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The Book in You – A Memoir Group – join the club

December 13th 2011

Often thought about writing your memoirs, but never managed to get around to it? Well, this month’s featured club, The Book in You – A Memoir Group, which meets once a month in Guildford, could be just what you need to get you on your way...

Guildford Book Festival - bestselling Surrey authors share their top reads

October 14th 2011

Autumn's arrival signals a time for leaves to fall and pages to turn in Surrey, as Guildford Book Festival brings the literary inclined to the fore in our county town

Surrey writers - how to become a published author

August 30th 2011

Over the years, Surrey has been something of a haven for successful writers – with the likes of Lewis Carroll, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and HG Wells all calling the county home – and it’s not all that different today.

Say cheese! New children's book by Surrey authors

August 23rd 2011

TWO men who first met at the Croydon Advertiser newspaper have got together to produce a children’s book that will raise funds for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

Is this Surrey's best book club?

July 12th 2011

In this month’s column from the National Trust, Emma Brien introduces us to a new book club that meets in the inspirational setting of Ham House

Guildford's literary links

January 7th 2011

Having provided inspiration to many writers across the generations, Guildford remains a hub of creative talent today. Matthew Williams turns the pages on the town’s literary history, from Lewis Carroll and Agatha Christie to Sandi Toksvig

Escape to Wonderland: A History of Children’s Book Illustration

December 30th 2010

Some of the country’s best-known children’s illustrators have been brought together at The Lightbox in Woking for one of the biggest exhibitions of its kind ever held

Writer Beatrice Phillpotts on her perfect Surrey weekend

December 1st 2010

Balancing life as an author ‘on the far side of folklore’ with that of a local newspaper reporter, weekends can bring all sorts of unusual tales for writer Beatrice Phillpotts.

National Trust gets into bed with Mills & Boon

Rating: 3

July 23rd 2010

The country’s leading romance publisher Mills & Boon, which is based in Richmond, has joined forces with the National Trust to produce a commemorative novel in celebration of Ham House’s 400th anniversary

Last Orders - The Essential Guide to Your Letter of Wishes

Rating: 3

April 8th 2010

Last Orders - The Essential Guide to Your Letter of Wishes. Last Orders is a book intended to assist anyone and everyone. It deals with that perennial taboo, the subject of death...

Wimbledon wanderer Michelle Paver, author of the best-selling Chronicles of Ancient Darkness

Rating: 3

April 7th 2010

Writer of the best-selling Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, about Stone Age boy Torak and his wolf, Michelle Paver is one of Surrey’s leading authors. Alec Kingham discovers how a Wimbledon wanderer came to find herself in the company of wolves

Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll's Surrey links

Rating: 3

March 30th 2010

With Tim Burton, Johnny Depp and co bringing the ever popular Alice in Wonderland to a whole new generation of cinema goers, Laura Godolphin takes a look back at the life and Guildford links of Alice's creator, the author Lewis Carroll

Kingston Readers' Festival 2010

Rating: 2

March 25th 2010

Some of the world’s greatest authors will join Dame Jacqueline Wilson in Kingston this April and May for the annual Kingston Readers’ Festival. Laura Godolphin reads into it

Historical author Hilary Mantel on her perfect Surrey weekend

February 3rd 2010

One of the UK’s most respected historical authors, Hilary Mantel was the winner of the Man Booker Prize for 2009. A long-time Surrey resident, when it gets to the weekend she likes nothing better than to immerse herself in the county’s history

Dame Jacqueline Wilson on her perfect Surrey weekend

November 10th 2009

World-famous children's author Dame Jacqueline Wilson, 63, who wrote the smash hit Tracy Beaker series, has been a Kingston resident since childhood. Here, writing exclusively for Surrey Life, she describes how she likes to spend her weekends

Top authors share their love of Surrey for Guildford Book Festival 2009

October 1st 2009

Celebrating its 20th year and newly acquired charity status, Guildford Book Festival was bigger and better than ever in October. Before the event, we asked a few of the well-known writers appearing to put pen to paper

Surrey celebrities' favourite books

Rating: 3

September 2nd 2009

It's time to put up your feet, relax in the garden or in the local tea shop and grab a good book. To give you a bit of inspiration, here we discover the favourite reads of Surrey's most famous faces

Author Adele Parks on her perfect Surrey weekend

February 27th 2009

Best-selling novelist Adele Parks has sold over a million copies of her books in the UK alone and is published in 20 countries. She lives in Guildford with her husband Jim and eight-year-old son Conrad. Come the weekend, they like to make the most...

Agatha Christie and a Shere murder mystery

November 7th 2008

The undisputed queen of crime, Agatha Christie has sold literally millions of books across the world. But in a bizarre case of life imitating art, the strangest story of all concerns the night that she faked her own death at Newlands Corner, near ...

Cobham crime writer Meg Gardiner on her perfect Surrey weekend

October 13th 2008

Crime writer Meg Gardiner was originally a lawyer in Los Angeles and became a successful novelist when she moved to Surrey. She now lives in Cobham and her latest book, The Dirty Secrets Club, is due out in July. When the weekend arrives, she enjo...