Sophie Elmhirst: Not long ago, I met Aleksandar Hemon for lunch in St Pancras station. We spoke mostly about his new memoir, The Book of My Lives, which recounts chapters of Hemon’s life both sides of its central event, when he left Bosnia as a young man just before the siege of Sarajevo (I reviewed the memoir here). In conversation, Hemon roamed widely – from European football to how to teach creative writing. He was most poignantly open on the subject of the final essay in his book, his daughter Isabel. She died as a baby from a rare form of cancer and if you haven’t read it, Hemon’s account – in “The Aquarium” (originally published in the New Yorker) is an almost impossibly frank account of the trauma of losing his daughter. Aleksander will speak on 25 May. Here are four other events well worth checking out.
The 87-year-old has just published his first novel for more than 30 years. All That Is is an elegant journey through the life of one man in Salter’s distinct, sensuous prose. He is often cited as the most unsung of the great American writers of the 20th century, or a writer’s writer (Richard Ford is a devoted admirer). 25 May.
Our very own nature columnist will be speaking about bees (a theme which will recurs across the festival – remember Einstein: “If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live”) and reading from his poems. 27 May.
Heather Philippson and Emily Berry
Two exciting young poets (Berry’s work has been published in the New Statesman here) will read from their work. 28 May.
The singer, one half of Everything But The Girl, talks about her memoir, Bedsit Disco Queen. A fine writer (read her in the New Statesman here), Thorn’s account is witty and personal. 2 Jun.