Books by the Beach

YMCA Theatre is proud to once again provide the box office for the 2023 Books by the Beach Festival

Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th June 2023

Please use the links below to buy your tickets online, alternatively, you can give us a call on 01723 506750 or visit our box office at the Community Desk inside YMCA Scarborough, St. Thomas Street, Scarborough, YO11 1DY.

We are on the corner of Elder Street.

Tickets must be bought or collected in advance, our box office is not open on Sunday.

For more information about the festival please visit booksbythebeach.co.uk

Frequently asked questions can be found at the bottom of the page

Save With Day Tickets

Day Tickets cover all 5 events in that day. Day tickets can be bought in-person at the box office or by telephone. They can also be bought online for a fee. Subject to availability.

Friday 9th June 2023

James Fox

The World According to Colour

In this festival event popular BBC Broadcaster and art historian JAMES FOX explores mankind’s relationship with colour. Drawing together global stories of history, art, exploration and science, he reveals the meanings attached to colours we see around us, and the ways these have shaped our culture and imagination.

7pm - 8pm

Queen Street Church
£ 10
  • Tickets Left

Saturday 10th June 2023

Luke Jennings

Explosive Thrillers

Hosted by Gerry Foley

 

Luke Jennings is the author of the acclaimed
Killing Eve novels which were adapted into an
award-winning BBC series starring Jodie Comer
and Sandra Oh. As a journalist he has written for the Observer, Vanity Fair, the New Yorker and Time.
Luke introduces his new novel #PANIC,
a rollercoaster ride of friends on the run across
the American South evading police, Russian mafia
and political extremists. A must see opening event!

10.30am - 11.30am

Queen Street Church
£ 10
  • Tickets Left

Catherine Curzon

The World of Bridgerton

Hosted by Helen Boaden

 

Regency expert, novelist and playwright

Catherine Curzon explores the historical context

of one of the world’s most popular period dramas.

Discussing sex, race and entertainment, dazzling

fashions, class structure and etiquette, marriage

marts and dramatic duels – she offers a window

into the real world of Bridgerton.

1pm - 2pm

Queen Street Church
£ 10
  • Tickets Left

Rachel Joyce

Fantastic Fiction

Hosted by Gerry Foley

 

Rachel Joyce is the author of many international bestsellers including The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (film released April) The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy and Miss Benson’s Beetle. Rachel moved to writing after a long acting career and has also written plays and adaptations for BBC Radio 4. She will be chatting about her latest novel, Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North.

3pm - 4pm

Queen Street Church
£ 10
  • Tickets Left

Madeleine Bunting

The Seaside

Hosted by Helen Boaden

 

Acclaimed author and journalist Madeleine Bunting takes us on a journey around England’s coastline through her latest work The Seaside. Journeying clockwise from our very own Scarborough to Morecambe on the west coast, she explores England’s great seaside resorts. As destinations of pleasure, entertainment and adventure, she helps us understand their origins and their heyday, their ongoing influence but also their current struggles

5pm - 6pm

Queen Street Church
£ 10
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Alan Johnson

Crime Time

Hosted by Gerry Foley

 

Former Home Secretary and raconteur Alan Johnson is the prize winning author of a memoir trilogy detailing his fascinating life and career. His fourth memoir In My Life featured his love of music. Today Alan discusses his second novel One of Our Ministers is Missing – a fast paced thriller set in Crete featuring Met Police Officer Louise Mangan. An entertaining evening with Alan is guaranteed!

7.30pm - 8.30pm

Queen Street Church
£ 10
  • Tickets Left

Sunday 11th June 2023

The Reverend Fergus Butler-Gallie

Touching Cloth

Hosted by Gerry Foley

 

The Reverend Fergus Butler-Gallie is a bestselling author and priest who has ministered in parishes in Liverpool and Central London. He grew up amidst a large family of maniacs and was educated at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Fergus has written for numerous newspapers and speaks regularly on radio. His new memoir, Touching Cloth is a wickedly entertaining record of life as a young priest and a love letter to the Church of England at its best

10.30am - 11.30am

YMCA Theatre
£ 10
  • Tickets Left

Ben Jacob

The Orchid Outlaw

Hosted by Gerry Foley

 

Obsessed by orchids since childhood, Ben Jacob spent years travelling to far-flung jungles to see them in the wild. Then a chance encounter sent him on a journey of discovery into the world of Britain’s fifty-one native species. But our orchids are in desperate trouble. Inadequately protected their habitats are disappearing fast. Risking prison, ten years ago Ben turned outlaw to save our rarest flower. His book The Orchid Outlaw is a memoir, a natural history and a call to action to save the world, one plant at a time.

1pm - 2pm

Queen Street Church
£ 10
  • Tickets Left

Photo Credit: Kajsa Goransson

Jenny Colgan & Linda Green

The Power of Love

Hosted by Helen Boaden

 

Sunday Times bestselling novelist Jenny Colgan has won various awards and sold more than nine million copies of her work worldwide. Jenny introduces her new escapist novel The Summer Skies. Linda Green is the bestselling author of ten novels including One Moment which was a Radio 2 Book club selection. Linda will be discussing her latest work In Little Stars, a modern day Romeo and Juliet set against a divided northern England.

3pm - 4pm

Queen Street Church
£ 10
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Photo Credit: Andrew Key

Stuart Maconie

The Full English

Hosted by Helen Boaden

 

Writer, broadcaster, and journalist Stuart Maconie is familiar to millions. His previous bestsellers include Cider with Roadies and Pies and Prejudice. He hosts a show for BBC Radio 6 on weekends.

In his new book The Full English, he travels the length and breadth of the country, taking as his companion J B Priestley’s English Journey. He follows the itinerary of that 1930s expedition to see what’s changed, what remains and what might happen next to our nation.

5pm - 6pm

Queen Street Church
£ 10
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Photo Credit: Yorkshire Agricultural Society

Amanda Owen

The Yorkshire Shepherdess

Hosted by Helen Boaden

 

Amanda Owen is surely the UK’s most famous shepherdess, mother to nine children, a passionate photographer and bestselling author. Her family live a life that has almost gone in today’s world; one ruled by the seasons and their animals. Amanda’s TV journey started over a decade ago and her latest book Celebrating the Seasons is a month by month account of life on the farm, with stunning images and recipes. Come and listen to her uplifting tales of Ravenseat in this eagerly anticipated finale.

7.30pm-8.30pm

Queen Street Church
£ 12
50
  • Tickets Left

Frequently Asked Questions

Tickets go on sale on the 6th April 2023

No, please make sure you are aware of where each event takes place

No, Tickets are not available on the door. You will also not be able to collect tickets after 5pm on Saturday.

No, no refunds are available. If you have purchased refund protection online you will need to follow the instructions from the insurance company.

Yes, tickets costs £1.50 per booking to post.

Yes, refreshments will be available to buy at all of the events

Yes, all venues have a hearing loop