Hachette Proof Party

Tickets £17 – includes special proof copies of all three novels

A unique opportunity to get early copies and meet the writers of three of the most eagerly anticipated UK novels of the summer.  Costanza by Rachel Blackmore is a historical novel set in 1636 in Rome, based on the life of Costanza Piccolomini who was labeled a muse, a temptress, and a fallen woman – and never permitted to tell her own story – until now. The Horses by Janina Matthewson echoes the recent pandemic with a tense, atmospheric story set in an isolated island community in the wake of a global catastrophe. Penelope Slocombe’s Sunbirds is a novel hunting for the truth. In 1997, Anne’s eighteen-year-old son Torran walked out of his hotel in the notorious Himalayan town of Manali – and disappeared. Seven years later a near-stranger offers her a new piece of information.

All three novels – not available to the public until 1 August – are destined to be the most talked about books of the year. Attendees will each receive special proof copies of all three novels to take home as part of ticket price.

Supported by

Booking Information

• Priority Booking for Festival Friends opens at 08.00 on Friday 1st of March. Tickets go on general sale from Monday 4th March.
• Hearing loops are available for Theatre and Library events. Carers qualify for free ‘essential companion’ tickets. Wheelchair spaces are limited. In all cases, please call the Box Office on 01434 652477 to book or email: boxoffice@queenshall.co.uk.
• Tickets cannot be refunded but can be exchanged for other Book Festival events.