I love attending literary events, but I’m always so frustrated that they seem to be so far from where I live in south Lincolnshire. However, the Deepings are setting out to change all that and we intend to rival the big cities and literary festivals as we set out to rule the world!

Two years ago I was delighted to be asked to interview Alison Bruce for the first ever Deepings Literary Festival. You can read more about that and other sessions I attended here.

This year I was invited to be part of the planning committee for the second Deepings Literary Festival which will take place between 23rd and 26th May 2019.

We have already had an event to whet the appetite with Alison Bruce kindly returning and you can see what happened at Crime Around the Fireside here.

I thought I’d share with you some of the events coming up from a personal point of view featuring those authors I’ll be directly involved with during the festival. All the details are available on the Deepings Literary Festival website and a few tickets are still available for purchase for some (but not all) of our events here.

Firstly I’m thrilled to be interviewing Guinevere Glasfurd Brown at the Deepings Library on Thursday afternoon. Her book The Words In My Hand is utterly wonderful and you’ll find my review here. Guin has promised to tell us a bit about her research too.

On Friday morning I’ll be at the Deeping Stage Hotel to introduce million copy selling author Louise Jensen in conversation with international bestseller Darren O’Sullivan. Knowing them both as I do I hope Louise is prepared to keep Darren in order!

On Friday afternoon I’ll be off to The Boundary Fish and Chip Shop to take my mum to a fish and chip meal with the fabulous Milly Johnson.

Milly has appeared on Linda’s Book Bag numerous times, most recently when I reviewed her latest book, The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew, here. She has had so many best sellers I think it best simply to direct you to her wonderful website where you can find out more. I’m rather thrilled that I’ll be with Milly again, although as a steward this time rather than a guest, on Saturday morning at the Coronation Hall.

Straight after my fish and chips with Milly I’ll be scampering across the road to Godsey Lane Coffee so that I can introduce and interview author Lucien Young.

Lucien ‘stayed in’ with me in a post you can read here. We’ll be chatting all about his books and modern Shakespearean sonnets and I’ll quiz him about his writing for television too!

I have a feeling there might be quite a bit of interest in one of Lucien’s books in particular!

Saturday will be a particularly busy day for me. I’ve already said I’ll be with Milly Johnson in the morning at the Coronation Hall and immediately after that event I’m delighted I’ll be welcoming friend and author Barbara Copperthwaite to the same venue. Barbara will tell us all about landscape, and that of Lincolnshire in particular, in her writing before subjecting herself to my questions and those from the audience.

Again, Barbara has featured on the blog many times, but you might like to read my review her The Darkest Lies (set in Lincolnshire) here.

After a quick break for lunch, Saturday afternoon will start up with a bang as one of our library’s most borrowed authors, Elly Griffiths, is coming along to be grilled about her writing. I can’t wait to ask her all about her books, having just reviewed her latest Ruth Galloway Series The Stone Circle here on the blog.  I shall be wanting to know more about the latest news that Elly’s The Stranger Diaries (which is firmly on my TBR) is a Richard and Judy Book Club summer pick!

Following Elly’s event there will be a quick dash home to shower and change on Saturday evening before I’m off with my husband to the festival gala dinner at the Deepings Secondary School. Our guest speaker will be none other than broadcaster and journalist (and Strictly Come Dancing’s) John Sergeant.

I have a feeling John will have some interesting tales to tell and it will make a wonderful change for me to get my glad rags on rather than my gardening gear too!

After a packed day on Saturday you’d think I’d be taking Sunday off but not a bit of it. On Sunday morning I’m hotfooting it across to the beautiful setting of The Granary to interview actress and author Carol Drinkwater. Carol’s latest book, The House on the Edge of the Cliff was only released on Thursday 16th May and so we will be amongst the first to hear all about it and to hear Carol read from it. You can read my review of the book here.

I’m so looking forward to this event – especially as there will be bacon butties too!

Last, but by no means least, for me is a return to the Coronation Hall on Sunday afternoon for some music, a slice (or maybe two) of apple pie and some stewarding for two super independent authors, Julie Stock and Lizzie Lamb, talking about their writing.

Julie has appeared on Linda’s Book Bag here chatting about The Vineyard in Alsace and Lizzie here telling me all about Girl in the Castle. They are both such lovely ladies that I’m sure this will be an engaging afternoon.

Following all of this on Sunday evening I think I’ll be soaking in the bath with a glass of Bailey’s and, it goes without saying, a good book.

I can’t believe what an exciting and interesting week ahead I have. This is just a taster of what we have on offer and the events I’m personally involved with. Other authors, performers and artists attending include Judith Alnatt, Cathy Bramley, Mimi Anderson, Dr Patricia Fara, Susie Boyt, Greg Morse, Gerald Dickens (yes a relation;  great-great-grandson!), Sophie Hannah and Nick Tearle.

Although there are only a few tickets available for those events that haven’t quite sold out yet, do take a look here and see if there’s something that takes your fancy too.

In addition to our paid events there is a super free Read Dating event at the library on Saturday afternoon at 2PM where you have the chance to meet some wonderful authors, many of whom have featured on the blog like Eva Jordan, Tony J Forder and Ross Greenwood. You can find out more about the authors you can meet by accessing the Read Dating leaflet here.

It’s not often a small collection of villages in sleepy Lincolnshire can boast such a fabulous event involving so many local businesses, great food and, above all, fabulous authors. I’m honoured to be a part of it and I hope I’ll see some of you at one of the events too.