LITERARY ARENA

Here's What Happened in 2008 - full 2009 details here soon

Take a moment in the shade and bask in the delights of the Literary Arena tucked away in the corner of Henham Park, a hub of compelling stories, inspirational discussions and raucous laughter.

John King’s raw, gritty and powerful London based writing will have you on the edge of your seat. Best known for his 1996 book ‘The Football Factory’ which was later made into a popular motion picture, King’s tales of British working class cultures, football violence and underlying political unrest are both unsettling and fascinating. Latitude will be a very rare opportunity to catch John reading live.

In contrast Norfolk local Raffaella Barker is heavily influenced and inspired by the countryside around her, Growing up in such a beautiful setting has had an unmistakable impact on Barker’s selection of words and use of language. Her debut novel ‘Come And Tell Me Some Lies’ was published in 1994, followed by another six best selling novels including ‘The Hook’, ‘Hens Dancing’, ‘Summertime’, ‘Green Grass’, the children's book ‘Phosphorescence’ and ‘A Perfect Life’. In addition Barker is a regular contributor to The Sunday Times Style magazine, Harpers & Queens and The Spectator. She writes brilliantly and comically about eccentric characters and family life in the Norfolk countryside – an enthralling writer perfect for the lush surroundings of Henham Park.


Nominated by Granta magazine as one of the 20 'Best of Young British Novelists’ Toby Litt has had eight novels published including the critically acclaimed ‘Adventures In Capitalism’, ‘Beatniks: An English Road Movie’, ‘Corpsing’ and ‘Deadkidsongs’. His latest novel 'I Play The Drums In A Band Called Okay' the continuing adventures of a mid-level Canadian indie rock band called, Okay has been published this year.

The newest voice to emerge from a vibrant literature scene in Europe’s Capital of Culture, Helen Walsh certainly knows a thing or two about sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll. Discovering clubbing and drugs at the tender age of 13, and involved in the drag queen scene by 16 – now in her twenties she has drawn on these life experiences for her controversial, coming of age debut ‘Brass’ which won the Betty Task Award. Walsh will read from her new book, ‘Once Upon a Time in England’, a window into the lives of a lone mixed-race family on a desolate all white council estate in the North. Insightful and sensitive, Walsh has created a family who will stay in your heart long after you have left the Literary Arena.

British novelist Catherine O'Flynn has received critical acclaim for her debut book 'What Was Lost' and won the prestigious first novel prize at this year's Costa Book Awards. An examination of the often lacklustre and empty experience of modern life, contrasted with the energy and optimism of a young girl who went missing in the mid-1980s, 'What Was Lost' was longlisted for the 2007 Man Booker Prize for Fiction and the Orange Prize for Fiction and shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award. It also won the Jelf Group First Novel Award at the Guildford Book Festival.
Funny man Mark Barrowcliffe brings his hilarious and original writing to the Literary Arena. Ex-stand up comedian, Mark has a brilliant way with imagery and in the case of his debut novel 'Girlfriend 44', he provides a great insight into the workings of a man's mind who is in search of the perfect woman. His latest offering 'Mr.Wrong' is a brutally honest and funny account of his own lovelife - a single mans search for ‘The One’ and in Barrowcliffe’s own words “My life as a fool for love”.

Journalist, author and ex-sex columnist for Time Out, Tania Glyde is a fascinating addition to the Literary Arena. Her fiction and journalism is often focused on the female predicament, particularly with respect to sex, and power and as a recovering alcoholic, Tania’s recent book ‘Cleaning Up – How I Gave Up Drinking and Lived’ is about how she took on British booze culture and survived to tell the tale. Tania’s previous work includes fiction novels ‘Junk DNA’, and Clever Girl’, two short stories and work published in the Independent and Independent on Sunday.

John Williams has penned a number of books surrounding themes of Cardiff’s tough criminal underclass. His thrilling, exhilarating writing style has seen his appeal reach beyond his native city with books including ‘Bloody Valentine - A Killing in Cardiff’, ‘Temperance Town’ and ‘Cardiff Dead’ all capturing the imagination.

Time Out's Editor-at-Large Michael Hodges has been working hard to reveal the uncomfortable truths about London democracy. He secured enough signatures and raised the required £10,000 minimum to stand for Mayor of London through Time Out's magazine and website, and whilst doing so Hodges created a 'people's manifesto' - fighting an electoral system he deemed unfair and undemocratic. He is proposing an early day motion in the House of Commons, which will call for an end to the discriminatory barriers that prevent ordinary Londoners contributing to the running of their own city and although they have now withdrawn from the official election, the fight against the system continues!

They will be joined by a Literary Arena packed full of top authors including Simon Armitage, Hanif Kureishi, Irvine Welsh and Iain Banks as well as Latitude favourites; Vox ‘N’ Roll, Word Theatre and The Early Edition with Marcus BrigstockeElsewhere at the ground-breaking Latitude Festival the awe-inspiring Sadler’s Wells will perform their world class dance on a beautiful stage floating in the middle of the lake as will The Irrepressibles and their orchestral brilliance, the Poetry Arena, hosted by Luke Wright is bursting with incredible talent from Adrian Mitchell, John Hegley & Keith Moore, Simon Armitage and Carol Ann Duffy. The Cabaret Arena welcomes the ever hilarious and inventive Vauxhallville with plenty more exciting performances to announce in the pipeline.
Paul Torday has spent the majority of his life running engineering firms around Newcastle but at aged 59, he wrote his first novel ‘Salmon Fishing in the Yemen’. The book was a huge success winning the 2007 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for comic writing as well as being serialised on BBC Radio 4. Torday has also recently been nominated for the Best Newcomer at the Galaxy British Book Awards and his second novel ‘The Irresistible Inheritance Of Wilberforce’ was recently released and was also well received with the Financial Times saying “What makes us want to find out about Wilberforce is Torday's wonderful prose - the same simple, clear writing that made Salmon Fishing so readable”.
Coming to the Latitude’s library of laughs and literature is cult songwriter Pete Atkin with his famed body of work ‘Midnight Voices’. Back in the 1970s Pete wrote musically brilliant albums with Clive James (Australian author, poet, presenter) writing the often poetic and literary referencing lyrics. It’s a partnership that has earned them a loyal following since the ‘70s and they can include Irvine Welsh and Iain Banks as their fans. ‘Midnight Voices’ are re-recordings of some of their original and best work from 30 years ago by a brand new band. Timeless and multi-layered each song has its own distinctive story and memorable lyrics, catch this cult performer in the confines of Latitude’s unique Literary Arena.
A truly fascinating and inspirational character that deserves your attention in the Literature Arena this year is legendary publicity guru Mark Borkowski. With his company Borkowski PR representing the likes of Graham Norton, Eddie Izzard, Joan Rivers and Sir Cliff Richard and a career spanning 25 years, Borkowski (pronounced Bor – Cough- ski) has an abundance of compelling showbiz tales from the entertainment world. His work also includes publicising films, television, theatre and major worldwide brands where his refusal to conform to generic, rigid and undeviating PR techniques has given him such a phenomenal reputation. A new book penned by Borkowski will be out in the summer entitled ‘The Fame Formula’ which discusses the history of the publicity industry and how it laid the foundations of rampant modern commercial culture.
They will be joined by a Literary Arena packed full of top authors including Simon Armitage, Hanif Kureishi, Irvine Welsh and Iain Banks as well as Latitude favourites; Vox ‘N’ Roll, Word Theatre and The Early Edition with Marcus Brigstocke