Daphne du Maurier Festival 2011

Celebrating Dame Daphne du Maurier who lived and wrote in the area, this Festival is a sparkling mix of star names, guided walks, talks, drama, community events and free entertainment.

The provisonal dates for 2011 are Thursday, 12th May to Saturday, 21st May. Keep an eye on www.dumaurierfestival.co.uk for more information.

This year's Festival is busier than ever before with a fantastic range of events activities: Guided Walks, Talks by Authors and Celebrities, Performances by Star Names, and lots of community events, including Plays, Concerts, Exhibitions, Boat trips and much more. All to be enjoyed, we hope, during a beautiful Cornish springtime!

Exciting developments this year include additional events programmed by the University of Exeter. These include a 'Cornwall Campus Day', to be held at the Tremough campus in Penryn, featuring a selection of talks by writers and academics, rounded off with a short concert of poetry, readings and music featuring Louis de Bernieres and The Antonius Players.

There will also be special one-off event at the Eden Project, entitled "Imagine There's a Future", which will use the expertise of scientists, campaigners and other environmental experts to help writers set stories in a low-or post-carbon future. This event, with limited capacity, promises to be one of the highlights of the Festival, as it includes entry to Eden and sees the launch of a major regional creative writing competition.

A brief list of events in the Festival Village is given below - but please don't forget that there's lots more happening in the Festival too...

As we've mentioned before, surely there's something for everyone !!

Thurs 13 May: Patrick Gale and Philip Marsden: Cornwall: 'A Novel Inspiration'; Angela Huth 'Once a Land Girl'; Rory McGrath: memoir 'Delightful Companions': Lady Vyvyan from Trelowarren on the friendship of Daphne du Maurier and Lady Clara Vyvyan; The Zombies

Friday 14 May: Beatrice Underwood with Helen Taylor: 'Rosamunde Pilcher and Cornwall'; MC Beaton (author of the Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth series) in conversation with author and playwright, Simon Brett; The World according to A.C. Grayling (in conversation with Laurie Taylor); Bert Biscoe and Pol Hodge; Three Bonzos and a Piano

Sat 15 May: John O'Farrell in conversation with Paul Jackson; Richard Herring 'How Not to Grow Up'; Paul Jackson 'Things that Have Made Me Laugh'; Phillip Johnston: 'Bad Laws'; Courtney Pine and band, support Omar Puente

Sun 16 May: Ben Goldacre: Bad Science; Behind the Scenes of the Big Cat Diaries: Jonathan and Angela Scott; An Audience with June Whitfield; Terence Frisby: 'Kisses on a Postcard'; Julian Lloyd Webber (music and talk)

Monday 17 May: Nicola Upson in conversation with Jessica Mann; Lyndall Gordon: biography of Emily Dickinson; Christine Walkden: The Life and Times of a Gardener'; Michael Bird on St Ives artist Bryan Wynter; Pam Ayres

Tues 18 May: Helen Doe; Neil Oliver; The Early Edition (Marcus Brigstocke and co); Sam North: Is Rebecca a Love Story?'; Seth Lakeman and band, support Georgia Ruth

Wed 19 May: Tristan Gooley: The Natural Navigator'; David Aaronovitch: 'Voodoo Histories'; 'Oh Mary': One woman play about Mary Bryant; John Connolly: 'The Whisperers' in conversation with David Aaronovitch; Jeremy Hardy

Thurs 20 May: Allan Mallinson: The Making of the British Army'; Kate Figes 'Couples'; Philip Hensher: 'The Northern Clemency'; The Mediaeval Baebes

Fri 21 May: Sir Peter Stothard 'On the Spartacus Road'; Justine Picardie: 'Coco Before Chanel'; George Alagiah: Food for Thought; Sarah Dunant 'Sacred Hearts'; The Stranglers, support Grooveyard

Sat 22 May: Stephen Armstrong: 'The Super-rich Shall Inherit the Earth'; Simon Hoggart: Life's Too Short to Drink Bad Wine'; Kathy Lette: 'Men: A Users' Guide'; An Audience with Jonathan Miller; Phil Hammond: Dr Phil's Rude Health Show.

We do hope that you'll find something you like in the programme and that you'll be able to spend some time with us again in Fowey.