Authors In Oundle

22/06/2026

Summer just got better! Come along and meet Jo Bell in August.
Join us for a workshop and/or a book talk by former UK Canal Laureate, Jo Bell, on the 27th August, at the Talbot Hotel.
Writing Workshop: Beginning Your Memoir with award-winning writer Jo Bell, 2.30 pm – 5.30 pm. Jo Bell is an award-winning poet, memoirist and writing tutor whose workshops are known for their warmth, insight and practical approach.
We all have stories, but how do we turn them into a compelling and truthful memoir? This practical and encouraging workshop explores the many different ways to tackle a memoir. Through guided exercises, prompts and discussions, you’ll uncover memories, find your voice, and transform fragments into compelling scenes.
No previous writing experience is required. Bring curiosity, a notebook, and a willingness to explore the stories only you can tell.
Book Event: Step aboard Boater, a mesmerising voyage along the tranquil waterways of England.
7.30 pm – 8.30 pm. ‘It’s not a lifestyle. It’s a life’
For over twenty years, Jo Bell, archaeologist and poet, has travelled the waterways of England, meeting extraordinary people in an extraordinary environment.
In this smart, funny memoir, she describes an alternative nation within a nation, a place of different maps and deep history, and home to people who live and work in a world quite separate from the land.
For more details, follow this link. https://www.authorsinoundle.co.uk/events/

08/06/2026

08/06/2026

Lots of great events to support.

All the events on this year’s Oundle Fringe Flyer.
There are a couple of last minute updates due to unforeseen circumstances. Pennyless are playing instead of the Down County Boys and Paul Galloway is playing at Salerno’s on Saturday not Friday.
For complete updates see Facebook events or the website www.oundlefringe.org

15/05/2026

14/05/2026

Last Sunday, the 10th May, I made the annual pilgrimage to enjoy the delights of the Althorp Literary Festival. I thought we were going to miss our first talk with Charles Spencer and Cat Jarman, Digging Up The Past experience, after the SatNav insisted we travel through Northampton, but we arrived in the nick of time.
I was so glad, as it was a wonderful conversation that highlighted their love for their careers in historical writing and archaeology, and, very sweetly, their love for each other and the wonderful qualities they bring out in each other. It was a very interesting and enjoyable.
It was also a great privilege to meet and listen to Jung Chang, author of Wild Swans and her newly published book, Fly Wild Swans.
I remember reading Wild Swans many years ago and being shocked by the contents. Jung Chang’s Wild Swans was a book that defined a generation, an epic personal history of Jung, her mother and grandmother – ‘three daughters of China’. The book opens in 1909 with her grandmother’s birth – and foot-binding – when China was under the last emperor, moving through Mao Zedong’s rule, especially the Cultural Revolution, during which Jung’s parents were subjected to horrendous ordeals because of their courage. It finishes in 1978 when Deng Xiaoping officially ended the Mao era and started the ‘reforms’.
Fly, Wild Swans is the follow-up to Wild Swans and brings the story of Jung’s family – along with that of China – up to date. The book is in many ways Jung’s love letter to her mother. She very sadly told us that her mother died in China a few weeks ago, and she was unable to visit her, due to how her writing is viewed by the current government. However, her mother encouraged Jung to write and tell the world what was happening, and she would be very proud of her daughter's latest book.
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08/05/2026

Stamford Poetry is teaming up again with Stamford Sights and Secrets Tours, and the John Clare Cottage is also joining in, on Sunday 5 July from 11am...

Enjoy the idyllic surroundings of John Clare Cottage with an audio guided tour of the museum and gardens. A delicious lunch, included in the ticket price, will then be served. The afternoon continues with a poetry walk around Helpston village, led by Stamford Sights and Secrets Tours in collaboration with local Stamford poets.

If you want to be one of the poets reading as we walk around picturesque Helpston, let Karen Burrows know as soon as possible. If you only want to participate as a poet on the walk, you do not need to book a ticket.

Tickets can be booked from Stamford Arts Centre via... https://www.stamfordartscentre.com/bookevent/john-clare-poetry-tour/985402

04/05/2026

This Thursday at Waterstones on Bridge Street...

04/05/2026

I enjoyed a lovely morning at the beautiful setting of Molecey Mill, near Market Deeping yesterday. The Deepings Literary Festival had done a magnificent job of organising events with authors Jo Bell and Julia Jones. Both are amazing ladies with interesting stories to tell. Plus there was music, bacon butties and the wonderful artwork of Jamie Poole.
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