Well hello sunshine... and humans. It's March and we are excited to launch our programme for this years festival! You can see the full programme on Wednesday the 5th March at the butter market between 9-4 we will be taking out the OUTSIDE stall. Some tickets are already on the website for you to book onto workshops, talks and panels. I will put links to a few below but check the programme for a full list. Pop in to say hello and join us with some paper crafting too. It's world book day on the 6th so we are also celebrating this :)
Our headline act on the 7th Peter Chand is confirmed and tickets for this will soon be available through the Foxlowe website - I will put links up when they go live. Tickets for the outrageous comedian Andy Gilbert are online now and the tickets for Weeping Bank are nearly sold out so get yours soon!
This months reading challenge is books linking to art or artists - check out Leek Library or Picture book to choose your next read.
Upcoming events
Author Interview: Steve Sheppard
Do you outline your books in advance, or do you prefer to let the story unfold as you write?
I am an accidental pantser (an expression I was wholly unaware of until long after I'd finished my first book). I spent nearly 40 years believing you had to have a fully-formed A to Z plot in place before starting to write, which is why book one, A Very Important Teapot, wasn't published until I was 66. Over the years, I started writing several books but they all foundered at about page 15 because I didn't know where the story was going. Finally, in April 2017, I had a sort of epiphany and decided to sit down and just write for the rest of that year and see what I ended up with. I started with a title, a location (Australia as I'd just returned from a five week holiday there), a main protagonist based loosely on myself from 30 years earlier and a vague feeling that spies would be involved somewhere. And I already knew it would be comedy as I doubted I could write anything serious. And nine months later I ended up with the first, lengthy draft of Teapot and, lo and behold, it had a proper plot! Very often, chapters (let alone the whole book) don't go in the direction I thought they might and peripheral characters take on a life of their own, demanding more substantial roles. Elaine, who is in the first two books, is a case in point; she was supposed to be a one-chapter Australian traffic cop but she had other ideas.
Are there any particular authors, genres, or works that influenced your writing style or themes?
Many. I write what I like to call comedy thrillers (a genre I may have invented), so comedy influences include P G Wodehouse, Guy Bellamy, Tom Sharpe and Jasper Fforde; and for thrillers, writers like Desmond Bagley, Hammond Innes and early Alistair MacLean. There are others, new and old but, perhaps strangely, I always cite Leslie Charteris, who wrote the Saint books, as my main influence: they're actually very witty thrillers.
How do you balance writing for entertainment with exploring deeper, more complex themes?
I write to entertain, pure and simple. I want people to enjoy the characters (particularly my main, protagonists, Dawson and Lucy), the situations and the dialogue and, hopefully, laugh a lot. Happily, quite a few readers seem to. The issue is getting new readers to find the books.
What has been the most rewarding part of being an author so far?
Not an original answer but I'm still amazed that I have three books out in the world (with hopefully, more to follow), sitting on bookshelves and in a few libraries and published by a traditional, if small, publisher (Claret Press). Comedy is, of course, subjective but lots of people have enjoyed the books and that encourages me to try and carry on, despite the absence of any actual income from writing. If you'd suggested eight years ago that this would happen, I'd have scoffed. The last few years has been an unexpected, later-life pleasure.
What was your path to becoming a published author?
Was it as you envisioned, or were there surprises along the way?
While I was writing A Very Important Teapot, I genuinely gave no thought to what I might do with it when I'd finished. To an extent, what I now know Imposter Syndrome meant that I thought no one but me would like the finished book. And I don't think I was convinced until at least 50,000 words in that I actually would finish it. When I had, I gave it to my wife and brother to read (not having allowed either of them to take a look during the writing process) and they both enjoyed it and said it made them laugh. But then they would, wouldn't they? I'd read somewhere that you shouldn't listen to the opinions of people you have Sunday dinner with, so I let three other people take a look (including a proper writer and the rudest person I knew) and they liked it too. So I bought the Writers & Artists Yearbook and started sending it off to agents. With no success of course. After a while, I tried submitting it to a few indie publishers but I wasn't far off investigating the scary world of self-publishing when Katie Isbester of Claret Press bit. Mind you, she asked me politely to remove 20,000 words before sending her the whole manuscript - the first draft was over 100,000 words long. I found that easier than I'd expected and the rest is history (although not, so far, history that the national media is interested in).
What can your readers expect from you in the near future?
I am about 22,000 words into writing Dawson & Lucy #4 (as yet untitled, mainly because I've decided to change the location). I've two other standalone books awaiting a decision. Firstly, a village-based farce (in which the comedy darkens as it proceeds) called Lazytown. I'm thinking about self-publishing that. Secondly, another thriller which is more serious (although still with humour), currently called Three Years Ago (although that might change) which needs substantial editing before I decide if it's worth doing anything with.
Is there anything you'd like to add about your latest book or series that you think readers should know?
The three books, A Very Important Teapot, Bored to Death in the Baltics, and Poor Table Manners, make up the Dawson and Lucy series. They are chronological but they are also standalone stories which can be read in any order. Since Poor Table Manners came out last April, I'm hoping that if readers discover that first (and a few have) they'll want to go back to the beginning. As I said earlier, they're comedy spy thrillers with proper plots. Hopefully, they don't tip over into parody or (too much) absurdity. They are not, for example, Johnny English. Dawson and Lucy are in all three. They are, on the face of it, a mismatched pair. Dawson relies almost entirely on humour to extricate himself from sticky situations, while Lucy takes a rather more direct approach. The books are set, respectively, in south east Australia, Estonia and Cape Town and are jam-packed with action and a wide cast of characters, many of whom are not who they claim to be.
Because I have a traditional publisher, any bookshop can order the books (and a tiny number have them on their shelves). They can also be ordered from any online retailer or you can contact me direct https://www.stevesheppardauthor.com/
I'm happy to travel to talk to groups. I've done a few talks now. I don't think I'm too boring.
Thank you Steve for sharing, looking forward to meeting you at the festival:)
Book Review: The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
Elif Shafak’s The Island of Missing Trees is a beautifully written novel that blends history, love, and identity with a touch of magical realism. It’s one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve finished it, quietly lingering in your mind.
The story takes place in Cyprus, shifting between the 1970s during the island's political conflict and present-day London. It follows two young people of Cypriot descent, whose lives are shaped by their parents' pasts. What makes this novel unique is the perspective of a fig tree, which acts as a silent witness to the lives of the characters. The tree is not just a backdrop but almost a character in itself, holding memories of love, loss, and violence—representing the lasting impact of history on the individual.
One of the things that stands out is how the novel explores identity and belonging. It looks at the immigrant experience in a way that’s relatable to anyone with a connection to multiple cultures. Shafak does a beautiful job of weaving together personal stories with larger historical events, making the past feel deeply intertwined with the present.
The way Shafak brings history to life is another strength of the book. She doesn’t just recount events; she shows how they ripple through the lives of the characters. The Cypriot conflict, while specific to the island, speaks to how divisions and wars shape families and communities everywhere.
The magical realism of the talking tree might not be for everyone, but for me, it added a layer of depth to the story. The tree isn’t just observing; it’s part of the emotional landscape of the book, offering insights and reflections that ground the human drama in something larger than just people.
In the end, The Island of Missing Trees is a beautiful exploration of how the past shapes who we are, and how we can heal through connection—with others, with nature, and with the stories that define us. It’s a slow-burn novel, but one that really makes you reflect. If you’re looking for something that blends history, heart, and a touch of magic, this book is definitely worth picking up.
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