We’re pleased to invite you to this year’s Christmas Special event, to be held in the Bethesda Chapel, Park Street, Hawkesbury Upton GL9 1BA on Saturday 6th December from 11am until 3pm. Newly refurbished, this will be a cheerful, cosy venue for our festive celebrations.
Signed books make great Christmas presents – and there’ll be a good mix of books and authors to ensure you have plenty of choice for all your friends and relations.
The quickfire programme will pack into the event:
Caroline Sanderson with Listen with Father: How I Learned to Love Classical Music & Jane Austen: The Life of a Literary Titan
Jenny Harris with her new book of comic poems, A Poetry Collection for Christmas
comedy by Nicola Kelsall with her Diary of a Stressed Out Mother series
Mary Flood‘s novel about women’s lives in Ireland in the 60s and 70s, To Love and Serve
Jean Burnett‘s new cosy mystery novel, A Brush with Death
Debbie Young‘s latest cosy mystery, Death at the Village Christmas Fair
young adult fiction with Trevor Stubbs, including his latest novel, Breakthrough
children’s stories with Betty Salthouse
festive short stories by Stefania Hartley, Pauline Masurel, and Mark Rutterford
readings from Christmas classics by Gerard Boyce
Included in the ticket price will be tea, coffee, and cake throughout the event, plus a £2 book voucher valid at the event.
Like to know a little more about the programme for our “Strength of Character” Festival event on Saturday 27th September? Here’s a handy guide.
11.00 Welcome and introductions
11.10 Two Shakespeare Characters for the Price of One – Gerard Boyce
11.30 Robert Louis Stevenson’s First Love: A Study in Quiet Determination – Ali Bacon, author of The Absent Heart
11.50 Writing Villains You Love to Hate– thriller writer AA Abbott, author of Run for Your Lies
12.10 The Human Interest Brothers: Dickens & Character – Lucienne Boyce, author of Bloodie Bones
12.30 Shedding the Shadow Self – Helen Idris-Jones author of Missing Ella
12.50 Story Time #1: Mark Rutterford performs “No Help at All”, a short story written especially for this event
1-2pm Lunch Break, Book Sales, and Viewing of Philip Ringland’s sculpture entitled “Don Quixote”
2.00 Story Time #2: Stefania Hartley reads a short story from her Sicilian collection, “Drive Me Crazy”
2.10 To Travel is To Meet Yourself: Stories of Self-Discovery– Lorna Fergusson, author of “One Morning in Provence”
2.35 The Lively Character of Rivers– Sarah Siân Chave, author of Hafren: The Wisdom of the River Severn
2.55 The Global Portrait Project: Telling the Story of Environmentalists Changing the World for the Better – James Nickells, medical professional and local portrait artist painting the world
3.20 The Strength of Character Required to be an Author– panel discussion with Frances Evesham, author of 11 mystery novels, and Lorna Fergusson, writing coach, editor and author, chaired by Debbie Young, HULF Founder & Director
3.55 Time for a Poem: Author Trevor Stubbsreads “Manning the Bookstall”
As ever, this will be a quick-fire day that keeps you on your toes – and thankfully also supplies you with tea, coffee and cake to help you keep up with it all!
BOOK NOW TO ENSURE WE HAVE ENOUGH CAKE TO GO AROUND!
Like to know a little more about the guest speakers at our “Strength of Character” Festival event on Saturday 27th September? Here’s a handy guide.
A A Abbott
A A Abbott chose her pen name to snag first place on your bookshelf. Also known as Helen, she writes psychological thrillers about women finding strength in the face of danger. She publishes in a range of formats, including audiobook, ebook, Kindle Unlimited, hardback, paperback, large print and dyslexia-friendly Lexend font.
Ali Bacon
Ali Bacon is a local writer inspired by her Scottish roots. Her second historical novel, The Absent Heart, was published by Linen Press in March 2025. She is also a prize-winning short story writer who has appeared in events around the west country and is proud to have been at the very first HULF!
Gerard Boyce
Gerard Boyce read English at UCL and unsurprisingly became an English teacher. He was Head of English and then Director of Sixth Form at Colston’s School, now Collegiate School in Bristol. Now retired, he keeps his hand in by being a Principal Examiner for Cambridge Assessment, and he volunteers at the Amnesty International Bookshop on the Gloucester Road.
Lucienne Boyce
Lucienne Boyce writes historical fiction (To The Fair Land, The Dan Foster Mysteries) and non-fiction (The Bristol Suffragettes). She also blogs about the eighteenth century, women’s history, books and writing. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the steering committee of the West of England and South Wales Women’s History Network.
Sarah Siân Chave
Sarah Siân Chave has forty years’ experience as a teacher and researcher. Her passions are sustainability, social justice and encouraging new ways of being in the world together. Raised by a Welsh mother in the English Midlands, she enjoys connecting with her Welsh roots and exploring Afon Hafren (River Severn).
Frances Evesham
One day Frances Evesham saw Burnham on Sea’s nine-legged lighthouse. As she murmured, ‘What if I found a body there?’ Murder at the Lighthouse, the first of her eleven Somerset murder mysteries published by Boldwood Books, was born.
