A weekend of conversations, ideas and stories awaits – spanning music history, culture, politics and personal reflection.

At the top of the bill, we are so excited to welcome Geoff Travis & Jeannette Lee. As two of the most influential figures in independent music, they’ll offer rare insight into decades of boundary-pushing artistry and underground culture.

Meanwhile, Ian Leslie takes a closer look at two other legends as he examines the relationship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s in John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs – exploring one of music’s most enduring creative partnerships.

Across the rest of the programme, focus shifts between history, music and lived experience. Tom O’Neill returns to Chaos, revisiting one of the most contested stories of the sixties. BBC Radio 3 presenter, Elizabeth Alker explores the hidden connections between classical and contemporary music in Everything We Do Is Music. Lanre Bakare brings We Were There, an account of how Black culture and community helped shape modern Britain, while Alice Vincent turns to sound, motherhood and modern life in Hark.

The programme also brings together a range of distinctive and emerging voices. Babak Ganjei discusses his debut novel On the Bus Without a Phone, while Lori Inglis Hall presents her acclaimed debut The Shock of the Light, set against wartime Europe. Nadia Beard joins them with The Melody of Things, reflecting on creativity, memory and the pull of unfinished passions.

Full Literature Lineup:

Geoff Travis & Jeannette Lee

Ian Leslie

Tom O’Neill

Babak Ganjei

Elizabeth Alker

Lanre Bakare

Alice Vincent

Lori Inglis Hall

Nadia Beard

The Daffodil Days offers a rich, multi-voiced portrait of Sylvia Plath’s final year in Devon, capturing a rural community on the cusp of change. The Shock of the Light explores the emotional impact of the Second World War through twins Tessa and Theo, evacuated as children – only one returns home. Together, these powerful novels explore memory, revelation and the enduring pull of the past. 

THE DAFFODIL DAYS “Deeply researched and utterly convincing.” MELISSA HARRISON
THE SHOCK OF THE LIGHT “Truly compelling .”  WILLIAM BOYD

Sunday Brunch with the authors

Hosted by Veronica Henry. Includes a delicious brunch, and a goody bag with a FREE book.

Four authors, one event. Hear about their latest books. Share the joy of reading with like-minded people.  

Kindly supported by Orion Books

LORI INGLIS HALL: THE SHOCK OF THE LIGHT  

Cambridge, 1942. Twins Tessa and Theo had always shared everything – until the summer Tessa spent studying in France. She hasn’t been the same since. But before Theo can find out why, he is recruited by the RAF and disappears into the skies. Tessa joins the clandestine Special Operations Executive, slipping into the shadows of occupied France, home of her greatest love – and her darkest secret. Two years later, only one of them comes home. A dazzling debut that brings to life the shattering impact of World War Two on ordinary people.  

About the Author: Lori Inglis Hall holds an MA in history and currently works in the archives of World War II photographer, Lee Miller. Shock of the Light is her first novel. She lives in East Sussex.

Lori talks about her debut novel, 'The Shock of the Light' which brings to life the shattering emotional impact of WWII on ordinary people, mainly twins Tessa and Theo.

Join Lori Inglis Hall as she talks about her exquisitely written debut novel The Shock of the Light which brings to life the shattering emotional impact of WWII on ordinary people, mainly twins Tessa and Theo.

Please note: this event will be held at Ipswich Library – Northgate Room (County Library, Northgate St, Ipswich IP1 3DE)