Beverley Literature Festival: Minster Hosts Best-Selling Author Salley Vickers

Celebrated author, Salley Vickers, will be speaking at Beverley Literature Festival on Saturday, 12 October about her latest book, The Cleaner of Chartres – a magical and sometimes sinister story about love, loss, secrets and forgiveness set against a backdrop of one of France’s most celebrated gothic cathedrals.

What makes this event special is that it will be taking place at Beverley Minster. The minster is a highly appropriate choice, as its stunning architecture and medieval carvings make it one of the UK’s finest gothic churches. The Vicar of Beverley Minster, The Reverend Jeremy Fletcher, will be in conversation with Salley Vickers, delving into the book’s secrets and discovering why the author chose to set the book in this ancient cathedral.

Dorcas Taylor, festival director, said: “This will be an event to remember. The book itself is unputdownable – I read it in a day. Salley Vickers weaves such a good tale. I was completely caught up in the story, yet at the same time it provided much food for thought on some of life’s big questions.

“I am looking forward to listening to Salley talk about The Cleaner of Chartres with The Reverend Jeremy Fletcher. Jeremy is a fan of her books and was keen to be involved in the event right from the start.”

Salley Vickers is the author of the word-of-mouth bestseller Miss Garnet’s Angel and several other bestselling novels including Mr Golightly’s Holiday, The Other Side of You and Dancing Backwards. She has worked as a cleaner, a dancer, a university lecturer and a psychoanalyst.

The event with Salley Vickers takes place on Saturday, 12 October at 7.30pm at Beverley Minster. Tickets are £10, including a complimentary glass of wine.

To find out more about the festival, visit www.bevlit.org. Tickets can be bought online, through the website or in person at Beverley Library.

The Cleaner of Chartres is also one of the latest books to be read by the Beverley Library’s Readers’ Group. With a membership of around 30 people, it is one of the largest in the East Riding and many of its members are regular Beverley Literature Festival-goers.