Forty Years of Author Events 1982-2022 arranged by the Suffolk Book League (Ipswich and Suffolk Book League 1982-1985)
The event information listed here has been recovered mainly from issues 1-181 of our literary journal BookTalk. As with these things the odd event may be missing particularly if it was organised at the last minute. On the other hand, the odd event may have been added which was not organised by SBL. Sometimes, particularly in the early editions of BookTalk, it’s not totally clear who was the organiser. Sometimes SBL members would be invited to a non-SBL event, and it would just be added to the programme of events without clarification.
The list shows the astounding number and range of authors who were invited by the Suffolk Book League to Ipswich (and occasionally elsewhere in the county) in our first 40 years. Our fifth decade is now well underway.
Jeff Taylor
September 1982: Joe Lubbock. Talk entitled ‘Handmade prints as book illustrations.’
October 1982: Ronald Blythe. Launch of book From the Headlands.
October 1982: Talk by Martyn Goff and Paul Jennings.
November 1982: Frank Collieson. Talk entitled ‘Books Do Furnish a Tree.’
January 1983: Margaret Drabble. The author was reading and talking about her work. Part of the ‘Writers in Performance Series.’
February 1983: Trip to Richard Clay Ltd. Bungay printing works (Chaucer
Press).
February 1983: Nicola Johnson. Talk about Film and TV adaptation.
March 1983: Malcolm Bradbury. Talk about his own work and ‘The Modern Novel.’
March 1983; Ruth Rendel. The author was reading and talking about her work. Part of the ‘Writers in Performance Series.’
April 1983: Michael Rosenthal. Talk about his book Constable.
July 1983: Nina Bawden. The author was reading and talking about her work. Part of the ‘Writers in Performance Series.’
July 1983: Joanna and Tony Carrick. Summer Reads event.
September 1983: Nigel Hamilton. The author was talking about his research on the Life of Montgomery of Alamein.
September 1983: R. G. Wilson. Launch of book History of Greene King Brewery.
October 1983: Talk by Matthew Evans from Faber & Faber.
October 1983: Michael Holdroyd. Talk on biography.
October 1983: Norman Scarfe. Launch of book Assault Division.
November 1983: George Ewart Evans. Launch of book Strength of the Hills.
December 1983: Bernard Crick. Talk about his book George Orwell 1984.
February 1984: Paul Jennings and Norman Hackforth. Talk entitled ‘Humour from “Golden Oldies”’
February 1984: Norman Scarfe. Talk entitled ‘Remembering the Poet Bernard Barton.’
February 1984: Fay Weldon. Talk titled ‘The Writer’s View.’
March 1984: Stephen Vizinczey. The author was reading and talking about his work. Part of the ‘Writers in Performance Series.’
April 1984: Frank Delaney Betjeman Country
April 1984: Peter Pears Reading his favourite poetry.
May 1984: Hugh Brogan Talk entitled ‘Arthur Ransome – Life and Books.’
June 1984: Kathleen Danziger and Gabrielle Hami Talk entitled ‘An Evening with Mrs Thrale.
July 1984: Pamela Belle. Talk entitled ‘A Writer’s Life.’
September 1984: Michael Hamburger. Celebration of the 60th birthday of the poet.
October 1984: John Blatchley. Talk on the Old Town Library of Ipswich.
October 1984: Jean MacGibbon. Autobiographical talk entitled ‘I Always Meant to Marry You’ with Norman Scarfe and James MacGibbon.
November 1984: Martin Crook. Autumn Book Fair.
November 1984: Rosamund Lehman with Janet Watts [Cancelled].
November 1984: Ann Thwaite. Talk entitled ‘Making of a Biography.’
November 1984: David Warnes. Talk entitled ‘Writing History For Schools.’
December 1984: Gabrielle Hamilton Talk entitled ‘A Vision of Virginia Woolf.’
January 1985: George Franks. Talk about Around The World In 80 Years.
February 1985: Victoria Glendinning. Talk entitled ‘The Lies of Biography.’
February 1985: Derek Taylor. Talk entitled ‘A Life with The Beatles.’
March 1985: Barbara Machin. Talk about the writer’s year as an Art’s Council Writer in Residence in the Nacton Heath/Gainsborough areas of Ipswich.
March 1985: Richard Usborne. Talk on P. G. Wodehouse.
May 1985: Rosamond Lehman. In conversation with Janet Watts.
May 1985: John Letts. Talk about Book Club publishing based on his work at The Folio Society.
June 1985: Eric Major. Managing Director of Hodder & Stoughton talking about ‘What Makes a Bestseller.’
June 1985: Peter Hardiman Scott. Launch of his new novel Deadly Nature.
July 1985: George Franks. Talk entitled ‘Reminiscences.’
September 1985: Peggy Cole. Talk about A Country Girl at Heart.
September 1985: Kevin Crossley Holland. The author in conversation with Sybil Marshall. ‘Writers in Conversation Series’, Broadcast on Radio Orwell.
