Our literary journal,

exclusive to members of Suffolk Book League

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

Welcome to this edition of BookTalk, which you are receiving online as part of your membership of the Suffolk Book League. This BookTalk and previous editions are available on the website as well as being sent to members by email. This edition coincides with the start of our programme for 2022, which for our 40th Anniversary year is exciting and varied. 

BookTalk is our journal of record, in which we look back on the recent past and forward to future plans. Our decision to move to this format has been made with care. Our recent printed versions are handsome and durable, but take considerable labour and involve increasing expense. We are able to embed links to other sites in articles so do click through to read further. We hope you will enjoy this way of sharing our love of books. If you need a version of BookTalk on paper we can provide it for you, though it will be a simple print-off of the material. Be in touch with us so that we can help.

We are always pleased to include contributions from our members in BookTalk. You might send us a short notice about a book you have enjoyed, or a longer consideration of a book or an author, (the editor will decide on length!).  Or even a letter about books and authors – anything related to the enjoyment of reading.  We love hearing from you to stimulate our interest and suggest new directions for our own reading.  

The Suffolk Book League programme for 2022  is now happening with enjoyable evenings face-to-face with writers whom we bring to Ipswich. We hope to see you at these regular events, usually at the Ipswich Institute (but at the University of Suffolk on May 19th). 
Enjoy your reading this year, and urge friends and fellow book group members to take out membership of Suffolk Book League. By the way, we were pleased to see some memberships being bought as gifts for others at the new year.  That is an excellent way of introducing people to what we offer. 

Keith Jones

Chair of Suffolk Book League

enquiries@suffolkbookleague.org

A note from your BookTalk team: BookTalk online has many links to further articles and might be shortened by your email provider. To ensure you can get the most from this new BookTalk, you may want to choose the option to View in a browser. This can be found at the very top of this email.

Recent Author Events

Upcoming Events

Tickets to our exciting 40th Anniversary Events are now on sale.

You can book your tickets on our website via the following links:

What We're Reading

From Our Archive

#3 of occasional articles considering material from our archives.

Janet Bayliss  looks back at Marina Warner's visits to SBL

in 1996 and 2008

Talking of Literature

Andrew Marsh of Dial Lane Books talks to Gill Lowe

The Costa Awards

Do book your ticket online to hear about Monique Roffey’s writing life. 

You can also read Jeff Taylor’s review of her novel in this issue of BookTalk.

Gill Lowe

Suffolk Writes Project

 Local Festivals and Events

In this section we publicise and celebrate reading and writing across Suffolk.

If you have a literary talk, festival or project that you would like to include please contact us at

enquiries@suffolkbookleague.org

Literary Suffolk

The Ipswich and Suffolk Book League was formed forty years ago this year as a regional branch of the National Book League.

There is no doubt that Suffolk is now a ‘County of Literature’ and the Book League is proud to be part of it, arranging its own events and helping to promote Suffolk’s literary heritage, past and present, through its website and via social media.

Other news

We are looking forward to our annual AGM in April, when we will be in touch to update you with all the latest on our activities on behalf of Suffolk Book League in this, our 40th year.

We would like to encourage members to help with the running of the Suffolk Book League and with publishing BookTalk. We would greatly welcome your contribution if you have time and enthusiasm to bring to us, or a particular skill you could share with us. If you are interested in being involved please get in touch: 

enquiries@suffolkbookleague.org