Two thriller writers from different generations will be sharing their thoughts at the Wantage (not just) Betjeman Festival next week.
Young Oxford graduate Katy Darby will discuss her debut novel The Unpierced Heart, a creepy Gothic tale set in the Victorian era Jericho area of Oxford.
It received rave reviews when it was published in hardback as The Whore’s Asylum, and I enjoyed the beautifully crafted cover as much as the story.
However, publishers Penguin (perhaps for some Internet-related reason) have decided to change the title of the paperback. Narrated by Edward Fraser, a pompous Oxford theological student, it tells of the love affair between his fellow student Stephen Chapman and Diana Pelham, who runs a prostitutes’ shelter in Jericho.
The event on November 1 costs £12 including supper. After supper Katy Darby, who now lives in London, will join local novelist Eliza Graham, from Uffington, in a debate about ebooks and the Kindle.
The festival has scored a notable coup in attracting PD James, 92, who will discuss not Insp Wexford, but her latest novel Death Comes to Pemberley, which recreates the world of Pride and Prejudice in a page-turning crime story. Baroness James will be at Wantage Civic Hall at 2pm on Saturday, November 3 and the Wantage (not just) Betjeman Festival runs from Sunday, October 28, until Sunday, November 4.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here