Hear about the new series on the day it is up for 11 Emmys
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The already impressive programme of speakers at the Chiswick Book Festival has been further enhanced by a talk by the author of a new book on the series who will be joined by two cast members from the hugely popular drama.
Jessica Fellowes, author of the World of Downton Abbey, the official companion to the series, will discuss her new book, which is published on September 15th, price £20.
She’ll be joined by Downton Abbey cast members Phyllis Logan (the Housekeeper, Mrs Hughes) and Lesley Nicol (the Cook, Mrs Patmore) who both live in Chiswick.
A third Chiswick cast member, Elizabeth McGovern who plays Cora, Duchess of Grantham, cannot be there because she will be in Los Angeles that day for the Emmy Awards. She has been nominated as best actress in a mini-series – one of 11 nominations for Downton Abbey. She’s sent her best wishes for the Book Festival event.
Jessica Fellowes is the niece of Julian Fellowes, the creator of Downton Abbey. She writes for the Telegraph and was formerly deputy editor of Country Life. The session will take place from 1pm to 2pm on Sunday September 18th in St Michael & All Angels Parish Hall. The second series starts on ITV1 that evening and the Emmy winners will be announced overnight.
Downton-style refreshments will be on sale at the lunchtime session. Admission is by the Sunday Day Pass which costs £5 and allows entry to all of the day’s Festival events.
The third Chiswick Book Festival will take place from 16 -18 September, giving visitors the chance to rub shoulders with bestselling authors, academics, laureates and TV & social media personalities.
Speakers include Michael Morpurgo, Andy McNab, Vanessa Redgrave, Kate Mosse, Isla Blair, Lucy Worsley, Katie Fforde, Daisy Goodwin, Rosamund Lupton, Emma Kennedy, Brian Moses, Graham Holderness, Fiona Neill, a team of Private Eye writers and more.
There’s a special pre-festival event at Chiswick House, with Dr Lucy Worsley, on Thursday September 15th. The popular TV historian and curator of the Historic Royal Palaces, will discuss her book and accompanying BBC TV series, If Walls Could Talk.
Actor Paul Slack will appear as DH Lawrence looking back on his early life, in his acclaimed one-man show, Phoenix Rising: DH Lawrence, Son and Lover. Sir Derek Jacobi called it “totally absorbing” and Sir Ian Holm said it was “spellbinding”.
The full programme is now published at www.chiswickbookfestival.org.
Events take place at St Michael & All Angels Church and the Tabard Theatre, by Turnham Green tube station. Tickets can be ordered now via the Advance Booking Form, and can be bought in person from Waterstone’s in Chiswick High Road from early September. Tickets will be on sale at the door if they have not sold out.
The Chiswick Book Festival is a non-profit-making, community event. Over the past two years, it has raised over £11,000 for the three chosen charities, all of which support reading, literacy and the arts.
September 9, 2011