In Conversation with Terry Waite CBE
Jun
28
7:30 pm19:30

In Conversation with Terry Waite CBE

  • Sidmouth Literary Festival
  • ICS

Terry Waite CBE is a British Quaker, Anglican, humanitarian and author.

His latest book is called The Tales of Tommy Twitchnose written for 5-10 year olds. In conversation with Jane Corry, Terry will talk about the book but also about reading and writing in isolation and combatting loneliness.

His first book, Taken on Trust was written in his head during his imprisonment by Islamic militants in the 1980s. He is also the author of Out of the Silence: Memories, poems, reflections, Solitude: Memories, people, places and Travels with a Primate. His novel, The Voyage of the Golden Handshake was described by James Runcie as 'Completely barmy, eccentrically English and thoroughly entertaining'.

The Tales of Tommy Twitchnose

Meet Tommy Twitchnose, who lives with his wife and two children in a cosy little house under the floorboards in a converted barnhouse. Tommy and his family have a happy life, foraging for scraps of food and doing up their home with bits and pieces dropped by the humans who live above them. But then, one day, their peaceful life is rudely interrupted. A large family of town mice suddenly appears on their doorstep, led by a daring and determined mouse called Danny, who announces that they're moving in... The adventures that follow will charm, amuse and amaze all who read them - children and grown-ups alike! 

FREE Event - click here for tickets:

Please Note:

The link to the Zoom session will be sent to you on Sunday 27th June. Please check your inbox and also the spam folder, just in case. Any queries, please email 

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In Conversation with Naomi Ishiguro
Jun
29
7:30 pm19:30

In Conversation with Naomi Ishiguro

  • Sidmouth Literary Festival
  • ICS

Naomi Ishiguro's debut novel Common Ground was published on  25th March – Common Ground is a timely novel about friendship and solidarity. It tells a story of two friends from very different backgrounds growing up in noughties England, and explores the stresses and strains that prejudice, inequality, and the hostile environment place on those characters and their relationships. It’s a fantastic read from an exciting new voice in fiction with a sparkling career ahead of her.  She is based in London.  

Naomi will be in conversation with Jane Corry followed by a Q&A from the audience.

Common Ground

Did you ever have a friend who made you see the world differently?

From the acclaimed author of the story collection Escape Routes comes a timely, bittersweet and beautifully observed coming of age story about a friendship that defines two lives, and about the value of loyalty in a divided world.

It’s a lonely life for Stan, at a new school that feels more ordeal than fresh start, and at home where he and his mother struggle to break the silence after his father’s death. When he encounters fearless, clever Charlie on the local common, all of that begins to change. Charlie’s curiosity is infectious, and it is Charlie who teaches Stan, for the first time, to stand on his own two feet. 

But will their unit of two be strong enough to endure in a world that offers these boys such different prospects?

The pair part ways, until their paths cross once again, as adults at a London party. Now Stan is revelling in all that the city has to offer, while Charlie seems to have hit a brick wall. He needs Stan’s help, and above all his friendship, but is Stan really there for the man who once showed him the meaning of loyalty?

FREE event - tickets available here:

Please Note:

The link to the Zoom session will be sent to you on Monday 28th June. Please check your inbox and also the spam folder, just in case. Any queries, please email 

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In Conversation with Sarah Moss
Jul
1
7:30 pm19:30

In Conversation with Sarah Moss

  • Sidmouth Literary Festival
  • ICS

Sarah Moss is an English writer and academic. She has published six novels, as well as a number of non-fiction works and academic texts. Her work has been nominated three times for the Wellcome Book Prize. 

In conversation with Sylvia Jacob, Sarah will talk about her latest novel, Summerwater, followed by Q&A from the audience.

Summerwater

Summerwater is a devastating story told over twenty-four hours in the Scottish highlands, and a searing exploration of our capacity for both kinship and cruelty in these divided times.

On the longest day of the summer, twelve people sit cooped up with their families in a faded Scottish cabin park. The endless rain leaves them with little to do but watch the other residents.

