Holidays In Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire
Oundle Literature Festival
One of those gems that you may not hear much about outside the region,
Oundle Literature Festival has an eclectic lineup.
Everyone who reads books, young or old, will find an author they have read, want to read or about whom they would like to learn more. In the first half of March, it comes at a time when we are emerging from hibernation and are ready for a new cultural year.
Speakers this year include Adam Foulds, whose novel The Quickening Maze is about local poet John Clare, Frances Spalding, who will talk about John and Myfanwy Piper to a backdrop of Piper's stained glass windows in the chapel, and a cartoon workshop by Tim Quinn. You may ask who he is but you are all familiar with his work unless you have lived a very sheltered life; he is responsible for, among others, Beryl the Peril and Korky the Cat. Is it really 29 yeras since Diana Quick beguiled us with her Julia? Perhaps she will again when she talks about her family history in A Tug on the Thread (although why she couldn't have quoted accurately and used Twitch is beyond me).
You don't need to fill the whole time with literary sessions. Bring some books you have always planned to read/re-read, book a few tickets and enjoy the solitude of Nene Valley Cottages.
Remember to visit Little Gidding and read the poem sometime in the week too.
