Come To Jersey For The Jersey Festival Of Words

I might be biased (read that as very biased) but The Jersey Festival Of Words is a mighty fine literary festival and this year promises to be the best yet. The Jersey Festival of Words is a literary event that takes place over 5 days and this year it is taking place between 26th - 30th September.

Why You Should Visit Jersey

September is an ideal time to visit the island. We have a milder climate than the mainland and lots of beautiful beaches to boot. When you aren’t soaking up the written and spoken word you could be making the most of our sandy shores and eating in one of the many amazing restaurants. Jersey has many fabulous hotels and you will find one for your budget. For the price of a train ticket you could be jetting to Jersey and soaking up all of the culture that The Jersey Festival of Words has to offer.

The Jersey Festival Of Words

Joanna Trollope

The line-up this year is stellar. There are over 50 events being held across a range of local venues. The festival has a wide range of inspiring and brilliant authors and there promises to be something for everyone. Joanna Trollope is one of Britain’s most popular authors and her books have been in the bestselling lists for over 30 years. Her latest novel - An Unsuitable Match - is an uplifting story of love, family and second chances. You can catch her at the festival on Saturday 29th September at 8pm at the Jersey Opera House.

Peter James

Another very recognisable author speaking at the festival is Peter James. Peter James won’t know this but he was an important part of my childhood and one the reasons I wanted to become a writer. He was my dad’s favourite author and I remember our bookshelves being crammed with Peter James novels. I remember thinking how cool it must be to have all those novels in your name. He has recently moved to Jersey and now he will be on the stage discussing his life and works. Perhaps we could try to persuade him that the time is right for a new detective novel set on Jersey 😉 . Peter James will be speaking on Friday 28th September at 8pm at the Jersey Opera House.

Libby Page

Libby Page will also be joining the Jersey Festival of Words. A relative newcomer to the literary scene, she quickly made waves with her debut novel, The Lido. This novel was bought in six-figure pre-emptive deals within 24 hours of submission in the UK and the US. The story tells the tale of a public bathing pool in London under threat from property developers This promises to be an uplifting event and it might even persuade me to finally dip my toes in Havre des Pas lido or perhaps the sea. Having a real fear of the sea can be a little inconvenient when you live on a very small island! The Lido is next on my reading list. Libby will be appearing at The Lido, Havre de Pas on Saturday 29th at 1pm.

There are also many other fabulous fiction and non-fiction authors speaking and you should check out The Jersey Festival of Words website for the full 2018 line-up.

Bryony Gordon

This year, the festival also has a well-being theme and I am so excited that some of my favourite speakers are coming to speak as a part of it. The hilarious and very down to earth Bryony Gordon will be speaking. You can read my review of her latest book - Eat, Drink, Run. Bryony is a Times No1 bestseller author and she has a real gift for writing inspiring and entertaining memoirs, despite the difficult subject matter that they are often exploring. You can catch Bryony in conversation with the hugely talented Running Like a Girl author Alexandra Heminsley at the Jersey Opera House on Friday 28th September at 6pm.

Clare Pooley

The brilliantly honest Clare Pooley will also be speaking at the festival on Saturday 29th September at 2pm at The Jersey Opera House. In March 2015 Clare decided to kick the wine habit and quit drinking. In the aftermath she started a blog under the pseudonym ‘Sober Mummy’ and blogged her way to a worldwide following. Her down to earth attitude and honest approach was a breath of fresh air. She later released The Sober Diaries which is her honest and frank account of her life and how she quit. This was also the reason for me recently completing a 100 days booze free challenge. It inspired me to quit the booze. This was the first book that I read about sobriety that made me want to quit booze. Her witty and refreshing advice has probably saved thousands of livers everywhere. Sober suddenly looks much more fun.

There are many, many other brilliant authors speaking about well-being so please check The Festival of Words website for further information.

Me!

Finally, I am honoured and extremely proud to reveal that I too will be speaking at the event. I will be sharing why I started blogging as a form of therapy and what happened when I decided to share my secrets, fears and embarrassing memories. I will also share how your blog could lead you down a new career path and how you can turn blogging into a way of earning money. I will be speaking at the Jersey Arts Centre at 10:45 on Saturday 29th September. I am really excited to speak and it would be lovely to see some friendly faces. So please come and listen to me explain how I blogged my way out of the madness and into a flexible career.

The Jersey Festival of Words is a fantastic event and, for those of who live on the mainland, it’s a perfect excuse to come and visit pretty Jersey. What are you waiting for? Jump online and book your festival tickets. EasyJet and Flybe both fly to the island and you can often get amazing deals for staying on Jersey through Secret Escapes. However, check out The Club Hotel who often has brilliant offers (you can read my review of The Club Hotel from when I stayed there). The Grand Hotel is another well respected hotel in St Helier, and further along the coast you have The Atlantic and St Brelade’s Bay Hotel.

The summer doesn’t need to end when you have The Jersey Festival of Words to look forward to.