Events in 2023 & 2024

Southampton International Boat Show 2023
 
March 2023 – Great British Spring Clean with Keep Britain Tidy
 
11th April 2023 – Talk by Rupert Wieloch at the English Speaking Union
 
6.30pm, Tuesday 18th April 2023 – Talk on The Making of Swallows and Amazons at the Royal Thames Yacht Club in London
 
3.00pm, Sunday 30th April – Meeting readers and signing books at a fundraising concert at Tortington Church near Arundel
 
May – An interview with magazine editor Wendy H Jones
 
16th May – Guest on More Tea, Vicar? for Cotswolds Radio
 
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13th August – Romantic Novelists Association Conference in London
 
18th-20th August – Stockholm Writers’ Festival
 
Saturday 2nd September – a Talk on adapting novels for film and television at the British Christian Writers’ Conference at Ridley Hall Cambridge
 
TBC 15th-24th SeptemberSouthampton International Boat Show
 
Inspirational speaker, Sophie Neville
Sophie Neville speaking at the Southampton International Boat Show 2022
 

4th November Book Blest Christian Book Festival in Stroud

11th November – Romantic Novelists Association Industry Awards

November – Eyelands Book Awards hosted by Strangedays Books in Athens

November Children in Read’s charity auction in aid of BBC Children in Need.

Saturday 6th April 2024 – Q&As at The Cinema Museum in the Kennington area of South London after two screenings of SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS(1974)

July 2024 – Talk celebrating 50th Anniversary of filming Swallows and Amazons (1974) in Cumbria at Windermere Jetty Museum for Lakeland Arts.

TBC – Meet the Author – interviewing Rupert Wieloch at Pilgrims’s Old Library Winchester – discussing his book ‘Churchill’s Prisoners’

TBC – A Talk on The Making of Swallows and Amazons near Denbigh.

TBC – Speaking to members of Gloucester Book Club

TBC –  Interview on The All Things Book Show by Dawn Brookes

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

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

TBC – literary lunch in Bedfordshire in aid of SchoolReaders

TBC – Mudeford Sailing Club’s Swallows & Amazons weekend

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

Brewery Arts Centre Logo

Recent events

A Christmas reading on UCB Radio in Ireland.

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Meeting Sarah Fergusson, Duchess of York

Sophie Neville, Sarah Fergusson Duchess of York and Emma Grundy Haig from Joffe Books
Sophie Neville, Sarah Fergusson & Emma Grundy Haig from Joffe Books

November – Talks on ‘Funnily Enough the True Story’ and ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’ at the Stroud Christian Book Festival.

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October 2022 – Talk on ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’ at Queen Elizabeth College, Greenwich, London

Talks at Southampton International Boat Show 2022 on the Foredeck Stage with a feature in Practical Boat Owner magazine and book-signing.

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Nick Jeffery with Sophie Neville at the Boat Show

I have been at a series archery matches. Check my colours.

Sophie Neville's bow and arrows

All is revealed in a feature by Francesca Tyer on Authors Reach blog and in an interview on Your Take’s Podcast about classic TV drama serials – please click here for Your Take’s YouTube channel

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Championing the Race for Reading for the literacy charity SchoolReaders

A workshop for authors on the art of photographing your own books

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Funny Ha Ha – A review of Funnily Enough by Ruth Leigh 

Q&A at the Open Day at Bakers Mill in the Cotswolds

Book launch of Julia Jones’s latest book ‘Uncommon Courage’

Sophie Neville in Hatchards
Sophie Neville in Hatchards

Book Launch of Write Well published by ACW at Mary  in London SWI

Write Well banner

‘Swallows and Amazons'(1974) broadcast on Talking Pictures TV

Hosted workshop at The Late Summer Festival of Romantic Books and Writing

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Outdoor talk on ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’

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Giving an outdoor talk during Lockdown

Speaking to Helen Millican on BBC Radio Cumbria – on BBC Sounds here 

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Appearing on BBC Antiques Roadshow with Marc Allum

Events held in 2020

December 2020 –  ‘In Conversation with Sophie Neville’ Lakeland Arts celebrated the 90th Anniversary of the publication of ‘Swallows and Amazons’.

