The literary editor of The Sunday Times, Andrew Holgate, and the newspaper’s chief fiction reviewer, Peter Kemp, discuss what it is like to be a literary editor and reviewer. How do they select the books to review? What is the power of the critic?  And what influence do they believe they have on whether a book succeeds or not? Both Holgate and Kemp are actively involved in the Oxford Literary Festival as part of their work for our title sponsor The Sunday Times. So, why do they get involved in a literary festival, and why do they think festivals are important?

Holgate and Kemp will be talking to Dr David Grylls, a fellow of Kellogg College, Oxford, and director of studies for the literature and creative writing courses. His publications include the books Guardians and Angels: Parents and Children in Nineteenth-Century Literature, The Paradox of Gissing, and Dickens: A Viewers’ Guide. He is a regular reviewer of contemporary fiction for The Sunday Times.  This event is supported by Kellogg College and the University of Oxford Department of Continuing Education