Top names coming to Appledore Book Festival

By ksmith

EXPLORERS, journalists and politicians are among a host of top names coming to the 2009 Appledore Book Festival.

Full details will be revealed when the festival brochure is launched tomorrow.

But the North Devon Journal can today reveal some of the prominent names who will appear.

Among them is the internationally renowned top selling author Michael Morpurgo, who is also a former Children's Laureate.

Also featured are two of Britain's best known explorers; Benedict Allen, who has made six BBC TV series and published 10 books, and Col John Blashford-Snell, who will be giving a talk on his latest expedition to the Bolivian Amazonas.

Also featuring in the line up is novelist Patrick Gale; Peter Lord, co-founder of the world famous Aardman Animations, and the former war reporter and MP Martin Bell, who is currently a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF.

Joining them will be award-winning biographer, novelist and broadcaster Victoria Glendenning, and politicians Chris Mullin and Tony Benn.

Famous crime writer and the creator of Inspector Morse, Colin Dexter will be talking about "Morse and Me".

There is also a host of top local talent taking part, including Tony Koorlander presenting Torridge's Secret War.

As revealed by the Journal earlier this year, Mr Koorlander is the first person in 65 years to have seen captivating Second World War footage of North Devon which had lain undiscovered in a Baltimore archive since the end of the war. In all the festival boasts 68 events running from September 26 to October 4. This year the event will see more work involving local schools.

Organisers said: "Appledore Book Festival is more than a fantastic celebration of words and writing in one of England's loveliest locations.

It's also an educational event – a catalyst for joyful reading for thousands of local children through the schools programme.

"Every weekday authors will be visiting local schools and presenting talks and signing their books."

The Appledore Book Festival was started in 2007 to provide funds for the Friends of Appledore Library who took responsibility for the running costs of the library after a year-long campaign to save it from closure.

Last year the Festival, which is supported by the North Devon Journal and thisisnorthdevon.co.uk , attracted more than 4,000 people and hundreds of school children across North Devon.

● See next week's Journal for details of an exclusive reader offer on tickets.