The New Forest Heritage Centre’s annual Fundraising Event this year is a celebration of fiction inspired by the New Forest.
World renowned author Edward Rutherfurd, New Forest based Sally Marsh and historical mystery writer Clara McKenna will read excerpts from their works and share their thoughts on their individual sources of local inspiration.
The first half of the evening will present older works such as Vixen by Mary Braddon and The White Company by Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as a performance from the yet to be premiered Children of the New Forest musical. Forest Forge Theatre Company are helping recruit volunteers.
Mary Montagu-Scott, Chair of the New Forest Ninth Centenary Trust which runs the Heritage Centre said, “Edward Rutherfurd is a multi-million selling author who so clearly derives inspiration from the settings of his works. He has spent a lot of time in the New Forest, and we’re absolutely delighted that he has agreed to headline our New Forest Fiction event.”
Edward Rutherfurd talked about his love of the New Forest, “I’ve been in and out of the Forest all my life. Until my twenties, the family rendezvous was always the house of my Great-Aunt Madge, first at Battramsley Cross, and then at Boldre.
“So returning to research The Forest, mostly in the New Forest Heritage Centre library, was very much a labour of love. It was the happiest of all my books.
“I love the Forest families, who’ve been there almost for ever, the mysterious intimacy of the woodland, the sense of the sea (and smugglers!) even up on the warm, peaty heathland below Salisbury, the Cistercian peace of Beaulieu, the pony drifts. And the Beaulieu Road pony sales, where I’ve had some of the biggest laughs of my life.”
There will be the opportunity to buy some of the books on the night and the authors will be signing books.
To book tickets, visit the New Forest Heritage Centre website, phone 02380 283444 or call into the Heritage Centre’s shop.
Friday 20th September at Lyndhurst Community Centre, 7pm for a 7.30pm start.
Tickets are £15 or £12 for Friends of the Heritage Centre.