THE 22nd GRAHAM GREENE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

Programme of Events

All events will be held in Berkhamsted

Thursday 30 September

Afternoon session

 Court House, beside St Peter’s Church

2.15 Graham Greene’s Common: a guided walk (under three miles; includes uphill stretches and WWI trenches) led by Richard Shepherd and Judy Mead, with readings from A Sort of Life and The Human Factor. Assemble outside the Court House for introduction. Cars/lifts and stout walking shoes required for the start of the walk at Inns of Court War Memorial, New Road Car Park. If wet, illustrated talk with readings in the Court House.

 Evening session

 The Town Hall

5.15 Opening Night Supper: 5.15 meet for drinks at pay bar, 6.00 waitress-served two course supper with coffee; vegan/vegetarian option.

7.45 Film: The Stranger’s Hand (British Lion, 1954, 82 minutes), directed by Mario Soldati and starring Trevor Howard and Alida Valli. Introduced by Mike Hill.

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Friday 1 October

Morning session

The Town Hall

9.45 Guns for Sale: Greene’s A Gun for Sale in context: a talk by Mike Hill.

10.45 Break for tea and coffee

11.15 Graham Greene: A Good Read: Birthplace Trustee Dr Creina Mansfield, Baroness Claire Fox of the Academy of Ideas and playwright Nick Warburton discuss the novels The Quiet American, The Confidential Agent and The Heart of the Matter.

Break for lunch

12.45 Berkhamsted: The Greene Guide: a guided walk of approximately one hour, led and with readings by Richard Shepherd, Judy Mead and Linda Williams. Meet outside the rear entrance to Berkhamsted Railway Station (the platform 4 exit) for introduction. If wet, there will be an illustrated talk with readings in the Town Hall.

Afternoon session

The Town Hall

2.15 Graham Greene Studies 2: a launch of the new publication by Professor Donna Gessell of the University of North Georgia and Dr Jon Wise.

2.30 Cuban Rhythms: a musical version of Our Man in Havana: playwright Richard Hough and composer Ben Morales Frost interviewed by Mike Hill.

3.30 Break for tea and coffee

4.00 ‘His very personal religion of man’: the reception of Graham Greene’s novels in state socialist Romania: a talk by Dr Andrei Gorzo of the National University of Theatre and Film, Bucharest.

Deans’ Hall, Berkhamsted School

4.45 Reading The Power and the Glory: a talk by Dermot Gilvary to VIth Form English students. (Not open to other Festival attendees.)

 Evening session

The Civic Centre

8.00 Film: The Power and the Glory (CBS, 1961, 90 minutes) directed by Marc Daniels and starring Laurence Olivier and George C. Scott. Introduced by Mike Hill.

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Saturday 2 October

Morning session

Deans’ Hall, Berkhamsted School (Castle Street)

9.45 Graham Greene: Life and After the Life: a talk by Professor Richard Greene of the University of Toronto. The David Pearce Memorial Talk.

10.45 Break for tea and coffee

11.15 A Splinter of Ice: playwright Ben Brown interviewed by Birthplace Trustee Dr Jon Wise on his play about Graham Greene and Kim Philby.

Break for lunch

Afternoon session

Deans’ Hall, Berkhamsted School (Castle Street)

2.30 The Captain and the Enemy. Greene’s last published novel and the complex problems of a film adaptation: a talk by novelist and screenplay writer William Boyd.

3.30 Break for tea and coffee

4.00 Graham Greene on Stage: A German Perspective: a talk and readings by actress, translator and director Maria Jany.

5.15 The Birthday Toast by Andrew and Jonathan Bourget, Graham Greene’s grandsons.

Evening session

Old Hall, Berkhamsted School (Castle Street)

8.00 Festival Dinner: three courses with wine and coffee: vegan/vegetarian option.

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Sunday 3 October

Morning session

VIth Form Centre, Berkhamsted School (Castle Street)

9.00 A tour of the School Archives: including a look at the Exhibition Room, the ‘green baize door’, Old Hall and the School Chapel. (Meet outside Old Hall.)

10.00 ‘Every Night Something Awful’: Basil Dean and Graham Greene: a talk by Dr Creina Mansfield.

11.00 Break for tea and coffee

11.30 Journeys into Fear: the parallel literary lives of Ambler and Greene: a talk by Professor Neil Sinyard of the University of Hull.

 Lunch

Old Hall

1.00 Farewell Lunch: two course cold buffet, wine and coffee; vegan/vegetarian option.

On Friday and Saturday, there will be a Festival bookstall and Richard Frost’s bookstall, including a large selection of books by and about Graham Greene.

 

Festival Director: Mike Hill