CULTURE CLUB
These aren’t voices you get to hear every day “Equality is so important to us, and from the beginning we’ve tried to give a voice to minority groupings,” she comments. “This hasn’t always been easy, working with an industry that’s historically white and male-dominated.” Thankfully, the festival has grown alongside an ever-maturing industry that is becoming more of a level playing field in terms of promoting equal opportunities for voices beyond the traditional publishing landscape. This runs parallel to CLF’s mandate of showcasing new and exciting figures on the literary scene. “Ever since we started, we have hosted a debut writers’ panel for that very reason,” she continues. This year’s Winter Festival panel will feature multi-award-winning journalist and author Yomi Adegoke; former editor of the London Review of Books and debut novelist Tom Crewe; plus author Helen Macdonald, as she promotes her first work of fiction. PAUSE FOR THOUGHT On this milestone occasion, Cathy looks back fondly on a multitude of standout moments in the rich tapestry of CLF’s history. These include some incredible occurrences, from hearing the Belarusian Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich discuss her groundbreaking endeavours in two-way translation, to accidentally rooting around in P D James’ handbag in search of a missing roving microphone. Turning to the Winter Festival ahead, Cathy highlights several speakers who are at the top of her personal radar, including the former British prime minister Theresa May discussing her new release, titled The Abuse of Power ; former cricketer turned psychoanalyst Mike Brearley; as well as honorary patron Bee Wilson launching her first cookery book. “We’ve had a roll call of astonishing people on the stage; these aren’t voices you get to hear every day,” she enthuses. Now operating as a charity with a ‘hugely supportive’ board and a small, dedicated team behind it – all of whom share the same passion for literature that sparked its inception – CLF has a fruitful future ahead. “My ambition has long been to ensure the festival has a life beyond me, and I’d say we’re at that stage,” closes Cathy.
© MARTIN BOND
WRITERS’ REIGN The biannual event sees some of the greatest literary minds descend on Cambridge
VARIED VOICES In 2014, Cambridge Wordfest became CLF and entered its new incarnation as a registered charity, while continuing to uphold its core beliefs of providing a platform for diverse voices, debate and discourse by sharing a love of books. “Our charitable remit is all about education, but the festival aims to inspire a passion for the written word – it’s equally for enjoyment,” shares Cathy. Although CLF leverages its location in a city described as ‘the bedrock of academic life’, with many patrons and speakers from that background, it’s also a cultural event that caters to both town and gown. Each year, great effort goes into curating a programme that is culturally diverse, inclusive and accessible.
View the full programme and book your tickets at cambridgeliteraryfestival.com
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK OCTOBER 2023 19
Powered by FlippingBook