Ipswich-based Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is a proud sponsor of the new BooksEast Festival

Ipswich-based Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is pleased to be supporting the inaugural BooksEast Festival, which is taking place in the town from 9^th to 15^th May 2016. Fred. Olsen is particularly proud to be sponsoring one of the keynote events of the Festival, ‘Life at the Limits: An Evening with Sir Ranulph Fiennes’, at the Ipswich Corn Exchange on Friday 13^th May 2016.

The BooksEast Festival is a new literary event for Ipswich, and is being held in various sites around the town, notably the Town Hall and Corn Exchange. The Festival’s aim is to attract those who would not see themselves as traditional book festival goers, and there is a wide range of events and activities for everyone aged 4 to 104! From thoughtful social commentary, historical fiction, comedy, children’s fiction, the woes of parenting, the micro science of our births and risk-taking adventure, the line-up of writers is wide-ranging and diverse – from John Peel's biographer, David Cavanagh, to Bali Rai, writer of young adult fiction. Interviewers include ITV's Nina Nannar and BBC Radio Suffolk's Lesley Dolphin and Stephen Foster.

BooksEast will also be hosting a series of light-hearted events, including a ‘Literary Pub Crawl’, produced by Eastern Angles, and ‘Read Me/See Me’, a film series with guest speakers, in partnership with the Ipswich Film Theatre.

Assis Carreiro, BooksEast Festival Director, said:

“I’m thrilled that our vision to create an exciting and vibrant book festival for Ipswich has become a reality. Thanks to the incredible support of our funders, sponsors and partners – including local company Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines – the first BooksEast Festival brings an eclectic mix of events, with something for audiences of all ages.

“This is the first time that our town has played host to such a major literary event, and I do hope that as many people as possible will come along and discover more. What lies between the covers is never predictable: controversial, challenging, engaging, thought-provoking and entertaining, our line-up of authors share their passions, and perhaps even their writing secrets, with all of us."

Fred. Olsen is sponsoring the ‘Life at the Limits’ talk by world-renowned explorer and adventurer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes. He will discuss his extraordinary life, from his ancestral heritage to the present day, with long-time friend and expedition partner, Anton Bowring. From light-hearted to strikingly poignant, Sir Ranulph will cover his childhood, misdemeanours at school, Army life, and early expeditions, right through to the Transglobe Expedition, Mount Everest, the Coldest Journey and the world’s toughest foot race, the Marathon des Sables.

Rachael Jackson, Public Relations Manager for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

“Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is proud to be associated with Ipswich’s newest festival! As a major local employer, based in Ipswich, it is important that we show support for events happening right on our doorstep, and we are keen to link up our cruise programme of ‘destination exploration’ with Sir Ranulph Fiennes and his irrepressible spirit of adventure. We are very much looking forward his talk ‘Life at the Limits’ and learning more about the amazing places that travel can take you!”

Ruth Burton, Public Relations Executive for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, can be seen interviewing Assis Carreiro, BooksEast Festival Director, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCHSeLd4BG4

To view the full BooksEast Festival’s programme, visit the website at www.bookseast.co.uk

To book tickets to ‘Life at the Limits: An Evening with Sir Ranulph Fiennes’, and all other ticketed BooksEast events, go to the website, or call01473 433100 (with the exception of events and screenings taking place at Ipswich Film Theatre, which may be booked via www.iftt.co.uk)