Dame Stella Rimington will make a rare festival appearance following the publication of her latest Liz Carlyle spy novel The Geneva Trap as well as reflecting on her long career at MI5, which culminated in her appointment as director-general.

Former Conservative home secretary Douglas Hurd, recently back in the headlines paying tribute to Margaret Thatcher, turns his attentions to another iconic prime minister in the form of Benjamin Disraeli, the subject of his forthcoming biography.

Former Labour home secretary Alan Johnson, a key figure of the Blair and Brown governments, will speak about his childhood memoirThis Boy.

With the festival taking place as political conference season comes to a close, both men are likely to be drawn on the current states of their respective parties.’

The Henley Standard 3rd May 2013

Read the full article here

BBC presenter Dan Snow has now been confirmed to appear at the festival on Friday October 4^th, the same day as his veteran broadcaster father Peter as they discuss, respectively, battle castles and the 1814 British invasion of Washington.

“I’m thrilled to be discussing Battle Castles at Henley this year, as the audience is always full of history-lovers,” commented Dan Snow. “And with my father and I having both previously spoken at the festival, it is particularly pleasing to be doing so on the same day for the first time.”

To mark this October’s publication of The King’s Grave Philippa Langley, instigator of the search that culminated in Richard III’s remains being found in a Leicester Car Park and star of the Channel 4 documentary, is joined by her co-author, historian Michael Jones to discuss one of this year’s most discussed news stories.

Read the full article here

He will be discussing Battle Castle, his Discovery Channel series about the military engineering behind the most formidable strongholds in the medieval world.

His father, the veteran broadcaster Peter Snow, will be speaking at the festival on the same day about the 1814 British invasion of Washington. Both have previously appeared at the event.

Snow jnr said: “I’m thrilled to be discussing Battle Castle at Henley this year as the audience is always full of history lovers.” Philippa Langley and Michael Jones will be there to discuss their forthcoming book The King’s Grave about the search that culminated in Richard III’s remains being found under a Leicester car park.

Sir Max Hastings is also returning to talk about the beginnings of the First World War and journalist Stephen Cooper will chart the conflict through its impact on the players of Rosslyn Park Rugby Club.

Read the full article here

Perhaps the only Conservative MP to be described as a ‘national living treasure’ by The Guardian, Ann will be heading to the festival on October 2nd, direct from her party’s autumn conference.

In addition to her two decades as Member of Parliament for Maidstone and various frontbench roles, Ann will be reflecting on her media career, including her starring role on Strictly Come Dancing. That show provided her with the title for her autobiography, to be published in June: Strictly Ann. The book promises some trenchant views on the Coalition, MPs’ expenses and much more. Ann is unlikely to pull any punches in her appearance at Henley’s Kenton Theatre, including the audience Q&A.

The Conservative MP will be talking about her autobiography in which she writes about MPs’ expenses, the coalition and her time on Strictly Come Dancing.

Ann will be arriving at the festival, which runs from September 30 to October 6, straight from her party’s autumn conference and is already looking forward to the event.

“Going from what is bound to be a lively Conservative Party Conference in Manchester straight to the more serene surroundings of the Henley Literary Festival is an experience I look forward to immensely,” she says.

Joining Ann on the bill is food critic Giles Coren, television and radio presenter Peter Snow and politician Roy Hattersley.

Read the full story here

The former deputy leader of the Labour Party will be discussing his new book about the Devonshires following the sold-out appearance by the current Duchess at the festival in 2010.

Snow will be talking about his new book on the 1814 British invasion of Washington.

Authors making their festival debuts this year include Times columnist and TV presenter Giles Coren, discussing his book How To Eat Out, and Major Sir Michael Parker, whose memoir It’s All Going Terribly Wrong recounts his four decades of organising royal events.

The Crime and Wine strand will return, featuring three thriller writers, Erin Kelly, Sabine Durrant and Thomas Mogford.

History will again have a strong presence at the festival with Caroline Shenton, winner of political book of the year earlier this month for The Day Parliament Burned Down. English Heritage chief executive Simon Thurley will also be appearing as will Clare Mulley, biographer of Christine Granville, Britain’s first woman special agent in the Second World War.

Festival director Sue Ryan said: “This is only the start of what we hope will be a festival to match last year, when we brought almost 100 authors, from Sir John Major to Clare Balding, to Henley.

Read the full story here

Peter Snow, the veteran broadcaster long associated with the election night swingometer, and Lord Hattersley, the former Labour Party Deputy Leader, both make returns to the festival to discuss their new books. Snow has turned his attention to the 1814 British invasion of Washington, while Hattersley gives his account of the Devonshires, following the sold-out appearance by the current Duchess at the festival in 2010.

Read the full article here

Job period

Three-month role commencing 8th July 2013

Hours

Part-time – 10am-2pm four days per week, with possibility of additional hours during busier periods and then full-time during festival week (30th September – 6th October).

