Brand new book festival at Warwick

**A brand new book festival is coming to the University of Warwick, launched by the Institute of Advanced Study and Queen Mary University, London.**

The first ever Warwick Book Festival will host a variety of bestselling writers, including Paula Byrne, the author of _The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things_, which she will be discussing at the festival.

Another author confirmed to appear is Ben Macintyre, associate editor of _The Times_ and author of _Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies_, described by critics as an “utterly gripping story” about the five key D-Day double agents.

The theme for the festival, to be held on Saturday 15 June, will be ‘Worlds of History’; it will celebrate some of the finest contemporary writing on a diverse range of historical periods, themes and ideas.

The day, which is open to all, will cover the broad concept of historical writing, from biographies of historical figures such as that of Paul Cézanne by Alex Danchev, to a slightly more light-hearted look at the human race’s history of dieting in Louise Foxcroft’s book _‘Calories and Corsets: A History of Dieting over 2000 years’_.

Vice chancellor Nigel Thrift said of the festival that “it will be a marvellous opportunity for audiences to explore the future of their past.”

The University of Warwick’s Dr Michael Scott, an assistant professor in Classics and Ancient History, will also be talking about his latest series and new book on the celebrated pilgrimage site of Delphi.

Dr Scott has appeared on a number of BBC programmes including _Guilty Pleasures: Luxury in the Ancient Greek and Medieval Worlds_ [BBC 4, 2011].

In addition, Warwick writing initiatives will have a strong presence at the Festival. Michael Hulse and Donald Singer will be joined by winners of the Hippocrates Initiative for Poetry and Medicine, and a celebration of The Warwick Review’s Silver Jubilee issue will feature award-winning novelist Kirsty Gunn and highly acclaimed poet Lesley Saunders.

The festival will be featuring authors of historical fiction and non-fiction as well as journalists, whose books and articles have inspired the public to think about our historical heritage and the history of the world.