Anyone who read or saw Hilary Mantell’s Wolf Hall series, centred on the political life of Thomas Cromwell, may well ask – do they never learn? There will always be someone or something out to get the powerful, be it their own hubristic drive, the national interest, natural justice or a simple case of survival.
The Saturday ‘hist fest’ element of Monty Lit Fest raises a wealth of ideas about why we never seem to learn from the great characters and movements of the past. In Stephen Alford‘s popular history, All His Spies, we get to see 4-D chess in action as chief advisor Robert Cecil and his father, William, attempt to preserve the stability of Elizabeth I’s reign. The master of the Big Data of his day, the ultimate quiet manipulator, even Robert makes risky decisions. Coming out in paperback in mid-June, you can get an advance copy at the Festival – if you’re quick!
The Wars of the Roses always provide a ring-side seat for the drama of power play, not least in historical fiction. With Annie Garthwaite, we get to see what drives the royal women. Hardly demure bystanders, the battle for supremacy between four kings’ mothers reveals the power of subtlety over the sword. Already a Times Book of the Month, The King’s Mother is the much-awaited sequel to Cecily – and will be officially launched in paperback at Monty Lit Fest.
“Rise up. We will wise up. And keep our eyes up.” Yes, today’s earworm comes straight from Hamilton and captures the spirit of ordinary people who have had enough. In Carys Davies’s Clear, the poverty of a Free Church of Scotland minister drives him to drastic actions. In Rebecca’s Country, Rhian E Jones explores the Rebecca Riots, and the power (or not) of popular protest versus the power of officialdom turned oppressor. Rhian will be in conversation with Festival favourite, Alis Hawkins, whose own fictional Teifi Valley Coroner had his own run in with the Rebecca Rioters.
With a touch of Robert Cecil’s studied patience and the Rebecca Rioters loud-and-proud style, there’s a much more recent rebellion that we simply take for granted. In our Friday night late lounge, Jon Savage explains why the LGBTQ+ presence and influence in popular music is no accident: It was built on the shoulders of rebels. In conversation with Rhys Mwyn, Jon talks about his life of punk, rock, the rise of “youth” and The Secret Public: How LGBTQ Performers Shaped Popular Culture, already claimed as a book of 2024 from both the Guardian and the Evening Standard.
Rise up. Wise up. Tickets are selling fast. Get them online, or in person at The Montgomery Bookshop or Ivy House Café in Montgomery.