Events

BBC Children in Need 2020 @BBCCCiN will be taking bids for a signed, hardback, first edition of ‘The secrets of filming Swallows & Amazons’ – based on diaries kept whilst making the original film in 1974.

Online bidding will take place for Lot 108 – in the category ‘Autobiography’- along with many other books by bestselling authors, here 

Great British Beach Clean – 11th to 28th September #SolentBeachClean with Keep Britain Tidy. You can see some of the weird things we’ve collected recently here.

Sophie has been hosting a competition on photographing books for Instagram  –

For the ‘Chick Lit and Proscecco’ online festival with a Facebook Live talk followed by an interactive workshop now online.

May-July 2020 – Lockdown Tales – broadcast on BBC Radio Suffolk and BBC Sound with a Wonderfulbeasts podcast featuring Sophie Neville reading for children. You can listen to it here:

‘Lockdown Tales’ brings together a fantastic array of readers – Miranda Raison, Gemma Jones, Dame Penelope Wilton, Diana Quick, Sophie Neville, Hilary Greatorex, Sam Wright, Emily Holt and many more brilliant voices, as well as authors reading their own work. All have recorded themselves at home, reading stories and poetry dedicated to children they can’t be with due to Coronavirus.

May 2020 – Marathon reading of The Picts and The Martyrs by Arthur Ransome – an IF NOT DUFFERS production

Future events ~

Meet the Author – interviewing Rupert Wieloch at Pilgrims’s Old Library Winchester – discussing his book Churchill’s Prisoners – Drinks are served at 7.30 and the talk starts at 8 pm.

Rowing the Draper’s Shallop at Henley Royal Regatta 2021

TBC December 2020 – A talk on Ride The Wings of Morning for Brokenhurst Probus at Balmer Lawn

TBC – A winter talk at Lymington Town Sailing Club on the Solent.

TBC – Talk at Boldre Memorial Hall in Hampshire for the Women’s Institute.

TBC – Mudeford Sailing Club’s Swallows & Amazons weekend

TBC – Talk on ‘The Making of Swallows & Amazons’ at Moreton Hall, Shropshire

TBC – Q&A with Sophie after a screening of ‘Swallows & Amazons’ (1974) at the Brewery Arts Cinema in Kendal

 

Recent events ~

• Highlights of 2019 ~
  • Sailing up the coast of Norway, meeting Stacey Dooley in Bodo above the Arctic Circle
  • Won Ladies Championship for long-bow archery
  • Romantic Novelist Association Conference at Lancaster University
  • Worcestershire Archery Society at Blackmore Park
  • Great British Spring Clean 2019 celebration at the House of Commons
  • 30 Days Wild with the Wildlife Trusts
  • Great British Beach Clean with Keep Britain Tidy
  • A talk on charts and maps for Brokenhurst Probus at Balmer Lawn Hotel.
  • 24th-27th May 2019 – The Arthur Ransome Society IAGM in Lyndhurst, New Forest

Highlights of 2018 ~

• Book Signing at Beenham Hatch, Buckleberry, Berkshire
• Launch of the DVD ‘Walton’s Secret Water.’
• A talk on ‘Ride the Wings of Morning’ at Lymington Town Sailing Club.
• Art For Africa – an exhibition of paintings at Beenham Hatch.
• Interviewed on beach cleaning by BBC Radio Solent
• ‘Swallows and Amazons re-visited’ in the Lake District

• BBC Radio Cumbia on 24th May and 24th July

• 45th Anniversary talk on ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons (1974)’ in Cumbria featured in the Westmorland Gazette
• Talk at Balmer Lawn Hotel, Brockenhurst, for Probus
• Talk on ‘The Secrets of Filming Coot Club & The Big Six’ for the Norfolk Broads Yacht Club in Wroxham

• Opening the Tavistock Music and Arts Festival, giving an illustrated talk on ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’ followed by a cinema screening Q&A.
• Rowing on the crew of The Queen’s barge Gloriana in the Boat Race Flotilla televised on BBCTV.
• The Waterberg Trust Challenge Ride across the game reserves of South Africa, to raise funds for Save the Wateberg Rhino and associated community projects.

