Students immersed in literature and culture as local festival with global reach returns to the county

Althorp Literary Festival returned to Northamptonshire earlier this month, bringing a mix of familiar faces and new talent to discuss their latest works – and sat on the front row to bask in ‘all things books’ were four students from the University of Northampton.

After a seven-year hiatus, Althorp Literary Festival welcomed globally-renowned authors including David Mitchell, Clare Balding, Ann Cleeves, Dame Harriet Walter – as well as the University’s very own Chancellor, Reverend Richard Coles.

Sitting beside attendees from across the world, the students were gifted free tickets by Althorp Estate to attend an array of author sessions, offering the opportunity to network with likeminded individuals and take part in a literary event only a stone’s throw away from the University’s Waterside Campus.

Programme Leader for BA English, Phillippa Bennett said: “Northamptonshire has such a rich heritage of literature. Globally renowned authors connected with the town have included Mark Haddon, Alan Moore and Elizabeth Bowen – and the granddaughter of William Shakespeare lays at rest in one of our local parks.

“It’s fantastic to hear how our students have benefitted from immersing themselves in Althorp Estate’s literary festival, leaning on the teachings of established authors to inform their studies and guide their future within the literary industry.”

Two of the students in attendance – Catriona Lougher and Chloe Scoines – have shared the following blogs which detail their experience of the event, and the value this brought to their studies.

Catriona Lougher (PhD English and History student)

“A literary festival at a stately home might seem like it’s a perfect setting for a BBC murder mystery – all very middle class and maybe not the usual haunt of a University student, albeit one in English in History.

“The festival comprised of three days of talks from a number of well-known authors in their fields, each held in in one of a number of very grand reception rooms within Althorp House, the historical seat of Earl Spencer and last resting place of Princess Diana.

“As I arrived for the first session, there wasn’t an immediate sense of having found my tribe about the group assembled to hear from Peter James, a crime writer who has sold 23 million books worldwide. And yet, together we avidly listen to Peter’s many anecdotes with a degree of awe.

“As a UON postgraduate student sat in front of a prolific writer, I was keen to hear about Peter’s writing regime. I heard how he allocates 6-9 pm daily as his ‘me time’, settling down to his keyboard at his Isle of Wight home with a vodka martini complete with four olives. I’ve been told that part of the way into writing my thesis, I may well lose confidence in my project, so it was good to hear that for celebrated authors, such as Peter together with Lee Child and Martina Cole, this unfailingly happens at page 70.

“After hearing from Peter James, I moved on to two sessions from historians who had written both fiction and non-fiction as well as working in media, Dan Jones and Helen Castor. This presented an interesting dynamic – they were highly informed about medieval history, Dan attended Cambridge University and Helen had been his first Supervisor. Together they lifted the lid on medieval monarchy, particularly on gaudy dictator Richard II and doggedly determined Henry V, which provided a really interesting insight into the art of British Kingship.

“As an English student, it was also interesting to hear Dan refer to Shakespeare’s plays covering the Kings of the medieval period, discussing where reality resonated, versus where it diverged.

“In all, Althorp Literary Festival presented a really engaging and insightful afternoon. No doubt audiences for the weekend were more mixed, so no need to be daunted that it’s not for you. As a student of English or History at any level, I’d recommend taking in a literary festival at some point – they happen all over the country and give great access to some of the best British authors, providing more insight into their creativity, process and how writing has become a multi-media career for the most successful.

“Apart from it being a lovely warm day in the smartest of surroundings, the festival experience was inspiring and inclusive, when being a student of any subject can sometimes feel isolating with others who don’t share your passion.”

Chloe Scoines (Third-year English student):

“My classmate Andrea and I arrived at Althorp Estate, and stopped to take in the surroundings. There was a lovely eating area set out in an intimate courtyard and the weather was perfect for it – just before the sun was setting on the day.

“As our first session prepared to begin, we were directed to a room filled with chairs and I have to say, I don’t think there was an empty seat there.

“We heard Reverend Richard Coles talk about the life of Richard Garrick, Dr Cat Jarman discussed the Dane Law and how you could work out if an area was originally inhabited by the Danes or the Vikings, and Spencer finished the trio by recounting their time at the Estate and discussing some of the ghosts he had heard to inhabit the house. The most prominent and recent ghost being one that inhabited the Oak Bedroom (who he said he had put family members in over the course of the Literary Festival). Originally, a guest had slept in the room and came down in the morning complaining of someone blowing the candle out whilst they were sleeping – dressed in a white robe with frilled edges.

“As the festival came to a close, we witnessed a herd of deer running through the field visible from the walkway – we were so close we could hear their calls. These were accompanied with regular pheasant sightings that were in the fields with the deer and wandering much closer to the path. Overall, despite wishing we’d attended more of the festival’s events, we were so glad to have had the opportunity to attend and meet other literary likeminded people.

“I personally found the event something I would never want to miss out on again, and something that is perhaps being slept on by the younger generation. My message to them – get out and about to attend your local literary festivals!”

Find out more about studying English at the University of Northampton.