Celebrity authors to visit Cowbridge book festival for charity

4th May 2011

A host of celebrities and big-name authors will descend on the picturesque market town of Cowbridge for a week-long book festival in May, held in support of blood cancer charity Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research.

Alastair Campbell, Geoff Thomas John Hartson, Adam Hochschild, Stevie Davies and Dai Smith are among a 28-strong line up of distinguished authors who will be visiting the town between Monday 16 May and Sunday 22 May. An exciting Children’s Programme includes Mark Brake and Jon chase, The Etherington Brothers and Nicola Davies. 

The festival, which takes place at the Old Hall Adult Education Centre and United Free Church in Cowbridge, will allow visitors the opportunity to meet their favourite authors, hear entertaining presentations and buy signed copies of their books. Former international football star and leukaemia survivor, Geoff Thomas, will launch the Festival on Friday 6 May, presenting his inspirational autobiography Riding through the Storm, which documents his remarkable journey from finishing treatment to taking on taking on the Tour de France six months later.

Other highlights are a Photographic Exhibition which runs through the month of May as well as a Vintage and Craft fair in the Old Hall Gardens on Saturday 21 May.

Event organiser and former librarian, Stella Cheeseman says: “We went on holiday to Australia back in February with eight or nine speakers confirmed and by the time we got back there were 28 authors interested – the response has been fantastic! I hope it will bring lots of people to Cowbridge and that we can make this an annual fundraiser for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research.”

Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research is the only UK charity solely dedicated to research in to all blood cancers including leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Last year Cardiff University was named the charity’s first Centre of Excellence, recognised for its world class research into the two most common forms of adult leukaemia - acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and acute lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).

Stella says: “ten years ago we lost a good friend and neighbour to leukaemia and around the same time another friend’s daughter had leukaemia. After years of intensive treatment she recovered. Everyone seems to know someone who has been affected by a blood cancer and I’m just so impressed by the strides that are being made in research but clearly the battle must go on. 

“As a leukaemia survivor our “launch” author, Geoff Thomas, is living proof that the money people donate to Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research is being put to good use. Former England mid-fielder and Crystal Palace captain, Geoff Thomas, will visit Cowbridge on Friday 6 May to formerly launch The Cowbridge Book Festival with his book “Riding Through the Storm.”

For more programme information please visit: www.cowbridgebookfestival.co.uk. To book tickets please call Stella on 01446 774827.

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