A chance to hear from a group of successful authors about their latest novels from an eclectic range of genres including wartime sagas, historical fiction, crime, and speculative thrillers.
Authors on this panel, with the title of their latest novel, are:
Kirsten Hesketh writing as Kirsty Dougal – ‘The Poppy Factory’
Louise Fein – ‘The Book of Forbidden Words’
Simon McCleave – ‘The Liverpool Killings’
Eve Smith – ‘The Cure’
The Panel will take place in our main auditorium – moderator to be confirmed
About the Authors:
Kirsten Hesketh writing as Kirsty Dougal
Kirsten Hesketh writes wartime sagas as Kirsty Dougal for Penguin and as Poppy Cooper for Hodder, including The Poppy Girls, Wartime on Sanctuary Lane and The Post Office Girls – as well as contemporary fiction under her own name. She loves writing about ordinary people living through extraordinary times, drawing inspiration from the family stories she grew up with: her father being blown off his bicycle by a bomb blast on his way to sit his exams, her uncle’s memories of joining the VE Day celebrations on The Mall in London.
Before becoming an author, Kirsten ran her own qualitative research consultancy. Over the past 30 years, she has interviewed the Great British public on everything from Rolos to razors, developing a lifelong fascination with the stories people tell about their lives.
Alongside her writing, Kirsten is currently studying for a PhD at Oxford Brookes University, researching how women’s stories of the world wars live on in family memories, literature and popular culture. She is also a keen amateur archaeologist and spends many weekends getting muddy on local digs.
Married with a son and daughter, Kirsten lives in Oxfordshire, enjoys walking, and is a staunch supporter of Wycombe Wanderers – especially when they are winning!
Louise Fein
Louise writes historical fiction, focussed around unheard voices or from unusual perspectives. Her novels have variously won and been shortlisted for literary awards, international best sellers, and translated into multiple foreign languages. Louise holds an MA in Creative Writing from St Mary’s University. Equally passionate about historical research and writing, she loves to look for themes which have resonance with today’s world.
Simon McCleave
Simon McCleave is a multimillion-selling crime novelist who lives in North Wales with his wife and children. His debut novel, The Snowdonia Killings, was a #1 Amazon Bestseller and sold over 400,000 copies. The subsequent books in the DI Ruth Hunter series have all been bestsellers and have collectively sold over 3 million copies.
In 2025 McCleave launched a brand-new series Marshal of Snowdonia featuring Frank Marshal, a retired police officer and now ranger in Snowdonia National Park. The books, which are also bestsellers, are now in audio from Simon & Schuster.
Before writing novels, Simon worked in film and television at the BBC, Channel 4 and in LA. He was a scriptwriter on some of the UK’s best-loved series including Eastenders, Silent Witness, Teachers, Midsomer Murders and The Bill. He wrote over 40 scripts for the iconic series, widely regarded as having redefined the police procedural on British television.
Eve Smith
Eve Smith writes speculative thrillers about the things that scare her. Her novels have been reviewed in New Scientist, The Guardian and The Times. Her fourth book, The Cure, was a Times best new thriller pick which explores the lethal consequences of a cure for ageing. Eve’s previous job took her to research projects across the globe which fuelled her passion for wild creatures, radical science and far-flung places.
www.evesmithauthor.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evesmithauthor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EveSmithAuthor/
Tickets for this Author Panel are £10.00, including booking fee.
5.30pm to 6.15pm – followed by time for book sales and signings.
SPECIAL OFFER – Book a ticket for all three Author Panels for £20.00, including booking fee
The three Author Panels in this offer are:
4pm – 4.45pm LOCAL HEROES – Local Authors
5.30pm – 6.15pm ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE – historical, dystopian, elsewhere
7pm- 7.45pm CRIME AND THRILLERS
(please book your tickets for all three events in one transaction to benefit from this offer).
ON SALE SHORTLY!
