Creative Folkestone Book Festival: Emily Howes & Julie Owen Moylan: Dangerous Desires
Create a free account to applyHear two novelists unpack fame, marriage and the pressure of public attention through the stories of Catherine Dickens, Queen Elizabeth II and Marilyn Monroe. Join an hour-long discussion chaired by National Gallery curator Francesca Whitlum-Cooper, then meet the authors at a book signing.
Emily Howes and Julie Owen Moylan come together for a literary conversation that explores fame, marriage, longing and the hidden costs of living in the public gaze. The event is part of Folkestone Book Festival and brings together two acclaimed novelists whose work reimagines the lives of women shaped by myth, history and public attention.
Howes discusses Mrs Dickens, which revisits the life of Catherine Dickens, while Moylan’s Elizabeth & Marilyn draws on the real-life meeting between Queen Elizabeth II and Marilyn Monroe. Together, their novels open up questions about performance, loneliness and the pressure of being seen by others.
The event is chaired by Francesca Whitlum-Cooper, a curator at the National Gallery and novelist writing as Fran Cooper. Audience members can expect an engaging hour-long discussion followed by a book signing, making this a highlight for readers interested in contemporary fiction, biography and the stories behind famous women.
Emily Howes and Julie Owen Moylan, chaired by Francesca Whitlum-Cooper
17 November 2026, 18:00 – 19:00
Folkestone Book Festival 2026
Location
- Concessionary rates apply to under 21s, full-time students, registered unemployed and registered disabled.
- Proof of status is required for concessionary tickets.
£5 Cost of living ticket plus £1.50 booking fee. Standard tickets are £12 plus £1.50 booking fee, and concession tickets are £10 plus £1.50 booking fee.
Comments
Loading comments...