We are delighted to be the lead sponsor for this year’s Alderney Literary Festival (March 28-30) which will feature 10 leading historical authors and additional opportunities for avid readers with six local Book Club events.
With its theme of ‘weaving the historical narrative’, the Festival brings together several literary minds at the top of their game to explore the linearity of time and how great narratives interlink known facts with sequences and consequences.
Isabel Picornell, Founder of the Alderney Literary Trust, said: “We are delighted to welcome back Polygon as lead Festival sponsor for the third year running. This is our ninth festival and we know Polygon shares our excitement, with so many great authors wanting to come here every year, 2025 being no exception. This year’s festival line-up is sure to be in high demand and tickets always sell out fast.”
Martin Belcher, Chairman of Polygon Collective commented: “The Festival has gone from strength to strength over the years, with each event showcasing its continued growth and success. Having sold out in record time last year is a huge testament to the dedication, hard work, and meticulous planning that takes place behind the scenes which we are proud to be supporting. We look forward to another exciting event for 2025.”
The Festival opens with a panel discussion on the main theme chaired by Roman empire series author Anthony Riches, with Ellen Alpsten, whose latest book, The Last Princess, is the retelling of the events of 1066, and Anna Abney, whose Measham Hall novels weave stories around the plague, civil war and revolution of Seventeenth Century Britain.
The Festival attracts visitors from Guernsey, Jersey and overseas but this year a surge of interest on Alderney itself has led to a doubling of the number of Book Clubs seeking involvement, with six clubs offering ‘meet-the-author’ sessions at local venues free of charge. Authors at these sessions include Lesley Downer (The Shortest History of Japan), Clare Mulley (Agent Zo), Rosie Garland (The Fates), Leo Vardiashvili (Hard by a Great Forest), Flora Johnson (The Paris Peacemakers) and Eleni Kyriacou (The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou).
All of these authors – together with Simon Scarrow, a Sunday Times best-selling author of historical fiction whose idea for a World War II series took root during his first visit to Alderney, and Lavie Tidhar, who works across genres combining thrillers with poetry, science fiction and historical material – take part across the three-day Festival.
Full details of the speakers and the programme can be found by clicking here.