September 1985: Joy Young. Talk entitled ‘Opium Eaters in Literature’.
October 1985: Ronald Blythe. The author in conversation with Norman Scarfe. Writers in Conversation Series Broadcast on Radio Orwell.
October 1985: Rose Tremain. Talk entitled ‘Life and Work.’
November 1985: Nina Bawden. The author in conversation with Nicholas Tucker. ‘Writers in Conversation’ Series Broadcast on Radio Orwell.
November 1985: Martin Crook. Autumn Book Sale.
December 1985: Lorna Sage. Talk entitled ‘Behind The Lines – A Reviewer’s View.’
December 1985: John Gordon et al. ‘Ghost Stories.’
January 1986: Vicky Feaver. The author in conversation James MacGibbon about Stevie Smith. Writers in Conversation Series Broadcast on Radio Orwell.
February 1986: Frances Parkinson. Launch of Flower Festivals with publisher David & Charles.
February 1986: Gerda Pratt. Talk entitled ‘Romantic Fiction.’
March 1986: Richard Holmes. Talk entitled Coleridge and His Circle.’
April 1986: Paul Jennings. Launch of East Anglia – book of paintings words by Paul Jennings, illustrated by John Tookey.
April 1986: Angela Carter. Talk about Company of Wolves part of the Ipswich Literature Festival.
May 1986: Anna Carteret et al. Poetry Readings by Raving Beauties.
May 1986: Julia Macrae. Talk entitled ‘Children’s Books.’
May 1986: Archie Markham. Talk about Something UnusualJune 1986: Susan Chitty. Talk about her mother Antonia White.
June 1986: Elizabeth Jane Howard. Talk by the author about the novelist Elizabeth Taylor. July 1986: Spike Mays. Book launch Return to Anglia.
September 1986: Frances Partridge. Talk entitled ‘Other Aspects of Bloomsbury.’
September 1986: Nicholas Willmott. Talk about collecting books.
October 1986: Kevin Crossley Holland. Launch of The Oxford Book of Travel Verse. October 1986: Jonathan Gash. The author was talking about his Lovejoy novels.
November 1986: Martin Crook. Autumn Book Sale
November 1986: Giles Gordon. Talk about his work with the Anthony Shell Associates literary agency.
December 1986: Peter Hardiman Scott. Launch of novel Bait of Lies.
December 1986: Anthony Thwaite. Talk by the author about being chair of the Booker Prize.
December 1987: Robert Kee. Talk on Trial and Error.
January 1987: Richard Barber. Illustrated talk entitled The Arthurian Legend: Art and Literature.’
February 1987: Arthur Jackson. Talk about Tales from a Country Practice.
March 1987: Chris Hough. Talk about Pedaller To Peking.
March 1987: Katherine Middleton Murry. Talk entitled ‘Towards an Imaginative Understanding of Middleton Murry.’
March 1987: Count Nicolai Tolstoy. Talk entitled ‘The Minister and the Masses.’
April 1987: Hamish MacGibbon. Talk entitled ‘Are books necessary in schools?’
May 1987: John Hogan. Talk about the Edgar Wallace Society.
June 1987: Liz Calder. Talk entitled ‘Publishing – Going Independent.’
June 1987: Various. ‘A Celebration of Summer Words and Music.’
September 1987: Keith Barker. Introducing the ‘Bridging The Gap Exhibition.’
September 1987: Ronald Blythe. Talk entitled ‘Thomas Hardy poet and novelist’.
October 1987: Penelope Lively. Talk entitled ‘The Writer as Reader’ [Cancelled].
October 1987: Various. A Celebration of Words and Music. November 1987: Martin Crook. Autumn Book Sale.
November 1987: Margaret Drabble. Introducing an exhibition ‘20th Century Classics.’
December 1987: David Warnes. The author in conversation with Tania Alexander about his childhood in Estonia.
January 1988: John Blatchley. Talk on M. R. James and a reading by Anthony Carrick.
February 1988: Barbara Machin. Talk on TV and Film Writing.
March 1988: Martin Starkie. Talk entitled ‘The 600th anniversary of Canterbury Tales.’
May 1988: Deborah Moggach. Talk entitled ‘Fiction and Journalism.’
June 1988: Tom Priestley. ‘Time and the Priestleys’ film shown plus talk.
June 1988: Various. Summer Words and Music Event
September 1988: Michael Hardwick. Talk on adapting Sherlock Holmes for TV.
October 1988: Jasper Ridley. Talk entitled ‘On The Tudor Age.’
November 1988: Michael Holdroyd. Talk on Bernard Shaw.
November 1988: Frederick Raphael. Talk about Lord Byron.
December 1988: David Robinson. An Illustrated talk.
January 1989: Cornelius Slater. Talk on An Apple a Day.
February 1989: Martin Crook. Book Sale (Last One)
February 1989: James MacGibbon. Talk entitled ‘Publishing Made Me a Radical.’
March 1989: Penelope Lively. Talk entitled ‘The Writer as Reader.’
March 1989: Denise Robertson. An evening with the novelist, playwright and TV personality.