 Highlights of 2017~

• Signing books at The Waterberg Trust Christmas Fair in Berkshire.
• Griff Rhys Jones, Lubby Purves and Sophie Neville took part in a Marathon Read at Pin Mill Sailing Club in Suffolk to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the publication of Arthur Ransome’s book ‘We Didn’t Mean To Go To Sea’.
• A Talk at Lymington Town Sailing Club
• A Talk in Hampshire for members of the Women’s Institute.
• Marathon reading of Swallows and Amazons’ as part of the Visit England’s Year of Literary Heroes. Hannah-Jayne Thorpe who played Peggy in the recent film and BBC Radio 4’s Caz Graham also read chapters.
• The Arthur Ransome Literary Weekend in Edinburgh.
• In the New Forest for the Curious Arts Festival
• Won Ladies Challenge at the Worcestershire Archery Society
• Sailing Arthur Ransome’s yacht the Nancy Blackett in Holland.
• A talk at The Captain’s Club in Christchurch.
• Opening talk at The Arthur Ransome Society
• Sophie opened the Arthur Ransome Pin Mill Jamboree in Suffolk.

• A Talk at the Tavistock Music and Arts Festival 2017 on ‘Funnily Enough – Living with Otters’. We were joined by Rudi-the-Otter who stars in the ITV series ‘The Durrells’ and appeared in Natural World for BBC Two .
• Henlease Book Group in Bristol discussed ‘Funnily Enough’.

• The Waterberg Trust Challenge Ride across the game reserves of South Africa – 2017

Highlights of 2016 ~

• A talk by award-winning producer Alastair Fothergill to raise funds for The Waterberg Trust.
• Screening of ‘My Feral Heart’ in Soho.
• An illustrated talk with a book signing for Mudeford Sailing Club.
• Book launch of Julian Lovelock’s ‘Swallows, Amazons & Coots’ with Forward by Sophie Neville
• Release of the new film ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (2016) in cinemas.
• ‘Swallows & Amazons’ (1974) screened at the Just So Festival
• Q&A with Sophie Neville at a screening of ‘Swallows & Amazons’ (1974) at Aldebrough cinema
• Won Ladies Challenge at the Worcestershire Archery Society
• Cast and crew preview of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (2016)

–Diver Dan Travers with Sophie Neville-

• The Arthur Ransome Society IAGM in Dumfries, Scotland
• Book launch for ‘Belfast to Behghazi: Untold challenges of war’ by Rupert Wieloch.
• Representing Bible Society at Spring Harvest in Minehead
• Leading the Waterberg Trust Challenge Ride 2016

Highlights of 2015 ~

• Book signing at the Red Cross Fair in Bedford
• Film Night evening in aid of Hampshire Air Ambulance
• 600th Anniversary of Agincourt at Chatsworth shooting the longbow

-Sophie Neville shooting at Chatsworth-

• TARS summer camp, Chichester Harbour, with ‘Swallow’ from the film.

Photo: George Ping

• Curious Arts Festival Talk and Q&A with Sophie Neville

-Sophie Neville at the Curious Arts Festival-

•  Swallows & Amazons (1974) screened at the Belfast Film Festival

-‘Swallows and Amazons'(1974) screened at the Belfast Film Festival-

• The launch of Ping-a-Pound for Medecine Sans Frontieres
• Leading the flotilla for 800th Anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta

-Sophie Neville with the Town Crier of Windsor-

• Swallow, the dinghy used in the film was at Beale Park Outdoor Show
• Talk by Sophie on ‘The Secrets of Filming Coot Club’
• a Q&A from Sophie Neville at the Riverside cinema

• Sophie appeared on CBBCTV’s  Cinemaniacs.

-Sophie Neville signing books-

• Sophie led the Waterberg Charity Ride in South Africa.

