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
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
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!
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