April 1989: Gordon Brotherston. Talk entitled ‘The New Novel in Latin America.’
May 1989: Beryl Gilroy Guyanese. Talk about her new novel Boy Sandwich.
May 1989: John Timpson. Launch of the author’s novel Paper Trail.
June 1989: Ruth Rendell. Talk by the author on her work.
September 1989: Peter du Sautoy. Talk by ex-chair of Faber & Faber regarding publishing Joyce etc.
October 1989: Rumer Godden. Talk about A House With Four Rooms [Cancelled]. December 1989: Richard Holmes. Talk about Coleridge.
February 1990: Peter Hardiman Scott. Talk entitled ‘It’s All In Alice.’
March 1990: Michael Foot. Talk entitled ‘Byron – Politics of Paradise.’
April 1990: P. D. James. Talk on ‘Crime Fiction.’
May 1990: Sue Bradbury. Talk on Trollope.
June 1990: Ann Thwaite. Talk on A. A. Milne.
September 1990: Colin Spencer. Talk entitled ‘Is Fiction More Truthful Than Journalism.’
October 1990: Mary Gillingham. Talk entitled ‘Halloween Hauntings.’
October 1990: Terry Pratchett. The author was talking about his work.
November 1990: Julian Symons. Talk entitled ‘Life and Times of a Crime Writer.’
December 1990: Richard Woodman. Talk entitled ‘Writing historical sea fiction.’
January 1991 Virago Press. An event celebrating the success of Ordinary Families.
February 1991: Tony Parker Talk entitled ‘Interviewing in Russia’.
March 1991: John Bayley. Talk entitled ‘Russian Writers of the 19th century.’
April 1991: S. T. Haymon. Talk entitled ‘Crime and Autobiography.’
May 1991: Thomas Craig. Talk by the spy thriller writer on his work.
June 1991: Brian Masters. Talk on E. F. Benson.
September 1991: George Clare. Talk entitled ‘Germany Past and Present.’
October 1991: Elizabeth Jane Howard. Talk by the author on her novels.
November 1991: Frank Grace. Talk on Local History.December
1991: Ronald Blythe. A workshop on Thomas Hardy.
January 1992: John Fletcher. Talk about Iris Murdoch.February 1992: Leon Garfield. Talk entitled ‘Writing for Boys’.
February 1992: Sheila Hardy. Launch of Diary of Suffolk Farmer’s Wife.
February 1992: James MacGibbon Talk entitled ‘Classics, Good and Bad He Has Enjoyed’.
March 1992: Rosemary Ashton. George Elliot and Thomas Hardy Workshop.
March 1992: Claire Tomalin. Talk entitled ‘Nelly Ternan and Charles Dickens’.
April 1992: Ronald Blythe. Talk entitled Henry James and the Knowing Children’.
May 1992: Donald Mitchell. Talk entitled ‘Letters and Diaries of Benjamin Britten’.
June 1992: John Wain. Talk about Phillip Larkin.
September 1992: Nigel Nicholson. Talk entitled ‘Was Jane Austen a Snob’.
October 1992: Alan Judd. Talk about Graham Greene.
October 1992: Mary Wesley. Talk about the author’s writing.
November 1992: Peter Hewett. A Supper and Social.
November 1992: Joanna Trollope. Talk entitled ‘On The Modern Traditional Novel’. December 1992: Fraser Harrison. Talk entitled ‘Teaching in Minnesota’.
December 1992: Anne Stevenson. The author was talking about Sylvia Plath.
January 1993: Julia Thorogood. Talk on Margery Allingham.
February 1993: John Blatchley. Talk on Ipswich Old Town Library.
March 1993: Colin Dexter. The author was talking about his work.
March 1993: Robin Jarvis. Talk on The Deptford Histories.
April 1993: Diana Norman. Talk on the author’s work as a biographer and historical novelist.
May 1993: Giles Gordon. Suffolk Book League Short Story Competition Prize.
May 1993: Samuel Hynes. Talk about writing about the First World War.
June 1993: Ivan Howlett. Talk on authors speaking from the BBC archives.
September 1993: Zoe Fairbairns. Talk entitled ‘Writing as a Feminist’.
September 1993: Rose Tremain. Talk entitled ‘The novelist and history’.
October 1993: David Cook. Talk on screen writing and research.
November 1993: Anne Mustoe. Talk entitled ‘A Bike Ride (Round The World).
December 1993: Paul Docherty. Talk entitled ‘Medieval Mysteries.’
January 1994: Nancy Livingstone. Talk entitled ‘Murder and Other Matters’.
February 1994: Sandy Bennett. Talk entitled ‘On Translation – The Violet in the Crucible’.
February 1994: Sheila Hardy. Talk entitled ‘Life of Maria Charlesworth’.
March 1994: Adam Mars-Jones. The author was talking about his work.
March 1994: Barry Unsworth. Talk by Booker winning novelist.
April 1994: Hilary Mantel. Talk entitled ‘Growing A Tale.’
