Connecting authors and readers, by the sea
Thank you to everyone who entered our “Tendring Tales” short story competition.
The deadline has now passed, and the entries (all 28 of them) are currently being sent out to the 3 judges. They will hope to announce a winner by the 10th of November, or very shortly afterwards.
Another fantastic turnout for Afternoon Tea at the Frinton Golf Club (website).
We were delighted to welcome Vaseem Khan (website), whose Inspector Chopra and Baby Ganesh Agency series are incredibly popular.
We were delighted that Vaseem stayed on to sign some of his books and talk to attendees to his event.
A full sell-out house at the McGrigor Hall for the visit of ex-MP, Alan Johnson.
Alan Johnson (website), signing his fascinating memoirs.
Alan’s latest memoir traces his love of music, from when he was a child to the present day.
A full house at Frinton’s Lawn Tennis Club (FOSLTC) for writer of the Shetland and Vera novels, Ann Cleeves.
Ann Cleeves taking time to sign her books and talk to some of the audience.
Crime and Wine
with
Ann Cleeves
SOLD OUT
Ann Cleeves grew up in Herefordshire and Devon, and trained as a probation officer.
She began writing whilst living with her husband on a tiny island in the Dee estuary, where Tim had been appointed warden for the nature reserve.
Ann’s list of achievements and awards is incredibly long, but perhaps she is best known as the author of the phenomally-successful Shetland and Vera Stanhope novels, both of which have been adapted for TV.
She is a passionate champion for public libraries, and she went on to set up reading groups in prisons as part of the ‘Inside Books’ project, and became Cheltenham Literature Festival’s first reader-in-residence.
Last year, she completed the series of Shetland novels with Wild Fire, the 8th in the series.
This year, she begins a new series with the novel The Long Call. The story is set in North Devon in an area called Two Rivers, where the rivers Taw and Torridge converge and run into the sea.
Venue: Frinton Tennis Club, Holland Road, FRINTON
Tickets: £12.50 (includes a glass of wine)
An evening with
Alan Johnson
SOLD OUT
Alan Johnson was born in May 1950. He is a British Labour Party politician who served as Home Secretary from June 2009 to May 2010. Before that he filled a wide variety of cabinet positions in both the Blair and Brown governments, including Health Secretary and Education Secretary. Until 20 January 2011 he was Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. Johnson was the Member of Parliament for Hull West and Hessle until his retirement from politics in 2017.
His first book, This Boy, won the RSL Ondaatje Prize and the Orwell Prize in 2013. His second, Please Mister Postman, won the National Book Award for Autobiography of the Year in 2014. His third, The Long and Winding Road, was published in 2016 and won the Parliamentary Book Award for Best Memoir.
His latest book, In My Life, is an affectionate look back on the music which has filled Alan’s life.
Venue: McGrigor Hall, Fourth Avenue, FRINTON
Tickets: £10.00 (there will be a pay bar at the event)
The Philomena Dwyer Literary Lunch
with
Janet Ellis
Janet Ellis is an English television presenter, actress and writer, who is perhaps best known for presenting the BBC children’s television programmes Blue Peter and Jigsaw between 1979 and 1987.
In 2016, she published her first novel, the acclaimed The Butcher’s Hook.
This year, she has published her second novel, How It Was.
‘This author remains one to watch. She has a sharp eye and a sharper wit. More importantly still, she possesses a subtle and compassionate understanding of the human heart.’ The Guardian
‘Knows how to keep her audience hooked’ The Times
‘Beautifully crafted. Janet Ellis is a masterful storyteller.’ Clare Mackintosh, Bestselling Author of I Let You Go.
Venue: Frinton Golf Club, The Esplanade, FRINTON
Tickets: £28 (includes two course lunch)
Afternoon Tea
with
Vaseem Khan
Vaseem Khan was born in London, and studied at the London School of Economics, gaining a degree in Accounting and Finance. After working for a number of years in India as a Management Consultant, he returned to the UK in 2006 to work at the University College London for the Department of Security and Crime Science.
The Baby Ganesh Detective Agency series is set in India. The first novel in the series The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra was published on August 13th 2015 by Mullholland Books. His latest in the series is Bad Day at the Vulture Club.
Vaseem has won a number of awards and many of his novels have been selected as ‘Best Reads’.
Venue: Frinton Golf Club, The Esplanade, FRINTON
Tickets: £15.00 (includes afternoon tea)
When Ruth Fitzgerald was six she wanted to be a writer but her teacher advised her to get a proper job. She followed that advice for many years but kept getting in trouble for giggling in management meetings.
One day when Ruth was drinking a cup of tea (her favourite thing to do) a funny character called ‘Emily Sparkes’ popped into her head and started talking. Now Ruth writes books and stories instead of attending meetings and everyone is much happier, especially the managers.
Ruth lives in Suffolk with her family, three chickens and a very tiny dog.
One day I was sitting, minding my own business when a girl popped into my head and started talking. She was fed up with her parents for being a bit useless and fed up with her friends for being, well, a bit rubbish at being friends. The more she told me, the funnier it got, so I started to write down what it was like to be Emily Sparkes. Now lots of people tell me they feel just like Emily, too.
