Oct 21 - Maureen Lipman, Tony Hawks And Sue MacGregor Discuss Their Favourite Books At The Gibraltar Literary Festival
BBC Radio 4’s Sue MacGregor held her own version of A Good Read at the Gibraltar International Literary Festival chairing a talk titled Gibraltar Book Club.
Actress Maureen Lipman and comedian Tony Hawks were invited to pick out their favourite book, explain what it was about it they enjoyed and shared their insight with the audience at the Convent this afternoon.
Ms Lipman presented a collection of essays by the late J.B. Priestley called Grumbling at Large, adding that it was a lovely feeling to hold a hardback book in her hands that smells like a book.
She said: “This book is all about the things that bug us all, and it wasn’t just written with a pen and his mind, but it is written with his heart and every word is the right word.”
Ms MacGregor described it as a beautiful book, sharing her experience of when she met the late Priestley in his home, describing him as a “good old fashioned Victorian roly poly gent”, and Mr Hawks said it was a genuine book adding that it was funny and touching at times.
Mr Hawks selected Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, a novel he picked up after attending the Literary Festival named after her in Fowey for many years.
While Ms MacGregor said she thoroughly enjoyed re-reading the novel, Ms Lipman said she really didn’t enjoy reading this at this stage in her life, adding that she found the protagonist to be a “wet” character.
Norman Lewis’ Naples ’44 was well received by the three panellists, made up of a collection of essays by a British intelligence office worked in Italy during World War Two.
Ms MacGregor explains how this collection of essays were gathered by making friends with the locals, in a city which was almost purgatory at the time.
The talk was sponsored by the Gibraltar Chronicle.
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