A fresh chapter is under way for Hexham Book Festival which has returned with a packed 10-day programme and among the topics up for discussion this weekend will be the upcoming Coronation.
Big name authors will be giving talks throughout the festival's run in the Northumberland market town, including royal biographer Robert Hardman who, on Sunday, will be speaking about his book about the late Queen Elizabeth and also her legacy, the crowning of King Charles and what the new monarch may end up doing differently.
With celebration plans for the May 6 coronation gathering pace, the author's talk about Queen of our Times, due to take place - appropriately enough - at the town's Queen Hall theatre, is set to prove an especially popular event in the busy programme which next weekend will also include a special children's festival, Storyland, which will take over Hexham.
Read more: Things to do around the Newcastle and the North East to celebrate the Coronation
The book festival, an annual spring event which made its debut in 2006, launches this Friday and runs until April 30 with a mix of authors, poets, journalists, broadcasters and household names as well as new writers, and events taking place in both Queen's Hall and Hexham Abbey. This Sunday will also see journalist and novelist Elizabeth Day in the former venue, following Hardman's 6pm-7pm event, to give her own talk at 7.45pm about her book Friendaholic and discuss relationships in general, fertility, childlessness and podcasting.
Ahead of that, this Saturday's attractions will include a talk by BBC’s Mark Easton but another by Channel 4 News’ Jon Snow has had to be cancelled due to health issues. Then upcoming programme highlights will include three more big name appearances on Tuesday, April 25: veteran reporter and presenter David Dimbleby; crime author Alexander McCall Smith and BBC Radio 4 Moneybox host Paul Lewis.
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Presenter Susannah Constantine, of What Not to Wear and Trinny & Susannah, will talk about her memoir Ready for Absolutely Nothing on April 26; poet laureate Simon Armitage will appear on April 28, and on April 29 guests will include Radio 4’s Edward Stourton; The Guardian’s Russia and Ukraine expert Luke Harding – who has been reporting from the frontline and has written a book called Invasion, and Guardian food writer Felicity Cloake. And the man who has been described as 'one of the greatest poets now writing anywhere' - Don Paterson - will be in town on April 30.
On that same last day, the festival Storyland will focus upon events for children of all ages, from babies upwards, and including crafting workshops and a talk for those aged seven-plus about the life of a country vet, with Julian Norton - star of Channel Five's The Yorkshire Vet. Festival director Susie Troup said the team is very excited about what she called "another stellar line-up of events for all ages".
A spokesperson added: "Amid a backdrop of rising inflation, a cost-of-living crisis, war in Europe and the climate crisis, Hexham Book Festival is here to help make sense of the world and offer some calm, some escapism and some fun." For information about the festival and ticket details for the full programme of more than 65 events, including writing workshops and interactive events, see here.
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