Our Top Picks From This Year's Lit Fest Line Up

The Guernsey Literary Festival is back with another impressive collection of international speakers and local talent, bringing us books and talks on a wide range of subjects. We've browsed the line up to bring you our list of not to be missed events, which shine a light on community and wellbeing, local talent and strong women.

Be warned, some events have already sold out so you'll need to be quick!

 

*Imagery: Guernsey Literary Festival

1.  Bryony Gordon: Mad Woman.

From burnout and binge-eating to living with fluctuating hormones and the endless battle to stay sober, Bryony Gordon began to wonder whether mental illness is actually a normal response from your brain telling you that something isn't right. She explores the most difficult of all the lessons she's learned - that our notion of what makes us happy is the very thing that's making us so sad.

Bryony is one of the Telegraph’s best-loved writers. She presents the Mad World podcast and founded Mental Health Mates, a global peer support network.

This event is supported by The List and Guernsey Mind.

Tickets have sold out already, but if you’re one of the lucky ones who booked early, we’ll see you there. 

 

2.  Emma Gannon: The Success Myth

Emma Gannon was thriving in her portfolio career, enjoying a happy personal life and, to anyone looking in, she was undoubtedly a success.

However, she was also burnt out and confused as to why she felt unhappy, yet was still striving for more. After taking a deep look at her own journey, and interviewing many other successful people on her podcast Ctrl, Alt, Delete, she realised that our overly celebrated version of success is making us lonely, unfulfilled and dispirited. A manifesto to craft work (and life) on your own terms, The Success Myth will give you the tools to walk away from 'having it all', uncovering your individual path to fulfilment.

St Pierre Park Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, Saturday 04 May from 10:00 to 11:00

Get your tickets here. Ticket price includes coffee, tea and pastries.

 

3.  Sarah Beeny: The Simple Life - How I Found Home.

From renovating her very first flat to restoring a stately home, Sarah has never been afraid of hard work to turn a house into a home.

In The Simple Life, she will tell the story of her life, sharing stories and experiences in everything from parenting and work/life balance, friendships, nature and the environment, to her cancer diagnosis and treatment, discovering that sometimes life is not so 'simple'.

St James, Friday 03 May from 19:30 to 20:30

Get your tickets here.

 

4.  Louise Minchin: Fearless - Adventures of Extraordinary Women.

Having worked on BBC breakfast for over 20 years, Louise Minchin noticed something: all the adventurers she interviewed were men. Driven to bring more attention to female stories of courage and endeavour, Louise pushes herself to the extreme and embarks on thrilling endurance adventures around the globe with trailblazing women.

In her extraordinary journey, Louise reminds us of the bravery inside us all, and how essential it is to celebrate women's achievements. Prepare to be touched and inspired by these fearless women.

St James, Saturday 04 May from 20:00 to 21:00

Get your tickets here.

 

5.  Jessica Hepburn: Save Me from the Waves: An Adventure from Sea to Summit.

Author and adventure activist Jessica Hepburn returns to Guernsey to talk about her third book, Save Me from the Waves, an alternative adventure story which resulted in her becoming the first woman in the world to swim the English Channel, run a road marathon and summit Mount Everest - fuelled by listening to every episode of her favourite radio programme Desert Island Discs. This book will inspire every reader to believe an adventure will always change your life for the better

The Bathing Pools, Sunday 28 April from 16:00 to 17:00

This event has sold out, but if you’d like to be added to the waiting list, email admin@guernseyliteraryfestival.com

 

6.  Helen Lederer: Not That I’m Bitter.

Helen Lederer has shared stages with comedy pioneers like Ben Elton and John Hegley, and TV screens with Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Harry Enfield and many others - from the iconic Absolutely Fabulous, to The Young Ones, Bottom, French and Saunders and Girls on Top. Her first novel, Losing It, was nominated for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse prize for comedic literature.

Helen set up her own Comedy Women In Print Prize (CWIP) in 2018 to create a platform for women’s wit. Not That I’m Bitter, her frank, moving and funny memoir, reveals how choppy the waters have been.

St James, Saturday 04 May from 18.00 to 19.00

Get your tickets here. Please note that this event is 16+.

 

7.  Nicki Harrison, Rachel Le Mesurier & Matthew Berryman Leach: Discovering Local Voices.

Join three local authors to hear about their books and how they went about getting published.

Nicki Harrison is the creator of a dystopian fantasy series, The Encia Trilogy. Rachel Le Mesurier is the author of The Musician’s Promise historical fiction series which challenges harmful stereotypes. Matthew Berryman Leach’s debut book, The Man in Yellow, is a thriller set in Spain.

Guille-Allès Library, Wednesday 24 April from 18:00 to 19:00

Get your tickets here.

 

8.  Naomi and Ben Tustin: Vraic - A Seaweed Foraging Tour.

Seaweed is the most under-exploited natural resource on the planet – and it is in abundant supply around Guernsey’s coastline. It is packed with nutrients and properties which make it both a superfood and a natural alternative to manmade skincare products and plastics. Join Ben and Naomi Tustin on a seaweed foraging tour where they will talk about the history of seaweed’s importance in Guernsey, identify (and taste) the types of seaweed found around the island’s coastline and show how you can use seaweed in your everyday life.

Port Soif Beach, Friday 26 April from 14.30 to 15.30

This event has sold out, but if you’d like to be added to the waiting list, email admin@guernseyliteraryfestival.com