The Cheltenham Literature Festival – 5th to 14th October 2018

25th September 2018

It’s almost time for the world-famous The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival. This year the dates are 5th to 14th October…Several hundred of the world’s finest writers, thinkers and performers will be in Cheltenham to celebrate the joy of the written and spoken word. Over 500 events will take place – they span history, art, current affairs, sport, food, and fashion. The Festival will bring together the best new voices in fiction and poetry alongside some literary greats. The year, ideally from the TripFiction perspective, the Festival will explore the theme of ‘East Meets West‘.

A host of international writers and experts will join a unique programme inspired by the culture and history of the Far East. In fiction, the Festival will celebrate the work of the outstanding cult Japanese author Haruki Murakami with a first look at the highly anticipated Killing Commendatore with friends and fans including David Mitchell. The Festival explores the East Asian canon more widely with authors such as Masatsugu Ono, Madeleine Thien, Sayaka Murata, Min Jin Lee, Xiaolu Guo, and Fujimoto Prize-winner Genki Kawamura (If Cats Disappeared from the World), plus renowned poet Paul Conneally demonstrates the beauty and brevity of the Haiku.

In Travel and Lifestyle, Ian Buruma and Asa Yoneda transport the audience to the metropolis of intoxicating capital Tokyo, spirits expert Dave Broom (The Way of Whisky) takes a tasting tour of Japan, and the Festival enjoys the powerhouse of Japanese animation and Studio Ghibli with Mark Kermode. In the History collection, Guest Curator Peter Frankopan will introduce The New Silk Roads and Edward Burman gives an intriguing account of the legendary Terracotta Army. In Art and Design the audience will join Guest Curator and V&A Director Tristram Hunt to marvel at the fabulous treasures in the East Asian Galleries, and in Current Affairs, the possibility of peace on the Korean peninsula is interrogated with Jieun Baek (North Korea’s Hidden Revolution) and Robin Niblet, plus Rania Abouzeid (No Turning Back) and Channel 4’s International Editor Lindsey Hilsum (In Extremis) examine the dynamics of war in Syria with BBC Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet.

It promises to be an extremely worthwhile and enjoyable 10 days. In addition to the highlights above there are many, many more events. For the full Festival programme please click here.

I hope that at least some of you will be able to visit!

Tony for the TripFiction team

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