-Sophie Neville in South Africa-

Highlights of 2014

• Book signing at Waterstones in Lymington becoming bestseller of the day.
• Canine Partners at Drapers Hall in the presence of HRH Duchess of Gloucester.

• Cotswold Life Author’s Lunch At Lower Slaughter Manor.

• A talk for The Arthur Ransome Literary Day at Linlithgow in Scotland.

• Raising money for charity 2014 in Cowes, Isle of Wight
• Filming with our otters in Scotland on the movie Scottish Mussel

• Charity sheep drive across London Bridge as featured in the Times.
• Event for inner City children at Countryside Live – Lee Valley, London

Sophie Neville with Lord Nelson’s canon

• An evening with the Royal London Yacht Club on the Isle of Wight.

• Procession of historic boats into the City of Nantes with the crew of the Drapers’ Shallop.

Sophie Neville being interviewed on France 3

• Ladies prize for highest score West Berks Archery Meeting.
• Sophie Neville on Channel 5’s show The Wright Stuff

• Sophie Neville on BBC Radio Cumbria with Westmorland Gazette weekend feature

Sophie Neville with film fans

• Screening at  Zeffirelli’s cinema in Ambleside with Q&A by Sophie Neville
• Lakeland Radio interview
• Sophie was speaking on Premier Radio on ‘Woman to Woman’

• The Hackney PictureHouse Summer Family Film Festival with Q&A from Sophie Neville.

• Hastings Pirate Day  Sophie introduced Swallows & Amazons at the Electric Palace  Cinema

• Presentation of books ~ Ladies of LBC
• Chatted about appearing in ‘Cider with Rosie’ on  Mark Forrest Evening Show on BBC Radio

• Talks at The Arthur Ransome Society International Annual Weekend.
• 40th Anniversary talk on Swallows & Amazons (1974) ~ for The Arthur Ransome Society
• Arthur Ransome weekend with a talk on ‘Swallows & Amazons, the film locations’.
• Vsit to Arthur Ransome’s last house Hill Top as reported by the Westmorland Gazette.
• Talk on China’s Bestseller in the Waterberg, South Africa
• An after-lunch talk at Shotley Marina, Harwich.

Highlights of 2013

• Funnily Enough awarded  International Rubery Book Award 2013 third prize
• Sophie Neville’s artwork featured on Made In Chelsea.
• The unveiling of the Arthur Ransome plaque at Rugby School.
• An introduction to the film Swallows & Amazons at Royal Lymington Yacht Club.
• An after dinner talk for the Solent Section of the Cruising Association
• A talk on ‘The Secrets of filming Swallows & Amazons’ for Walhampton School.
• Hosting the Film Cafe at the SE New Wine Summer Conference
• 30th Anniversary talk on ‘Filming ‘Coot Club’ and ‘The Big Six’ in East Anglia’ at the Royal Harwich Yacht Club
• Guest speaker at The Arthur Ransom Soecity IAGM at Brockenhurst College.
• Sailing the Nancy Blackett from Bucklers Hard to Lymington.

Sophie Neville supporting Comic Relief on Red Nose Day

Huge thanks to all supporters.

• An interview on GNBA Radio broadcast worldwide.
• Second Chance Radio Show in the USA. To listen to it click here
• Dulwich Film at the Michael Croft Theatre introducing a screening of ‘Swallows & Amazons’ .

• On Channel 4 ~ ‘Compulsive Obsessive Cleaners’, documentary series on clearing out my mother’s house where Funnily Enough is set.

• With Ryan Jones, Captain of the Welsh Rugby Team at a charity dinner supported by HRH The Prince of Wales.
• Appearing on the cover of iBelieve magazine ~

• Richard Pilbrow was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama.  Suzanna Hamilton and I found ourselves at the cinema where the premier of Swallows & Amazons was held in 1974.

~ Talks and other events ~

• A talk on China’s Bestseller in Winchester and an illustrated talk on ‘China’s Bestseller’ in Southampton.

