Cheltenham Literature Festival

Shady reading?

Fifty Shades of Grey has brought erotica for women into the spotlight and it’s now at the heart of a publishing boom - but of course from Sappho to Nancy Friday, from The Story Of O to Riders, female erotica has been around for centuries if not millennia. Charlie Hay from our Basildon bookshop joined Brooke Magnanti, the erstwhile Belle de Jour, poet Ruth Padel, author Bel Mooney and journalist Bidisha as they discussed the Fifty Shades phenomenon and their own favourite erotica... Read more →

James Daunt on “liberating booksellers”

In the second part of this interview, recorded at our Cheltenham bookshop during the Literature Festival, our Managing Director James Daunt speaks of reclaiming the "honourable profession" of bookselling, reinvigorating our bookshops and why the debut novel HHhH is the best book he has read this year.... Read more →

James Daunt on his journey to bookselling…

James Daunt, Managing Director of Waterstones, speaks about the libraries of his childhood, his journey into bookselling, the importance of literature festivals and how Waterstones bookshops are changing... Read more →

“What they want to be is lied to…” Richard Ford on America, and the election

Richard Ford spoke to us about the upcoming US election, and how America is perhaps "almost ungovernable". Read more →

“Women are under-reviewed” Aifric Campbell

Aifric Campbell, ex-investment banker turned Orange Prize longlisted author, spoke to us about her book On The Floor and why fiction can some times be the best medium for dealing with issues such as the financial collapse. Read more →

“There’s always a bit of bad news buried in there…” Evan Davis

We caught up with the broadcaster Evan Davis after his book signing to hear about his book Made In Britain. We also asked him about the suggestion made by Digby Jones in an event the previous day at Cheltenham Literature Festival that the government could stimulate growth in the economy by cutting employer National Insurance contributions - which is, as he saw it, a tax on jobs. Read more →

“Britain’s very identity was umbilically linked to the Empire” Jonathan Dimbleby

Journalist Jonathan Dimbleby enthuses about his new book Destiny In The Desert. We challenge you to not buy the book after listening to him... Read more →

“Religious art has a problem today…” Ross King

Novelist and art historian Ross King spoke to us about his new book, Leonardo And The Last Supper, why Dan Brown still looms large over da Vinci, and a possible return to fiction writing. Read more →

“Kids really invest and believe in characters in a way that adults don’t” Robert Muchamore

One Shot Kill is the latest entry in the Henderson's Boys series from children's author Robert Muchamore. He talks about the book as well as the challenges faced making a CHERUB film, and the pleasures of writing characters over a series of novels. Read more →

The Proof Party

It’s not often that three debut authors- whose books aren’t out until next year (though you can pre-order them now by clicking the links below) - can take to the stage at Cheltenham and have the audience totally enthralled. Read more →

“I’m in the process of writing a new novel…” Rachel Joyce

It's been a rollercoaster year for Rachel Joyce with the runaway success of her novel The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry. She tells us a bit about the book, juggling family and a book tour, and that she's almost finished a new novel... Read more →