Charleston May Festival 2008
Published 20th Feb 2008 by Claire

Charleston announces a star line up for the 2008 May Festival, The Charleston Festival, now in its 19th year, running from 16-25 May 2008, showcases an unbeatable line-up of talent and features internationally renowned writers, performers and artists in a series of debates, interviews, discussions, readings, illustrated talks and dramatisations, all designed to open the mind and replenish the soul.

Among the world-class speakers at this year’s Festival are Salman Rushdie making one of his few appearances to launch his new novel; Lloyd Jones, author of Mr Pip; Lorrie Moore, the celebrated American writer, on a rare visit to the UK and A.L. Kennedy fresh from triumphantly collecting the Costa Award.

On the basis that controversy is the spice of life, our formal debate proposes that it is time to jettison our emphasis on a literary education in favour of a scientific one: Richard Fortey and Georgina Ferry bat for science and John Mullan and Tracy Chevalier let rip for literature; Antonia Fraser, Tristram Hunt and Geoffrey Robertson QC ask whether the British tradition of radical ideology and dissent needs revisiting; Marina Lewycka and poet Daljit Nagra wonder whether literary comedy is an effective medium for highlighting issues such as immigration; and Christopher Hampton, Michael Billington and William Nicholson discuss the relationship between the performing arts and society.

The emphasis on the creative arts is only natural, given the Charleston context. Grayson Perry will champion the neglected painter, Edward Burra; Sam Taylor-Wood and Patrick Marber reveal their cinematic collaboration and Simon Jenkins and Rosemary Hill examine the legacy of the great Victorian architect, Pugin.

Birthdays must be celebrated, so we mark Booker’s 40th by a book club discussion with this year’s judge Hardeep Singh Kohli and Kate Mosse, who will nominate their favourite winner as well as the books that did not even make the short-list. What will the rival Orange Prize founder select? And a male author, Jonathan Coe, rejoices in Virago’s 30th anniversary.

All this plus much, much more, including the unmissable, exclusive finale: one of the nation’s favourite actresses, Eileen Atkins, in her own adaptation of the life and work of Stevie Smith – the mordant poet of Parsons Green

“(The Charleston Festival) has a high-minded, intellectual, original spirit … like touching, physically, another England. People talk of a sense of place; here it was drenching’’

- Andrew Marr, Daily Telegraph

“This year’s Festival has a polemical edge, argumentative and thought provoking – entirely fitting in the context of Charleston, where social and artistic conventions were always tested. Like all authentic cultural events, we aim to stimulate, challenge, inspire and entertain.”

- Diana Reich, Artistic Director

Festival Information

Festival listings can be found on the Charlstone website.

Tickets
Dome Box Office, 29 New Road,
Brighton, BN1 1UG • Tel. 01273 709709.
Online at www.brightonticketshop.com and www.charleston.org.uk

Save money with an all day weekend ticket (4 events):
Saturday 17 - £35, Sunday 18 - £39
Saturday 24 - £37, Sunday 25 - £39

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