Saturday 9th July, 3.

30pm
Malorie Blackman
Free tickets from Beckenham Enquiry Desk

Malorie Blackman was born in 1962. She qualified in Computer

Science and followed a successful career in computing before
becoming a writer at the age of 28. Her first published book was Not
So Stupid! (1990), a book of short stories. Since then she has
written over 50 books and scripts, and her popularity has steadily
grown. In 2007 she collected stories and poems for the book
Unheard Voices, commemorating the bicentenary anniversary of the
abolition of the slave trade. Her latest books are The Stuff of
Nightmares (2007) ,Double Cross (2008) and Boys Dont Cry (2009).
She was awarded an OBE in 2008 and has been described by THE
TIMES newspaper as a bit of a national treasure.

Welcome to Becfest Beckenham Librarys first literary festival,

celebrating performance, books and reading.
The two week festival features the work of many local authors
and groups, who will be presenting writing workshops, debates,
talks and much more, covering all topics, for all age groups.
All events are ticketed and can be obtained from the Enquiry
Desk at Beckenham Library.

Thursday 7th July, 7pm

David Loyn speaks on
The History of War Reporting
BBC correspondent David Loyn talks
about the History of War Reporting,
from Billy Russell and Winston
Churchill in the 19th century to the
present day. As well as providing an
overview of what has changed - and
remained the same - in the trade
David will share some of his own
stories about his time in Afghanistan
- as well as take questions.
David Loyn is the author of Frontline
and Butcher & Bolt: 200 years of
Foreign Engagement In Afghanistan

Friday 8th July, 11am

How To Turn Your Holidays
Into Popular Fiction
With Kate Nivison
Kate Nivison began writing short
stories and serials for magazines on
her return from 9 years of teaching
and raising a family in various parts
of Africa. She has since written for
radio and TV, published a number of
travel-related books, both fiction and
non-fiction, and contributes travel
features regularly to a variety of
national and international
publications.

Friday 8th July,6.30pm

Saturday 9th July, 11am

Conversation with a Diversity

Writer - Rosaline Ting

Writing Literary Mysteries

Chris Bowden

Born in Singapore, she migrated to

England in 1980. In 2007, her debut
play Journeys was performed at
Wimbledon Studio and, with Arts
Council funding, a performed reading
was presented at several other
venues. In 2006/7she won the Polka
Theatres (Children) Playgrounding
competition. Now a full-time
playwright she is completing her first
novel and short film scripts. Her
prose pieces, a poem and haiku are
published in Sydenham Sprouts, an
anthology by Kirkdale writers in
December 2010

Crystal Palace author Christopher

Bowden has published two novels:
The Blue Book and The Yellow
Room. He will talk about them both and a new one appearing in the
autumn.

Monday 4th July, 6.30pm

Tuesday 5th July, 2pm

Monday 27th June, 3pm

Monday 27th June, 6.30pm

Writers Unlimited
Beckenham Bubble Two 'Independence Day
self-publish and be blessed'

Creative Writing Workshop

with Zoe Fairbairns

Short Story Writing

Workshop with Karen
McLeod

Acorn Independent Press invite

you to a Murder Mystery Night
at Beckenham Library:
Inspector McClue & The
Champagne Murders

Presentation, debate and

performance

Wednesday 6th July,

Childrens Craft Session
4pm
Come along and join in
with our make a book
session

Zoe Fairbairns was born in England

on 20 December 1948, and
educated at the University of St.
Andrews, Scotland, and the College
of William and Mary, USA. She has
worked as a freelance journalist and
a creative writing tutor, and is the
former poetry editor of Spare Rib.
She has also held appointments as
Writer in Residence at Bromley
Schools (1981-3 and 1985-9),
Deakin University, Australia (1983),
Sunderland Polytechnic (1983-5)
and Surrey County Council (1989).

Wednesday 6th July,

6.30pm
Post-war Polish Immigrants
the background to the novel
The Black Madonna of
Derby. A talk by author
Joanna Czechowska
Joanna Czechowska's parents met
at a dance held above the
Kardomah Cafe in Derby's Corn
Market during the Second World
War. Her father was a young Polish
RAF pilot, her mother a Derby
schoolgirl. Joanna read history at
University College London and
worked in the magazine industry.

Karen McLeod is a recently retired

air hostess. She is a Performance
Artist who hosts an experimental
cabaret night called MOONA in
South London, and is Writer in
Residence at the Bookseller Crow
bookshop in Crystal Palace.
Her debut novel In Search of the
Missing Eyelash was published by
Jonathan Cape and won a Betty
Trask Award.

Everyone has a part to play in The

Champagne Murders, so if you fancy
dressing up for a bit of fun (and
harmless murder) join us for a night of
murderous mayhem.
Your task is to help McClue catch the
killer or, of course, avoid being caught.

Tuesday 28th June, 2pm

Tuesday 28th June,7pm

Judith Niechcial
Lucy Faithfull: Mother to
Hundreds

Fact & Fiction

Imogen Robertson & Hallie
Rubenhold

Judiths book, Lucy Faithfull: Mother

to Hundreds, is described as a
compelling account t of a remarkable
woman.
In addition she has published A
Particle of Clay: The Biography of
Alec Skempton, Civil Engineer
(Whittles, 2002), a book about her
father. She has an MA in Life Writing
from the University of East Anglia
and writes articles.

Bestselling authors Imogen Robertson

(Instruments of Darkness) and Hallie
Rubenhold (The Confessions of Mrs
Lightfoot) discuss their latest books
and the art of writing and researching
historical fiction. The authors will also
be available for questions afterwards
and to offer tips and advice on writing
and getting published.

Saturday 2nd July

Alex Milway & Friends
th

th

Wednesday 29 June,
2pm

Wednesday 29 June,
7pm

Lyn Stone - Illustrator

Make a Book

Beckenham Bubble 1 The

Next Hundred Years

Lyn Stone has worked in a variety of

jobs, including as a model-maker for
television, a research assistant at
the Tower of London, and a librarian.
Her main line of work, however, has
been that of an artist and illustrator.
Her amusing drawings have
enlivened the pages of many
children's books, from history books
to gift books and pop-up books.

Members and former members of

the boroughs three collectives read
poetry and prose in this Beckenham
Bubble.
Writers Unlimited, The Beckenham
Scribblers and Shortlands Poetry
Writers Circle are just three writers
groups to emerge from the borough
in the last hundred years.

Childrens authors
throughout the day
including Alex Milway

Gary Northfield

Tamsyn Murray

Thursday 30th June,

6.30pm

Friday 1st July, 7pm

A Talk by Brian Scovell

Ian Bevan: "To the Palace for

the Cup!" - From Idea to
Publication

Born in the Isle of Wight, Brian

Scovell had no plans to be a sports
writer until a German raid in 1943
left him in hospital for 2 years
reading the sport pages of the Daily
Herald. Fifteen years later he was
appointed the cricket correspondent
of the Daily Sketch and managed
to survive forty happy and rewarding
years with the Sketch and Daily
Mail. His books are about Bobby
Robson, Trevor Brooking, Dickie
Bird and Brian Lara and his memoir
"Thank You Hermann Goering - A
Life of a Sports Writer".

Charts the process of the production

of the book from Ian Bevans first
wild idea through to them publishing
it themselves.
Described as an affectionate history
of football at the Crystal Palace from
1861 the book covers 150 years of
football at the Crystal Palace from
the 20 FA cup finals to the birth of
CPFC.

C T Furlong
Jim Helmore & Karen
Wall