IOW Literary Festival

Helen McGinn & Heather sipping the ‘Gin McGinn Fizz’

Heather came back full of the joys of the Isle of Wight literary festival – four sunny days over the first weekend in October and brilliantly organised by Julia Dams and Janet Allan and their teams of the most helpful and engaging volunteers.  Star of BBC Saturday Kitchen Helen McGinn kicked off the first evening with a wine tasting accompanied by a lot of laughter and delicious Isle of Wight cheeses (thank you).  The (Mermaid) Gin McGinn Fizz created by barman Darren was to die for, such a shame Helen had to perform so Heather had to finish hers too.  Mover and shaker Rory Cellan-Jones captivated his audience on Saturday with his memoir, the story of ‘three families’, his single working mother Sylvia, his father (who he did not meet until he was 23) James Cellan-Jones, a significant director of The Forsyte Saga, and the BBC ‘family’ from the wartime 1940s on.  Susanna Dinnage interviewed Rory with great sensitivity as he described the cache of correspondence left by his mother in 1996 ‘for RORY to read and think about in the hope that it will help him to understand how it really was’, which started the family journey that became his bestselling memoir RUSKIN PARK.  A good moment to thank Paul and his team from the Medina Bookshop who had all the right books in the right places at all times. 

Rosemary Shrager, cook, crime writer and comedienne, brought the house down with her cookery demonstration on Sunday, ably assisted by Jay from the Villa Rothsay and brilliantly interviewed by past IOW High Sheriff Gioia Minghella.  Thank goodness for ‘Penny’, obviously a good cook and alert timekeeper, who ensured that Queen Rosemary did not burn her Chocolate Truffle Cake.  Love and thanks to all at the IOW literary festival and bring on 2024!