Line-up announced for third Shrewsbury Festival of Literature

They are heading to the third Shrewsbury Literature Festival between taking place between November 23 to 25.

Authors range from the acclaimed novelist Manda Scott, the celebrated food writer Elisabeth Luard and the ‘natural navigator’ Tristan Gooley to international mental health campaigner Rachel Kelly, fiction writer Kate Mascarenhas and poet Matthew Francis.

The Shropshire-based nature writer, Guardian country diarist, poet and broadcaster Paul Evans is also part of the line-up.

And the festival’s popular Poetry Slam – a fast-pace, head-to-head, live poetry competition – is back, led by the performance poets and comedians Dave Pitt and Emma Purshouse.

Festival chairman Susan Caroline said: “The festival will celebrate fiction, poetry, storytelling and non-fiction with writers taking us through the inspiration and fascinating stories behind their works."

Bestsellers

Budding writers can learn how to pen their own best-seller in a writing workshop and there will even be a ‘human library’ where the books literally tell their own story.

Festival highlights include Tristan Gooley, author of international award-winning bestsellers, such as The Natural Navigator and How To Read Water, who will explain how it’s possible to read nature by gauging direction from stars and plants, forecast weather from woodland sounds and predict the behaviour of animals.

Best-selling novelist, columnist and screen writer Manda Scott, who lives in south Shropshire, is author of both the globally successful Boudica and Rome series. She will lead the audience into a web of murder, mystery and espionage with her latest thriller A Treachery of Spies.

The 'Human Library' will be at Shrewsbury Library on November 24, from 10am to 12pm. The books will be people with special experiences to share. It is part of an international movement that aims to challenge social stereotypes, prejudices and stigmas that can lead to discrimination and exclusion.

For information about all the festival events visit www.shrewsburylitfest.co.uk

Tickets are available online or from Pengwern Books, Fish Street, Shrewsbury.