‘Books at Lunchtime’ with Ketts Books

BBC Children in Need 2020 @BBCCCiN gained a staggeringly generous bid of £201 for a signed, hardback, first edition of ‘The Secrets of Filming Swallows & Amazons’ in a charity auction for bestselling authors – Read more here 

Sophie won the Create! competition  exhibiting at the Wilson Stephens & Jones Gallery in Notting Hill, London

Sophie also won an award for Beach Cleaning

‘Swallows and Amazons'(1974) in which Sophie Neville plays the heroine, Titty, was last Broadcast on BBC2 on 30th August.

Sophie hosted a competition for authors on photographing books

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For the ‘Chick Lit and Proscecco’ online festival with a Facebook Live talk.

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May-July 2020 – Reading Lockdown Tales – broadcast on BBC Radio Suffolk and BBC Sound with a Wonderfulbeasts – listen to it here:

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‘Lockdown Tales’ brings together a fantastic array of readers – Dame Penelope Wilton, Diana Quick, Sophie Neville, Hilary Greatorex, Sam Wright, Emily Holt as well as authors reading their own work.

Wonderful Beast

With original music composed by Sylvia Hallett, the collection was made available for children worldwide, in a podcast series hosted by #WonderfulBeast

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

  • Highlights of 2019 ~
    • Sailing in Norway, meeting Stacey Dooley in Bodo above the Arctic Circle
    • Won Ladies Championship for long-bow archery
    • Romantic Novelist Association Conference at Lancashire 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.
    • The Arthur Ransome Society IAGM in Lyndhurst, New Forest
Sophie Neville at the House of Commons with the Director of Clean Up Britain and Heroes of the Great British Spring Clean 2019
Sophie Neville at the House of Commons with Heroes of the GBSC 2019

Highlights of 2018 ~

Sophie Neville with Robin Pratley and Swallow

BBC Radio Cumbria Mike Zeller

Sophie Neville at the Tavistock Festival

TWT Ride 2018 team photo at Lindani

 Highlights of 2017~

Arthur Ransome Pin Mill Jamboree

the-waterberg-trust-challenge-ride-2016

sophie-neville-alastair-fothergill-and-juliet-maddanHighlights of 2016 ~

DSCF4560Diver Dan Travers with Sophie Neville-

Highlights of 2015 ~

Chatsworth 2-Sophie Neville shooting at Chatsworth-

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

Sophie Neville shaking cocktails-Sophie Neville at the Curious Arts Festival-

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

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Q&A ar Riverside Screening

Q&A singing copies of new DVD-Sophie Neville signing books-

Sophie Neville 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.

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Sophie Neville at the Cotswold Life Author's lunch - photoTWM

Sophie Neville on the Solent

Sophie Neville with Beanie the Otter

Nelson's canon

Sophie Neville with Lord Nelson’s canon

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Sophie Neville being interviewed on France 3 TV

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 in the studio with her camera

Sophie Neville signing books in Ambleside

Sophie Neville with film fans

 
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 Sophie Neville on ‘Woman to Woman’
 

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Announcing the film to the pirates of Hastings

Mark Forrest

  • Talks at The Arthur Ransome Society International Annual Weekend.
  • 40th Anniversary talk for The Arthur Ransome Society
  • Arthur Ransome weekend with a talk on film locations.
  • Vsit to Arthur Ransome’s house 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

Sophie Neville supporting Comic Relief

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.

Sophie Neville with the film crew from Betty Television for Channel 4

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

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  • With Ryan Jones, Captain of the Welsh Rugby Team at a charity dinner.
  • Appearing on the cover of iBelieve magazine ~

iBelieve cover March

Highlights of 2012 ~ 
 
  • 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.
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Odeon Cinema on Shaftesbury Avenue

~ Talks and other events ~

Ben Fogel interviewing Suzanna Hamilton and Sophie Neville at Bank Ground Farm in cumbria
Ben Fogel interviewing Suzanna Hamilton and Sophie Neville at Bank Ground Farm in Cumbria.

