Lincoln Book Festival
In the 800th anniversary year of Magna Carta the 2015 Lincoln Book Festival looks at topics of freedom, liberty and medieval Lincolnshire.
Monday 28th September 6:15pm - Art & Architecture - Chaired by Gil Darby, freelance lecturer on the arts
SIMON THURLEY
THE BUILDING OF ENGLAND: HOW A SMALL ISLAND CHANGED THE WAY THE WORLD LOOKS
From awe-inspiring Norman castles to today’s skyscrapers, the significance of our architectural history is inextricably linked to our cultural past. Influenced by historical events, the architecture of England has evolved over a thousand years reflecting the beliefs, ideas and aspirations of the people who commissioned new buildings, erected them, used and lived in them. Simon is former Chief Executive of English Heritage and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Historical Research. He has written many books about English architecture and is working on a new history of the English court and its palaces.
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CHARLES FITZROY
THE RAPE OF EUROPA
Part art history, part detective story, this is a thrilling account of Titian’s great masterpiece – charged with eroticism and classical mystique. But behind it lies an extraordinary journey, ranging from its place at the court of Philip II of Spain, via the French revolution and English intrigue, to its current home in America, engineered by the brilliant but devious art historian Bernard Berenson. Charles is a direct descendant of Charles II and uncle of the Duke of Grafton. Educated at Eton and Cambridge, he trained as an art historian and runs Fine Art Travel Limited.
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Tuesday 29th September 6:15pm - Strange Bedfellows - Sponsored by The Lincoln College Group
ANDREW MORTON
17 CARNATIONS: THE WINDSORS, THE NAZIS AND THE COVER-UP
Morton uses previously unpublished material to throw sharp new light on a dark chapter of history and the subsequent efforts to conceal it on both sides of the Atlantic. From Hitler’s attempts as royal matchmaker, Wallis Simpson’s affair with von Ribbentrop and a conspiracy to install Edward as a puppet king, to a cache of the Duke’s letters found hidden in a German castle. International best-selling biographer and a leading authority on modern celebrity, Andrew has written biographies of Princess Diana, Monica Lewinsky, the Beckhams, President Daniel arap Moi and others.
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GILES RADICE in conversation with Norman Lamont
ODD COUPLES
At crucial moments in history, the actions of pairs of politicians have changed the course of government. Despite clashing ambitions, often conflicting and always strong egos, these leaders overlooked their differences in pursuit of a common cause, proving that co-operation can exist between political rivals. Here are the stories of some of the greatest players of post-war British politics, showing how their relationships determined the great successes (and downfalls) of their careers. Giles was a Labour MP until 2001 and now sits in the House of Lords. As a biographer, ‘Blending personalities and politics is (his) speciality’ (Peter Hennessy). He lives in Lincolnshire.
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Wednesday 30th September, 6:15pm - Freedom of Expression: For Better or for Worse
NEVILLE THURLBECK in conversation with Jon Grubb, former editor of the Lincolnshire Echo.
TABLOID SECRETS
In nearly 20 years at the top of the News of the World – as chief reporter, news editor and scoop hunter extraordinaire – Neville served up some of the paper’s most memorable headlines. His journalism led him into encounters with Cabinet ministers, rent boys, sports stars and serial killers; he was recruited to MI5 and foiled a murder. Now he reveals the truth about how he broke the stories that thrilled and shocked the nation, secured the paper up to 15 million readers a week and resulted in a conviction for phone hacking. Neville has won numerous journalism awards, including the British Press Awards Scoop of the Year Award twice.
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THOMAS GRANT in conversation with Oliver Thorold, barrister
JEREMY HUTCHINSON’S CASE HISTORIES
Born in 1915 into the fringes of the Bloomsbury Group, Hutchinson went on to become the greatest criminal barrister of his day. From the sex and spying scandals which contributed to Macmillan’s resignation in 1963 to the fight against literary censorship through his defence of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Hutchinson was involved in many of the great trials of the period – cases that changed society for ever. In the year that he turns 100, Case Histories provides a vivid and entertaining account of his remarkable life and work to preserve individual liberty and resist the incursions of an overbearing state. Thomas Grant QC is a practising barrister and author.
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Thursday 1st October, 6:15pm - Revolution in the Air
JULIET BARKER
ENGLAND ARISE!
Why did a diverse group of ordinary men and women unite in armed rebellion against Church and State to demand a radical political agenda? Had it been implemented, it would have transformed English society and anticipated the French Revolution by 300 years. The dramatic and shocking events of the Peasants’ Revolt unfold in an engrossing study of life in medieval England. Juliet has a doctorate from Oxford, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and internationally recognised authority on medieval history. Her books include Agincourt, Conquest, and biographies of the Brontes and Wordsworth.
