In 2006 an event called ‘The Antonia Forest Conference’, organised by Hilary Clare, Sally Phillips, Sue Sims (Antonia Forest’s literary executor) and Joy Wotton, took place in Bournemouth - Antonia's home for most of her life - and was attended by over eighty enthusiasts for Forest’s books. The programme included seminars and discussion groups, an exhibition, a literary walk round Bournemouth, a book sale, and a presentation of discarded material from the final Marlow title, Run Away Home, as well as specialist talks by a variety of speakers.
The fully illustrated conference proceedings (edited by Laura Hicks, who also edited The Marlows and their Maker) have now been published under the title Celebrating Antonia Forest.
A "must-have" for all who enjoy AF's books, the contents of this super new GGBP soft-back include:
More than fifty pages of text originally written by Antonia Forest for Run Away Home and never before published, together with an explanatory introduction by Hilary Clare, who knew the author personally.
Previously unpublished photographs of Antonia Forest, her family, and places of importance in her life
Eight fascinating and thought-provoking articles on Antonia Forest and her books, by specialists in different aspects of her life and work, based on talks given at the Antonia Forest Conference in 2006, and now revised for publication
Photographs from the Antonia Forest Conference and illustrations to some of the articles
A detailed introduction to the Conference and its background by Sue Sims, one of its organisers and Antonia Forest’s literary executor.
