Clapham Book Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary last Saturday with walks, talks and readings at the Omnibus Theatre
The festival showcased writers and their work, with record book sales raising more than £800 for the Clapham Writers’ Charity.
Festival founder and historical crime author, Julie Anderson, said: “It started out as a bit of a ramshackle affair and has become an annual part of the Clapham calendar.
“It has a life of its own.”
Anderson, who has written a trilogy of books set in post-Second World War Clapham, started the day by leading a two-hour literary walk around the area, showcasing spots connected to historical authors.
The festival featured talks with crime writers Vaseem Khan and Abir Mukherjee, festival co-founder Elizabeth Buchan and journalists Gordon Corera, Anne Sebba and Adam Raphael.
Gordon Corera, the BBC’s security correspondent, lives in the area. He said: “I love supporting book festivals, they are a great way for authors to actually meet their audience and engage with them directly.
“Encouraging people to read is vital and if you can do it somewhere close to where you live it feels even more important.”
New to this year’s festival was the Penelope McNeile Writing Competition, featuring unpublished local writers.
More than 100 people entered the competition which honoured festival trustee Penelope McNeile who died last year.
The theme was ‘Absent Friends’ and it was won by James Blindell, 39, who wrote ‘Ten and You’re Dead’.
In the story, the narrator describes playing a game with his friend and some older boys in what they refer to as a ‘gated cage’ on a council estate. The boys take it in turns to try to score goals with a football. Those who miss stand in the net.
Whoever is in the net when the 10th goal is scored gets ‘beats’ – punched by the group.
The narrator watches his friend succumb to substance abuse and suicide. The story ends on the line: ‘I knew about the drink, the drugs and the loneliness. That’s just three, I didn’t know you were at ten mate. I would have opened the gate.’
Blindell started writing four months ago as a way to process his thoughts and feelings and has begun experimenting with different genres.
He said: “It’s a real memory, the game and playing that with a friend.
“But I’d also say it’s speaking to myself and a kind of alternative reality of what I could have become if I’d not sorted myself out.
“It’s a mixture of reality and possibility.”
The runners-up were Steve Goodland with his piece ‘Lost Souls’ and Clara Barton with ‘I Hear the Hush First’.
The stories were read by Master Roger Eastman of the Royal Courts of Justice, actress Gay Soper and actor Tim Hardy.
Many of the novels showcased this year centred on crime, history and current affairs.
Anderson said: “Crime is always very popular, it’s the biggest-selling genre of fiction.
“History is tremendously popular.”
Vaseem Khan and Abir Mukherjee discussed crime novels in a talk with Julie Anderson. In the evening, Anne Sebba discussed her latest book, ‘The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz’, with author Elizabeth Buchan.
The day ended with Gordon Corera, 52, discussing his new book, ‘The Spy in the Archive’, with journalist Adam Raphael, 88.
The non-fiction thriller tells the story of Vasili Mitrokhin, an isolated KGB archivist who gave Soviet secrets to MI6, helping British intelligence services find Soviet spies living in Britain and America.
Corera said: “You come to respect and feel an emotional attachment to someone who, for all of his oddities, was willing to take risks.
“You can’t help but respect and admire that.”
The story also chronicles the rise of Vladimir Putin from a working-class young boy, to a loyal KGB agent and finally, president of Russia in 1999.
In response to speculation that reading is declining, Anderson argues that people are still enjoying books – they might just prefer to listen to an audiobook or podcast rather than read a traditional book.
She described meeting an attendee at the festival earlier that day who was losing her sight and unable to read physical books, but was still able to enjoy reading through audiobooks.
Anderson said: “I don’t think reading is dropping. I think the way people read is changing.”
You can read more about the Clapham Book Festival here: https://claphambookfestival.com/
Featured image credit: Helen Hughes, with thanks.
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