Sarah Perry: What Makes a Life Extraordinary?

Sarah Perry, the internationally bestselling author of The Essex Serpent, turns her remarkable gifts to memoir in Death of an Ordinary Man, a poignant and deeply moving account of the final days of her beloved father-in-law, David, who died just nine days after a cancer diagnosis.

With tenderness, wit and extraordinary insight, Perry transforms one family’s experience of caregiving, grief and goodbye into a meditation on the people who shape us, sustain us and leave their mark on the world.

For anyone who has loved, lost, cared for another, or wondered how we find meaning in the face of mortality, this will to be a life-affirming conversation about memory, connection and the bonds that survive us.

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Events last one hour unless otherwise stated. Apologies, but there will be no book signing with this event, however Sarah’s books will be available to buy upstairs in The Clearing from our official bookseller, Waterstones.

Folkestone Book Festival is our annual celebration of stories, ideas and conversation by the sea. Curated by novelist Sophie Haydock (The Flames, Madame Matisse), this year’s festival brings together more than 60 events across two weeks, welcoming world-class writers, thinkers and storytellers to Folkestone.

Discover another event, browse the bookshop, explore Folkestone’s vibrant arts scene, independent cafés, bars and galleries, and share the experience with a friend. The best festivals are as much about the conversations between events as those on stage.

The Festival is part of Folkestone is a Library, our ambitious town-wide celebration of reading, writing and storytelling, helping make Folkestone one of the UK’s most exciting literary destinations.

We believe great conversations should be for everyone, which is why every event includes a £5 Cost of Living Ticket, available with no questions asked.

Please help us spread the word. Together, we’re building a thriving community of readers, writers and curious minds.

Folkestone Book Festival is proudly supported by Eurotunnel, Canterbury Christ Church University, Holiday Extras, and the Friends of Folkestone Book Festival. Creative Folkestone is supported by Arts Council England, Folkestone & Hythe District Council and Saga. Founding Funder The Roger De Haan Charitable Trust.