Buzz Aldrin and Arundhati Roy headline
Southbank Centre’s third London Literature Festival

Southbank Centre announces full programme for the
London Literature Festival, 2 – 16 July 2009
http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin launches his memoirs at the Royal Festival Hall in his only UK appearance to mark the 40th anniversary of the first lunar landing

Arundhati Roy opens London Literature Festival with her only festival appearance this summer

2008 Man Booker Prize winner Aravind Adiga gives the first London reading from his widely-anticipated second book.

Between 2 and 16 July the London Literature Festival, at the UK's foremost literature venue, will feature some of the world's best writers, a rare theatrical production, musical performances by internationally renowned artists, and timely debate on contemporary issues of justice and democracy by leading commentators.

Great minds of today will be joined by the great minds of yesterday with several innovative presentations of classic stories, which reveal the enduring relevance of Shakespeare, Chaucer, Coleridge, Austen and Conrad. Acknowledging a pressing need to 'get away from it all', actually or conceptually, visitors to the riverside venue in the heart of London will be able to travel the world from their deck chairs with a series of events that explore the notion of journey and escape.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin will talk about his memoirs Magnificent Desolation and about the most epic journey known to man, at the Royal Festival Hall in his only UK appearance. Published on the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing, the memoirs of this world famous astronaut give a harrowing first-person account of the successful lunar landing that came within seconds of failure, as well as the ultimate insider’s view of life as one of the superstars of America’s space programme.

Booker Prize winning novelist and activist Arundhati Roy, will be in conversation with Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, addressing the subject of democracy. In her latest book, Listening to Grasshoppers: Field Notes on Democracy, a series of essays, Roy examines the dark side of democracy in contemporary India.

The Festival will also host the first London reading by 2008 Man Booker Prize winner Aravind Adiga, who follows his best-selling novel The White Tiger with a widely-anticipated second book, Between the Assassinations.

Further highlights include:

Benjamin Zephaniah in his first solo show at Southbank Centre for over 10 years
Best-selling novelist Sarah Waters on her new novel The Little Stranger

Poet and illustrator Laura Dockrill and singer-songwriter Kate Nash plus friends in an evening of words and music
Southbank Centre and Young Vic collaborate on an outdoors participative performance based on Coleridge’s epic poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
Hanif Kureishi, DCB Pierre, Kamila Shamsie and Jeanette Winterson read their stories from the Ox-Tales collection on behalf of Oxfam.

Journey across contemporary Africa, with Brian Chikwava and Petina Gappah discussing their new books on Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwean disaspora in London, and the announcement of the winner of the tenth anniversary The Caine Prize for African Writing

Author Clare Harman on the Austen industry and the enduring popularity of this iconic author
Peter Ackroyd presents his new translation of The Canterbury Tales

Special performances of Beckett’s monologue Not-I, followed by an in conversation with Beckett actress Billie Whitelaw.
Nobel prize-winning economist Amartya Sen gives the Southbank Centre Lecture on ‘The Idea of Justice’.

40th anniversary celebration of Stonewall curated by The House of Homosexual Culture
Shakepeare's sonnets set to music by leading contemporary composer Gavin Bryars and musicians including Antony Hegarty (from Antony and the Johnsons), Mira Calix and Natalie Merchant.

Visitors can also let their imaginations roam at special Southbank Centre Book Club events; at Bibliotherapy sessions from the School of Life bibliotherapist, (who offers visitors a reading prescription to suit their desires); and at the Creative Writing Summer School.

The London Literature Festival has quickly become the highlight of Southbank Centre’s unrivalled year-round literature and spoken word programme, an essential date in the city’s cultural diary. The London Literature Festival will be the ideal holiday destination for lovers of books and ideas this July.

Tickets are on sale from today, Friday 15 May at 10am.
Bookings can be made via: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/
or telephone: 0870 160 2522