Introduction to the festival

This year’s Kingston Readers’ Festival celebrates the 500th anniversary of Henry
VIII’s accession to the throne with a series of appropriate events (including a talk
about her latest book, Wolf Hall, set in Tudor England by Hilary Mantel), one of
which (1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII) will actually take place at Hampton
Court Palace.

We will be celebrating three other anniversaries: one marking the 150th anniversary
of the publication of On the Origin of Species with a talk by Darwinian specialist
Dr Jim Endersby; another marking the 25th anniversary of the Born Free Foundation
with a talk by its founder, actress and wildlife campaigner Virginia McKenna; and
the third marking the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission by Kingston
University’s Dr Brycchan Carey.

Shakespearean events are covered again this year by Christopher Rush in
the Rose Theatre, as well as Simon Reade and Kingston University’s Dr Erica
Longfellow. The foodies among you will not be disappointed: as well as events by
chefs Bill Granger and Jay Rayner, Leiths School of Food and Wine will be back
demonstrating their culinary skills at John Lewis, and Victoria Moore will also be
telling you how to drink!

Politics are covered by journalists Paul Mason and Frank Gardner; autobiography
by Diana Athill and biography by Peter Martin (on Dr Samuel Johnson); and we even
have an event involving DIY this year, entitled Sartre’s Sink! Fiction does also feature, with novels about big themes: terrorism, asylum seeking and infertility, plus the unknown thrillers of Louisa May Alcott.

I look forward to seeing you at Kingston Readers’ Festival.

Sandy Williams, Festival DirectorSandy Williams
Festival Director