Bestselling author Nick Hornby will return to Kingston to discuss his distinguished writing career during the annual Festival of Stories this June.

Hornby, best known for his male confessional masterpieces About A Boy and High Fidelity, will join Kingston University vice-chancellor Julius Weinberg on June 25 to talk about his work.

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Nick Hornby will be in conversation with Kingston University vice-chancellor Julius Weinberg

Doctor Alison Baverstock, from Kingston University’s journalism and publishing department is organising the event.

She says: “Nick Hornby is one of Kingston University’s best known alumni.

“He did his PGCE at Kingston, after a degree in English at Cambridge and we are proud to welcome him back for a talk about his writing career as a reviewer, novelist, memoirist and, more recently, screenwriter.”

This is the third Festival of Stories, this year happening under the title The Untold Story, and is part of Kingston University’s Big Read event.

The festival will feature almost 50 events including dance, music and theatre performances.

Dr Baverstock explains: “Now in its third year, the event celebrates storytelling, in all its forms, from across the borough and around the world.

“The Kingston University Big Read is a shared reading initiative where we hope to encourage staff and students to share Nick Hornby’s book About a Boy.

“And this will hopefully build into an endeavour that unites town and gown.”

Other events as part of the festival will include And On Theatre’s Fairy Tales at the Rose Theatre.

A blend of everyone’s favourite fairytale characters the show illustrates how stories come to life and how life leads to learning through the journeys we take.

Television historian Michael Wood, best known for his BBC documentaries about the life of Britain’s leaders, will also be giving this year’s Garrick Lecture at the University.

Dr Baverstock says that the festival is valuable because it makes the Kingston community aware of the University’s research. She says: “This year has the best programme yet. It is an exciting collaboration which gets bigger each year, and we are really looking forward to it."

The Untold Story; Various locations including the Rose Theatre and Kingston University; June 20 to June 27; visit facebook.com/KingstonConnectionsourstorybegins.