Countrybookshop Peak Festival Books Star Names

The Countrybookshop Peak Festival will be held from 27th October to 6th November 2006. This year's festival has varied themes including 'The Great Outdoors', ' Sustainable Living and Country Matters', 'Around the World in Books', 'Schools and Parents Day', a literary lunch at Hassop Hall and a literary dinner at Chatsworth House. As usual The Peak District Book of the Year Award will be presented during the festival.

Countrybookshop Peak Festival is launched on the 27th of October with an evening with local authors which will also include the presentation of the Peak District Book of the Year Award in conjuction with the Friends of the Peak District. The evening will also see the launch of the Peak District literature and film connection booklet published by the Peak National Park Authority.

Confirmed speakers for the 'The Great Outdoors' events on 29th of October include Conn and Hal Iggulden on 'Dangerous book for Boys', George Band, member of the first successful Everest expedition, Benedict Allen, British Explorer; Rob and Jo Gambi, the first married couple to complete the 'seven summits' and Guy Grieve who spent a year in in the wild in Alaska, Fred Pearce on Fragile Earth and Michael Norton on '365 ways to change the world'. James Cracknell ,double olympic gold medallist and Ben Fogle will talk about their Atalntic Race on the evening of 15th of November.

'Sustainable Living and Country Matters' will be held on the 5th of November and the speakers include Johnny Kingdom, presenter of the BBC wildlife programme in the autumn, Mark Cocker, author of 'Birds Britannica' , Tom Petherick, author of books on Heligan and Trees that Shaped the World, Jackie Moffat, author of Funny Farm and Craig Taylor, author of 'Return to Ackenfield'.

'Around the World in Books' events include a Spanish evening with Peter Kerr and Chris Stewart on 3rd of November , Indian afternoon with William Dalrymple and Nick Robins on 18th of October,Franceso da Mosto on Venice and Italy at the Literary Dinner at Chatsworth on 28th of October, George Galloway MP on Cuba and Fidel Castro on 31st of October.

Other events include G P Taylor and LucyDaniel Raby on 1st of November and Gervase Phinn on 5th of November for Schools and Parents , David Blunkett on 2nd of November, Joan Bakewell and the legal James Herriott, Steve Smith at a lunch at Hassop Hall on 4th of November and Alan Titchmarsh on 6th of November.

The events are held in interesting, historic venues. Hassop Station, built in 1853, had in it's time been busy receiving and dispatching coal, raw cotton for the mills, cattle and stone and spar and now plays host to most of the festival events along with Chatsworth House and Hassop Hall whose history dates back several centuries.

Geraldine Rose, one of the festival organisers, said, "The rural population are pleased to welcome authors from all over the world to Hassop, a small hamlet of farms and a few households, in the heart of rural England. The festival also attracts visitors from the many cities around the Peak District National Park and from all over the country."
Tickets and more information is available online at www.countrybookshop.co.uk/peakfestival , by phone on 01629 816701 or by visiting Countrybookshop at Hassop Station, Bakewell.

About Peak Festival
Peak Spring and Autumn literary festivals are held annually. The Spring Festival is held in May and the Autumn Festival in October/ November. Events are held at the historic venues to include Chatsworth House, Hassop Hall and Countrybookshop. Various international and local writers discuss their work at the festival and the events include a literary lunch and a dinner . The Peak District Book of the Award is also presented as part of the festival.