The Margate Bookie festival is back and will take place over the Jubilee weekend of June 2-5.
Visitors can enjoy a range of sessions, workshops and talks from an array of writers, authors and speakers. The line-up includes the famous Bookie Poetry Slam, children’s events debut novelists and established writers including Maggie Gee, Zoe Gilbert, Rosie Wilby, Jude Cook, Samantha Ellis and Costa Book of the Year 2021 winner Monique Roffey.
Award winning author Daisy Buchanan talks about her latest novel, Careering, with top journalist Lauren Bravo. She said: “Books have nourished me, comforted me and held me together, and I hope to share that passion, and spread the message that books really are for everyone. I think the Bookie is the perfect place to do this!”
Bringing a seaside flavour is Monique Roffey, and her novel The Mermaid of Black Conch. She said: “I’m really looking forward to coming to Margate. I’m passionate about the sea and the seaside and will definitely take a walk on the beach. I hope to share my mermaid story with the audience too. Please join us if you too are a sea loving creature.”
Felicity Hayward will be speaking about her debut book, Does My Butt Look Big In This? – a self-love and body positivity manifesto. Felicity is a social media star, one the UK’s most prominent curve models and a leading voice for change in the fashion industry.
Comedian Rosie Wilby stars in the Friday evening bonanza at Turner Contemporary. She’s excited to be gigging live again, saying: “I’m really looking forward to sharing extracts from The Breakup Monologues with a real live audience as part of a real live event. I’m hoping that the audience might even have some of their own breakup stories to share with me too.” She’s followed by Pete the Temp with his raucous show From Homer to Hip Hop.
Other names on the bill include Samantha Ellis and Emily Midorikawa discussing their book on female literary friendships A Secret Sisterhood, and creative writing sessions with Elise Valmorbida and Zoe Gilbert. Sam Mills will talk about her latest book The Fragments of my Father. The Festival ends with a special reading of ‘The Waste Land’ led by Richard Skinner to mark 100 years since Faber and Faber first published TS Eliot’s Margate masterpiece.
The Margate Bookie Poetry Slam is always an epic affair. Sam Tate vs Ciarán Barata-Hynes will be fighting it out for the Kent Poetry Belt on Saturday 4 June at Elsewhere in The Centre, alongside eight local performers and a grand headliner.
Over the last couple of years the Margate Bookie fanzine has connected people across the country and even the world, and the third issue will be the first to get a live debut.
Bookie brings big names to Margate, and at its heart it’s about inspiring a love of literature. The registered charity supports writers at all stages of their career. Many local writers, including Chloe Timms and Isle Write, will showcase their work and tells visitors about their inspirations and where they are heading.
Bookie Director and founder Andreas Loizou will also launch his new book, The Story is Everything.
Andreas said: “We’re delighted to return with an exceptional line up of writers, authors and performers. Our team have been outstanding over the last year, we’ve had so much support from local people, and the publishing and arts industry has been working hard to maintain confidence in challenging times. It’s going to be fun!”
