Family Dynamics

Family Dynamics

This strand draws together perspectives on family and relationships, inspired by Simon Sebag Montefiore’s The World: A History of Humanity told through the connecting thread of family. From moving depictions of lost siblings to a stunning new work by Octavia Bright which weaves the tale of recovery from alcohol addiction with the story of her father’s developing Alzheimer’s, this strand examines the relationships that make us: functional or otherwise.

 

Tessa Hadley: Everyday Turmoil 

Sunday 13 August 17:45 - 18:45

  • Attend in person
The lauded novelist of Free Love and Late in the Day returns to the Festival to discuss her latest collection, After the Funeral. These dazzling stories demonstrate Hadley’s skill at depicting and excoriating the travails of everyday life, where...
 

Blake Morrison & John Niven: Brothers and Sisters 

Wednesday 23 August 13:30 - 14:30

  • Attend in person
  • Watch online
Two bestselling authors join us to talk through powerful new memoirs about siblings, secrets, addiction, and grief: Blake Morrison discusses Two Sisters, the story of Morrison’s sister and half-sister, and their struggles with addiction. He's in...
 

Octavia Bright: A Place of Care

Saturday 26 August 15:30 - 16:30

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Spanning seven years, Octavia Bright’s debut memoir intertwines the author’s recovery from alcohol addiction with her father’s descent into Alzheimer’s. The parallel journeys of This Ragged Grace offer illuminating and generous reckonings with...
 

Simon Sebag Montefiore: Family Matters

Sunday 27 August 13:30 - 14:30

  • Attend in person
  • Watch online
Human beings have at least one thing in common: family. In his ambitious, scintillating, and epic work The World: A Family History, historian Simon Sebag Montefiore tells the story of humanity through the lens of dynasties; spanning centuries,...
  • Attend in person
Join three writers grappling with power, freedom, and purpose in the minefield of parenting. The Unfamiliar is Kirsty Logan’s raw and moving account of finding her way in queer motherhood, while Carrie Kills a Man documents Carrie Marshall’s...