Kidwell-e Festival reveals family-friendly author line-up

Tickets now on sale for the UK's first literary festival to unashamedly celebrate the ebook, new writing talent and popular fiction, with confirmed guest at the two-day event (July 28/9) in Wales including authors Polly Courtney, Martin Edwards, Tim Heald, Nicholas Allan and Mary Hooper, as well as Welsh broadcasting legend Roy Noble.

Kidwelly, Wales, June 14, 2012: The UK's first literary event celebrating the ebook revolution — the Kidwell-e Festival — takes place this July, with a packed line-up of guest authors, readings, workshops and family-friendly entertainment suitable for all ages.

Taking place in the picture postcard-perfect coastal village of Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, West Wales, on the weekend of July 28 – 9, the inaugural Kidwell-e Festival will cover all popular genres such as crime, romance, comedy and history, with appearances by award-winning and best-selling authors including the controversial Polly Courtney, crime writer Martin Edwards, royal biographer Tim Heald and rising humorist Alex Thomas.

There will also be a Children's Festival with the BBC’s Nicholas Allan, Pippa Goodhart, Mary Hooper and many more.

Former City investment banker and 'accidental' novelist Polly Courtney hit the headlines last year for breaking free from HarperCollins in protest at the “fluffy” chick-lit titles and cover designs assigned to her books, such as It's a Man's World.

In line with the festival's refreshing brief to be “INclusive, Not EXclusive” and support exciting new writing talent, digital publishing champion Courtney will be lifting the lid on how fledgling and self-published authors can make their mark WITHOUT having to go through a major publisher.

This central theme of self-empowerment may be best exemplified by Irish author Alex Thomas, who utilised the innovative possibilities of collaborative indie publishing with her best-selling 2011 début novel, War & Piste. Her humorous fictional diary of a ski season in the Austrian Alps now sells in all major territories and is currently undergoing a makeover for the big screen.

She will be at the festival sharing the secrets of her success, as will high-flying legal partner and celebrated crime writer Martin Edwards (The Hanging Wood, The Coffin Trail), who will be laying down the law on how to write compelling crime fiction, and royal biographer and fellow crime writer Tim Heald (Princess Margaret — a Life Unravelled), who will be talking about “Royalty and Royalties” as well as his novels featuring Special Investigator Simon Bognor.

There will also be appearances by award-winning publisher Hazel Cushion (founder of Accent Press), who will be heating things up with a talk about her hugely successful erotic fiction imprint Xcite Books, Amazon chart-topper A J Kirby (Bully, Paint This Town Red), who will give the inside track on taking an ebook to the top of the charts, naval historicals writer and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society David Davies (winner of the Samuel Pepys prize for his book Pepys's Navy), discussing “The Battle for History's Soul”, and veteran BBC Wales broadcaster Roy Noble OBE, who will be displaying his trademark gentle self-deprecating sense of humour in a talk about his life and show business career

For younger readers there is a host of popular children's authors scheduled for the Kidwell-e Children's Festival, including acclaimed author/illustrator Nicholas Allan (The Queen's Knickers, Hilltop Hospital), Adèle Geras (Dido, the Tutu Tilly series), Pippa Goodhart (You Choose — winner of Mumsnet’s Book of the Year for 3-4 Year Olds Award 2011), Carnegie Medal nominee Mary Hooper (At The House of the Magician, At The Sign Of The Sugared Plum) and Anne Rooney (Vampire Dawn series).

If that's not enough, there will also be fire breathers, magicians, writing and circus skills workshops, stilt walking, Medieval minstrels and face painting to keep the kids busy. Entry to the festival is free for children under 14.

Unlike many of its rivals, the Kidwell-e Festival is a wellies-free zone — with all the activities taking place in the state-of-the-art Ffos Las Racecourse — and unashamedly popular in its focus and appeal.

For one talented new British writer that first step to popular literary stardom will be given a boost in the form of the Kidwell-e Ebook Award, which comes with the largest cash prize of its kind in the world.

After a deluge of entries, judges have drawn up a shortlist of five first-time authors and the winner of the £10,000 prize for the best unpublished or self-published ebook will be announced at a glittering ceremony closing the festival in spectacular fashion on the Sunday night.

Festival founder and best-selling Welsh author Julian Ruck (The Ragged Cliffs Trilogy) said: “The Kidwell-e Festival is the first event of its kind within the UK to officially recognise, and celebrate, the ebook – the most innovative, exciting and empowering medium to hit the publishing world since Caxton and Gutenberg.

“The festival's motto is “INclusive, Not EXclusive” and as such has a healthy mix of big names and future literary stars. If you're after dry literary dissections of Proust or high-brow critiques of Joyce then this is not the festival for you, but if like most people you simply want a great day out with the family then Kidwell-e is perfect.

“For adults we have a wealth of fascinating talks and readings on all aspects of popular writing taking place in the stunning countryside of the Gower Peninsula, for fellow authors we can offer invaluable insights in how to make the most of the digital publishing revolution, and for kids we are putting on an unforgettable mixture of readings and entertainments by all sorts of mysterious and magical folk!”

He added: “Kidwell-e is about promoting literature and literacy to all in the digital age, giving new writing talent a chance, and most of all, having lots of fun.”

• The Kidwell-e Festival takes place on Saturday, July 28, and Sunday, July 29. Tickets are priced £15 for one day or £25 for two days when booked in advance. Entrance on the day is £18. Children under 14 go free. For more information visit www.kidwellyefestival.com.

ENDS

For all media enquiries, including author interviews, hi-res images, press passes, and reader competition opportunities, please contact Anthony Harvison at Palamedes PR on 0207 138 3067 or email anthony.harvison@palamedespr.com

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