Eclectic cast of characters lined up for Lincoln Book Festival 2023

6th September 2023

Wartime spies, historical heroines, spectral children and vampire sheep – these are just a selection of the eclectic cast of characters set to enthral audiences at this year’s Lincoln Book Festival.

The annual literary festival returns in October 2023 with fiction and non-fiction authors from a rich variety of genres visiting the city for guest talks, discussions and family-friendly creative activities.

Million copy best-selling fiction writer Christy Lefteri is among the high profile authors who will be discussing their latest works with literature-loving audiences. Best known for her international hit debut ‘The Beekeeper of Aleppo’, her latest novel is ‘The Book of Fire’, an intimate and epic story set against the backdrop of forest fires in Greece.

The full book festival programme has just been published with tickets on sale now.  There are eight events to choose from, spread across two weeks from 5-20 October. Lincoln sets the stage for several tales, from the setting of the 1217 Battle of Lincoln to romance blossoming on modern day Steep Hill.

The defining achievements of a heroine of Lincoln’s medieval past are brought to life with historian Sharon Bennett Connolly discussing her new work, ‘King John’s Right Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye’.

Harper Ford (aka historical fiction writer Rebecca Mascull) introduces her debut romcom novel, ‘Divorced (Not Dead)’, about newly single 50-something Frankie getting back on the dating scene (with Lincoln among the backdrops). Lincolnshire-based thriller writer and clinical psychologist Philippa East makes a welcome return to Lincoln Book Festival with her new suspense-filled novel, ‘I’ll Never Tell’.

Younger audiences can enjoy another free-to-attend exploration of creative writing and fun-filled storytelling with county-based author Bethany Walker presenting her latest book, ‘Olly Brown, God of Hamsters’. Comedy writer Emily-Jane Clark will delight younger readers with her debut children’s book, ‘The Beasts of Knobbly Bottom: Attack of the Vampire Sheep’.

Espionage, suspicion and treachery abound in an evening of true and fictional tales of spies with journalist turned thriller writer Alex Gerlis revealing his new novel, ‘Agent in the Shadows’. Social historian Neil R Storey also uncovers ‘Nazi Spies and Collaborators in Britain, 1939-45.’

Emerging from the British Library Tales of the Weird anthology series are two collections of gothic scares and strangeness. In conversation with Tim Rideout, Daniel Pietersen describes ‘I Am Stone. The Gothic Weird Tales of R. Murray Gilchrist’. Dr Jen Baker sends more chills down the spine with her book, ‘Minor Hauntings: Chilling Tales of Spectral Youth’.

Lincoln Book Festival favourite, iconic music journalist and punk artist John Robb returns with his latest book, ‘The Art of Darkness: The History of Goth’. There will be a debut too from Nick Banks, from the legendary Britpop band Pulp, with ‘So It Started There: From Punk to Pulp’.

Lincoln Book Festival interim chair Jill Hughes said: “This year’s book festival will bring some wonderful authors to the city, several of them writers who practise their craft here in Lincolnshire. The variety of genres – from gothic horror through spy thrillers to medieval history – should ensure there’s something to suit book lovers of many different tastes, and we’re pleased to again host a free event specifically for families led by some fabulous children’s book authors. True to the festival’s roots, we’ll have a spotlight on new history writing too with an insight into the remarkable story of Lincoln’s own medieval heroine, Nicolaa de la Haye”.

This year marks a watershed for Lincoln Book Festival following the retirement of long-standing chair Phil Hamlyn-Williams and plans to appoint a festival director to grow the festival in 2024 in a new partnership with the Lincoln Arts Centre at the University of Lincoln.

This year’s Lincoln Book Festival events will take place at the Lincoln Museum (formerly The Collection) on Danes Terrace in Lincoln’s cultural quarter. Ticketing is kindly provided by the Lincoln Arts Centre box office at the University of Lincoln. Tickets for guest author events cost between £7-£10 each although the children’s writing event is free to attend (prior booking is essential). Check the programme pages for full listings and details on how to book tickets, which are on sale now.