May 1994: Robert Malster. Talk on publishing local history.
May 1994: Jenny Uglow. Talk on the art of biography.
June 1994: G. W. Nicholls. Talk on Dr Johnson.
September 1994: Bernice Rubens. The author was talking about her work.
October 1994: Chloe Bennett. Talking about book on Ipswich Artist Colin Moss
December 1994: Plantagenet Fry. Talk by the historian.
December 1994: Jane Lapotaire. Reading her favourite verse.
January 1995: Janet Garton. Talk on modern Scandinavian fiction.
February 1995: Valentine’s Day Literary Quiz.
March 1995: Norman Scarfe. Talk on ‘Innocent Espionage: the La Rochefoucauld Brothers’ Tour of England in 1785.
March 1995: John Simpson Talk on the Oxford English Dictionary.
April 1995: Miles Jebb. Suffolk and County Histories book launch.
April 1995: Sam Llewellyn. Sea Stories book launch.
May 1995: Louis Baum. A talk entitled ‘Publishing Today.’
June 1995: Margaret Drabble. A talk on Angus Wilson entitled ‘Local hero and International Star.’
September 1995: Pamela Belle. Talk entitled ‘Fact into Fiction.’
October 1995: Malcolm Bradbury. Talk entitled ‘The Modern Novel.’
November 1995: Penelope Fitzgerald. Talk entitled ‘Creating a Novel.’
November 1995: Lorna Sage. Workshop on Angela Carter
December 1995: Lawrence Werber. Seasonal Readings From Dickens.
February 1996: Gerald Jenkins. Talk about Tarquin Books.
March 1996: Theo Richmond. Talk entitled ‘Sleuthing For Roots’ with reference to his book Konin.
March 1996: Marina Warner. Talk entitled ‘Women’s Voices in Fairy Tales.’
April 1996: Sybil Marshall. Talk entitled ‘Where Fact and Fiction Meet.’
May 1996: Blake Morrison. Talk entitled ‘Family and Literature.’
June 1996: Victoria Glendinning. Talk ‘Elizabeth Bowen, Portrait of a Writer’.
September 1996: Alan Sillitoe. Talk entitled ‘The Writer’s Life.’
October 1996: Lesley Glaister. Talk entitled ‘Stretching The Truth.’
November 1996: Andrew Motion. Introducing His Own Poetry.
November: Eamonn Duffy. Talk about The Reluctant Reformation.
December 1996: Hugh Lupton. An evening of storytelling.
February 1997: Freda Dowie. Poetry Reading.
March 1997: Jill Paton Walsh. Talk about The Serpentine Cave.
April 1997: Louis de Bernieres. The author talked about his work and readings.
May 1997: Lindsey Davis. Talks about her journey ‘Down These Mean Viae’ to crime in Ancient Rome.
May 1997: Tom Hiney. A talk about Raymond Chandler followed by a screening of ‘The Big Sleep’ film.
June 1997: Michael Foot. Talk about H. G. Wells.
June 1997: Jane Gardam. Talk about ‘Grotesques.’
September 1997: Nigel Atkinson. Talk about the Cambridge University Press.
September 1997: Barbara Trapido. Talk about her writing.
October 1997: Melvyn Barnes. Crime Writing Workshop.
October 1997: Martin Bell. Talk entitled ‘From Suffolk to Sarajevo.’
November 1997: Richard Holmes. Talk entitled ‘Whatever Happened to Coleridge’[Cancelled].
December 1997: Julia Blackburn. Talk entitled ‘Ways of Entering The Past.’
February 1998: Hilary Hammond. Talk entitled ‘The Shape of Libraries in the Next Century.’
March 1998: John Sutherland. Talk entitled ‘Some Puzzles in Literary Fiction’.
April 1998: Peter Tolhurst. Talk about An East Anglian Literary Heritage
May 1998: Kevin Crossley-Holland. Reading from his Poems From East Anglia and The Old Stories, Folk Tales from East Anglia and the Fen Country.
April 1998: Andrew Motion. Talking about his biography, Keats.
June 1998: Roy Foster. Talk about Yeats: a Life.
July 1998: Jill Murphy. An evening with children aged 7-9 years.
September 1998: Jenny Diski. Talk about her work [Cancelled].
September 1998: Jeremy Lewis. Talk about Cyril Connolly: a Life.
October 1998: Richard Holmes. Talk entitled ‘Whatever Happened to Coleridge.’
November 1998: Helen Dunmore. Talk entitled ‘Crime in the Family’ [Cancelled].
November 1998: Minette Walters. Talk on ‘The Psychology of Crime.’
December 1998: Joan Brady. Talk entitled ‘Private Thoughts in Public View.’
February 1999: Chris Mullin. Talk entitled ‘My Brief Career as a Writer.’
March 1999: Laura Harper. Talk entitled ‘On Writing a Rough Guide.’
April 1999: Brian Robinson. Reading his choice of poetry and prose.
April 1999: Valerie Grove. Talk on Dear Dodie: the Life of Dodie Smith.