A woman goes running up the Ben as if fleeing; a retired couple reminisce about neighbours long since moved on; a teenage boy braves the dark waters of the loch in his red kayak. Each person is wrapped in their own cares but increasingly alert to the makeshift community around them. One particular family, a mother and daughter without the right clothes or the right manners, starts to draw the attention of the others. Tensions rise and all watch on, unaware of the tragedy that lies ahead as night finally falls.

Longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction 2021.

FREE event - tickets available here:

Please Note:

The link to the Zoom session will be sent to you on Wednesday 30th June. Please check your inbox and also the spam folder, just in case. Any queries, please email 

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Children's Book Reading with Andy Cooper
Jul
3
11:00 am11:00

Children's Book Reading with Andy Cooper

  • Sidmouth Literary Festival
  • ICS

Andy Cooper has been a writer and journalist for over thirty years. He has worked around the South West of the UK for the past twenty years, and is now based in Exeter, where he edits Devon Life magazine and runs his own copywriting business. 

In conversation with Ben Jacob, Andy will start the session with a reading from the book especially for children then talk about the inspiration behind the book.

Harry the Hippotamus

Harry is a young hippopotamus with a big problem... he can't say the word ‘hippopotamus'! So when Harry should be a happy hippopotamus he's harassed and full of heartache instead. No matter how hard he tries he just cannot say the vital word. After running away from home in frustration he soon finds himself confronted by lots of other animals who cannot believe how silly he seems. At every turn, Harry's attempts to say ‘hippopotamus' fail spectacularly. All seems lost for Harry until he confronts his problem one final time... with surprising results.

FREE event - tickets available here:

Please Note:

The link to the Zoom session will be sent to you on Friday 2nd July. Please check your inbox and also the spam folder, just in case. Any queries, please email 

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The West Country Trilogy with Tim Pears
Jun
9
4:30 pm16:30

The West Country Trilogy with Tim Pears

  • Kennaway House
  • ICS

A talk from renowned author Tim Pears will take place in the PM of Sunday 9th June following the How To Get Published Event.

Tim Pears Jacket.jpg

The Sidmouth Literary Festival in partnership with Winstone’s Independent Bookshop are pleased to announce the festival’s finale event: a discussion with Tim Pears!

Having grown up in Devon, Tim Pears is more than familiar with the land we love to call home. His West Country Trilogy chronicles love, exile, and belonging in a world on the brink of change, and it now concludes with The Redeemed. As his most ambitious novels to date, The West Country Trilogy takes place before, during, and after the First World War.

It’ll be a wonderful opportunity to hear Tim Pears talk about the inspiration for this trilogy, his writing process of a longer narrative across three books, and of course the role of landscape and local history in his work.

Join us at Kennaway House in the Cellar Bar for this fascinating talk in the PM of Sunday 9th June.

Tickets can be purchased at Winstone’s Independent Bookshop at number 10 High Street, Sidmouth, or bought online at Eventbrite by clicking .

Please remember to bring your ticket along to the event, and we shall see you there!

If you have any queries, please phone Winstone’s at

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An Evening with Ann Cleeves
Jun
8
7:00 pm19:00

An Evening with Ann Cleeves

  • Kennaway House
  • ICS

A discussion with acclaimed author Ann Cleeves

Ann cleeves Jacket.jpg

Saturday 8th June, 2019. Kennaway House, Sidmouth.

This event will take place in the Cellar Bar of Kennaway House.

As part of the Sidmouth Literary Festival with support from Winstone's Independent Bookshop, we are pleased to present an evening with Ann Cleeves.

Ann Cleeves is the author of over thirty critically acclaimed novels, and in 2017 was awarded the highest accolade in crime writing, the CWA Diamond Dagger. She is the creator of popular detectives Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez who can now be found on television in ITV’s Vera and BBC One’s Shetland. The TV series and the books they are based on have become international sensations, capturing the minds of millions worldwide.

Join us at Kennaway House, in the cellar bar, where Ann will be in discussion with Sidmouth's own acclaimed author Jane Corry as they discuss the ending to Ann's highly popular Shetland series. 

The event will begin at 7p.m. and we shall look forward to seeing you there.

Tickets cost £10 and can be purchased online via Eventbride (with VAT) .