 

Ben Fogel interviewing Suzanna Hamilton and Sophie Neville for BBC 1
A bottle of grog provided by members of The Arthur Ransome Society

 

Writer Sophie Neville
Advocating the use of the Kindle app in churches
The cast of the BBC serial 'Tenko'
Those involved in the BBC serial ‘Tenko’ reunited at the Imperial War Museum
  • 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.
Sophie Neville filming in the Cotswolds
Sophie filming for Channel 4 ~ October 2012
  • Channel 4 filming a documentary with the Nevilles at Bakers Mill.

Congratulating Ben Ainslie on his Olympic gold medal
  • Archery with the longbow at Meriden

'Swallows and Amazons' broadcast on ITV3
‘Swallows and Amazons’ broadcast on ITV3 ~ May Bank Holiday
  • 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.
China's Bestseller
Sophie Neville at Milford-on-Sea where she was giving a talk.
  • 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.

Sophie Neville

  • 20th April ~ Richard Kay reports on Funnily Enough’s success in the Daily Mail
Sophie Neville with China’s Bestseller
  • 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.

Dove Frieze

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

Sophie Neville at the London Book Fair

Virginia McKenna and Sophie Neville on Peel Island
Virginia McKenna and Sophie Neville on Peel Island ~ photo: Daphne Neville

 Previous Events

Sophie Neville at the House of Commons
Sophie Neville at The House of Commons
Sophie Neville with her husband outside Westminster Abbey
Sophie Neville with her husband Simon outside Westminster Abbey
Sophie Neville
Sophie Neville speaking on Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
Writer Sophie Neville with her new book 'Ride the Wings of Morning'
Sophie Neville with her book ‘Ride the Wings of Morning’ #1 in the UK Amazon Kindle charts under the category ‘Travel Africa’

10 thoughts on “Events in 2023 & 2024”

  1. Very busy lady! I’ve been rather out of touch, and had no idea you’d been producing books and much more all these years. Well done a hundred fold over! It isn’t clear enough to me how to BUY your books, which I must now do… one of each is essential. Tell me where to click for a PayPal order.

    1. The only books I have for sale at the moment can be found on
      https://sophieneville.net/books-by-sophie-neville/
      You can certainly use Paypal. Your best bet is to click on The Book Depository UK as they will send out to S.Africa free of charge.
      I know you will want the next two, as you’ll know some of the characters – but I am still busy formatting in the artwork – it takes ages, I’m afraid. Please let me know if you’d like me to e-mail you a draft copy. It needs proof-reading!

  2. Dear Sophie,
    One of my friends has just told me about your website and I will definitely be reading it bit by bit to learn about the making of Swallows and Amazons, as I love the books and film.
    I also see that you are coming to give a talk at Orwell Park in March – I live in Ipswich and would love to come, but I’m not sure if it’s possible for someone who’s not connected with the school to come along? Do you have any more information?
    Many thanks,
    Anna

    1. Dear Anna,

      If you would like to come to the talk at Orwell Park School please contact Mrs Sarah Howell who teaches there (and is also a friend of mine). Her e-mail is howell@kewgardensfarm.co.uk. I will write to her saying you were interested.

      I’ve been asked to speak to the 12 and 13 year olds but think some of the parents might come along. It’ll be on the Monday afternoon – 19th March. https://sophieneville.net/recent-news/

      Hoping you can come – Sophie

  3. Hi,
    Thank you so much for finding out about the talk for me. Unfortunately I work full time, so I won’t be able to come. I hope it goes well and that the children are interested.
    Best wishes,
    Anna

  4. What a busy lady you are! As well as producing some brilliant books, and litter picking, there’s all the work with various charities and speaking and spreading the word about Arthur Ransome. Thank you for all you do, well done, and keep up the excellent work.

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