May 1999: Jenny Diski. Talk about her work.
May 1999: Sheena Mackay. Talk about her novels and short stories.
June 1999: Dan Jacobson. Talk about Heshel’s Kingdom.
July 1999: Alain de Botton. Talk about his writing.
September 1999: William Dalrymple. Illustrated talk about the author’s travel writing.
October 1999: Jonathan Coe. Talk about his work.
November 1999: Richard Mabey. Talk about Whistling in the Dark republished as The Book of Nightingales.
December 1999: Reggie Oliver. Talk entitled ‘Thoughts on Cold Comfort Farm and [his aunt] Stella Gibbons.’
December 1999: Christmas Literary Quiz.February 2000: Phillip Ziegler. Talk on the changing face of Britain.
March 2000: Martin Crook. Talk on selling second-hand books on the internet.
April 2000: Adrian Chambers. Talk on the future of literacy.
April 2000: Valery Grove. Talk about Laurie Lee, the Well-loved Stranger.
May 2000: Jim Crace. Talk about his writing.
July 2000: John Blatchley. Talk entitled ‘800 Years of Ipswich History.’
September 2000: Lord Charles Burford. Talk entitled ‘Shakespeare in the 20th Century.
’October 2000: Helen Dunmore. Talk entitled ‘In and Out of Character.’
November 2000: Julian Earwaker and Kathleen Becker. Talk about Literary Norfolk.
December 2000: Kevin Crossley Holland. Talk about King Arthur.
February 2001: Simon Jenkins. Talk about England’s Best Thousand Churches.
March 2001: Ronald Blythe. Talk entitled ‘Writers and Landscapes.’
April 2001: Andrew Burton. Talk entitled ‘New Writing at the Wolsey Theatre.’
May 2001: Lesley Grant Adamson. Talk entitled ‘The Mind of the Murderer: Psychology and Crime.’
June 2001: Nicci French. Talk about the couple's collaborative writing career.
July 2001: Nina Bawden. Talk about her adult fiction.
September 2001: John Walsh. Talk entitled ‘Why do we want authors to speak?’
November 2001: Margaret Drabble. Talk entitled ‘How Facts Turn Into Fiction’ based on The Peppered Moth.
November 2001: Hugh Young. Talk entitled ‘Europe, A Very British Calamity.’
December 2001: Claire Tomalin. Talk about Samuel Pepys: the Unequalled Self. February 2001: Peter Conradi. Talk about Iris Murdoch based on Iris Murdoch: a Life and The Saint and the Artist: a Study of the Fiction of Iris Murdoch. March 2001: Selina Hastings. Talk entitled ‘The letters between Nancy Mitford and Evelyn Waugh.’
April 2002: Ann Turner. Talk on the Lavenham Press.
May 2002: Robert Mawson. Talk entitled ‘Breaking Into Publishing.’
June 2002: Jeremy Scott. Talk entitled ‘How Marcus Aurelius Changed My Life.’
July 2002: A. L. Kennedy. Talk entitled ‘The Evolution of an Author.’
September 2002: Diarmaid MacCulloch. Talk entitled ‘Who was Thomas Cranmer?’
October 2002: S. L. Martin. Talk entitled ‘500 years of Black London’ linked to Incomparable World.
October 2002: Rose Tremain. Talk entitled ‘History and Imagination: some approaches to historical fiction.’
November 2002: Peter Conradi. Iris Murdoch Seminar.
December 2002: Dr Sam Newton. Talk entitled ‘Beowulf and the ancient kingdom of East Anglia.’
January 2003: Elizabeth Jane Howard. An audience with the author.
February 2003: Michael Holdroyd. Talk entitled ‘Our Families Right or Wrong.’
March 2003: Trezza Azzopardi. Talk about The Hiding Place.
March 2003: Norman Scarfe. Talk about The Suffolk Landscape.
May 2003: Jonathan Coe and Esther Freud. Talking about new work and work in progress. June 2003: Selina Hastings. Talk about Rosamond Lehmann
July 2003: Andrew Casey. Talk about 20th century ceramics.
September 2003: Jasper Fforde Talk entitled ‘Writing for Pleasure.’
October 2003: Sarah Waters. Talk about Fingersmith.
November 2003: Richard Holmes. Talk on the art of biography.
December 2003: Julian Earwaker and Kathleen Becker. Talk about Scene of the Crime. February 2004: Doris Lessing. A talk entitled ‘Grandmothers, Soldiers and Others.’
March 2004: Brenda Maddox. Talk about biography.
April 2004: Richard Heseltine. Talk about Pippin’s Progress: A Soldier Artist’s War.’
May 2004: Humphrey Hawksley. Talk entitled ‘A Third World War – Myth or Reality?’.
June 2004: Diana Athill. Talk based on Stet.
July 2004: Manda Scott. Talk titled ‘Boudicca: a local hero.’
September 2004: Penelope Lively. Talk about A House Unlocked.
September 2004: Francis Wheen. Talk about How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered The World. October 2004: David Starkey. Talk about The Monarchy of England.