Number of posts

One

Remuneration

£7.50/hour

Job description

Henley Literary Festival has established itself as one of the top literary festivals in the country. The festival is now in its seventh year The high profile of authors at the festival makes it a rival for Hay, Edinburgh and Cheltenham. For seven days the festival will become the focus of the town: more than 3,000 people a day can be absorbed into a range of venues across Henley, creating a buzz that would be impossible to replicate in a larger town or city. The festival covers politics and current affairs, fiction, biography, history, lifestyle, sport and poetry.

The role of the Ticket Sales Representative is to manage the sales of tickets for all of the events before and during the festival. Responsibilities will involve covering the telephone ticket sales up to the festival and then the face-to-face ticket sales and the management of the live Box Office during the Festival week.  It will also include using the box office systems, printing tickets and supporting other members of staff with administrative tasks and occasionally author liaison and logistics. A solid grounding in computer skills will be necessary and any previous experience with online ticketing systems such as Spektrix would be a bonus.

This is a paid position at £7.50 per hour. We are based just outside of Henley-on-Thames.

The position will be for four days a week from the week commencing 8th July 2013. You may be needed for extra days during the busier period as the festival gets closer, as well as for the launch party on the evening of 18th July and the full seven days during festival week (30^th September – 6^th October).

Person requirements

The ideal candidate will have experience in customer service, be computer literate and have good written English. A good telephone manner is essential. You should be efficient, confident with the public, pay attention to detail and have an interest in books and literary events. This position is a great stepping-stone to the literary or events world, particularly promotion, sales and marketing.

It would be ideal if you had access to a car as the offices are just outside Henley, with limited public transport links.

How to apply

Please send your CV and a covering email explaining why you want to apply for the role, your availability and whether you have access to a car to Rebecca.mundy@henleyliteraryfestival.co.uk using HLF BOX OFFICE 2013 as the subject title in the email.

Full-time/Part-time

Part-time – 3 days per week, then full-time during festival week (30th September – 6th October)

Number of posts

One

Remuneration

Expenses – up to £10 per day for travel and £5 per day for lunch

Job description

Henley Literary Festival has established itself as one of the top literary festivals in the country. The festival is now in its seventh year and the high profile of authors at the festival makes it a rival for Hay, Edinburgh and Cheltenham. It is the intimacy of the small riverside town with easy access to London, along with a range of unique venues, which gives the festival such a distinctive personality. For seven days the festival will become the focus of the town: more than three thousand people a day can be absorbed into a range of venues across Henley, creating a buzz that would be impossible to replicate in a larger town or city. The Festival covers politics and current affairs, fiction, biography, history, lifestyle, sport and poetry.

The role of this volunteer will include (but not be limited to) working with other members of staff and festival venues to help organize the event logistics of the Festival as well as admin support and supporting the Box Office team. Responsibilities will include liaising with authors and publicists in order to facilitate their appearances at the festival; this will include requesting copies of their book, arranging their interviewer or introducer and arranging their travel and, in some cases, their hotel accommodation. The position will also include the responsibility of running venues and supervising volunteers during the Festival week.

This is an unpaid voluntary position. It is based just outside Henley-on-Thames. We can pay travel (up to £10 per day) and lunch expenses (up to £5 per day) only.

The position is for three days a week from week commencing 1st July 2013 through to 11^th October 2013. You may be needed for extra days during the busier period as the Festival gets closer, for the festival launch party on the 18^th July, and will be required for the full seven days during festival week (30th September – 6th October).

Person requirements

The ideal candidate will love books, have very good communication skills and written English and be very confident with both the authors and the general public. You should be efficient, pay attention to detail and really want to learn about literary events and/or event management.

It would be ideal if you had access to a car as the offices are just outside Henley and public transport links are limited.

Academic qualifications

This would be ideal for an undergraduate or graduate who has studied English, Journalism or another arts degree.

How to apply

Please send your CV and a covering email explaining why you want to apply for the role, your availability and whether you have access to a car to Rebecca.mundy@henleyliteraryfestival.co.uk using HLF INTERN 2013 as the subject title in the email.

I was expecting to be reprimanded for any one of a thousand betrayals and broken promises – but this time the questioner was an old schoolteacher’s daughter…

Last week, in Henley-on-Thames (I will go almost Anywhere-on-Thames), I did the Kenton Theatre, a charming, and some say haunted, little playhouse dating from 1805, which makes it the fourth or fifth oldest theatre in the country. Because it holds only 230 people and has a tiny stage, the Kenton Theatre is blessedly unsuited to putting on musicals about the French Revolution. It is ideal, though, for a panto, an evening of magic, or a reading from a novel. Small is beautiful.

A gathering of 230 is sufficient to make everyone feel it’s an occasion, but not too many to inhibit intimacy. I did my bit, they did theirs. We attended to one another, exchanged compliments, and then came a question, put to me from as far back and as high up as the little theatre allowed, beginning with the words: “Do you remember… ?”

Any speaker prepared to take questions in public dreads this one above all others. In the split second between the verb “remember” and its object – remember what, for Christ’s sake, remember what? – you run through the infinite number of omissions and betrayals, disloyalties and broken promises, failures and ignominies, which over the years you have tried to forget.

Friday 28th September, The Independent

Read the full article here