London Book & Screen Week - the capital’s biggest ever celebration of books, and the films, TV programmes and virtual worlds they’ve inspired - has unveiled its inaugural programme of events, featuring the likes of Deborah Moggach, Louisa Young, Joe Abercrombie, John Banville, Sarah Hall, Patricia Duncker and more at iconic London venues including Foyles, Soho House and our favourite local cinemas Picturehouse Cinemas, with London & Partners as a strategic partner.
Running from 13th-19th April 2015, this new, seven-day, citywide, landmark event brings storytelling and the written word to life, uniting the capital’s avid readers, writers, game, film and TV fans with a whole host of events taking place right across literary London.
There’s something for everyone with author Q&As, writing master classes, film screenings, cook-book demonstrations, bookshop crawls, literary debates, live readings, poetry parties, fiction prizes, book launches and self-publishing workshops – there are even Mad Hatter tea parties and Harry Potter fan expos!
London Book & Screen Week coincides with The London Book Fair, one of the most important events in the publishing calendar, which is attended by 25,000 book industry professionals from around the world. The books they are publishing today will be the box office hits and the TV ratings grabbers of the future. This is London’s first chance to join them in a citywide celebration of imagination, creativity and culture, all inspired by books.
Authors taking part include Deborah Moggach (Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), David Nicholls (One Day), John Banville (The Sea), former Children’s Laureate Anthony Browne (Gorilla), Patricia Duncker (Sophie and the Sibyl) and Sarah Hall (The Wolf Border).
Jacks Thomas, Director of The London Book Fair and LBSW, told SCI-FI-LONDON: "We are delighted to announce such an exciting and varied line-up for our first ever London Book & Screen Week. This special programme of events celebrates the written word in all its glory and there really is something for everyone."
Kate Mosse, international bestselling author of Labyrinth, says: "London Book & Screen Week is a wonderful, inspired idea – it’s the perfect opportunity to galvanise the global creative community and bring all kinds of storytelling together."
Luigi Bonomi, Managing Director of top literary agency LBA, says: "The creation of London Book & Screen Week is genius. Building on the fabulous position that London has as a global leader in culture, creativity and knowledge, The London Book Fair is leveraging its market-leading position in books and creativity to reach out beyond the publishing industry to consumers and creators. The cross-media zeitgeist is being captured in this one, great celebration of literary forms, across all media."
London Book & Screen Week has teamed up with some of the capital’s highest-profile brands, including London & Partners, the Mayor’s official promotional company for London, which attracts businesses and visitors to the capital and operates VisitLondon.com, the official city guide for London. London & Partners works to attract leisure and business visitors to London, as well as new businesses and major events.
Zanine Adams, Head of Events and Business Development UK at London & Partners, said: "We are delighted to add London Book & Screen Week to our calendar of superb offerings. This great initiative will attract people from London, the UK and beyond to our city to experience wonderful moments of creative inspiration, further enhancing London’s reputation as the leading city in the world for culture."
Highlights of the London Book & Screen Week programme include:-
Monday 13th April
New Writers Evening, Monday 13th April @ 7pm, Foyles, Charing Cross Road
London Book & Screen Week kicks off at Foyles, Charing Cross Road with a special event focusing on future stars of the literary firmament.
Tuesday 14th April
Guardian Masterclass – How to Write Fantasy and Dystopian Fiction, 6.30pm
A two-hour course in how to master the genres, with Joe Abercrombie, Peter V Brett, and Francesca Haig – chaired by Harper Voyager Publisher Jane Johnson. Each author will discuss their path to publication, followed by a discussion about the genre more generally, covering writing a pitch, finding an agent, and getting the concept right.
Sarah Hall: The Wolf Border, Foyles Charing Cross, 6-7pm
In her only London event, one of Granta magazine’s Best of Young British Novelists, Sarah Hall, talks about her award-winning work including her outstanding new book The Wolf Border.
Pin Drop, sponsored by Audible.co.uk @ Soho House, 7pm
in Drop, the spoken word salon that presents world-leading authors and actors reading short stories live, will present a special event for London Book & Screen Week sponsored by Audible.co.uk. Join Pin Drop in the exclusive environment of Soho House to celebrate the joy of hearing a short story well told.
Wednesday 15th April
Literary Death Match London, Ep.47 - MOVIE SPECIAL, Foyles Charing Cross @ 7pm
Four writers read their own work for seven minutes or less, and are then judged by three all-star judges. Two finalists are chosen to compete in the Literary Death Match finale, a vaguely-literary game to decide the ultimate winner.
Pablo, The Graphic Novel, Institut Francais, Queensberry Place @ 7pm
Writer Julie Birmant and artist Clément Oubrerie visit The Institut Français to discuss their award-winning graphic novel biography of Picasso with journalist, historian and curator of the British Library Comics Unmasked exhibition ,Paul Gravett. Together they will explore the themes and obsessions – among them, sex, death and his great nemesis, Henri Matisse – that drove Picasso to express himself.
Thursday 16th April
Independent Foreign Fiction Prize 2015 @ Foyles, Charing Cross, 6pm-7pm
The shortlist of six titles will be announced for this prestigious prize, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and honours the best work of fiction by a living author that has been translated into English from any other language and published in the UK in 2014.
Friday 17th April
Indie Author Fringe Fest @ Foyles, Charing Cross, @ 12-7pm
The Fringe Fest offers exciting ways for readers to meet indie authors and discover great reads. It will also be live streamed, so authors and readers who can’t be in London can still take part online.
Saturday 18th April
Mad Hatter’s Tea Party on Saturday 18th April @12pm
A delightful children’s party to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland, attended by the former Children’s Laureate Anthony Browne.
How to write and illustrate children’s story books with Rebecca Elliott
This one-day course, picture book author and illustrator Rebecca Elliott (Just Because, The Last Tiger, Naked Trevor) will help aspiring illustrators make the most of your ideas, understand exactly what commissioning editors are looking for, and how to achieve it in their work.
Sunday 19th April
The Sea at Hackney Picturehouse with John Banville @ 1pm
Join author John Banville and director Stephen Brown in conversation, followed by a screening of the highly-acclaimed adaption of Banville’s book The Sea, which tells the story of a man who returns to the sea where he spent his childhood summers, in search of peace following the death of his wife.
For the full details on these, and a list of all other events taking place, you can visit their website at http://www.Londonbookandscreenweek.co.uk or follow London Book & Screen Week on Twitter at @LBandSW
Don't forget, extra events are being added all the time.