Historical novelist David Ebsworth was a popular speaker at HULF 2019

Historical novelist David Ebsworth writes…

You know the problem with “local” festivals like HULF? We’re all so busy trying to avoid clashing with the big commercial events, bank holidays and other stuff that we end up clashing with each other. And that’s a real shame since it tends to be events like HULF that do the most to promote reading, writing and great storytelling, or to support much-needed library services, across communities that perhaps can’t always access the bigger shows like Hay or the Oxford LitFest.

All the Way from Wrexham

As it happened, things worked out fine for me this year since, though I’m involved in organising our week-long Wrexham Carnival of Words up in North Wales, I had a relatively free day on Saturday 27th April and our old friend Debbie Young had invited me to do a session in the Village Hall about the background to my two Spanish Civil War novels, The Assassin’s Mark and Until The Curtain Falls.

David Ebsworth’s novels set around the Spanish Civil War provide fascinating insights into the era

It’s a fair trip from Wrexham to Hawkesbury Upton – and not made any easier by the tree fallen across the road on the last leg before we reached the village – but it was well worth the journey. Great presentations, among many others, from Dr Gerri Kimber about Katherine Mansfield, and from Brad Borkan on the inspiration of Antarctic exploration. Yet equally worthwhile for the chance to catch up and chat with other friends, colleagues and fellow-writers like David Penny, Bobbie Coelho and the inimitable Lucienne Boyce.

And, anyway, Debbie was due to return the favour by appearing on the following Thursday at Wrexham Library to talk about the joys of writing “cosy mysteries” and the role of humour in crime-writing, through her Sophie Sayers village mysteries. Superb!

Debbie Young returned the favour by speaking Wrexham Carnival of Words the following week

Diary Dilemma

So it was an honour to receive the invitation for a return appearance at HULF on 25th April 2020 but, sadly, that’s the same date on which I’m running a non-fiction History Day at home in Wrexham. I’ll be really fed up not to be in Hawkesbury Upton but I know that HULF will be even bigger and better than in each of its successful years so far.

Good luck, therefore, to Debbie and her team of volunteers and long may the local litfests flourish!

David Ebsworth’s latest novel is now available to order in print and ebook from all good stockists

For more information about David, his books and his busy schedule of events, please visit his website: www.davidebsworth.com.