Henley Literature Festival Diary

JUDY Murray was appearing with her novel Wild Card and the ever alert Henley Tennis Club spotted her name in the programme and asked if she would drop in to meet young players.

The mother of champions Sir Andy and Jamie duly did so, to the delight of the club.

Judy told her festival audience that her writing inspiration was Anton du Beke, a festival author himself, who was her partner when she appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2014.

He sent her a proof copy of one of his novels which she returned heavily corrected. He introduced her to his literary agent and a book was born.

ACTOR Julian Glover arrived with fellow thespian wife Isla Blair to talk about his career, which ranges from the National Theatre to Harry Potter and Game of Thrones. He was discreet about fellow actors until interviewer Simon Williams asked him about the worst he had worked with.

Julian replied without hesitation that it was Anthony Quinn, star of Zorba the Geeek, with whom he filmed The Magus.

“Contemptible,” was his verdict.

FORMER festival worker Kallie Townsend’s grandfather Ken was the man who said the London recording studio should be called Abbey Road.

If proof were needed, it was there in David Hepworth’s book.

The author met Kallie before his hugely popular appearance.

THE poetry evening, which coincided with National Poetry Day, featured verses in Allie Esiri’s 365 Poems For Life read by a talented quartet.

Olivia Harrison, the widow of George, who appeared last year with her own poetry, was one together with actress Olivia Williams and novelist Ayisha Malik.

The surprise reader was Sir Tony Robinson. Who knew Baldrick could be so moving?

THE indefatigable Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee missed Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party speech to be at the festival and delighted her audience talking about her remarkable family and her acclaimed journalistic career.

She seemed to be happier heading off to hear Keir Starmer at this week’s Labour Party
conference.

IT was quite appropriate that the Translation Duel, featuring Vineet Lal, Ros Schwarz and interviewer extraordinaire Daniel Hahn, as well as having more than 100 people in Henley, collected online streaming visitors from Wellington in New Zealand, Fontainebleau, Lisbon, Spain and… Marlow.

JUDY Murray bumped into Clare Balding at Phyllis Court Club and later tweeted (or should that be X’d?): “Books, boats, banter and Balding…”

THE festival featured two Oscar winners in Neil Jordan (for his film The Crying Game) and Don Black (for his song Born Free).

Don introduced Michael Ball who delighted his audience with an impromptu song.

THERE was a trip down memory lane for Simon Williams as he interviewed Julian Glover at the Kenton Theatre and the actor mentioned the play The Knack.

“I appeared in it on this very stage,” said Simon.

He made another Kenton appearance at the festival with his wife Lucy Fleming in “Posting Letters to the Moon”.

P.S. Simon: “When I was a student and couldn’t afford tickets I used to hang around theatres and go in at the interval, so I know the second half of lots of plays.”

Julian: “Ah, so you know what happened to Hamlet.”

THERE was a lovely family moment when Naomi Reed-Ryan came with a group from the Oratory School to do some work experience at the festival.

Naomi, 13, found herself holding a small microphone for audience questions in the Phyllis Court Club marquee — a proud moment for her mother Harriet and grandmother Sue Ryan, festival director and grandmother respectively.

The family link continued when Naomi’s 10-year-old sister Mabel went on stage to introduce David Walliams.

THE festival may be over but two sporting pop-up events are in the diary for October 25 when legendary footballer Liam Brady comes to Henley to be followed the same evening by cricketer and broadcaster and Phil Tufnell.

JR