What To Expect From Hexham Book Festival as it Celebrates 20 Years
As Hexham Book Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary, Living North find out why this popular festival is bound to last
In 2005, after visiting a festival in Wigtown, founder Susie Troup had the idea of setting up a book festival in Hexham believing the town was crying out for it. She’d formed a good relationship with Queen’s Hall Arts Centre. ‘The then artistic director, Geof Keys, was very supportive of the idea,’ says Susie. ‘We got a little bit of seed money from the Arts Council and started it like that. Gil Pugh, who is festival manager, joined me in 2008 and she’s been there ever since. I took a back seat in January last year, so I’m not at the coalface if you like anymore, but I’m still involved in the strategic planning and fundraising on a voluntary basis.’
Although the festival started out small, it has grown to be a key part of Hexham’s cultural calendar. ‘It started as just a one-day event in 2006, but it was always really well received,’ recalls Susie. ‘The success of the festival over the years has been very much to do with the location and to do with the fact that Hexham, and Northumberland in general, are particularly fantastic places to visit. The supportiveness of the community, and the local businesses, has played a massive part in its success, and as a location it’s really easy to access. The authors can stay up the road, they don’t have to drive across town or get taken across town to outlying venues which is the case with a lot of festivals. And I do think authors love to come to beautiful places.
‘We’ve got fantastic countryside, but Newcastle and Gateshead are just down the road, and the cultural offering is strong. That’s really what it’s about because it gets on the publisher’s radar, and it gets on the author’s radar. Because we’ve kept it small in terms of management (there’s only ever been a small team), they feel really cared for and looked after which is very important.’
There have been many highlights of the festival over the past two decades, and Susie shares just a few. ‘I think PD James has to be a standout because I think she was in her late 80s when she came and she was so exceptional, such an incredible woman,’ Susie recalls. ‘We’ve had lots of fantastic authors from the region on repeat quite often, like Ann Cleeves and David Almond, who I would always come back to. Val McDermid has been a fantastic supporting author over the years and is so engaging. We had Will Self right back in the beginning who was one of the people I really dreamt of getting. Also right at the beginning, we actually had The Hairy Bikers, believe it or not, when they just started out. They were really popular. In terms of literary merit, there’s just been so many. Andrew Graham-Dixon, who’s coming again this year, has been in the past and he was great. I know that my colleague Gil would say David Dimbleby was one of her top authors. We had Prue Leith as well, a couple of times. There’s been loads. We could go on forever!’
This year the lineup includes the chance to uncover the secrets of the Boleyn family with historian Tracy Borman, Richard Benson and Claire Malcolm from the Working-Class Library podcast with special guest Val McDermid, and Lee Child with his 30th Jack Reacher thriller, and the sixth in the acclaimed collaboration between Lee and his brother Andrew.
‘Like all anniversaries, it’s a bit of a landmark and I can’t believe that it’s got to 20 when I just had it as a small idea with my book group after I visited a festival in 2005,’ says Susie. ‘In terms of this year’s lineup, I think there’s a really good variety. There’re a lot of very interesting authors. I love the events with new authors like the Proof Party where people will get an opportunity to get a book in proof format that hasn’t even been published yet. You could be holding the next JK Rowling. You just don’t know. So that’s exciting! It’s a great lineup because it’s got a lot of diversity, which we really strive for. It’s also got some key issue-based things. I think it’ll be really interesting to hear people like Nicola Sturgeon talk about issues. It generally reflects what we’re trying to do, which is bring ideas and books to people.’
Hexham itself has changed over the last 20 years and Susie says it’s a destination visitors love. ‘I think people really love to spend a whole day here. Or people will come and stay and make a weekend of it,’ she says. ‘There is a fantastic feeling in Hexham. The Beaumont Hotel is just exceptional, there’s Bouchon Bistrot, lovely pubs and you can just go out the door and have a fantastic walk. It’s a combination of all of that. They know they’re going to see a great author and they’re going to meet some authors they haven’t met before. We have a lot of events with unknown or debut authors that people love too.
‘I think Hexham is thriving as a small market town, and has really, really excelled itself. It’s got an amazing independent cinema as well. There’s lots for kids, which I think is great. We’ve had support from the Gillian Dickinson Trust to run a family festival and schools festival over the last few years. We’ve got interest from audiences throughout the year now as well. The Queen’s Hall and their support in their venue as a partner has been massive. Without the venue, I think it would be really hard to get the success that we’ve had. It has a great foyer where the bookshop can be, it has a café, and it also has a beautiful library.’
All book festivals and cultural ventures need ongoing support, and Hexham Book Festival is no different. The team continue to work closely with schools, young people and libraries because these are the readers of the future. This year’s festival is hosting more than 50 events, from workshops and discussions to non-fiction talks and chats with your favourite novelists.
Hexham Book Festival runs from 24th April to 3rd May. Find out more at hexhambookfestival.co.uk.
