22 May 2024

Redwings' first Book Festival is a sell-out hit!

Elly Griffiths with Nicola from Redwings

Redwings Horse Sanctuary’s first Book Fest was attended by a sell-out audience of 130 adults and children at our Caldecott Visitor Centre in Norfolk at the weekend (Saturday 18th May).

The event was part of our 40th anniversary celebrations and follows the publication of the special fundraising edition of Black Beauty, in conjunction with the University of East Anglia (UEA), and custodianship of the birthplace of author Anna Sewell, Anna Sewell House, in Great Yarmouth, which we opened to the public in 2022.

The day was headlined by the best-selling crime novelist Elly Griffiths, who writes the popular Dr Ruth Galloway series. Elly said: “I’ve always loved horses and, when my children were young, we discovered Redwings. We sponsored two horses – Darcy and Victor – the first in a long line of adopted horses and donkeys. Redwings makes several appearances in the Ruth books, as does a donkey called Wiggins, another of their Adoption Stars! It was a real pleasure to be a guest at this wonderful charity’s first book festival. It was brilliantly organised with great authors, lovely audiences and, of course, gorgeous horses.”

Elly was joined by TV presenter and English Master Saddle Maker Suzie Fletcher, who has recently published her memoir, and Joyce Dunbar, who has over 80 children’s books to her name including the Mouse and Mole series, as well as many others.

Some of the authors attending the Redwings Book Festival

Authors and hosts P.A. Staff, Dr Hilary Emmett, Elly Griffiths, Dr Daisy Henwood, Nicola Knight, Cressida Burton, Jenni Keer, Grace Olson

A brilliant event

Nicola Knight, Head of Communications and Campaigns at Redwings, said: “We’re so happy with how our first Book Festival went. It sold out within days of the tickets going on sale, and the audience was so engaged and enthusiastic, both about the authors and the horses they got to meet too of course!

“We’ve had a lot of support from the literature community since taking on Anna Sewell House and are thrilled about the opportunities that keep on coming as we share Anna’s story, and how her great love of horses changed the world for the better, as we try to do each day.

“Thank you to everyone who took part or came along, as well as it being a brilliant event, of course, all the funds raised go back into the work we do to help horses, ponies, donkeys and mules in Redwings care.”

TV Presenter Suzie Fletcher signing books for fans

The full list of authors who attended was Elly Griffiths (the Ruth Galloway series and many others); Suzie Fletcher (The Sun Over the Mountains); Jenni Keer (The Secrets of Hawthorn Place and No 23 Burlington Square and many others); Grace Olson (The Yard: How a Horse Healed My Heart and Merlin Finds His Magic); Celia Brayfield (Writing Black Beauty: Anna Sewell and the Story of Animal Rights); Joyce Dunbar (the Mouse and Mole series and many others); Cressida Burton (the Ravensbay School series and many more); Sangu Mandanna (Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom and others); P.A. Staff (Casander Darkbloom and the Threads of Power). Hosts on the day were Dr Hilary Emmett and Dr Daisy Henwood from the UEA and Nicola Knight from Redwings.

The event was supported by the University of East Anglia, and Diss Publishing Bookshop.

Find out more about the events that are taking place throughout our anniversary year, here: https://www.redwings.org.uk/rubyanniversary