“A joy. What a beautiful place and a wonderful, intimate atmosphere.”
— Lemn Sissay
Picture credits: Eleanor Walpole, Charles Bliss/Newsquest
Big names. Great ideas. Beautiful surroundings. And a moat.
The Book Bash is back for 2024! Join us for another weekend of rollicking events with old friends, local heroes and world-class writers.
All served with top-notch food in the stunning gardens of medieval Mannington Hall.
Curated by award-winning independent bookshop, The Book Hive.
2024 Authors
Click a name to buy tickets for that event — or scroll down for Weekend and Day Passes.
Tickets
Bonus! Every ticket grants you access to the grounds of Mannington.
Find out about the gardens, walks and wildlife on offer!
The schedule
FRIDAY 4th OCTOBER
6:30pm: Sam Leith - The Haunted Wood
8:00pm: Robert MacFarlane (with Patrick Barkham) - The World To Come
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SATURDAY 5th OCTOBER
10:00am: Chris Riddell in conversation
12:00pm: Marchelle Farrell & Tessa McWatt
2:00pm: Helen Fry - Why I Became an X-Troop Commando
4:00pm: David Nicholls - You Are Here
6:00pm: Hollie McNish - Lobster
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SUNDAY 6th OCTOBER
10:00am: Kathryn Faulke - Every Kind of People: A Journey into the Heart of Care Work
11:00am: Annie Gray - The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker: A History of the High Street
1:00pm: Ned Palmer - A Cheesemonger's Tour de France
3:00pm: Tiffany Murray - My Family and Other Rockstars
5:00pm: Harriet Walter - She Speaks!
Transport, access, and accommodation
Mannington is a very rural location. Public transport is extremely limited.
There are regular buses from Norwich to the nearby town of Aylsham
(Sanders Coaches route X44), and regular trains to Cromer and Sheringham (Greater Anglia) – but in both instances you’d need to arrange onward travel to Mannington Hall. A good local taxi firm is About Town Taxis. In sum, we highly recommend driving, or lift-sharing where possible (here's a car pooling spreadsheet to help you organise that)!
There are plenty of places to stay nearby. In Aylsham there are The Ironmongers, The Black Boys, and Tinsmith’s House; in Holt there’s Byfords and The Feathers. There are also a number of Airbnb properties available a few minutes away from the Hall. For those who want the full ‘bash’ experience, there are a very limited number of camping pitches (from £20 per person) available on the grounds!
The event site is accessed via a short walk across uneven ground, but if you have alternative needs we can of course accommodate. Please send us an email or call The Book Hive and we'll be happy to help.
