Hot Tickets: 23rd August

Carol Ann Duffy, 26 August, 15.30-16.30

Her evening event on 25 August is long since sold out, but fans of the Poet Laureate can still catch her at this daytime reading, aimed at families, of her most recent children's book, The Gift, which has been intricately illustrated by the wonderful Rob Ryan. As at her other reading, she'll be appearing here with John Sampson, a virtuoso musician who will bring an extra layer to Duffy's always atmospheric words.

 

A S Byatt, 28 August, 15.00-16.00

Booker Prize winner and British literary goddess AS Byatt is returning to the Festival to read from, and discuss, her latest work, which is somewhere between an autobiography and a re-telling of the Norse myth of Ragnarök. This is a deeply intriguing project, and the event promises to be a real insight into the fascinating mind of one of our greatest living authors.

 

William Goldsmith and Nick Hayes, 28 August, 20.30-21.30

This is part of the EIBF's Newton First Book Award series of events and offers a chance to see up-and-coming young graphic novelists Goldsmith and Hayes discuss their respective debut works. The graphic novel has been a hotly debated form of literature of late and this event will seek to prove that it is a literary artform for a new generation. Whether you're a fan or a skeptic, this should provide some matter for consideration – and you may well find yourself won over by the visual delights on offer.