The book that changed the world…Click here to download the PDF

The twelfth Lowdham Book Festival ran from 14 June-14 July 2011. We started with a sold out event with the Australian novelist Kate Morton and finished a month later with a sold out event with the raconteur Gervase Phinn. Along the way we borrowed a very large marquee for our biggest attendance ever, 450 people attending a talk by the spy-master turned spy-novelist Stella Rimington, stepping in at the last minute for the BBC’s John Simpson who was called away. We were so grateful to Stella who gave us a fascinating and exhilerating evening as she regaled us with tales of her own life and introduced us to the protaganist of her novels – Liz Carlyle. She also fielded questions with warmth and enthusiasm, never once putting our nation’s security at risk! Other big events included a talk by the garden writer Alys Fowler, a free event with Jasper Fforde and an interview with and concert from Barbara Dickson, whose unaccompanied singing of some Scottish folk songs (to the sound of rain on the marquee!) created a magical atmosphere.

We are always happy to host “big names” but equally happy to put on specialist events, less-well known writers and some quirky or more unusual events. This year we included introductory talks on anarchism, on Buddhism, a well-attended event on the philosophy of the  Moomins and a Byron trip by bus and bicycle. Lowdham Book Festival is very involved with the region’s literature scene - we hosted the award ceremony for the first East Midlands Book Award, won by Mark Goowdwin with his poetry collection, Shod, and launched the first book by Stephen Edden, the second writer from our small village to join the ranks of professional writers, the other being Elizabeth Baguley, who was again involved in our children’s programme.

The final Saturday always brings a number of talks for which no ticket is required – many proving highly popular as the speakers bring to us a multitude of topics.  Combined with the ticketed events amd including those in local schools probably about 3,000-4,000 people were participants in the Festival this year and we are pleased to say that ticket income and book sales were our highest ever. This matters as our ticket income pays for the marquees at our big “free” day, and authors do like and need their books to be sold!

None of this would be possible without close colleagues like Warthog Promotions, whose music events complement our music talks; local venues; publishers large and small; partnerships with groups ranging from The Asian Writer to Nottingham Trent University; the staff at The Bookcase and our small, highly committed volunteer team.

We also owe a huge debt of thanks to our enthusiastc audiences who support the Festival year after year and offer encouragement as well as contributing to the revenue needed to make it possible. Thank you!

The core dates for Lowdham Book Festival in 2012 are 20-30 June, with the 30th June being our day of free events with a large book fair and café.
Do join our email list to be kept up to date with our “First Friday” event series starting in October, and our one-off events outside of the main programme time.
You might also want to consider becoming Friend of Lowdham Book Festival. Friends receive programmes by post, invitations to occasional special events, discounted tickets at most Festival events. And a nice warm glow from being associated with the longest standing book festival in the Region. Friends membership costs £10 per annum – more details from The Bookcase on 0115 966 4143. 

History

Lowdham Book Festival has been running for twelve years, our aim being to provide a high quality book festival with an atmosphere reflecting our village setting.
The Festival started as a joint project between Nottinghamshire County Council and The Bookcase in Lowdham and became independent after a few years, though with the same organisers - Ross Bradshaw, once of the County Council but then running his own small publishing firm, Five Leaves, and Jane Streeter, who owns The Bookcase.

Over the period the Festival grew steadily, celebrating its tenth year in 2009 with 65 events in ten days, and a range of events over the rest of the year before returning to a more sustainable level! The Festival works closely with Warthog Promotions, who put on live music at the Festival as part of their year round programme and we are joined in a local consortium by Lambley Arts Festival. We also have good relations with Southwell Poetry Festival, just up the road.

The Festival has received funding from the Arts Council, the County Council, Newark and Sherwood District Council, Lowdham Parish Council, Writing East Midlands and Nottingham Trent University, though in these more difficult times we raise most of the Festival funds from ticket sales.

As well as the public Festival we run events in schools in our area, as well as nurseries and care homes. Over the years we have experimented with having one central venue, with a giant marquee over the core days of the Festival, but now we use a number of different venues in Lowdham and surrounding villages - including a marquee at Caythorpe Cricket Club, Lowdham Village Hall and the WI Hall, Lowdham Primitive Methodist Chapel, and St Mary’s Church with occasional “Lowdham Book Festival on Tour” events in Nottingham, Southwell and elsewhere. For ten years we have also run “Flicks in the Sticks” a weekend of films-based-on-books and occasional themed “Winter eekends”.

Over the years Lowdham Book Festival has featured many well known visiting writers including George Alagiah, Roy Strong, Jenni Murray, Jackie Kay, Gillian Slovo, Simon Callow, Gary Young, Roger McGough, Polly Toynbee, Clariss Dickson Wright, Chris Stewart, Kate Adie, Stella Rimington, Barbara Dickson, Kiki Dee and many more. We have launched books by most local writers including Jon McGregor, John Lucas, Stephen Booth, Elizabeth Chadwick, Nicola Monaghan, John Harvey and others.

Our annual day for Reading Groups has beeb used as a model for the newly created National Redaing Group Day, promoted by the Booksellers Association as part of Independent Booksellers Week.

During this period The Bookcase in Lowdham moved from its original tiny site to larger premises and now employs six members of staff, with owner Jane Streeter currently holding the title of President of the Booksellers Association of Great Britian and Ireland. Meantime Ross Bradshaw has developed the States of Independence project based on independent publishers in the Midlands. Both Jane and Ross are two of the Trustees of the East Midlands Book Award, whose first prize giving took place at Lowdham in 2011.

Looking ahead, The Festival will remain appropriate to the village and to the region’s literature scene. We want to run a “green” weekend and would like to return to being able to offer more writers to schools and to work in local prisons and other places where people may have an interest in books but would be unable or less likely to attend a book festival.

We have, though, always made a point in being a “book” festival, enabling us to put on events for the whole community whether they be cricket lovers or children, readers of literary fiction or people who simply want to discuss ideas.

Lowdham is a very special place which has enthusiastically embraced and supported the festival from the very beginning, and the wealth of local talent, from photography to technical expertise and catering, has allowed the festival to be truly community led.