Organisers of the Jersey Festival of Words will be welcoming actress and author Dame Sheila Hancock to the island this September to discuss her latest book Old Rage, an exploration of the joys, challenges, and complexities of aging.
With a career spanning six decades, Hancock has been a regular on radio and TV, and is more recently known for her appearances on Grumpy Old Women and Gogglebox. This will be her first appearance at the Festival, where she will be offering readers her deeply personal and thought-provoking perspective on resilience and self-reflection.
The event is supported by the worldwide organisation of women, Soroptimist International Jersey, who work together to benefit girls and women.
Dame Sheila is one of several visiting authors whose work explores the joys, sorrows and challenges of later life, with others announced including Anna Murphy, fashion director at the Times and author of new book Destination Fabulous: Finding Your Way to the Best You Yet, and Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of the heartfelt and empowering book How to Feel Better, who will share her insights on finding solace and healing in challenging times.
Also announced is journalist and Emmy-award winning director Shaun Deeney, whose moving and uplifting account Love and Care is about the author’s decision to bring his mother home and become her full time carer after a Parkinson’s diagnosis.
The Festival, which will this year be hosted at the Freedom Centre in Bath Street, the Arts Centre, Jersey Library and other local venues, will feature an extended programme of events running from the 15th to the 24th September.
Tickets for many events are now available to book, including those for Poet Laureate Simon Armitage and renowned children’s author Michael Morpurgo, both of whom were announced as Festival guests earlier in the year.
The main corporate sponsor for this year’s festival is Highvern. Jersey Festival of Words is also supported by the Jersey Community Foundation with funds from the Channel Island Lottery, and the Government of Jersey.
Further information about the Festival of Words can be found here.
Pictured: Sheila Hancock, Credit-Neil-Spence
