Clare Chambers & Emma Stonex - Extraordinary Stories Based on Real Events

Extraordinary Stories Based on Real Events
Clare Chambers & Emma Stonex chaired by Lee Randall

2.15pm – 3.15pm BST*

Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers has been longlisted for The Women’s Prize 2021.
1957, the suburbs of South East London. Jean Swinney is a journalist on a local paper, trapped in a life of duty and disappointment from which there is no likelihood of escape. When a young woman, Gretchen Tilbury, contacts the paper to claim that her daughter is the result of a virgin birth, it is down to Jean to discover whether she is a miracle or a fraud. As the investigation turns her quiet life inside out, Jean is suddenly given an unexpected chance at friendship, love and - possibly - happiness. The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex was recommended by the BBC Radio 2 Book Club. Cornwall, 1972. Three keepers vanish from a remote lighthouse, miles from the shore. The entrance door is locked from the inside. The clocks have stopped. The Principal Keeper’s weather log describes a mighty storm, but the skies have been clear all week. What happened to those three men, out on the tower? The heavy sea whispers their names. The tide shifts beneath the swell, drowning ghosts. Can their secrets ever be recovered from the waves?

*This performance is live and will be available to watch for three weeks after the broadcast date to accommodate different time zones.
 
This performance is included in the Aye Write 2021 festival pass, so you will not need to purchase this event if you have already purchased a pass.


Books are available to purchase from our bookseller partner Bookshop.org. Bookshop.org supports independent booksellers and for every book purchased 10% comes back to Aye Write and Wee Write, helping to invest in our city’s book festival and reader development programmes.