• A book launch for ‘Remembering Tenko’ by Andy Priestner at the Imperial War Museum, with Ann Bell, Louise Jameson and other cast members. Sophie Neville provided location and cast photographs for the Kindle version.

• Channel 4 filming a documentary with the Nevilles at Bakers Mill.

• 15th October ~ Ride the Wings of Morning did well in the UK and US free Kindle store promotion:
  • #1 in Nonfiction > Travel > Africa
  • #1 in Nonfiction > Biographies & Memoirs > Specific Groups
  • #1 in US Nonfiction > Biographies & Memoirs > Adventurers & Explorers
• 13th October ~ Funnily Enough did quite well in the UK free Kindle store promotion ~
  • #1 in the category ‘Parenting and Families’
  • #1 in the category  ‘Famiglia e relazioni‘ in Italy
    in the Amazon free Kindle stores.
• The Quay Book Club discussed ‘Ride the Wings of Morning’ with Sophie Neville.
• 20th Anniversary of City Barge.
• The Drapers’ Academy Opening Celebration 
• Regatta for the Disabled at Henley-on-Thames with Peter Willis, deputy editor of Classic Boat Magazine.
• Swallows and Amazons (1974) was shown at Eden Arts’ Picnic Cinema at Brantwood
• Ben Ainslie’s Olympic Celebration at the RLYC

• Archery with the longbow at Meriden

• WAS Archey Meeting at Sherridge ~ won the Baylis Arrow
• Rowing in the Royal Thamesis for HM the Queen at Henley-on-Thames
• Cumbria Life report on Sophie Neville’s visit to the Lake District
• Alexina Trophy at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club
• Arthur Ransome tour of the Lake District reported in the North West Evening Mail
• Swallows and Amazons was broadcast in the UK on Bank Holiday Monday.

• 8,737 copies of my books were down-loaded in one month
• Ride the Wings of Morning is back at #2 in the Bestsellers in African Travel list on Amazon UK Kindle.  Funnily Enough is just below Terry Pratchett on the Kindle list for Humour.

• April 25th ~ Ride the Wings of Morning reaches # 2 in the Amazon UK Kindle store under the category Bestsellers in African Travel. Funnily Enough was sitting just under NIV Bible sales in UK Kindle Bestsellers in Non-Fiction.
• 22nd April ~ Funnily Enough entered the Top 100 in the paid Kindle Store Bestseller list and reached:
  • #14 in Bestsellers in Non-fiction,  just above A Night to Remember: the Classic Bestselling Account of the Sinking of the Titanic by Julian Fellowes, Brian Lavery and Walter Lord.

• 20th April ~ Richard Kay reports on Funnily Enough’s success in the Daily Mail

• 19th April ~ Funnily Enough at #2 in the Amazon UK Kindle store and at #1 for Humour.
• Ride the Wings of Morning at #1 for Non-fiction/Biographies&Memoirs.
• Both have been classified by Amazon as Bestselling Books.

• 16th-18th April 2012 ~ The London Book Fair ~  promoting Funnily Enough and Ride the Wings of Morning.

• 18th April ~ The Kindle ebook of Funnily Enough, reached Number 2 in the free Amazon UK Kindle store downloading at the rate of 240 an hour: a new Amazon Bestseller.

• Kempsford Literary Festival, supporting Virginia McKenna who was speaking on her book ‘The Life in My Years’ and her work with the Born Free Foundation

 Previous Events

• House of Commons by kind invitation of Lord Mawhinney
• Talk at The Arthur Ransome Society annual lunch in Arundel.
• The Arthur Ransome Trust  ~ Movie Memories write-up 
• Book Launch of ‘Funnily Enough’ by Sophie Neville
• Westminster Abbey ~ in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen and HRH the Prince of Wales for 400th year celebration of the King James Bible .

• Art Exhibition at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club.
• Illustrated talk by Sophie Neville on The making of Swallows and Amazons for The Arthur Ransome Society’s Literary Weekend 2011

• Guest appearance on Waterberg Waves, a Radio Station  in South Africa