LINE-UP OF VISITING AUTHORS ANNOUNCED FOR MANX LITFEST 2015

LINE-UP OF VISITING AUTHORS ANNOUNCED FOR MANX LITFEST 2015

Tue, 01 Sep 2015

Award-winning author, Matthew Kneale

Culture Vannin is delighted to be supporting the fourth Manx Litfest. Festival Director, John Quirk, promises that it will serve up a treat for literature lovers, with a line-up including Joanne Harris MBE, Labour MP Alan Johnson and Matthew Kneale, author of Booker-shortlisted English Passengers.

The festival runs from Tuesday, September 22nd through to Sunday, September 27th and will take place at venues around the Island. Many of the events are free, and for those that require tickets, they will be on sale soon via the Villa Gaiety Box Office.

The line-up of visiting authors and illustrators:

• Joanne Harris MBE – author of 17 novels, including Chocolat. The movie adaptation, starring Johnny Depp, was nominated for five Oscars and eight BAFTAs. Her latest novel is The Gospel of Loki
• Alan Johnson MP - former Home Secretary and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer has written two memoirs – This Boy and Please, Mister Postman. This Boy won the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize and the Orwell Prize, Britain’s top political writing award
• Matthew Kneale – author of English Passengers, which won the Whitbread Prize and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize
• Darren Shan – prolific author of horror novels, mainly aimed at young adults. His series include The Saga of Darren Shan and his latest, Zom-B
• Brian Clegg – science writer, whose books include Build Your Own Time Machine and A Brief History of Infinity. Brian is a regular contributor to radio and TV programmes, and publications including the Wall Street Journal
• Martin Impey – an illustrator, whose previous books have included War Horse (with Michael Morpurgo), Martin has teamed up with author Hilary Robinson for a series of children’s books about World War I
• Ian Buxton – an authority on whisky and gin, his books include 101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die and 101 Gins to Try Before You Die. In 1991, Ian was elected a Keeper of the Quaich, the highest honour of the Scotch Whisky industry
• Jason Lewis – adventurer, explorer, sustainability campaigner, author - Jason specialises in human-powered expeditions and is recognised by Guinness World Records as the first person to circumnavigate the Earth without using motors or sails
• Viviane Schwarz – children’s author and illustrator, whose books include Welcome to Your Awesome Robot and Shark and Lobster’s Amazing Undersea Adventure
• Andy Miller – author of The Year of Reading Dangerously: How Fifty Great Books Saved My Life; an account of a reading odyssey that transformed his life
• Katherine Woodfine – Katherine’s debut novel The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow was published in June and named Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month
• Jamie Mollart – author of debut novel The Zoo, the story of a successful advertising director whose life disintegrates around him

‘We think this is our most diverse festival yet, in terms of the range of genres and events,’ said Festival Director John Quirk. ‘We’ve got Alan Johnson at the Gaiety, Joanne Harris speaking about her latest book, The Gospel of Loki, a Famous Five and Secret Seven inspired Family Day at Mooragh Park, and a “whisky vs gin showdown” with author Ian Buxton.

‘We are thrilled to welcome Matthew Kneale back to the Island. Matthew is the son of the late screenwriter Nigel Kneale, whose most famous creation was the 1950s TV science fiction series, The Quatermass Experiment. Nigel’s family was Manx and he was educated here, and on the Friday (September 25th), Matthew will host a celebration of his father’s work, including a screening of Quatermass, at the Manx Museum.’

A taste of what’s in store:

Tuesday, Sept 22  An Evening with Alan Johnson MP - Gaiety Theatre - 7.30pm

Wednesday, Sept 24  Open Mic Poetry Slam - Noa Bakehouse, Douglas - 8pm

Thursday, Sept 25  Book Fanatics’ Quiz Night - Noa Bakehouse - 8pm

Friday, Sept 26

• National Story Day - authors & poets visiting Manx schools
• The Day My Grandmother Exploded: the right ingredients for a classic book - St Bridget’s Chapel, The Nunnery - 5.30pm
• The Quatermass Experiment, with Matthew Kneale - Manx Museum, Douglas - 7pm
• Darren Shan’s Zom-B Mayhem - Youth Arts Centre, Douglas - 7pm

Saturday, Sept 27

• Famous Five and Secret Seven Family Day - Mooragh Park, Ramsey - 1pm-5pm
• Writers' Day - King William’s College - 9am-4pm
• Build Your Own Time Machine, with Brian Clegg - Youth Arts Centre - 3pm
• The Gospel of Loki, with Joanne Harris - Noa Bakehouse - 5pm
• The Whisky vs Gin Face-off, with author Ian Buxton - Noa Bakehouse - 7.30pm

Sunday, Sept 28

• Myth Makers: Usha Kishore and the IOM Poetry Society - Noa Bakehouse - 4pm
• Short Fiction Slam - Noa Bakehouse - 7pm

The full schedule for Litfest 2015 will soon be on www.manxlitfest.com and printed programmes will be distributed via various outlets.

John Quirk said: ‘The festival will also involve a number of Isle of Man authors and poets, some of whom will take part in National Story Day around Manx schools, while others will be involved with Writers’ Day (September 26th), at King William’s College. As a charity, we are indebted to our sponsors and supporters, such as Sure (Family Day), Isle of Man Bank (National Story Day) and Pokerstars (Writers’ Day), and Isle of Man Arts Council and Culture Vannin are longstanding supporters of what we’re trying to do.’

Books by visiting authors and Isle of Man writers are available from the festival’s partner bookseller, Bridge Bookshop in Port Erin.

For the latest news on this year’s festival, visit www.manxlitfest.com or follow at www.twitter.com/manxlitfest and www.facebook.com/manxlitfest. For information and tickets for the Writers' Day, please email manxlitfest@gmail.com