BERKO FEATURE

Berkhamsted (or Berko as it is affectionately known) features prominently in the pages of the forthcoming edition of A Sort of Newsletter, the quarterly publication of the Graham Greene Birthplace Trust. For those who do not know, and there may be some, A Sort of Newsletter is received in February, May, August and November by Friends of the Trust. For more details, please turn to the Membership or the A Sort of Newsletter pages of the website.

Richard Shepherd has written a fascinating article for the August edition entitled ‘Trouble in Mind’. It refers to a very early memory of Graham Greene’s which is recorded in his autobiography A Sort of Life. Norman Sherry failed to unearth the origins of the story involving an apparent attempted suicide but Richard has.

Festival goers will be familiar with the walks organised by Brian (Richard Shepherd’s father) which have ‘kicked off’ the festival on Thursday afternoons for the past few years. This year he will be conducting a ‘Town Walk’ which will feature specific places in Berkhamsted itself which are recorded in Greene’s writings. As before, a key element (and this year the walk will be repeated on Friday) will be appropriate readings from the writer’s work. It is amazing how much of ‘Berko’ features in Greene’s novels and other writings so, if you are coming on the walk, expect some surprises.