The Suffolk Book League (SBL) was founded in 1982 and has introduced a varied programme of novelists, historians, poets, journalists, biographers, MPs and social commentators to speak in Suffolk. Our honorary president is Dame Margaret Drabble.

Past speakers have included Hilary Mantel, Brian Keenan, Deborah Moggach, Alexander McCall Smith, Julie Myerson, Doris Lessing, Francis Wheen, PD James, Louis de Bernieres, Sarah Waters and David Starkey. A full list of past speakers with links to their websites, writing and biographies can be viewed via the link below.

Click here for a list of Past Speakers

The Suffolk Book League events calendar also includes study days, trips to places of literary interest, quizzes and joint meetings with local literary festivals.

The SBL is a registered charity (number 296783), the aim of which is to promote, encourage, foster or strengthen by all and every suitable means the habit of reading and the wider and more general distribution of books, by and among all people. We are involved in various community projects such as Got to Read, Summer Reads, Schools Mastermind Competition, World Book Day/Night, supporting one-to-one reading with young offenders at Warren Heath Prison, Short Story Competitions and hosting book launches for local writers such as the recent "Girl Reading" by Katie Ward.

We are pleased to support the initiative Got to Read, which is is a charity based in Suffolk who want to enable individuals and communities to share and enjoy reading. We know that some people would like to be more confident in their reading, writing and speaking skills. Got to Read provides training and support to volunteers who have a love of reading and want to share that with others. The volunteers give one-to-one support to help people with their own personal reading goals, whether that is building on what they can do already, or starting right from the beginning. Visit the website for more information - www.gottoread.org.uk

We also publish a quarterly journal for our members, Book Talk, and enthusiastically support the bi-annual New Angle Literary Prize.

2012 is the 30th anniversary of the Suffolk Book League so watch this space for some exciting celebratory events throughout the year!

Ipswich Children's Book Group Events:

The 2Steves - Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore - Tuesday 28 February, 6:45pm

The 2Steves are fun, entertaining and really engage with the audience during their interactive sessions.  If you have not seen them before please don't miss this opportunity to do so and if you have, why not come along any way - they are always coming up with something new.   ENTRY IS FREE, but places should be booked in advance by contacting Jayne Gould at jayne.gould@btopenworld.com or on 01473 714672. So make sure you book your place now for an evening full of fun and laughter.

This event will be held at Murrayfield Primary School, Nacton Road, Ipswich, IP3 9JL. Click here to download the details of the event.

Rob Eastaway - Wednesday 29 February, 6:30pm

An evening of magic, maths and mystery with Rob Eastaway,  the author of several books including Maths For Mums and Dads, Why Do Buses Come In Threes? and The Hidden Mathematics of Sport, who will demonstrate fun mind reading and other maths mysteries. See the attached flyer for full details and book your place for this family event suitable for children 7-11 years.

This event will be held at Sidegate Primary School, Sidegate Lane, Ipswich, IP4 4JD. Click here to download the details of the event.

World Book Day - Thursday 1 March

The Suffolk Book League will be supporting the Got to Read initiative in the promotion of World Book Day, which is the biggest annual celebration of books and reading in the UK and Ireland.

For full details take a look at their website - www.worldbookday.com

You can follow World Book Day on Twitter - click here

University Campus Suffolk Academy Lecture - Wednesday 28 March, 5:30-7:30pm

Professor Blake Morrison presents 'The Future of Reading' in The Auditorium, UCS Waterfront Building, Ipswich.

Does the printed book have a future? Are e-books – along with blogs, texts, emails and the Internet – changing the way we read? What will happen to literary fiction and poetry as we move further into the new technological age?

Many people throughout history have testified to the importance of books to their intellectual, emotional and even moral development – will future generations be able to say the same, or has the way we come to learn about the world changed forever?

In this talk, Professor Blake Morrison looks at the current condition of the book in this country (with reference to the publishing industry, new trends in literature, prizes, libraries and book groups), and argues the case for the therapeutic benefits of reading and writing.

Click here for further details.

World Book Night - Monday 23 April

World Book Night is a celebration of reading and books which sees tens of thousands of people gift books within their communities to spread the joy and love of reading. In 2012 World Book Night will be celebrated in the UK, Ireland, Germany and USA.

Click here to learn more about World Book Night

You can also follow World Book Night on Twitter - click here