Lovers of all things literary will be heading down to the seaside for the Folkestone Book Festival this weekend. We round-up some of the best events on offer during the 10-day celebration.

Friday, November 15

1.30pm and 7.30pm: As You Like It - Quarterhouse (tickets £10)

Critically acclaimed theatre company Transport present their innovative take on Shakespeare’s comedy.

Saturday, November 16

11am: Kipling’s Sister - Folkestone Library, Grace Hill (tickets £7.50)

Mary Hamer talks about her prize-winning novel, which tells the story of author Rudyard Kipling and his sister Trix.

2pm: What a Wonderful World - Quarterhouse (tickets £8.50)

Best-selling author Marcus Chown will attempt to explain some of life’s big questions in simple terms using his vast scientific knowledge.

5pm: Fighting on the Home Front: The Legacy of Women in World War One - Quarterhouse (sold out)

Former BBC chief news correspondent Kate Adie OBE will discuss the move towards sexual equality that started in 1914 when a generation of men went off to fight and women emerged from their domestic lives.

Sunday, November 17

12.30pm: HG Wells Prize - The Grand (tickets £15)

The winner of this year’s HG Wells £1,000 literary prize will be announced, following a buffet lunch. There will be readings from the winning and shortlisted entries by the writers themselves.

1pm: God Bless the NHS - Quarterhouse (tickets £8.50)

Roger Taylor, author of God Bless the NHS, presents a balanced take on the history of attempts to reform the NHS and the likelihood of the success this time round.

6pm: The Big Book Group - Quarterhouse (tickets £9.50)

Host Craig Melvin will talk to well-known authors Frank Barnard and Deborah Moggach. The audience can also test their knowledge with the Big Quiz.Monday,

Monday, November 18

6.30pm:
A Mountaineer’s Story - Quarterhouse (tickets £9.50)

Explorer and philanthropist Doug Scott CBE will give a personal account of a lifetime spent in the world’s highest mountains – both the highs and the lows. The talk will be illustrated with Doug’s celebrated mountain photography.

Tuesday, November 19

1pm: Castles in Britain 1066-1650 - Quarterhouse (tickets £7.50)

Historian and broadcaster Dr Marc Morris will give an illustrated talk about Kent’s castles, among the finest in the world, with some of the greatest stories to tell.

7pm: Friends of the Book Festival Quiz - Quarterhouse (tickets £5)

Teams of six, or individuals, are invited to test their literary knowledge.

Wednesday, November 20

1pm: Careless People: Murder, Mayhem and the Invention of The Great Gatsby -Quarterhouse (tickets £7.50)

American literature professor Sarah Churchwell reveals the true story behind F Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece The Great Gatsby, relating it to the chaotic world its author inhabited.

2.30pm: The Great Gatsby - Quarterhouse (tickets £7.50)

A screening of Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. It will be followed by an interactive question and answer session with Sarah Churchwell.

6.30pm: Cornelia Parker - Quarterhouse (tickets £7.50)

Sculptor and installation artist Cornelia Parker, creator of Folkestone’s mermaid sculpture at Sunny Sands beach, talks about her life and art.

Thursday, November 21

1pm: The Man Who Dropped the Le Creuset on His Toe - Quarterhouse (tickets £7.50)

Poet Christopher Matthew, the author of Now We Are Sixty, will read from his latest collection of witty, cautionary verses on the terrors, pitfalls and opportunities which face the pesto-loving middle classes.

7pm: The Second World War - Quarterhouse (tickets £9.50)

Author and historian Antony Beevor, who lives near Canterbury, throws new light on the history of the Second World War.

Friday, November 22

1pm: Passionate About Trains - Quarterhouse (tickets £7.50)

Britain’s foremost railway historian, Christian Wolmar, tells the story of the Trans Siberian Express, the longest railway line in the world and one of the most ambitious engineering projects of the 19th century.

Saturday, November 23

2.30pm: Life in an Orchestra - Quarterhouse (tickets £7.50)

Gareth Davies, principal flautist with the London Symphony Orchestra, will relate stories about life on tour and anecdotes from the LSO’s rich history, such as when the musicians narrowly missed being on the Titanic in 1912.

4pm: Extremes: Life, Death and the Limits of the Human Body - Quarterhouse (tickets £8.50)

Space medicine expert and TV presenter Doctor Kevin Fong, best known for his Channel 4 series Extreme A&E, will talk about about his career, from working with NASA to being part of an emergency response team fighting to save the lives of trauma victims in central London.

6pm: Big Brother - Quarterhouse (tickets £9.50)

The award-winning author of We Need to Talk About Kevin, Lionel Shriver, will be talking about her new book Big Brother.

Sunday, November 24

11am: The Night Lion and Other Stories - Quarterhouse (tickets £7.50)

Join writer and illustrator Ed Boxall for a storytelling performance. Ed uses huge books of paper cut pop-up illustrations to tell his dreamlike stories. The stories are told in the dark with atmospheric lighting.

Noon: Soterion Mission - Folkestone Library (tickets £7.50)

Children’s author Stewart Ross will talk about his new novel, Soterion Mission. Suitable for ages 12 and over.

5pm: Life with Dr Who - Quarterhouse (tickets £7.50)

On the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, Neil Perryman, a lifelong fan of the programme, tells about his insane quest to make his wife watch every episode of Doctor Who from the beginning.

6.30pm: Jim Bob - Quarterhouse (tickets £7.50)

Jim Bob, author and former Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine singer, answers questions about his work and reads from his second novel Driving Jarvis Ham.

Folkestone Book Festival runs from Friday, November 15, to Sunday, November 24. Visit www.folkestonebookfest.com or call 01303 858500.