AN EVENING of literature and laughs is being held in Leamington as part of the South Warwickshire Literary Festival.
Authors Sarah Jane Downing and Dr Adam Sharp will be at creative hub, 1 Mill Street on Thursday June 12 for the festival’s very first evening event.
Journalist Jo Durrant will act as compere.
Sarah Jane is an author and freelance journalist with a particular passion for the history of fashion and beauty. Fascinated with the interplay of fashion, culture and personality, she has written widely about the arts, contributing to Selvedge magazine since the first issue as well as national and local magazines and newspapers.
She has written five books – The English Pleasure Garden 1660-1860, Fashion in the Time of Jane Austen, Beauty and Cosmetics 1550-1950, Fashion in the Time of William Shakespeare, and Pastimes and Pleasures in the Time of Jane Austen.
At the event, Sarah Jane will be celebrating Jane Austen’s 250th anniversary by focusing on the Gothic in Austen, framing it within the atmosphere of stern disapproval that surrounded female novel reading in the final decade of the 18th century when Austen wrote Northanger Abbey.
Wordsmith Adam Sharp’s entertaining show blends monologue, stand-up and a reading of excerpts from his books as he journeys around the world in idioms, proverbs and general nonsense.
A composer and curator of the best, worst and most nonsensical lists, Adam developed a following of over 90,000 like-minded language enthusiasts on social media.
This led to a series of books including The Correct Order of Biscuits (2020) and most recently The Wheel is Spinning but the Hamster is Dead (2023). His lists have been featured in the Guardian, Irish Times, Stylist, Good Housekeeping, The Poke, The
Bookshelf, The Knowledge, and Harper’s.
Festival Director Jacci Gooding said: “These evening events are a really exciting addition to this year’s festival, and June’s edition promises to be a fun-filled evening that is perfect for all types of lovers of words and literature.”
Visit www.southwarwickshireliteraryfestival.com for more details.
