70 years after it was founded, Jewish Book Week returns with over 80 events in-person and online next month – with the full line-up of speakers just announced including Mike Leigh, Elif Shafak, Don Black, Maria Stepanovaand Simon Schama.
London’s longest-running literary festival – and one of the oldest in the world – marks its platinum anniversary from 26 February to 6 March, with talks, debates, discussions and performances taking place at Kings Place and online, following the most popular in-person festival yet in 2020 and reaching a global audience of over 25,000 last year with its first-ever online edition last year.
Award-winning authors Ruth Padel, Elif Shafak, George Szirtesand Maria Stepanovafeature alongside some of the most exciting writers to emerge in recent years, including short story rising star Gemma Seltzer, spoken word performer Adam Kammerling, Ayisha Malik, PlunderauthorMenachem Kaiserand debut novelist Gemma Reeves. A series of special evenings mixing music and conversation will honour six of the greatest songwriters of all time: Sondheim Tonightfeatures the late composer’s official biographerDavid Benedictand Olivier-winner Jenna Russell; the legendary lyrics of Leonard Cohen, Tom Lehrer and Bob Dylan will be discussed by Norman Lebrecht, Harry Freedman, Barn Jungrand Andrew Robinson;Steven Isserliswill discuss and perform from Bach’s Cello Suites; and Oscar-winning lyricist Don Blackwill be joined by Michael Gradeand musical guests to celebrate a career that includes five Bond themes and numerous West End and Broadway hits. Other events at Kings Place over the nine days include Joe Millerwith his inside account of the Biontech-Pfizer vaccine, Peep Showstar Isy Suttie, How To Be a RefugeewithSimon May, Ridley Roadwriter Jo Bloom, Niklas Frankdiscussing his war criminal father with Philippe Sandsand Simon Kuperon FC Barcelona.
Palme d’Or winner Mike Leighand Marks & Gran, creators of Birds of a Featherand The New Statesman, will reflect on their long careers on stage and screen while historian Simon Schamawill give an exclusive preview of his next book Foreign Bodies: Pandemics, Vaccines and the Health of Nations.Another of the festival’s favourite speakers, Howard Jacobson, launches his much-anticipated memoir Mother’s Boy in conversation with Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis, one of several star pairings that also include Claudia Roden& Jay Rayner, Raymond Gubbay& Rob Rinder, Beverley Lester& Daniel Finkelstein, David Grossman& Melvyn Braggand Tuvia Tenenbom& Rachel Riley. Panel discussions include In Crisis, Opportunity?on climate change and coronavirus with Helena Kennedy, Ian Goldin & Anne Karpf, 1952: World on the Cuspchaired by Mark Lawson, Culture Wars: A Conversationwith Rafael Behrand The Ticket Collector From Belarus, on the UK’s only war crimes trial.
Online-only events with speakers joining internationally include Nazi-hunter Efraim Zuroff,Fear of Black Consciousnessphilosopher Lewis R. Gordon, New York Timesbestseller Amy Bloom, On Tyrannyauthor Timothy Snyder in conversation withJonathan Freedland, Ruth Wissewith her memoir Free as a Jewand Andrew Porwancheron The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton. Free Fringe events at Kings Place on Sundays 27 February and 6 March include The Lost Café Schindler, Alonementpodcaster Francesca Spector, artist Emily Marbachand family stories from the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.
Jewish Book Week director Claudia Rubensteinsaid: “The universal need for connection has never been more evident, so we are delighted to be able to connect our audience – both newcomers and old friends – with books, authors, speakers and ideas, here in London and online wherever they are. I believe this is our most wide-ranging festival yet, covering everything from thousands of years of history and literature in all its forms to football, grief, comedy, philanthropy, musical theatre, vaccines, the senses, food and the unique relationship between humans and trees.”
Booking opens today (6 January), with the full line-up available at jewishbookweek.com