November 2004: Alexander McCall Smith. Talk about The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.
December 2004: Julie Myerson. Talk entitled ‘Writing About Suffolk.’
February 2005: D. J. Taylor. Talk entitled ‘A Writing Life.’
March 2005: Andrew Casey. Pot handling session by ceramic expert.
April 2005: Ronald Blythe. Talk about The Assassin.
May 2005: Dame Gillian Beer. Talk entitled ‘Talk and Tactics in the Alice Books.’
June 2005: Peter Parker. Talk about Isherwood: a Life Revealed.
July 2005: Jonathan Myerson. Talk on adapting The Canterbury Tales for animation. September 2005: Suzanne Clarke. Talk on Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell.
October 2005: John Sutherland. Talk on Stephen Spender, his widow, Natasha, and his daughter, Lizzie.
November 2005: Linda Grant. Talk about her novels including When I Lived In Modern Times.
December 2005: Deborah Moggach. Talk about her recent writing for the screen. February 2006: Hilary Spurling. Talk about Matisse: the Life.
April 2006: Stuart Kelly. Talk about The Book of Lost Books.
May 2006: Patricia Duncker. Talk about Miss Webster and Cherif.
June 2006: Margaret Drabble. Talk entitled Thieves and Magpies: Inspiration and Appropriation.
June 2006: Romesh Gunesekera. Talk about The Match.
July 2006: Jeremy Lewis. Talk about The Life and Times of Allen Lane.
September 2006: Margi Blunden. Talk about her father, Edmund Blunden.
October 2006: Jon McGregor. Talk about So Many Ways To Begin.
November 2006: Julia Blackburn. Talk about With Billie.
December 2006: Mark Mitchells. Talk about the Paston Letters.
January 2007: Jill Dawson Talk about Watch Me Disappear.
February 2007: Kathryn Hughes. Talk about The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs Beeton.
March 2007: Hugo Williams. Poetry Reading.
April 2007: Henry Hitchings. Talk about Dr Johnson’s Dictionary: the Extraordinary Story of the Book That Defined the World.
May 2007: Julian Baggini. Talk about Welcome to Everytown: a journey into the English mind and others.
June 2007: Mavis Cheek. Talk about Yesterday’s Houses.
September 2007: Jenny Agutter et al. ‘Jane Austen’s World’. SBL 25th Anniversary Event.
September 2007: Posy Simmonds Talk about her career as an illustrator.
October 2007: Richard Mabey. Talk about Beechcombings.
November 2007: James Meek. Talk about The People's Act of Love.
December 2007: Michelle Roberts. Talking about her work [Cancelled].
January 2008: Marina Warner. Talk about Phantasmagoria.
February 2008: Carmen Callil. Talk about Bad Faith.
March 2008: John Stubbs. Talk about John Donne: the Reformed Soul.
April 2008: Anthony Bailey. Talk about Constable – A Kingdom of his Own.
May 2008: David Nobbs. Talk about Cupid’s Dart and more.
June 2008: Barbara Erskine. Talk about Lady of Hay and beyond.
June 2008: Matthew Sweeney. Poetry Reading.
July 2008: Helen Dunmore. In conversation with Brian Morron (SBL Chair)
September: Anne Sebba. Talk about Jennie Churchill: Winston's American Mother.
October 2008: Meg Rosoff. Talk about How I Live Now.
November 2008: Jon Canter. Talk about his fiction.
December 2008: Louis de Bernieres. Talk about A Partisan’s Daughter.
January 2009: John Crace. Talk about Digested Reads.
February 2009: Alison Weir. Talk about Anne Boleyn and Katherine Swynford
March 2009: Charlotte Mendelson. In Conversation with Brian Morron (SBL Chair)
April 2009: Nicola Beauman. Talk about Persephone Books.
May 2009: Blake Morrison. Talk about When Did You Last See Your Father?
June 2009: Francis Fyfield. Talk about Blood From a Stone.
June 2009: David Lodge. Talk about Deaf Sentence.
September 2009: Jules Pretty. Talk about The Luminous Coast [Cancelled].
October 2009: Jill Dawson. Talk entitled ‘Messing with people’s lives: the dangers and joys of writing fiction based on true stories’.
October 2009: Valerie Grove. Talk about A Voyage Round John Mortimer.
November 2011: John Hatcher. Talk about The Black Death. A replacement for Eamon Duffy.
December 2009: Eleanor Bron. Talk about her writings.
January 2010: Claire Harman. Talk about Jane’s Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World.
March 2010: Humphrey Hawksley. Talk about Democracy Kills.
April 2010: Jenny Diski. Talk about The Sixties.
April 2010: Patricia Duncker. ‘Introducing Jane Austen’ Study Day.
May 2010: Hilary Mantel. Talking about Wolf Hall.
June 2010: Jenny Uglow. Talking about A Gambling Man: Charles II and the Restoration.
September 2010: Selina Hastings. Talking about The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham
September 2010: Day Trip To Chawton.
