Good Grief Fest
Family Portraits: How families are transformed by grief
Saturday 3rd December at 3pm
Like any good band, no family is ever the same after one of its original members is gone. The death of a loved one can rip the fabric of a family apart, weaving it back together again in a completely new way. The ripples of their death extend far and wide but it is in the immediate circle of friends and family that those ripples are felt as tidal waves: a force of nature with the ability to destroy and create.
We will explore the ways in which families are transformed by death. We will hear from Arifa Akbar, the Guardian theatre critic and author of her memoir about illness, grief and art titled Consumed: A Sister’s Story, Gavanndra Hodge, author of The Consequences of Love, a story of loss and recovery, trauma and memory following the death of her sister at a young age and Cathy Rentzenbrink, acclaimed memoirist and author of The Last Act of Love and Dear Reader.
Events Scrapbook 2021/22
Ilkley Literature Festival
It was such a pleasure to be at Ilkley talking to Naomi Frisby about Write It All Down and teaching a workshop
Saturday 22nd October 2022
Cheltenham Literature Festival
At Cheltenham teaching a workshop and chairing this wonderful event with Hashi Mohamed and Darren McGarvey
October 2022
Marlborough Lit Fest
Teaching at Marlborough Lit Fest was utterly delightful
October 2022
Jersey Festival of Words
Such a treat to be back in Jersey
September 2022
Budleigh Literary Festival
Larks galore at Budleigh with these fantastic women – Chloe Timms, Sophie Irwin and Joanna Quinn
September 2022
Latitude Festival
Interviewed Clare Pollard about her mindbendingly good novel Delphi. I also fulfilled my long-term resolution of sober dancing and did a lot of yoga at the Mind Body and Zen tent.
July 2022
Also Festival
Loved all the delightful people who came to my workshops at Also Festival and enjoyed watching and listening to Juno Dawson at the lake stage talking about her new novel about witches: ‘This book is my way of talking about intersectional feminism and I really enjoyed it.’
July 2022
Bradford Literary Festival
Had a wonderful time at Bradford Literary Festival. Fell in love with the city and its people.
July 2022
Guernsey Literary Festival
Guernsey Lit Fest was blissful. I stayed in a former convent with sea views and a big cross, interviewed Richard Dawkins and Horatio Clare, encouraged the good people of Guernsey to write about themselves – they all promised me they would – and went swimming in tidal pools.
June 2022
A nourishing and stimulating weekend of workshops with Lit Wales
June 18th
Belfast Book Festival
Joyous times in Belfast being interviewed by Sophie Travers and staying up late with poets Joelle Taylor and Sophie Herxheimer
15th June
Joyous times with Nina Stibbe and Patrick Gale watching Meg Mason and Max Porter at Waterstones Piccadilly
13th June
Wimbledon Book Festival
Wonderful time teaching a writing workshop with Nikesh Shukla for Wimbledon Book Festival
Saturday 11th June
Charleston Festival
Had such a delightful time with Nina Stibbe at Charleston
Wednesday 25th May
Nibbies
Amazing time at The Nibbies last night and so many of my favourite books and authors were rewarded. I had a brilliant time talking to friends old and new and feeling generally extremely grateful to be out of the house and in a big room with so many amazing people.
Monday 23rd May
North Cornwall Book Festival Author Tours
Wonderful evening interviewing Rachel Joyce about her novel Miss Benson’s Beetle.
May 2022
Bath Festival
Did some brilliant events with Nikesh Shukla, Clover Stroud, Julia Samuel and Stacey Halls
May 2022
Fowey Festival
11th May 2022
At Nina Stibbe’s launch party for One Day I Shall Astonish The World
5th May 2022
Teaching a workshop at Stratford Literary Festival
4th May 2022
At the Bloggers Prize Winner’s Ceremony with my lovely champion book blogger, Jenna and my fellow shortlisted authors A.k. Blakemore and Jennifer Saint
April 26th 2022
Interviewing Hanna Bervoets and Simone Atangana Bekono for New Dutch Writing at The London Book Fair.
March 2022
March 2022
Very excited and honoured that Everyone Is Still Alive has been shortlisted for the Bloggers Book Prize 2022. I have been so enormously grateful to all of the wonderful bloggers who have championed my novel and all of my books. And especially to @book_club_mumma
23rd March 2022
Joyous times with Ruth Ozeki and Joe Haddow on Book Off. I felt comfortable and safe in the conversation. Is there anything better than talking honestly and openly about books and what they mean to us?
Chuffed that my novel, Everyone Is Still Alive is book of the month in The Bookseller
March 2022
Interviewing Charlie Carroll at The Falmouth Bookseller about his novel The Lip.
February 28th 2022
Logroll: The Non Fiction Podcast
Loved chatting to Andrew about The Last Act of Love.
This episode is about writing and journaling and its profound power to support us as we wind through this path of motherhood, but it is mostly about self compassion.
February 24th 2022
Dr Rangan Chatterjee: Out of Hours
I love Dr Rangan Chatterjee and it was a great pleasure to talk to him about writing and life. You can listen to our conversation here
January 30th 2022
The Extraordinary Business Book Club
Writing isn’t just a tool for communication, and your book isn’t just a product. In this thoughtful and practical conversation, best-selling author Cathy Rentzenbrink reveals how she approaches both life writing and how-to writing, and charts the looping, iterative progress that allows you to develop your ideas from exploration to exposition. Listen here.
January 17th 2022
Chiltern Voice Podcast
Cathy joins Antonia to talk about Write It All Down, her generous, tender and constructive guide for anyone wishing to turn their own experiences into words on the page. Listen here.
16th January 2022
Death of 1000 Cuts Podcast
Loved doing this. Chatting with Tim Clare. Listen here.
10th January 2022
Write It All Down in The Falmouth Bookseller
Write It All Down is out in the world.
5th January
Not Too Busy to Write. Podcast with Penny Wincer.
Such a pleasure to talk to Penny Wincer about all things writing. Listen here.
5th January 2022
Radio 4 Woman’s Hour
Amazing time on Woman’s Hour with brilliant writers Arifa Akbar, Ann Patchett and Julia Samuel and all brilliantly chaired by Emma Barnett. Listen here.
3rd January 2022
Cathy Rentzenbrink 