Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival Autumn Event
St Mary's Church, Hawkesbury Upton
11am-4pm
Our Autumn 2025 event will be on the theme of "Strength of Character", approached from many different angles, from classic novels to contemporary paintings, with talks and readings by the following speakers:
AA Abbott, author of the Lies thriller series, on writing villains you love to hate
Ali Bacon, historical novelist, speaking about Robert Louis Stevenson's first love as featured in her new novel The Absent Heart
Gerard Boyce, retired academic, on characterisation in Shakespeare
Lucienne Boyce, historical novelist and historian, on Charles Dickens' characters
Sarah Sian Chave, author of Hafren: The Wisdom of the River Severn
Frances Evesham, cosy crime writer of two series set in Somerset
Lorna Fergusson, novelist and writing coach on the impact of place on character, as demonstrated by her new collection of short stories, One Morning in Provence
Stefania Hartley, reading one of her short stories about strong Sicilian characters
Helen Idris-Jones, nurse and nurse educator, and author of Missing Ella
James Nickells, portrait artist at the Global Portrait Project
Mark Rutterford, storyteller, performing a story written especially for the event
Debbie Young, cosy mystery author and festival founder, chairing a panel on the strength of character required to be an author
The event will be chaired by HULF Founder and Director Debbie Young, who will combine this fascinating line-up into a coherent whole.
This occasion marks the 10th Birthday of the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival. There will be cake!