October 2010: Brian Keenan. Talk about An Evil Cradling.
November 2010: Sally Festing. Talk about Gertrude Jekyll.
December 2010: Frances Spalding. Talk about John Piper, Myfanwy Piper: Lives in Art.
February 2011: Valerie Grove. Talk about So Much To Tell: the Biography of Kaye Webb.
March 2011: Sally Vickers. Talk about Aphrodite’s Hat: the Collected Stories of Salley Vickers.
April 2011: Chris Mullin. Talk about Decline and Fall: Diaries 2005-2010.
May 2011: Wendy Moore. Talk about Wedlock: How Georgian Britain’s Worst Husband Met His Match.
June 2011: Marcus Scriven. Talk about Splendour and Squalor: the Disgrace and Disintegration of Three Aristocratic Dynasties.
June 2011: New Angle Prize Showcase
September 2011: Edward Vallance. Talk about A Radical History of Britain.
October 2011: Catherine Horwood. Talk about Gardening Women.
November 2011: Marina Lewycka. Talk about We Are All Made of Glue.
December 2011: Alexandra Harris. Talk about Romantic Moderns.
February 2012: Aminatta Forna. Talk about The Memory of Love.
March 2012: Kathleen Jones. Talk about Katherine Mansfield: the Story-Teller.
April 2012: Liz Calder. Talk entitled ‘A Life in Publishing’.
May 2012: Jane Harris. Talk about Gillespie and I.
June 2012: John Stubbs. Talk about Reprobates: Cavaliers in the English Civil War.
July 2012: Jeremy Page. Talk about The Wake.
September 2012: Jim Kelly. Talk entitled ‘Crime and The East Anglian Landscape’.
October 2012: Amanda Foreman. Talk about Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire.
November 2012: Julia Jones. Talk about The Salt Stained Book.
December 2012: Anne Sebba. Talk about That Woman: the Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor.
February 2013: Diane Atkinson. Talk about The Criminal Conversation of Mrs Norton.
March 2013: M. J. Hyland. Talk entitled ‘Novels - How The Light Gets in’.
April 2013: Ben Hatch. Talk about Are We Nearly There Yet?
May 2013: Lorna Gibb. Talk about West’s World: The Extraordinary Life of Dame Rebecca West.
June 2013: New Angle Prize Showcase.
September 2013: Alex Preston. Talk about The Revelations.
October 2013: Jerry Brotton. Talk about History of the World in 12 Maps [Cancelled].
October 2013: Evie Wylde. Talk entitled ‘How she gets her ideas’. Replacing Jerry Brotton.
November 2013: Louise Doughty. Talk about Apple Tree Yard.
December 2013: Sue Prideaux. Talk about Strindberg: a Life
February 2014: Ian Sansom. Talk about The Norfolk Mystery.
March 2014: Sarah Churchwell. Talk about Careless People.
March 2014: Marcus Sedgwick. Talk about A Love Like Blood with Ipswich Children’s Book Group.
April 2014: Georgina Harding. Talk entitled ‘My Writer’s Journey.’
May 2014: Andrew Lycett. Talk about Wilkie Collins: a Life of Sensation.
June 2014: Sue Gee. Talk about Coming Home.
September 2014: Elspeth Barker. Talk about her life and work [Cancelled].
October 2014: Sophie Hannah. Talk entitled ‘A new Agatha Christie’.
October 2014: Alexander McCall Smith. Talk about his and other people’s writing.
November 2014: Robert Colls. Talk about George Orwell: English Rebel.
December 2014: Phillip Davis. Talk about Reading and the Reader.
February 2015: Nick Lezard. Talk about Bitter Experience Has Taught Me.
March 2015: Olivia Laing. Talk entitled ‘From Source To Sea’ her novels so far.
April 2015: Janice Hadlow. Talk about The Strangest Family: the Private Lives of George III.
April 2015: Liz Trenow. Talk about The Poppy Factory.
May 2015: Elspeth Barker. Talk entitled ‘Her life and writing’.
June 2015: Xiaolu Guo. Talk about A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary For Lovers [Cancelled].
June 2015: A. L. Kennedy. Talk entitled ‘On writing’.
July 2015: New Angle Showcase.
September 2015: Alan Johnson. Talk about This Boy and Please Mr Postman.
October 2015: John Harvey. Talk about Darkness, Darkness.
November 2015: Robert Tombs. Talk about The English and their History.
December 2015: Susie Harris. Talk about Nikolaus Pevsner: the Life.
February 2016: Sarah Taylor. Talk about The Shore.
March 2016: Nicci French. Talk about Blue Monday.
April 2016: Margaret Drabble. Her favourite ‘reads.
May 2016: Isabel Ashdown. Talk about Flight.
June 2016: Polish Noir with Felixstowe Book Festival
July 2016: Rosy Thornton. Launch of Sandlands.
September 2016: Sam Jordison. Talk by Norwich based publisher.
October 2016: Julia Blackburn. Talk about Threads: the Delicate Life of John Craske.
