Former Prime Minister lined up for Northumberland literary festival

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown will be appearing at the Berwick Literary Festival this autumn.
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Poet laureate Simon Armitage, best-selling novelist Salley Vickers and celebrated historian William Dalrymple have also been lined up for the October 14-17 event.

With a focus on kickstarting debate across age groups, the Festival’s wide-ranging programme showcases a blend of genres and topics – from poetry to politics, environment to science and technology, and history to social justice.

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Programme co-ordinator Mike Fraser said: “It’s the most exciting programme we’ve created to date. There really is something for everyone.”

The line-up for Berwick Literary Festival includes former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, poet laureate Simon Armitage and novelist Salley Vickers.The line-up for Berwick Literary Festival includes former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, poet laureate Simon Armitage and novelist Salley Vickers.
The line-up for Berwick Literary Festival includes former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, poet laureate Simon Armitage and novelist Salley Vickers.

Festival chairman Michael Gallico added: “Given the uncertainty about live events and venue capacity when we planned the schedule, we’re again offering a free online programme, but with the addition of two live headline events in association with the Maltings Theatre.

"Dyad Productions were a great success in 2019 and we are delighted they’re returning in 2021 with Female Gothic - lauded as ‘how horror ought to be done’.

"To have poet laureate Simon Armitage on the Maltings’ stage is real recognition of this Festival’s reach.

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"We’ll be building on the strong online presence we established last year – and we’re very fortunate to have Gordon Brown as one of our online speakers in 2021.

Gordon Brown.Gordon Brown.
Gordon Brown.

"As ever, we’ll be promoting Berwick as a tourist destination to all festival goers.”

Gordon Brown will explore concerns raised in his new book Seven Ways to Change the World (June 2021).

Simon Armitage will be live on stage at The Maltings Theatre reading from Magnetic Field, his recent collection inspired by the West Yorkshire village where he grew up and began life as a writer.

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William Dalrymple’s ambitious and extensive book The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of The East India Company tells a timely cautionary tale of the first global corporate power.

Author Salley Vickers.Author Salley Vickers.
Author Salley Vickers.

Celebrated novelist Salley Vickers will introduce her new work The Gardener, to be published in November 2021.

Others on the line-up include Hollie McNish, Michael Taylor, Simon Garfield, Gavin Francis, Anna Deacon and Vicky Allan, David Constantine, Heidi Williamson, Alwyn Turner, Sacha Abramsky, Diarmaid MacCulloch and Bloodaxe Books.

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Poet laureate Simon Armitage.Poet laureate Simon Armitage.
Poet laureate Simon Armitage.

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