Harry Potter expert and top political names head impressive festival line-up
IF you love the arts, find politics fascinating and would relish an opportunity to have a peek inside Repton School, next week’s Repton Festival is for you.
Launching on Friday, July 8, it is really three festivals in one – Litfest’22, Filmfest’22 and Kidsfest’22.
Festival director John Cavey said the programme provided something for everyone, adding: “There is a full range of catering facilities and it’s an opportunity for anyone and everyone to benefit from some of the Repton School facilities. Ticket sales are going well but visit www.reptonliteraryfestival.co.uk now to make sure that you do not miss out.”
So what can we look forward to? Well, Litfest’22 kicks off with the poet and broadcaster Ian Mcmillan, who has chosen the festival as the first location outside his native Yorkshire to promote his latest work.
Ian has cut back on live performance in recent months to focus on his writing and broadcasting work. But the pull of the Repton Festival proved just too tempting. He will open the three-day feast of culture at 6.30pm on Friday when he will introduce his book My Sand Life, My Pebble Life – A Memoir of a Childhood and the Sea.
Ian said: “In the book I try to work out how those journeys shaped the grand old dad that I’ve become today.”
He will recall his days by the sea, from Cleethorpes and Scarborough to Northumberland and Blackpool and the Isle of Skye.
My Sand Life, My Pebble Life takes readers to sunny days on the beach, legendary games of cricket, thermoses of tea, crumbly cake and tiny caravans. The holiday cottages that live on forever, buckets of shells, a broken fishing net, with the tide out, way out...
Mr Cavey said: “We’re thrilled to have Ian open what promises to be a brilliant event this year, bigger and better than ever.
“After two years of Zooming, everyone is so glad to get back to live, in-person performances.
“There is so much interest in the festival, and Ian’s opener in particular, that we are urging people to book to avoid disappointment.”
Events will conclude 48 hours later with the writer, broadcaster and one-time politician Matthew Parris bringing his best-selling novel Fracture to life, in the 400-yearold Repton School Library.
In between, Hilary Benn MP will share insights from his years of political service on the national and international stage. Another former politician, Edwina Currie, once the MP for
After two years of Zooming, everyone is so glad to get back to in-person performances.
John Cavey
South Derbyshire, will wear her author’s hat as the successful writer of 12 novels to host four similarly successful female authors – Louise Beech, Caroline England, Liz Fenwick and Ruth Millington – in a wide-ranging discussion of the obstacles to success they had to overcome. It promises to be a lively discussion.
All the female authors also have their own sessions to discuss their work in more depth with their audience.
Antiquarian book specialist Jim Spencer will be sharing anecdotes about a life valuing the written word and will be happy to take a look at any gems his audience provide.
During his career, Jim, associate director of Hansons Auctioneers in Etwall, has uncovered numerous rarities including a first-edition copy of Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations, published in 1776, which sold for £65,000.
He also made international news – and made it on to TV’S Have I Got News For You! – when he found a Georgian sex manual dating back to 1720.
However, Jim is best known for uncovering valuable Harry Potter first editions from the first print run of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 1997. Only 500 hardback first editions were printed but Jim has found 16 of them so far. They have sold for prices achieved ranging from £15,500 to £69,000 depending on their condition.
Jim has established himself as the world’s leading expert on rare Harry Potter books and receives up to 50 emails a day from people all over the globe who think they may own a first edition.
Filmfest’22 launches with a screening of We Too Together, which was in part shot in Repton by Burton-based Director Deborah Hadfield, who will take questions from the audience on Friday evening.
The winner of the Archies Shorts Competition, which has £2,000 of prizes available and a mentoring session with Peaky Blinders and This is England ‘86 Director Tom Harper, will be announced.
Repton band Boss & Co will be part of the festival entertainment.
For more information and to book tickets,visit the festival website.