November 2016: Alex Bellos. Talk about maths books.
December 2016: Janet Davey. Talk about Another Mother’s Son.
February 2017: Hollie Mcnish. Readings from Nobody Told Me: Poetry and Parenthood
March 2017: Iain Sinclair. Talk on the author’s psycho-geographical writings
April 2017: Hamish MacGibbon. Talk on Maverick Spy.
May 2017: Claudia Myatt. Talk about her sailing books.
June 2017: Juliet Barker. Talk about The Brontes: a Life in Letters.
June 2017: Andrew Cowan. Talk about The Art of Writing Fiction.
June 2017: New Angle Prize Shortlist
September 2017: Megan Bradbury. Talk about Everyone is Watching.
October 2017: Emma Healey. Talk about Elizabeth is Missing.
November 2017: Wendy Cope. Readings from Family Values.
December 2017: Robert Lloyd Parry. M. R. James performance.
February 2018: Jill Dawson. Talk on The Crime Writer.
March 2018: David Hepworth. Talk on The Uncommon People.
April 2018 Helen Mort. Poetry reading.
May 2018: Bel Greenwod and Lynn Bryan. Talk about Words and Women.
June 2018: Ross Raisin. Talk about A Natural.
July 2018: Laura James. Talk about Odd Girl Out.
September 2018: Sarah Perry. Talk about Melmoth [Cancelled].
September 2018: Toby Litt. Talk about Wrestliana. Replacement for Sarah Perry.
October 2018: David Hayden. Talk about Darker With the Lights On.
November 2018: Iestyn Edwards. My Tutu’s Gone Awol – a performance.
December 2018: Charlotte Peacock. Talk about Into the Mountain: a Life of Nan Shepherd.
February 2019: Zoe Gilbert. Talk about Folk.
March 2019: Linda Davies. Talk about Longbow Girl.
April 2019: Melissa Harrison. Talk about All Among The Barley.
May 2019: Tessa Hadley. Talk about Late in the Day.
June 2019: Alex Pheby. Talk about Lucia.
July 2019: Hayden Middleton. Talk about The Ballad of Syd and Morgan.
September 2019: Rebecca Stott. Talk about In the Days of the Rain
October 2019: Mark Cocker. Talk about Our Place: Can We Save Britain’s Wildlife Before It Is Too Late?
November 2019: Fiona Sampson. Talk about Two Way Mirror: the Life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning [Cancelled].
December 2019: Sir Nicholas Young. Talk about Escaping with his Life.
February 2020: Caitlin Davies. Talk about Bad Girls: the Rebels and Renegades of Holloway Prison.
March 2020: Natania Janz. Talk about Tove Jansson Letters from Tove.
April 2020: Hannah Gold. Talk about The Last Bear [Online]
April 2020: Jeremy Page. Talk about New York to California [Cancelled Covid].
May 2020: George Szirtes. Talk about The Photographer at Sixteen [Cancelled Covid].
June 2020: Anna Mackmin. Talk about Devoured [Cancelled Covid].
July 2020: Fiona Sampson. Talk about Two Way Mirror: the Life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. [Online]
September 2020: James Canton. Talk about The Oak Papers. [Online]
September 2020: Rupert Thomson. Talk about Barcelona Dreaming [Cancelled Covid].
October 2020: Matt Gaw. Talk about The Pull of the River: a Journey into the Wild and Watery Heart of Britain. [Online]
October 2020: Marina Warner. Talk about Inventory of a Life Mislaid [Cancelled Covid].
November 2020: Mbozi Haimbe. Talk about Madam’s Sister. [Online]
February 2021: Jeremy Page. Talk about New York to California. [Online]
May 2021: George Szirtes. Talk about The Photographer at Sixteen. [Online]
June 2021: Andy Friend. Talk about John Nash: the Landscape of Love and Solace. [Online]
July 2021: Francesca Wade. Talk about Square Haunting. [Online]
September 2021: John Preston. Talk about The Dig and Fall: the Mystery of Robert Maxwell.
October 2021: Esther Morgan. Readings from The Wound Register.
November 2021: Marina Warner. Talk about Inventory of a Life Mislaid.
December 2021: Kate Sawyer. Talk about The Stranding.
February 2022: Monique Roffey. Talk about The Mermaid of Black Conch.
March 2022: Daniel Hahn. Talk about Catching Fire: a Translation Diary and his career as a translator.
April 2022: Alison Macleod. Talk about Tenderness.
May 2022: Richard Mabey and Patrick Barkham - In Conversation.
June 2022: Annabel Abbs. Talk about The Language of Food.
July 2022: Pamel Holmes. Talk about The Huntingfield Paintress.
September 2022: Rupert Thomson. Talk about Barcelona Dreaming.
October 2022: A. K. Blakemore. Talk about The Manningtree Witches.
November 2022: Richard Jenkyns. Talk entitled ‘A sideways view of Jane Austen’.
December 2022: Brian Theodore Ralph. A Child’s Christmas in Wales performance.