Literary events at the last fair:
11am Children's Story Time with top story teller "Auntie" Jeanette
Book Binding Demonstrations
Book signings by authors:
Monica Keeton
Graphologist and author will be analysing your doodles and handwriting!)
Katherine Reynolds (author of children's book Born to Dance
John Morrisson (Anthony Blair, Captain of School)
David Barry, Frankie Abbott from Please Sir (novelist and biography)
Clayton Caine aka Angus Kennedy may be signing his debut novel Please God I Want to Win the Lottery
Children's
Literary Quiz
Creative
writing advice
Publishing advice
Introducing Bookchase, a new literary board game...
2-30pm Poetry at the fair...open mic' bring along a poem to perform or just come and listen
Fine Scribes 2007 poetry competition results anounced
West Kent Book Fair
& Literary Event
Old Big School hall, Tonbridge School
Next Fair: Sunday October 26th 2008
10am to 4 pm
Entry 50p Ample FREE Parking
Then: 2009 dates tba
Enquiries to Mr. Books Bookshop 01732 363000
For a detailed street map of how to find Tonbridge School
How to find Tonbridge School for the fair and lit fest:
From M25:
Follow the A21 South towards Hastings, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge; take the Weald/Sevenoaks/Hildenborough turn off onto the B245 and continue through Hildenborough and on to Tonbridge. You will see the entrance to Tonbridge School on the right before you arrive at the main traffic lights at the junction with Shipbourne Road and the High Street. Drive in here and park around the back of the School where you'll find plenty of parking; then walk through the archway and turn right for Old Big School, there will be signs out to guide you in once you are on the school grounds. Exhibiting sellers can park at the front by driving through the High Street entrance; drive in the main gate between the two boars heads.
From South:
Drive/walk all the way through Tonbridge High Street, (left out of the railway station if you are coming by train) over the town bridge, past the Castle on your left, straight over the traffic lights with the Ivy House pub on your right, Tonbridge School is less than 100 yards on your left; through the Boars Heads main gate or, if driving, continue to next traffic lights and turn left towards Hildenborough and Sevenoaks; soon after turning you'll see the main gate to the school on your left; drive in and follow road around the back of the school, where you'll find plenty of parking, then walk through the archway and turn right for Old Big School, there will be signs out to guide you in once you are on the school grounds.
Fair Latest:
there will be a chance to play Bookchase, a new literary board at the next fair....Katherine Reynolds, author of children's book, Born To Dance, will be coming to the April fair all the way from Somerset....David Barry, Frankie Abbott from hit cult comedy Please Sir will put in another appearance, signing his latest novel....expect more poems from local fans of verse...Clayton Caine launched his debut novel, Please God I Want to Win the Lottery, at the October 28th fair....Sally Varlow was on hand all day to sign her latest book The Lady Penelope, a Tale of Love and Politics in the Court of Elizabeth I...local children's writer, Brian Gamage, took over at children's story time to read from his latest book.....Met children's author Anthony Horowitz at Hay Festival and asked his publisher if he would do a slightly smaller event, he didn't show up to fair; now there's a surprise! fingers crossed for next time....several colourful local poets turned up for the poetry slot at 2-30pm including hip hop poet Luke aka Doctor Wottrich and Helen Long aka Prude Fledgling who gave us a superb sneak preview of their own shows...it was also fantastic to see one or two of the book sellers getting the urge to stand up and read out some verse, although admittedly it's not everyone's cup of tea...Poetry groups: calling all local groups for the open mic' session starting at 2-30pm.....John Burton demonstrated his skills at book binding and restoration...
...Tom Baker , the real Doctor Who and a local resident, has an open invitation to the fair (he'll still have to pay his 50p entrance fee though!)
About that 50 pence entrance fee: some have said that we shouldn't charge people to get into a fair just so they can go in to spend money. These days 50 pence will just about buy you a can of fizzy drink, a packet of peanuts or crisps, a mars bar or the like, a quarter of a cup of coffee from Starbucks. Boot fairs charge 50p entry; some antique fairs charge two of three pounds; record collector fairs about £4 and craft fairs about £5 or more. Dorking Book Fair charges £1 and some of the PBFA book fairs charge up to £2.50. That 50 pence, times the 3 to 400 or so people who turn up to enjoy the fair allows the organisers to publicise the event in the in the Kent and Sussex Courier, the Sevenoaks Chronicle, the East Grinstead Courier, the Kent Messenger, the Tonbridge Insider and Book and Magazine Collector magazine. This gives the fair a wider coverage across the whole of West Kent and into East Sussex as well as reaching book collectors nationally. So all the visitor has to do is fork out the price of a bag of crisps in order to help stage a successful event for which book sellers often travel from London, Brighton and all over the South East and indeed, in one case, Kings Lynn in Norfolk . I hope that justifies the entrance charge.
More About the fair
The West Kent Book Fair and Literary Festival is held in the superb surroundings of Old Big School hall twice a year, usually in April and October.
There's ample free parking.
You cannot miss the school's impressive facade as you arrive at the North end of Tonbridge from the Sevenoaks/Hildenborough direction.
See directions and map above.
Please contact the organiser, Mark Richardson, on 01732 363000 for details
Tables and space for a book stack are £27 for exhibitors
The fair was formally the Tonbridge Book Fair, which was originally held at the Hilden Manor Hotel until it burnt down in February 2005 (Nothing to do with us!)
We really have landed on our feet though because you could not hope for a better venue than this one.
The picture above shows the outside; and the inside, with its oak panelled walls (see picture on left,) create just the right atmosphere
the lighting is perfect
there's disabled access
flat loading for sellers
more than 20 booksellers
children's story time
poetry at the fair
and the literary festival flavour makes the public want to linger for longer at the event
You'll usually find about 25 booksellers selling a huge range of rare and out-of-print books as well as many bargain new and secondhand books.
The fair has grown from nothing to this in two years and is getting more and more popular with the book buyer from a wider and wider area
believe it or not someone actually came over from Canada especially to coincide with the April fair. Now that's keen!
It's common for visitors to the fair to travel from all over the South and beyond.
The Literary Festival is growing in popularity
Initially it was just a few poems at the book fair; now it has grown into poetry readings, children's story time, book binding demonstrations, poetry competitions, book signings by local authors, children's literary quizzes, creative writing advice, publishing advice, historical talks and much more....
Other Fairs Mr. Books exhibiting at in 2008:
DORKING: (Dorking Halls, Reigate Road): April 27th; June 29th;
September 28th; November 30th.
Tonbridge Garden and Home Show: May 4th and 5th (Tonbridge Park)
FARNHAM: dates to be agreed.
Some pics from past fairs
Hundreds turned up to April 2008 fair despite the freak snow!