Canterbury Festival is Kents biggest arts festival taking place from 16 – 31 October with over 130 events taking place in and around Canterbury. Many of the ‘The Books & Ideas’ talks taking place in Augustine House Main Hall, feature authors you can discover through our Read & Relax collection. A great opportunity to try a new author and maybe come and see them discuss their work and creative process.   A limited number of £10 tickets are available through the Festival Under-30’s Scheme. 

If you want to own your own copy of a book you can purchase one on the day from the University Bookshop stand you’ll find at most of the talks. Alternatively pick up copies at the Bookshop on campus or on-line Bookshop.

Sathnam Sanghera, Thu 22 Oct, 7:45 pm, Augustine Hall 

Whether Whamageddon is the extent of your knowledge or you can sing along to every song he wrote, ‘Tonight the Music Seems so Loud’ offers a unique and personal biography of George Michael.

Canterbury Festival event website – ‘In conversation about his unconventional and enthralling new book, Tonight The Music Seems So Loud, Sathnam explores the connection between music and politics and exposes what secrecy does to the soul, all while capturing, joyfully and poignantly, one of Britain’s greatest artists in all his musical glory.’

You’ll find a selection of biographies and autobiographies in the non-fiction section of the Read & Relax collection. Highlights include the rags to riches life of Coco Chanel by Axel Madsen, Godfather of Metal, Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘Last Rites’, outrageously funny Miriam Margolies and a truly unique autobiography by Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker structured around the contents of his attic.

Elif Shafak, Tuesday 20 October, 7:45 pm, Augustine Hall

Read & Relax fiction is arranged alphabetically by author; the collection includes Shafak’s two previous best-selling books: ‘There are Rivers in the Sky’ a magical realism time shift story connecting characters with a single ancient raindrop. And the poetically beautiful ‘The Island of Missing Trees’, in which a daughter in present day London uncovers her parents forbidden love story during the partition of Cyprus. This title is also available on Libby as an e-book and audio book.  

Canterbury Festival event website – ‘Join multi-award-winning British-Turkish novelist and storyteller Elif Shafak as she discusses her new novel, ‘In One Brief Moment All Eternity’, a meditation on creativity in the darkest of times.

In this boldly rendered novel, Elif Shafak imagines in vivid colour the life of legendary French writer Gustave Flaubert and all the women who possessed him—the fictional ones he conjured and the real ones who shaped him—particularly Madame Bovary.’

Agatha Christie on Screen, Stage and Page – Sunday 25 October, 2pm, Augustine Hall

We have a selection of crime fiction books within the Read & Relax fiction section under the F/CM classmark. With over 2 billion copies of her works sold Agatha Christie is only beaten to first place in the list of best-selling authors of all time by William Shakespeare and we obviously had to include her in our selection. You’ll find ‘The ABC murders’ and ‘And then there were none’ by the F/CM CHR classmark. If these inspire you to read more of her work, we have plenty of her other titles in our main collection and on Libby e-books and audio books.

Canterbury Festival event website – ‘Christie super-fan and author Cathy Rentzenbrink is joined by theatre historian Julius Green and screenwriter Sarah Phelps (EastEnders, BBC adaptations And Then There Were None, The Witness for the Prosecution and The ABC Murders) for a celebration of Agatha and her work across screen, stage and page.’

Harry Baker: Tender – Sunday 25 October, 4:00 pm, Augustine Hall

Margate based poet and social media sensation Harry Baker’s ‘Tender’ is one of the poetry titles you’ll find in our Read & Relax section. A moving and honest collection of poems to read or even better, hear performed by the author. If you can’t get to see him at the Festival check out his events page for his other local events.

Canterbury Festival event website – ‘World Poetry Slam Champion and bestselling poet Harry Baker brings his characteristic warmth, wit and wonder to new parenthood in this evening of spoken word.’

Tender contains poems from the first hundred days of new life and celebrates all of the euphoria, panic and vulnerability that come with it.

One of the UK’s most magnetic performers, Harry is building on the last two years’ 40-date sellout runs of Wonderful and Wonderful 2.0, and will even slip in some non-baby bangers too. Expect more laughter and tears than ever.’

David Shrigley  – Tuesday 27 October, 7:45 pm, Augustine Hall

You’ll find creative inspiration within the non-fiction section of Read & Relax including – ‘Get your shit together’ by David Shrigley, 741 SHR. Shrigley’s darkly humorous art has been amusing fans since the 1990s and this is his first all colour collection. A nomination for The Turner Prize (the foremost contemporary art prize in the UK), a statue on Trafalgar Square’s forth plinth and becoming a viral Instagram phenomenon have cemented him as one of Britain’s most popular artists. Find out what he’s all about with this characteristically surreal book.

Canterbury Festival event website – ‘Master of the inexplicable and surreal, Turner Prize nominee, and Instagram phenomenon David Shrigley takes to the stage to discuss his comic writing, presented – outrageously?! – in a big new book with no illustrations.

Enjoy an evening with a cultural icon in pure words, pure joy, pure Shrigley.’

Terry Deary: History of the World in Ten Wars – Friday 30 October, 2pm, Augustine Hall

Read & Relax titles – ‘Actually, I’m a murderer’  F/CM DEA

‘A history of Britain in ten enemies’ 941 DEA

Represented in the Read & Relax non-fiction and crime fiction sections, Terry Deary is still best known for his hugely popular Horrible Histories series. He now only writes for adults and his A History of Britain series is Horrible Histories for grown- ups, if you like your history funny, irreverent and thought provoking this is for you.

Canterbury Festival event website –‘ A lively, irreverent exploration of the ten wars that shaped world history and what they reveal about human nature.

With his trademark humour, Terry Deary (author of Revolting, A History of Britain in Ten Enemies and the Horrible Histories series) moves from ancient Greece to the twentieth century, uncovering unexpected stories, myths and turning points often missed in traditional accounts.

Rather than glorifying battle, Deary asks: why do we keep fighting? How can societies justify conflict? And can anything truly be learned from it?’

Other authors at Canterbury Festival in our Read & Relax collection

William Boyd: Cold Sunset – Thursday 29 October, 7.45pm, Augustine Hall

Read & Relax title – The Predicament: a novel

Sebastian Barry: – Sunday 18 October, 2pm, Augustine Hall

Read & Relax title – Days without end: a novel

Malcolm Gaskill: Worlds of Fear & Wonder – Saturday 24 October, 1pm

Read and Relax title – How to kill a witch: a guide for the patriarchy 133.4 MIT

Other authors at Canterbury Festival whose work you’ll find in our main collection.

Nicholas Orme: Chaucer’s England – Tuesday 20 October, 5.45pm, Augustine Hall

Nikesh Shukla: 10 Years of The Good Immigrant – Friday 23 October, 7.45pm Augustine Hall

Simon Garfield: The Pen – Tuesday 27 October, 5.45pm, Augustine Hall

Simon Seabag Montiefiore: The Cauldron – Wednesday 28 October, 7.45pm, Augustine Hall

Jackie Eales: British Historic Town Atlas of Canterbury – Sat 31 October, 2pm, Augustine Hall

Jacqueline Wilson – Saturday 3 October, 2pm, Malthouse Theatre

Simon Armitage: Gilgamesh – Saturday 31 October, 6pm, Augustine Hall