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NICK BUNKER
EMPIRE ON THE EDGE: HOW BRITIAN CAME TO FIGHT AMERICA
This new look at the Boston Tea Party and the three years of mutual embitterment which preceded the American Revolution shows how a lethal blend of politics, personalities and economics led to a war that few welcomed but nobody could prevent. With lawyers in London crying treason, hawks in Parliament out for revenge and Americans underestimating Britain’s determination not to give way, war was inevitable. Nick is a Lincoln resident, Cambridge and Columbia graduate and former stockbroker. Making Haste from Babylon was long-listed for the 2010 Samuel Johnson prize. Empire on the Edge was a finalist of the 2015 Pulitzer History Prize.
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Friday 2nd October, 6:15pm - Glimpses of Islam - Chaired by Dr Mark Hocknull, Chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral and Senior Fellow University of Lincoln - Sponsored by the University of Lincoln
ROBERT G HOYLAND
IN GOD’S PATH
In just over 100 years after the death of Mohammed, his followers swept across an area larger than the Roman Empire in roughly half the time. How was this possible? Between the empires of Byzantium and Sasanian Persia emerged a distinct Arabian identity and the Arabs are the main players in this tale. But using different sources, Robert uncovers how the people along the edges of Byzantium and Persia played critical roles and how they and the new faith made it possible to create the first Islamic Empire. Robert is Professor of Late Antique and Early Islamic Middle Eastern History at New York University and author of Arabia and the Arabs.
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ZIA CHOUDHRY
JUST YOUR AVERAGE MUSLIM
In a powerful antidote to exhausted stereotypes, Chaudhry challenges non-Muslims to re-examine what they think they know and Muslims to explore how they portray themselves to the world, encouraging us all to reflect on our similarities not our differences. Too often we see Muslims as fanatical jihadists or helpless victims of western oppression but how does the average Muslim see it? Zia was brought up in Lancashire and is a successful criminal barrister. He is involved in interfaith dialogue, featuring in the ITV series Soul to Soul with Jo Brand, and has made many radio appearances discussing Islam and related issues.
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Saturday 3rd October, 2:30pm - 3:30pm - The Magna Carta Chronicle with Christopher Lloyd
ASQDD
Free Family Workshop (Suitable for Children over 6)
Freedom and liberty are words that have been bandied around by politicians for centuries but what do they actually mean and do we really live in a free society? Using an 8m-long timeline and a coat of many pockets, Christopher takes 10 key moments in the last 800 years to show how today’s ideas of freedom and liberty have evolved since the sealing of Magna Carta. Christopher specialises in connecting knowledge together using giant narratives, visual timelines and interactive workshops. He is a Cambridge history graduate and former Sunday Times science correspondent.
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Saturday 3rd October, 6:15pm - My Lords, Ladies & Lincolnshire - Sponsored by Wright Vigar Chartered Accountants
THOMAS ASBRIDGE
THE GREATEST KNIGHT
Described by Stephen Langton as the ‘best knight that ever lived’, William Marshall rose from obscurity to become regent of England and one of the most powerful men in Europe. He helped negotiate Magna Carta and expelled the French at the Battle of Lincoln. His tale lays bare the brutish realities of medieval warfare and the machinations of the royal court. Reader in Medieval History at Queen Mary University and author of the critically acclaimed The Crusades: the War for the Holy Land, Tom presented a major BBC series on the Crusades and a documentary on William Marshall.
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LOUISE J WILKINSON
WOMEN IN THIRTEENTH CENTURY LINCOLNSHIRE
Louise discusses the lives and positions of formidable women such as Nichola de la Haye, Sheriff of Lincoln, and Hawise de Quency, Countess of Lincoln. But through her pioneering use of government records, charters, chronicles and manorial court rolls, she also uncovers the lives of ordinary medieval women – wives, merchants, labourers, criminals and nuns. Louise is Professor of Medieval History at Canterbury Christ Church University, a co-investigator of The Magna Carta Project and author of Eleanor de Montfort, a biography of King John’s daughter.
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Booking Tickets
Each event at Lincoln Book Festival takes place at The Collection. Tickets cost £10 per evening. Places are limited so book fast to avoid missing out. You can book your tickets at the Lincoln Drill Hall Box Office, by calling 01522 873894 or on the Drill Hall website.