Happy Sunday everyone!
Tomorrow I am off to Cheltenham Literature Festival for the first of two days (not consecutive) I’ll be spending there. I’m lucky enough to live just over an hour away by train (although going by the train prices it’s probably cheaper to get to Mars). Here I’m going to lay out my plans for the two days and introduce you to the books I’ll be reading along the way.
Day One – Bookshops and Proof Parties
I’ve only got tickets for one session on the first day so I’ve got loads of time to explore all the wonderful bookshops Cheltenham has to offer. Here’s a few I’ll be popping into:
Waterstones Cheltenham
Is it even a bookshop crawl if it doesn’t involve a Waterstones?! I have learned my lesson from Edinburgh, however, and will be giving myself a time limit in this shop so I have plenty of time in the others.
Moss Books
Not one I am familiar with but I’ve heard good things about. I think I will need to be prepared to rummage so will be leaving plenty of time to explore all the sections of this shop.
Attic Books…
…maybe. I can’t find anything overly reassuring that this place is still going. I will be taking a chance on this one, and apparently it helps not to be claustrophobic when visiting this shop (which, thankfully, I am not).
Suffolk Anthology
Definitely still going (correct at the time of writing) AND serves cake. My favourite type of bookshop. Probably the bookshop I am most excited about.
Once I’m all bookshopped out, I’ll be heading back to the heart of the festival to attend the Raven Books Proof Party, where they’ll be presenting new books from Laura Purcell, Alice Clark-Platts, and Holly Watt. Full feature post to follow!
Day Two – Middle-Grade magic, Booktubers, and The Moth
My second day at the festival is jam-packed and I’ll be getting to attend some very exciting events!
Maz Evans and Janina Ramirez
Appearing in separate sessions will be Maz Evans, author of Who Let the Gods Out? and Janina Ramirez, author of Riddle of the Runes. I’m currently reading both books in preparation and I’ve no doubt I’ll be just as excited as some of the youngsters to be there.
Careers and Book Blogging
I’ve got some slightly more serious sessions lined up. Firstly, I’ll be attending Create A Career That Works For You. I am not overly sure what to expect from this session, and I don’t think it is literature focussed but I am sure I’ll find out when I get there. After that, I’ll be attending Turning Your Passion For Books Into Digital Content to get some blog inspiration from Jen Campbell, Simon Savidge, and Alex Reads.
The Moth
If you enjoy podcasts and are not familiar with The Moth THEN YOU SHOULD BE. The Moth is about people getting up on a stage to share their inspiring stories. Sometimes you laugh, sometimes you cry. I love it, and the stories are also available in book form.
Check out The Moth podcast here.
Comment below
I’ll be posting lots of blogs following my trips to the festival, so watch this space!
Are you going to Cheltenham Literature Festival? Let me know below what sessions you’re looking forward to the most.
Thank you Cheltenham Literature Festival for allocating me a press pass and providing tickets for these talks.
Roachie's Reviews 
That sounds fab! Hope you have an excellent time.
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I’ve never heard of these literature festivals before. You’re the second blogger I’ve come across who has written a post about one in the UK. It seems like such a great experience, definitely one to remember for next year!
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