Or through Winstone’s Bookshop on Sidmouth High Street (Number 10). You can also call us on: .

-PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING OUT A PRINTED VERSION OF YOUR TICKET ON THE DAY IF YOU PURCHASE THROUGH EVENTBRITE-

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D-Day: The Soldiers' Story with Historian Giles Milton
Jun
8
4:30 pm16:30

D-Day: The Soldiers' Story with Historian Giles Milton

  • Kennaway House
  • ICS

The Sidmouth Literary Festival in partnership with Winstone’s Independent Bookshop are pleased to announce the kick off event: a talk with renowned historian and writer Giles Milton!

giles milton D-Day HB cover .jpg

Seventy-five years have passed since D-Day.

The ingeniously planned operation - an epic battle that involved 156,000 men – was, above all, a
story of individual heroics. This smaller scale story from the perspective of all sides has never fully been told until now. Giles takes us hour by hour through the day’s events to give the definitive soldier-on-the-beach account of the greatest seaborne invasion in history Giles Milton is an internationally best-selling author of non-fiction. His last book, Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, was a Sunday Times best-seller. His other seven critically acclaimed works of history include Nathaniel's Nutmeg, serialised by the BBC.

Join us at Kennaway House in the Cellar Bar for this fascinating talk at 4:30 pm.

Tickets can be purchased at Winstone’s Independent Bookshop at number 10 High Street, Sidmouth, or bought online at Eventbrite by clicking .

Please remember to bring your ticket along to the event, and we shall see you there!

If you have any queries, please phone Winstone’s at

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In Conversation with Lesley Pearse and Ruth Ware
Jun
8
2:00 pm14:00

In Conversation with Lesley Pearse and Ruth Ware

  • Kennaway House
  • ICS
LESLEY PEARSE.jpg

The Sidmouth Literary Festival in partnership with Winstone’s Independent Bookshop are pleased to announce an inspiring conversation with two bestselling authors, Lesley Pearse and Ruth Ware!

Ruth Ware is an international number one bestseller and she has appeared on bestseller lists around the world, including the Sunday Times and New York Times. Her books have been optioned for both film and TV, and she is published in more than 40 languages. Ruth lives near Brighton with her family. 

Lesley Pearse was told as a child that she had too much imagination for her own good. When she grew up she worked her way through a number of jobs, including nanny and bunny girl, at the age of forty-nine, settling upon a career that would allow her gifts to blossom: she became a published writer. Lesley lives in Devon and has three daughters and four grandchildren.

These two authors will be in discussion with our very own bestselling author Jane Corry, and we are very excited to see the shape the conversation takes given their combined experience in the industry.

Join us at Kennaway House in the Cellar Bar for this fascinating talk at 2:00 pm.

Tickets can be purchased at Winstone’s Independent Bookshop at number 10 High Street, Sidmouth, or bought online at Eventbrite by clicking .

Please remember to bring your ticket along to the event, and we shall see you there!

If you have any queries, please phone Winstone’s at

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Alex Woodcock on King of Dust
Jun
8
11:30 am11:30

Alex Woodcock on King of Dust

  • Kennaway House
  • ICS
King of Dust Cover.jpg

The Sidmouth Literary Festival in partnership with Winstone’s Independent Bookshop are pleased to announce the kick off event: a talk with local stonemason Alex Woodcock!

Alex Woodcock joins us to share his passion for the landscape and heritage of the South West through his unique perspective as a stonemason. Following his PhD in medieval sculpture, he spent six years working at Exeter Cathedral. His writing has previously touched upon diverse topics from surrealist art, ancient fossils and poetry. Now his latest work, King of Dust, is a travelogue exploring the antiquities and carvings of the south west coast. The book is a meditation on the craft but also an insight into his experiences with depression and the transformative power of art in our lives.

Join us at Kennaway House in the Cellar Bar for this fascinating talk at 11:30 am.

Tickets can be purchased at Winstone’s Independent Bookshop at number 10 High Street, Sidmouth, or bought online at Eventbrite by clicking .

Please remember to bring your ticket along to the event, and we shall see you there!

