The Creative Folkestone Book Festival The Shape of Things to Come is back and bigger than ever in Folkestone this summer. Running from Friday 4 to Sunday 13 June 2021, there is plenty of bookish fun to be had both in Folkestone and at home.
Alastair Upton, Chief Executive, Creative Folkestone, said, “This summer, our annual festival returns bursting with energy and ideas. I am looking forward to a 10-day extravaganza that will gather creative minds from Folkestone and across the world to imagine, discuss and debate a new future of possibilities in a post-Covid world. This year, the festival itself will take a big leap into the future as we present a new digital festival alongside in-person events. We are inviting everyone to enjoy Folkestone and the Book Festival from whenever they are in the world.”
The footsteps of Beckett
Beckett in Folkestone will take place over the weekends of 4-6 and 11-13 June; you are invited to walk in the footsteps of Nobel laureate, novelist and playwright Samuel Becket.
The guided tour will take you to a hotel on the Leas, on to a pub and then to the Registry of Births, Death and Marriages. At each location, witness performances of monologues written by Helen Oyeyemi, Rupert Thomson and Eimear McBride. Book your Beckett in Folkestone tickets here.
Writers in Conversation at Quatrehouse
Listen to a range of brilliant minds discuss their works and the future of the written word, from the darkly comical essay writer and Novelist Hanif Kureishi to Horatio Clare, the author of the recently published Heavy Light: A Journey Through Madness, Mania and Healing. Or there is media guru Roisin Kiberd's talk on the line between the internet and IRL and Otegha Uwagba discussing her recently published We Need to Talk about Money, which feels part memoir part cultural commentary. Amit Chaudhuri, Emma Dabiri, Imbolo Mbue are just a few more of the many speakers to look out for. Click to see the full lineup of speakers.
Highlights from the last Folkestone Book Festival in 2019
Book Your tickets
Whether you're looking to attend in person or from the comfort of your sofa, head on over to the Creative Folkestone website to book your tickets; click here for the digital pass and click here to explore the program further and book the events that take your fancy.
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