If you haven’t been to the Margate Bookie before, or have booked tickets but aren’t sure what to expect, the answers to the questions we get asked most often might help:
- What happens at a literary festival?
It’s a celebration of books, authors and words. Writers talk about their work and what inspires them, read extracts from their books and answer questions from the audience. Workshops – where you can learn new creative skills and get inspired – are always popular.
At the Margate Bookie most of the sessions last an hour. You pick and choose exactly what you want to attend. Some visitors see a single session, others try to see everything over the three days. There are breaks between each event so there’s plenty of time to grab a coffee or browse in our pop-up bookshop.
- Who would this event appeal to?
Anyone who enjoys reading! We know that literary events can be seen as a bit stuffy, so we’ve created a very relaxed and friendly festival. There’s no book snobbery at the Margate Bookie. Whether you read the classics or airport lit, you’ll find something that appeals. The way we’re funded means our events are low-cost, and in some cases, free and we have plenty of offers for local people. Check out the photos from the Spring Bookie on our Facebook page.
- How do you decide the line up?
It’s great to have well-known authors taking part – we’re excited to have Sathnam Sanghera and Amber Butchart with us this year – and we also want to champion talented local writers. It’s great that so many authors now want to read at the Margate Bookie. The town is on the map as a literary centre now.
Throughout the year we look for up-and-coming authors, as well as taking suggestions from our audiences. Visitors told us they’d like to see more poets at the Bookie so we’re delighted that Dean Atta is performing this year, as well as delivering a workshop.
- What do people gain from going?
The Margate Bookie is a great way to discover a new favourite author or try out book you wouldn’t normally read. We’re creating the opportunity to experience something new, right on your doorstep. The festival is also a good way to meet other readers and writers and find out more about the growing local literary scene.
- Why Margate?
The founder of the Bookie, Andreas Loizou, grew up in Margate. A published author, he wants to bring people together and share his passion for books. The town is full of novelists, poets, writing groups and active readers. The Margate Bookie is the watering hole where they all come to drink!