Louis de Bernières, author of many great books, including Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, joined us on the river in May to showcase his words and music.
The sun shone and the wind dropped enabling Louis to read from his novel A Partisan’s Daughter, poetry from The Cat in the Treble Clef and Of Love and Desire. The river was so still we were also treated to several of his songs – accompanied by the mandolin.
One of the advantages of hosting celebrity authors on the river is that they can’t leave until we arrive back in Ipswich, so Louis answered questions, signed books, and just found time for his cream tea as we entered the lock.
Each year we combine a river trip with an author as part of the Felixstowe Book Festival – a festival we are fond of and have been attending for over ten years. In 2022 we hosted Sir Terry Waite and next year we have BBC Radio 4’s very own Robin Ince (12 May 2024 – for priority booking at 2023 prices, click here)