CURIOUS HEADLINERS TOM ODELL AND IZZY BIZU JOIN LITERARY LUMINARIES AND COMEDY LEGENDS IN THE NEW FOREST THIS JULY FOR THE UK’S MOST INSPIRING FESTIVAL www.curiousartsfestival.com 21st-23rd July 2017
Stellar singer songwriter Tom Odell and soul, funk, jazz and pop goddess Izzy Bizu are just two of the music highlights set to electrify festival goers in the glorious grounds of Pylewell Park on the banks of the Solent this summer.
Renowned for attracting the cream of UK and international literary talent this unique festival offers a glittering array of the cultural, creative and curious including comedy, music and a packed children’s programme. From life drawing, midnight bat walks and cocktail masterclasses to snail racing, poetry workshops, pop-up fine dining and even a cricket match no other festival offers anything like this dreamy, fun, eccentric and ultimately inimitable weekend.
This year’s packed programme of events, activities and experiences will delight the Curious of all ages with highlights including:
The best of UK singer songwriter talent with a storming music line up headlined by Tom Odell and Brit Critics Choice Award winner Izzy Bizu and featuring:
• Electro-soul act Seramic
• Ibibio Sound Machine who blend Nigerian pop and British electronica.
• A&R man turned novelist, John Niven, will be taking to the stage with his new band featuring some extraordinary special guests.
• Icelandic musician Junius Meyvant
• Brighton talent Martha Gunn
• Time Out Rising Star Alex Francis with his emotive blend of rock and soul
Comedy from Mock The Week’s hilarious Ed Byrne who joins Radio 4 regulars including Simon Evans, Paul Tonkinson, plus children’s favourite Howard Read, lightening-quick sketch group The Noise Next Door and the insanely talented Nat Luurtsema. Expect music from jazz singing Charlie Baker, a three-course meal cooked on hotel equipment by George Egg and long words and beautiful linguistic flourishes from Ivo Graham who’s come a long way since being the youngest ever So You Think You’re Funny winner at the Edinburgh Festival.
An unparalleled list of this years’ most talked about and awarded authors including:
• The legendary writer, film-maker and publisher Dave Eggers
• The foremost chronicler of our emotional lives, Joanna Trollope
• Award winning journalist Lynn Barber whose memoir AN EDUCATION was made into a major film featuring Carey Mulligan
• Adult and children’s writer Matt Haig on staying alive and his new novel HOW TO STOP TIME which is published in July
• Former sex columnist and professional dominatrix Nichi Hodgson on her new book THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF DATING from Jane Austen to Tinder.
• Bailey Prize winner Eimear McBride (A GIRL IS A HALF FORMED THING) on her new book THE LESSER BOHEMIANS
• Psychotherapist, presenter and author Philippa Perry and Grayson’s other half!
• Internationally acclaimed British Indian novelist Hari Kunzru (WHITE TEARS)
• Katie Kitamura on her novel called A SEPERATION
• Jess Kidd will discuss her ghostly, thrilling genre-bending novel HIMSELF
• Andrew O’Hagan, one of the most serious and exciting chroniclers of contemporary Britain discusses his latest work THE SECRET LIFE which is published June
• Keggie Carew on her Costa Award Winning memoir DADLAND
• Peter Dunne with gentle philosophical advice to people of all ages with his book THE FIFTY THINGS: LESSONS FOR WHEN YOU FEEL LOST
A stimulating and packed children’s programme including Breath of Life Puppetry workshops, a Jabberwocky Hunt and Ella Berthoud will be offering STORY CURES for children and their families and there will be a series of events with The Week Junior.
Expect illuminating adventures, lively literary chat, breakfast briefings on the day’s news, cartoon clubs, and a fine array of food providers, including a pop-up restaurant. And what other festival begins with a cricket match???
The festival will take place from 21st – 23rd July 2017. Tickets are now on sale at www.curiousartsfestival.com. Tickets are priced at £128 weekend adult, £300 weekend family, £23 weekend child (5-13), £55 day adult, £20 day child (5-13).
Camping is FREE and extensive GLAMPING options are also available.
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For further information, interviews or imagery:
Kate van Beek
kate@punchlinepr.com
07801 274695
Notes to Editors
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased online at www.curiousartsfestival.com
£128 weekend adult, £300 weekend family, £23 weekend child (5-13), £55 day adult, £20 day child (5-13). Early bird tickets prices available until allocations last.
About Pylewell Park
Pylewell Park is home to the Hon David and Melanie Roper-Curzon. Positioned on the south coast in the New Forest with a large agricultural and sporting estate, the house sits majestically surrounded by traditionally laid out parkland with unrivalled panoramic views over the Solent along the South coast. The sea serves as a stunning backdrop to the grounds, which include 27 acres of pleasure gardens and a 15-acre lake. www.pylewellpark.com
About Dave Eggers
Leading American author, writer and editor Dave Eggers joins us from San Francisco for a series of illuminating literary and insightful talks. Multi-award winning across literature, non-fiction, and publishing – he even holds a TED Prize - Dave Eggers is the author of ten books including best-selling memoir A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS and founder of independent publishing company McSweeney’s. As one of the five novelists who is most admired by and regularly in contact with Barack Obama, he is an informed commentator on US political developments.
About Joanna Trollope
Joanna Trollope has been writing for over thirty years and is well known for her enormously successful contemporary works of fiction. She has been described as one of the most insightful chroniclers and social commenters writing fiction today. Joanna’s first books to be published were a number of historical novels under the name Caroline Harvey. These were followed by Britannia’s Daughters, a historical study of women in the British Empire and more recently, her enormously successful contemporary works of fiction. The Choir was Joanna’s first contemporary novel, followed by A Village Affair and A Passionate Man. The Rector’s Wife, first published in 1991, was Joanna’s first number one bestseller, and made her into a household name. Since then, she has written nineteen more bestselling contemporary novels.