Back for its second year, the brilliant new literary festival is now running in Maidstone, with authors, workshops, writing events, displays and readings to enjoy across the county town.
Highlights so far have included an appearance from Gill Hornby, author of Sunday Times bestseller Godmersham Park (set, of course, in Kent), with actor, writer and broadcaster Maria McErlane speaking on 9 Oct.
And topping off the event is none other than polymath Gyles Brandreth. Former MP, stalwart of Radio 4’s Just a Minute and Channel 4’s Celebrity Gogglebox, wordsmith, colourful-jumper-wearer: surely he’s earned national treasure status by now.
He’s certainly a Kent treasure – if not actually born here, he went to prep school near Betteshanger and says he sang in the school choir in churches all over the county – quite possibly in All Saints, Mill Street, where he’s appearing for LitFest.
His childhood holidays – like those of his father and his father before him - were spent in Broadstairs (‘Magical times enjoying rock-pooling, paddling and building sandcastles - I think there were donkey rides, too…’, he recalls), his wife Michèle is from Ashford and they even named their daughter, Aphra, now MP for Chester South and Eddisbury, after Canterbury’s pioneering playwright and poet, Aphra Benn ‘someone to whom all women owe a debt,’ he believes.
Feeling a strong connection to the county means he returns to explore whenever he can, ‘Last summer, I went on the village history tour of St Peter’s, near Broadstairs - celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and led by locals in costume – it was honestly one of the best two hours I’ve ever spent.
Kent Life? Kent IS Life!’ he enthuses. We can expect more of this sort of warm enthusiasm, plus anecdotes and laughs galore, as Gyles explores his love of language and discusses his latest book, Prose & Cons: The English Language in
Just A Minute on October 12, 12pm, at All Saints Church, Maidstone. Tickets: £8. Not to be missed! maidstonelitfest.org
