Indulge in a spot of tome improvement

Lauren Krotosky - Thursday 2nd 2010f September 2010


Yotam Ottolenghi

Celebrity scribes set for Hampstead & Highgate Literary Festival

Steven Berkoff, Howard Jacobson, Ron Moody and Yotam Ottolenghi will be among the leading authors appearing at this year’s Hampstead and Highgate Literary Festival, taking place later this month.

The three-day programme, now in its second year, plays host to 50 events and 78 authors. It will also include workshops on getting published, how to write compelling fiction and poetry - given by Jewish author Miriam Halahmy.

Author and playwright Berkoff, whose play Biblical Tales has just come to the end of its four-week run at the New End Theatre, will be talking about his latest book, Diary of a Juvenile Delinquent. "It is a recollection of my childhood, from birth to 21," he explains. "I have written about it before, but as I get older I find that I dwell more on the past, with nostalgia, regret and fascination. That area of one's life is very formative - roots are grown for adult life. I wanted to investigate young life, with a degree of nostalgia and objectivity, and describe what it was like living in those times."

Does he think that they were better times? "We are given this incredible life but are unable to drive it unless guided," he says. "For a Jewish family we had very little but it was a more honest time with more human response than there is today. There was so much more communication then - the internet is superficial ersatz communication."

Steven says he had a mixed reaction to Biblical Tales. "Tremendous and very warm from the audience, and a little peculiar from some of the critics - some missed the point. They were concerned with the text and not with the movement, gesture and visual impact of the piece, which are hardly mentioned. It was a bit odd but never mind."

He says he enjoys doing literary festivals, even though he hasn't done many. "But I do the best I can, hope I sell a few books and entertain the audience. I love going to festivals, as people can gather and have a common ground. They are a place where we can be together and relate what we have seen and communicate what we feel. They prevent authors from being isolated, living in squats and attics."

Back for a second year, Howard Jacobson's also looking forward to the festival. "I like doing festivals and giving readings. It's always a good thing to do when you have a book coming out. I hope the book appeals to all kinds of people. Readers can hear me talk about the book, and I like Ivy House. I live in Central London so Hampstead feels like the country to me."

He will be talking about his latest book The Finkler Question, which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2010. The book tells the story of old school friends, former BBC radio producer Julian Treslove, Sam Finkler, a Jewish philosopher, writer and television personality, and their former teacher, Libor Sevick.

Manchester-born author Jacobson, 67, says that he was inspired to write the book following a combination of real life experiences.

"I had an encounter with someone a lot like Libor, my favourite character in the book, who was recently widowed," he begins. "The little that he had left to live for, the tenderness with which he spoke and his sadness. It is hard to have an enduring love, especially when one partner dies, and I liked the poignancy of that."

Actor and author Ron Moody will be regaling the audience with tales from his new book, A Still Untitled, (Not Quite) Autobiography. "I haven't done a literary festival for a long time," he says. "Last time I did one, it was quite star-packed and I sat next to Salman Rushdie. A literary audience is one of the best you can get - informed, sharp and witty."

Ron describes the book as a scientific experiment on the concept of communication, peppered with examples from his lengthy career.

"I love writing," he says. "I've been writing since I was about 16. It started off with short stories and I still write a diary. I love to crystallise experiences in words rather than images. Everyone's crazy about photos these days, but I prefer words."

He says his proudest moment was starring as Fagin in the film and stage versions of Oliver. "I don't think there's any doubt about that!"

Chef and food writer Yotam Ottolenghi will be joining the club for the first time this year, and says he's really looking forward to it. "I went to the Hay Festival in May, but I have never done this one before," he explains. "I don't know what to expect but I am excited for it. I am going to be interviewed by Jay Rayner, food writer at the Observer about the background of the book."

The book in question is entitled Plenty, and is a collection of his most prized recipes. "I was asked by my publisher, Ebury, to do another book following the success of my first one, Ottolenghi," he says. "I had a column in the Guardian, and after receiving letters from many readers decided to combine the recipes into a book. The book contains 80 recipes from the Guardian, and 40 new ones especially for the book."

His favourite recipe in the book is caramelised garlic tart. "It's a bit of work but there are a lot of flavours going on and it's very comforting and satisfying."

The Israeli chef, who also has his own franchise of upmarket delicatessens, says he would like to engage with a crowd of readers and enthusiasts, and see what he gets out of it. "It will be much more reciprocal than just me doing the talking."

The proudest moment of his career, he says, is the success of his business and brand. But unlike some well known chefs, he's not fussy about his clientele. "I am happy to cook for whoever - I am not bothered if they are famous or not."

He doesn't have another book in the making, but does have a restaurant opening in Soho next year. "It is going to be very colourful, flavoursome and bold, and more comfortable than my delis," he explains. "It will be more tapas-style, with small to medium-sized dishes. It will be slightly more formal than what we have been doing so far. I don't have plans to open a kosher restaurant though."

The Hampstead & Highgate Literary Festival takes place from Sunday 19 to Tuesday 21 September at Ivy House, 94-96 North End Road, London, NW11 7SX. Details of the programme can be found on www.hamhighlitfest.com where tickets can also be booked online or call the information line on 020 8511 7900