Dear Festival Friends

With the start of Stroud Book Festival 2024 a little under three weeks’ away, some events in our programme have now sold out. Although there is still time to book tickets for most events, we encourage you to buy soon to avoid disappointment.

Copies of our printed brochure are available from venues across Stroud including Stroud Library, Stroud Sub Rooms and of course Stroud Bookshop. You can also pick one up from the Yellow Lighted Bookshop in Nailsworth and Tetbury.

There is also an online “flipbook” version of our printed brochure on the Stroud Book Festival website. You can try it out here.

If you’re still deciding which events to attend, may we suggest:

 

SHY with Max Porter & DJ Junglecast

Friday 8^th November, 8.00-9.000pm, Sub Rooms

For adults & young people (recommended age 14+)

Shy is a novel about imagination, guilt and boyhood. It is about being lost in the dark, and realising you are not alone.

If you’ve never seen a live performance by the incredible, electrifying Max Porter, you owe it to yourself to book for this unmissable “audio and literary bombardment”.

Five years ago, multi-award-winning author Max treated our Stroud audiences to a spell-binding event based on his book, “Lanny”. So we are thrilled that Max is returning to Stroud Book Festival to bring his latest book to life.

“Shy” journeys into the mind of a troubled teenager in 1995, who wanders into the night with voices in his head – his teachers, his parents, the people he has hurt and the people who are trying to love him – and realises he isn’t alone.

And if you need further encouragement to come along, here it is! Earlier this year came the exceedingly exciting news that Max’s film version of “Shy” is now in production. It’s a reimagining of the novel through the lens of a teacher at the school called Steve, which is the title of the film. It is being produced by BAFTA and Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy and his production company Big Things Films. Cillian will star as Steve.

For Stroud Book Festival, Max will perform a dramatized reading from “Shy”, with a drum ’n’ bass & jungle accompaniment from DJ Junglecast, and a young Stroud actor in the title role.

Post-performance, we’ll bring you a short in-conversation with Max about the inspirations behind this extraordinary novel.

 

IN HER ROOM: HOW MUSIC HELPED ME CONNECT WITH MY AUTISTIC DAUGHTER with James Cook & Jude Cook

Saturday 9^th November, 8.00-9.00pm, Lansdown Hall

In the 1990s, twin brothers James Cook and Jude Cook had a recording career as members of indie band, Flamingoes. In more recent times, both have forged successful new careers as writers and critics.

In his book, “In Her Room”, James writes of his discovery that singing and playing guitar could provide him with a unique form of communication with his daughter Emily who was diagnosed with a complex, non-verbal autism at the age of 2 and a half.

Inspired by the book, James and Jude have devised this moving musical event in which they perform readings from “In Her Room”, interspersed with songs mentioned in the book, including tracks by The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and yes, The Flamingoes too.

This event promises to be a compelling exploration of the power of music to forge connection.

 

BLUE MONSTER: A DRAWING WORKSHOP with Petr Horáček

Saturday 9^th November, 3.30-4.30pm, Museum in the Park

Ages: 5-11

We try not to have favourite authors here at Stroud Book Festival, but we have a special place in our hearts for multi award-winning – and lovely – children’s author Petr Horáček, who has become a Festival regular.

This year he’s bringing us an exciting drawing workshop in which he will show you how you can draw and make your very own monster. He’ll be reading from some of his books and introducing his favourite characters including the very new “Blue Monster”.

It might sound a teeny bit scary, but really it’s going to be lots of fun!

All materials are included in the ticket price.

 

All the latest Stroud Book Festival updates can be found on our website, and on our social media channels:

Twitter: @bookstroud

Facebook: facebook.com/stroudbookfestival

Instagram: instagram.com/stroudbookfestival

 

See you soon!

With love from

The Stroud Book Festival team x