If you have any queries, please phone Winstone’s at

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Nicci French, International Bestselling Crime Writing Partnership
Jun
17
7:00 pm19:00

Nicci French, International Bestselling Crime Writing Partnership

  • ICS

Nicci French £10.00 Cellar Bar

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Tea With The Royals, Richard Lappas presents his Royal photos over delicious afternoon tea.
Jun
17
4:00 pm16:00

Tea With The Royals, Richard Lappas presents his Royal photos over delicious afternoon tea.

  • ICS

Tea with the Royals £10.00 Cellar Bar

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Diana Moran, Sod Sitting and Get Moving with TV's Green Goddess
Jun
17
2:00 pm14:00

Diana Moran, Sod Sitting and Get Moving with TV's Green Goddess

  • ICS

Diana Moran £8.50 Cellar Bar

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Rev Angela Briscoe Writings for Meditation and Prayer
Jun
17
12:00 pm12:00

Rev Angela Briscoe Writings for Meditation and Prayer

  • ICS

FREE event at St Giles Church

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Andrew Wilson: A Different Kind of Evil, featuring Agatha Christie as detective for the British Secret Intelligence Service
Jun
17
12:00 pm12:00

Andrew Wilson: A Different Kind of Evil, featuring Agatha Christie as detective for the British Secret Intelligence Service

  • ICS

Andrew Wilson 12pm Hatton Room

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How To Get Published
Jun
17
10:00 am10:00

How To Get Published

  • ICS

Hatton Room £25.00

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Lord Tebbit: Life and Food - the Tory Grandee in Conversation
Jun
16
7:30 pm19:30

Lord Tebbit: Life and Food - the Tory Grandee in Conversation

  • ICS

Lord Tebbit £12.00 Cellar Bar

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From Romance to Erotica: with Liz Fenwick and Kay Jaybee
Jun
16
5:30 pm17:30

From Romance to Erotica: with Liz Fenwick and Kay Jaybee

  • ICS

Liz Fenwick £10.00 Cellar Bar

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Poetry Open Mic with Philip Smith and Bernard Jacobs
Jun
16
4:00 pm16:00

Poetry Open Mic with Philip Smith and Bernard Jacobs

  • ICS

Poetry Event FREE Venue TBC

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Mary Hollingsworth: Renaissance Historian Explores the Medicis
Jun
16
3:00 pm15:00

Mary Hollingsworth: Renaissance Historian Explores the Medicis

  • ICS

Mary Hollingsworth £7.00 Hatton Room

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Literary Walk: Explore Literary Sidmouth With Museum Curator Nigel Hyman
Jun
16
2:00 pm14:00

Literary Walk: Explore Literary Sidmouth With Museum Curator Nigel Hyman

  • ICS

Literary Walk with Nigel Hyman £3.00

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Anne de Courcy on The Husband Hunters: Social Climbing in London and New York
Jun
16
12:30 pm12:30

Anne de Courcy on The Husband Hunters: Social Climbing in London and New York

  • ICS

Anne de Courcy Cellar Bar £8.50

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TP Fielden Brings 1950's Sleuth Miss Dimont to Sidmouth (with Judi Spiers)
Jun
16
10:30 am10:30

TP Fielden Brings 1950's Sleuth Miss Dimont to Sidmouth (with Judi Spiers)

  • ICS

TP Fielden £7.00 Hatton Room

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BBC Veteran Kate Adie in Conversation
Jun
15
7:30 pm19:30

BBC Veteran Kate Adie in Conversation

  • ICS

Kate Adie £12 Cellar Bar

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Showbiz Legend Nicholas Parsons
Jun
15
5:00 pm17:00

Showbiz Legend Nicholas Parsons

  • ICS

Nicolas Parsons £12 Cellar Bar

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2018 Sidmouth Festival at Kennaway House
Jun
15
to 17 Jun

2018 Sidmouth Festival at Kennaway House

  • ICS

Kennaway House, Sidmouth EX10 8NG

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Simon Mayo Talk and Signing with the Much Loved Radio Presenter
Apr
26
7:00 pm19:00

Simon Mayo Talk and Signing with the Much Loved Radio Presenter

  • ICS

Simon Mayo 26th April Sidholme hotel 7pm Tickets £10.00

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