Suffolk Libraries Lines Up More Top Author Talks

The recent Suffolk Libraries Day book festival featuring authors such as Bernard Cornwell, Anthony Horowitz and Kathy Reichs sold nearly 2,000 tickets and helped to raise nearly £10,000 to support Suffolk Libraries. People tuned in to enjoy the Q&As from afar afield as Australia. 

Suffolk Libraries has been at the forefront of hosting top quality online events with over 3,000 people taking part since October 2020 including those outside of the county. 

The events have had some great feedback:

Jo Aguilar-Millan, a member of the DiscoveReads Facebook group said:

“During the past year reading has been my escape leading me into different worlds. Suffolk Libraries have helped to widen my reading experience through their author events. I have come across so many different authors, many of whom I had never heard of before but will now never forget.”

Author Louise Penny said: 

“I had such fun with you!  I really appreciated your energy, your wonderful and thoughtful questions, how you made me, and everyone, feel so welcome.”

Jon Neal, Chief Executive of Suffolk Mind also enjoyed several events and was equally impressed:

“I attended the Anthony Horowitz, Elly Griffiths and Bernard Cornwell online author events and they were excellent – really well attended, even better than some of the nationally organised online events I’ve attended during lockdown. In the absence of physical events to meet authors and for like-minded people to come together, it was really important that opportunities like those created by Suffolk Libraries were available.”

Events and activities will return to libraries in June but online events will still continue throughout the year. You can book a place at the following upcoming online events for free via the Suffolk Libraries website where there are more details about each author. 

Thursday 13 May at 6pm – Fiona Barton. Fiona is the internationally best-selling author of psychological thrillers, The Widow, The Child and The Suspect. Fiona has been senior writer at the Daily Mail, news editor at the Daily Telegraph and chief reporter at The Mail on Sunday, where she won Reporter of the Year at the National Press Awards. 

Monday 17 May at 6pm – Sam Gilbert. Tech expert Sam Gilbert is an entrepreneur and researcher working at the intersection of politics and technology. His research interests include the political legitimacy of big tech companies (particularly Facebook) and social science research methods innovation using Google search data.

Thursday 20 May at 11am – Kate Morton. Kate Morton grew up in the mountains of south-east Queensland and has sold over 10 million copies of her novels. The House at Riverton was a Sunday Times #1 bestseller in the UK in 2007 and her most recent novel, The Clockmaker’s Daughter, was a #1 bestseller in Australia and a Sunday Times bestseller in the UK. 

Monday 24 May at 6pm – Liz Trenow. Author and former journalist Liz Trenow lives in Essex and will be discussing her newest title The Secrets of the Lake, described as “a coming of age story with a tragic mystery as its heart.”

Wednesday 26 May at 6pm – Sharon Bolton. Mystery fiction writer Sharon Bolton’s first novel, Sacrifice, was voted Best New Read by Amazon.uk, whilst her second, Awakening, won the 2010 Mary Higgins Clark Award (part of the prestigious Edgars) in the US.

For more details about other Suffolk Libraries events visit https://www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/live

Many of the author events have been inspired by Suffolk Libraries’ DiscoveReads online discussion group which anyone is free to join.