Early Booking for the 2016 Independent Bath Literature Festival

Each year Bath holds it’s famous literature festival. Big name authors, playwrights, illustrators and other literary figures come together to fill the impressive programme of events. This year, to celebrate the 21^st birthday of the festival, organisers have decided to release tickets for 12 special events ahead of the general ticket release date on the 18^th of January (although festival friends and priority bookings go on sale a few days before this). As always tickets sell out fast, so planning ahead is important, especially if you want to see any of the twelve early release events. 

These are:

• ·      Alice Roberts, presenter of The Incredible Human Journey and Coast, talking about her explorations into the forgotten Celts of Europe. (27^th February, 1pm-2pm at The Guildhall) 
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• ·      Vince Cable discussing his new book After the Storm with Financial Times columnist Stefan Stern. The book looks at the global economy from the past five years from the perspective of a senior coalition member at the heart of it all. (27^th February, 4:30pm-5:30pm at The Guildhall) 
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• ·      Joan Bakewell gets to the heart of this year’s festival theme “Forever Young” as she discusses her book Stop the Clocks: Thoughts on What I Leave Behind. It touches on politics, literature, love and everyday customs. Thought-provoking, enlightening and emotional, this is set to be a real highlight. (28^th February, 11:15am-12:15pm at The Guildhall)     
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• ·      An expert panel, which includes Artistic Director Viv Groskop and culture writer Mark Lawson, debates the best coming-of-age novels of all time. The Bell Jar, Great Expectations and Little Women are all sure to be a few of the contenders, as well as some lesser known gems. (28^th February, 1pm-2pm at The Guildhall) 
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• ·      Author of Girl with a Pearl Earring Tracey Chevalier presents her new historical fiction novel, this time her stage is in 19^th century Ohio with the Goodenough family who struggle against themselves and against the nature around them. (4^th March, 6:15pm-7:15pm at The Guildhall) 
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• ·      Ben Miller abandoned a physics PhD to pursue his career as a comedian, but now he has combined the two in his book The Aliens Are Coming! Here he talks about the serach for the real E.T.s. (4^th March, 8pm-9pm at The Guildhall) 
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• ·      Classic FM’s morning programme presenter John Suchet explores the Strauss family in his latest book The Last Waltz. Suchet looks to show how the turbulence of 19^th century Austria influenced the fate of the family. (5^th March, 4:30pm-5:30pm at Nexus Methodist Church) 
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• ·      Comedian and writer Dom Joly introduces his audience in this hour to his life and his new autobiography Here Comes the Clown. (5^th March, 8pm-9pm at the Guildhall) 
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• ·      91 year old RAF veteran Harry Leslie Smith shot to prominence when his Facebook post about Remembrance Day was shared 80,000 times. He’s now a Guardian columnist and author of Harry’s Last Stand. His message is that the NHS and the welfare state need protecting.  (6^th March, 1pm-2pm at The Guildhall) 
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• ·      Anthony Seldon, former head of Wellington College, and journalist Peter Snowdon were given access to the inner circle in the coalition government. Together they analyse the dramas that came from that partnership and the turning points of their governance. (6^th March, 2:45pm-3:45pm at The Guildhall) 
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• ·      Every year when Austentatious comes to Bath it sells out. This year it returns once more with their improvised take on Jane Austen’s work. The audience suggests and the performers oblige; in the past they’ve done Strictly Come Darcy and Mansfield Shark. Each performance is different and each a must-see. (6^th March, 4:30pm-5:30pm at The Guildhall)   

Tickets for these twelve events are available now via the Bath Literature Festival website: http://bathfestivals.org.uk/literature/