Chelsea Book Festival

Meet the authors

To book ticketshttps://www.ticketsource.co.uk/chelseabookfestival Tel: 0333 666 3366

Dr Mark Oakley

Dr Mark Oakley is Dean of Southwark, and formerly Dean of St John's College, Cambridge, and Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral. He is admired as both a public speaker and as a writer on the area of poetry and spirituality. 'The Splash of Words' is an anthology of creatively curated poems by a wide variety of poets, all of which resonate with the inner life and a longing for the transcendent. Poetry for Oakley is a 'snowfall in the soul' and this book has been praised by such writers as Dame Carol Ann Duffy, Andrew Motion and Rowan Williams. It won the international Michael Ramsey Prize.

He will be discussing:

The Splash of Words: Believing in Poetry

Peter York

Peter is an author, journalist, broadcaster, management consultant and former President of The Media Society.

Over the last 30+ years he has produced a flood of articles, initially in Harpers & Queen and thereafter in broadsheets, particularly The Independent, and thirteen books, including the 1980s best-selling trade book The Official Sloane Ranger Handbook. His latest book ‘A Dead Cat on Your Table’ was published in 2024 by Byline.

He will be discussing:

A Dead Cat on Your Table

John Simpson CBE

Legendary broadcaster and the BBC’s world affairs editor, John describes himself as a writer, journalist and wanderer. As his X profile states, he is trying to make sense of a mad world, not least in his current BBC2 series Unspun World. His books include We Chose to Speak of War and Strife which examines how foreign correspondents have reported pivotal moments in history.

He will be discussing:

WE CHOSE TO SPEAK ABOUT WAR AND STRIFE

Professor Jonathan Boff

Jonathan is a Senior Lecturer in History and War Studies at the University of Birmingham, where he teaches courses on conflict from Homer to Helmand. He specializes in the First World War and his previous book, Winning and Losing on the Western Front: The British Third Army and the Defeat of Germany in 1918 (CUP,2012) was short-listed for the templer Medal and for the British Army Book of the Year award. He was educated at Merton College, Oxford and the Department of War Studies, King's College London and spent twenty years working in finance before returning to academia. He serves on the councils of the National Army Museum and Army Records Society, has worked as a historical consultant with the British Army and the BBC, and is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

He will be discussing his book "Haig's Enemy"

Jennie Cashman

Jennie has spent 15 years working in the creative industries as a founder, CEO, facilitator, coach, and strategist. From acting to arts leadership, she’s built a career at the intersection of creativity, entrepreneurship, and business growth.

From 2012-2023, she was the Founder & CEO of Abram Wilson, a charity dedicated to helping minoritised young talent access the music industry. She’s a WISE100 honouree, WACL Talent Award recipient, and a published author with Becoming Brave, a children's book about love, grief, and self-belief, reviewed in The Guardian.

In 2023, she stepped down as CEO of the Abram Wilson charity and now helps ambitious creatives, entrepreneurs and consultants who feel constantly ‘on’ take back control of their time, energy and focus so they can build their career or business without sacrificing their health or creativity.

She will be discussing her book "Becoming Brave"