival which runs from October 23 to 1 November 1.

The ones to watch out for include: Sunday, October 25, author Nick Hornby in conversation with journalist Lynn Barber about adapting her memoir, An Education, to film. 5pm, Gala Theatre. Tickets: £8 (£6 concessions). Hornby will also be discussing his new novel, Juliet Naked, alongside writer David Nicholls, who has published the new book One Day. Gala, 7.30pm.

Tickets: £8 (£6).

Wednesday, October 28.

Comedian Jack Dee will be revealing how he went from being a cheery young fellow to the grumpy middle-aged man we know today, thanks to a series of truly awful jobs he had to endure. It’s linked to his frank memoir, Thanks For Nothing, and the event is chaired by Phil Hilton. Gala. 7.30pm. £10 (£8).

Friday, October 30. Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy will be presenting an evening of poetry from her and new North-East women poets. The line-up includes Linda France, Cynthia Fuller, Maureen Almond, Pippa Little and Ellen Phethean.

Duffy will read from her acclaimed collections such a Feminine Gospels and Rapture. Durham Town Hall, 7.30pm. £10 (£8).

Thursday, October 29. Book group favourite Kate Mosse introduces her new novel, The Winter Ghosts, which is set in the winter of 1928 in the French Pyrenees. Gala, 7.30pm.

£8 (£6).

Tuesday, October 27. Writer of the hilarious A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, Marina Lewycka, will be talking to novelist and journalist Amanda Craig about forming unlikely friendships across cultural divides. Gala, 7.30pm. £8 (£6).

Sunday, November 1. Wear Valley Railways is the setting for Andrew Martin to read extracts from his new novel, The Last Train to Scarborough. The passengers will travel from Wolsingham Station to Stanhope, to hear Martin give a reading on the platform. Then there will be a return trip to Wolsingham and the chance to have a book signed by the author during the journey. The event lasts for around an hour. Wolsingham Station, 12.55pm. Tickets: £8/£6/£4 weardale-railway.org.uk November 1 also sees Durham County Cricket Club’s Riverside Ground at Chester-le-Street hosting two events with sporting themes. TV presenter Charles Rangeley-Wilson will be discussing the books and BBC series linked to The Accidental Angler. 2pm. £4/£3.

Marcus Berkman will be talking about his new book, Ashes to Ashes, and writer Max Davidson will look at his work, Winning isn’t Everything: The Most Inspiring Moments of sporting Chivalry. 4pm.

£4/£3. durhamccc.co.uk For information about the festival go to bookfestival.org.uk Bookings: galadurham.co.uk or on 0191-332-4041.

Durham Book Festival is managed and produced by Durham City Arts and is programmed by New Writing North.