Lorna Fergusson
Lorna Fergusson is an award-winning short story writer and novelist, editor and writing coach. She runs Fictionfire Literary Consultancy and teaches on Oxford University summer courses. Her latest story collection is One Morning in Provence. She is working on more stories, a novel and a book on mindset for writers. https://www.lornafergusson.com
Stefania Hartley
Stefania Hartley was born in Sicily and immediately started growing, but not very much. She left her sunny island after falling in love with an Englishman and now she lives in the Cotswold. Having finally learnt English, she’s enjoying it so much that she writes short stories and novels.
Helen Idris-Jones
Helen Idris Jones is retired, now, writing novels that explore strength of character. “Missing Ella” addresses family trauma with hope, while “Where no shadows fall” follows Esther Morgan’s journey toward self-forgiveness and redemption. Now writing her third novel, exploring community resilience using her experience of living in a Worcestershire village!
James Nickells
James Nickells is a portrait artist and NHS doctor who is currently working on an ambitious project to paint 193 portraits of 193 subjects each from a different country with each subject involved in positive environmental action. This is The Global Portrait Project.
Mark Rutterford
Mark Rutterford has been writing and performing short stories for over a dozen years including his one-man show, ‘Love Stories’. Mark is delighted to be back at HULF but knows he does not have the strength of character to say ‘no’ to a biscuit with his cup of coffee.
Debbie Young
Debbie Young writes warm, witty cosy mystery novels and short fiction set in the Cotswold countryside, where she has lived for over 30 years. Deeply involved in many aspects of village life, she’s founder and director of the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival, and also a course tutor for Jericho Writers.
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Together, these speakers will provide a fascinating day’s entertainment, talking about their work, and their perspective on strong characters in literature and art.
As ever, this will be a quick-fire day that keeps you on your toes – and thankfully also supplies you with tea, coffee and cake to help you keep up with it all!
BOOK NOW TO ENSURE WE HAVE ENOUGH CAKE TO GO AROUND!
THEME: Strength of Character (10th Birthday Special)
VENUE: The Church of St Mary the Virgin, Hawkesbury GL9 1BN
Come and join us for a fascinating day of talks by authors (plus one artist!) on the theme of Strength of Character in an event marking our Festival’s 10th Birthday.
Overview
Our Autumn 2025 event will approach its theme of “Strength of Character” from many different angles, including talks, readings, and panel discussions by the following special guests:
AA Abbott, author of the Lies thriller series, on writing villains you love to hate
Ali Bacon, historical novelist, speaking about Robert Louis Stevenson’s first love as featured in her new novel The Absent Heart
Gerard Boyce, retired academic, on characterisation in Shakespeare
Lucienne Boyce, historical novelist and historian, on Charles Dickens’ characters
Sarah Sian Chave, author of Hafren: The Wisdom of the River Severn
Frances Evesham, cosy crime writer of two series set in Somerset
Lorna Fergusson, novelist and writing coach on the impact of place on character, as demonstrated by her new collection of short stories, One Morning in Provence
Stefania Hartley, reading one of her short stories about strong Sicilian characters
Helen Idris-Jones, nurse and nurse educator, and author of Missing Ella
James Nickells, portrait artist at the Global Portrait Project
Mark Rutterford, storyteller, performing a story written especially for the event
Debbie Young, cosy mystery author and festival founder, chairing a panel on the strength of character required to be an author
The event will be chaired by HULF Founder and Director Debbie Young, who will combine this fascinating line-up into a coherent whole.
This occasion marks the 10th Birthday of the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival. There will be cake!
TICKETS
Tickets are now available to order online via the Eventbrite link below. Tickets are priced at £10 and a small admin charge will be added per ticket to cover box office costs.
We hope that by the end of September, the beautiful ancient parish church of St Mary the Virgin, will be warmer than it has been at past events held in the spring, but so please wrap up warm just in case. Seating is on antique wooden church pews, so feel free to bring a cushion.
Free parking available in the adjacent field. Please leave the hardstanding in front of the church free for those with limited mobility.
Our beautiful venue, the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Hawkesbury
REFRESHMENTS
Tea, coffee and cake are included in the ticket price of £10. A small booking charge will be added at the time of booking to cover administration costs. Please book early to avoid disappointment – and to make sure we have enough cake for everyone! Feel free to bring your own refreshments if you prefer.
BOOKSHOP
A £2 book voucher is included with the ticket, valid at the event. All our speakers give their time for free, so please make the most of your voucher to support them by buying their books. A book stall manned by the authors will be open before and after the talks and during the breaks.
A NOTE ABOUT FUNDING
Like all Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival events, this is a not-for-profit venture run by and featuring volunteers, who receive no payment for their time. Ticket prices are kept low to make the event accessible and affordable to as many people as possible. Additional donations would be most welcome, and may be made in cash or by card on the day. Thank you for your continuing support that enables us to run this event for benefit of the local and wider community of all who love books and reading.
Come along to enjoy the fun of ourtraditional village show on Saturday 30th August 2025, where various authors will be signing and selling books on the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival’s stall.
Do come and say hello – we’d love to hear about your experience of the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival, and to collect your suggestions for future HULF events!
There is an admission charge to the showground, but it’s a terrific event and it’s totally worth it!
Showground opens at 12.30pm, and the stalls close around 5pm, although the beer tent and fairground will remain open into the evening.
Find out about the entry fee, parking, and other details at the event website, www.hawkesburyshow.org.
Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival 