Dawn French and Bernardine Evaristo join for landmark event at the Southbank Centre
Beloved comedian, actor and bestselling author Dawn French and Booker Prize winner Bernardine Evaristo, will join in conversation for a one-of-a-kind digital event from the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on Monday 19th October, to celebrate the publication of Dawn’s new novel Because of You.
The exclusive Southbank Centre in partnership with Penguin Live event will be broadcast from 7.30pm and will be available to stream for the next seven days.
Following her triple-crown of bestselling novels, Dawn tackles the shocks that life throws at us in this wise and poignant novel about mothers and daughters, with cleverly drawn characters; challenged by themselves, each other and surprising twists and turns of fate.
Bernardine Evaristo, whose eight books have been celebrated with numerous awards including the Booker Prize 2019 for her novel Girl, Woman, Other, the British Book Award for Fiction and Author of the Year, and the Indie Book Award for Fiction, will chair this discussion, which promises to be the landmark literary event of the autumn.
Dawn French, said: “I fangirled over Bernardine years ago when I read the fantastic Mr. Loverman, so I am totally chuffed that she has agreed to spend an evening with me to talk about Because of You. She’s such a force, I can’t wait.”
Bernardine Evaristo, said: “‘I can’t wait to talk to the legendary Dawn French. I’ve been a huge fan of hers since the 90s and she is so essential to British culture. Her writing is incredibly lively, passionate and compassionate”.
Ted Hodgkinson, Head of Literature and Spoken Word at the Southbank Centre, said: “What a joy to not only be welcoming Dawn French back to the Royal Festival Hall, but hearing her in conversation with one of our most beloved authors, Bernardine Evaristo. This promises to be a rare and uplifting encounter between two witty and accomplished women. We’re delighted that this exclusive online event will be accessible to everyone in the UK- it’s not to be missed!”
Chloë Johnson-Hill, Director Penguin Live, said: “Penguin Live is delighted to be partnering with Southbank Centre
in bringing together Penguin authors Dawn French and Bernardine Evaristo for this unique event to launch Dawn’s glorious new novel Because of You. It will be an utter joy for audiences across the UK to be able to see and hear them in conversation together.”
The exclusive Southbank Centre in partnership with Penguin Live online event is part of the Southbank Centre’s Inside Out programme, a 3-month series of multi-arts events broadcast from the Royal Festival Hall and beyond this autumn.
Tickets for the digital event cost £25 and include a copy of Because of You (RRP: £20, ticket price inc. P&P). To book for the online event please visit southbankcentre.co.uk. The event will be available to stream until Monday 26th October.
Listings Information
Dawn French in Conversation at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall
Monday 19th October 2020, 7.30-8.30pm, pre-recorded online event, For ages 16+, £25 ticket including book copy
Much-loved comedian and bestselling author Dawn French will discuss her eagerly awaited new novel, Because of You, a meditation on motherhood and what makes us who we are. Taking on the age-old debate of nature vs nurture, this will be a conversation suffused with Dawn’s signature humour and warmth, broadcast from the Royal Festival Hall. This event is chaired by award-winning author Bernadine Evaristo and presented in partnership with Penguin Live.
This event is pre-recorded exclusively for the Southbank Centre and livestreamed on Monday 19th October 2020. Streaming is provided by TicketCo on behalf of the Southbank Centre. The talk is available to ticket holders for 7 days after purchase.
About the Southbank Centre
The Southbank Centre is the UK’s largest arts centre and one of the UK's top five visitor attractions, occupying a prominent riverside location that sits in the midst of London’s most vibrant cultural quarter on the South Bank of the Thames. We exist to present great cultural experiences that bring people together and we achieve this by providing the space for artists to create and present their best work and by creating a place where as many people as possible can come together to experience bold, unusual and eye-opening work. We want to take people out of the everyday, every day.
The site has an extraordinary creative and architectural history stretching back to the 1951 Festival of Britain. The Southbank Centre is made up of the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward Gallery as well as being home to the National Poetry Library and the Arts Council Collection. It is also home to four Resident Orchestras (London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, London Sinfonietta and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment) and four Associate Orchestras (Aurora Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain).
About Penguin Live
Penguin Live produces live experiences with the writers that readers love. Their events range from virtual events to extensive tours, featuring comedians and novelists, chefs and big thinkers – from Scarlett Curtis, Tan France, Stormzy and Caitlin Moran to Bill Bryson, Richard Dawkins and Zadie Smith. They also produce festival-style evenings that shine a light on new voices and explore current themes and issues through literature, music and visual arts, creating inclusive moments that inspire and connect people.
For a press ticket to the UK exclusive online event or for further information about the Southbank Centre's Inside Out programme please email press@southbankcentre.co.uk
Join the Conversation: @southbankcentre @penguinlive @Dawn_French @BernardineEvari
