Family Festival with a Brazilian beat

FlipSide Festival 2014

The second FlipSide Festival once again brought an extraordinary line-up of writers to Suffolk for a weekend of encounters, conversations and ideas – with some of the biggest names in international literature sharing the stage.

From serious literary debate to Brazilian art, translation, storytelling and children’s workshops, this was more than simply a festival of books. It was a celebration of stories, ideas, people and the unexpected connections between Brazil and Suffolk – a little piece of Paraty growing roots in the marshes of Snape.

The literary programme opened with Michael Ondaatje and Michel Laub, two award-winning novelists whose work explored the lasting imprint of childhood on adult life. Pauline Melville and Tatiana Salem Levy turned the spotlight on the particular pleasures and possibilities of the short story, before Irish writer Colm Tóibín, introduced by Carmen Callil, launched his eagerly anticipated novel Nora Webster with a reading and conversation.

Later that afternoon, Daniel Galera and Kamila Shamsie, both former Granta ‘Young Writers’, explored the challenges of creating narratives that connect characters and events across time and distance. The day closed with a lively encounter between Lionel Shriver and Paulo Scott, two novelists unafraid to tackle difficult and provocative subjects.

Sunday began with a Brazilian Election-Day Debate, bringing together Tariq Ali, Diogo Mainardi, Alan Charlton and David Lehmann for a lively discussion of Brazilian politics and current affairs.

There was plenty for aspiring writers too. Sally Gardner and Benjamin Zephaniah discussed creative imagination and their experiences of dyslexia, while sessions on getting published, writing for children and writing for radio offered practical advice from publishers, agents and industry professionals. A translation workshop with Daniel Hahn even turned into a Translation Slam, with translators Zoe Perry and Lucy Greaves going head-to-head.

The programme ranged far beyond fiction. Margaret Atwood and Ana Maria Machado met for what promised to be a revealing conversation between two internationally acclaimed writers. Found in Translation explored the art of literary translation, while Desert Island Books invited Michael Ondaatje and other writers to reveal the books they would never want to be without — with the audience encouraged to nominate their own.Brazilian writer Diogo Mainardi talked about transforming personal tragedy into writing, while Reality & Realism in Children’s Fiction, presented with the ABC Trust, brought together Ana Maria Machado, Socorro Acioli and Sally Gardner to discuss how children’s social worlds are represented in fiction.

There was art too, with a session exploring the origins of the ESCALA collection of South American art, and then there was FlipSide Kids — a whole programme of events for younger visitors. Children could join a Peter Rabbit Tea Party, take part in an illustration workshop with Eleanor Taylor, illustrator of the new Beatrix Potter books, or get creative in Brazilian-themed art workshops, from painting the rainforest to becoming a Brazilian bandit.

Storytelling sessions featured an extraordinary roll-call of authors and performers, including Socorro Acioli, Margaret Atwood, Sally Gardner, Ana Maria Machado and Benjamin Zephaniah.

Describe your image