Newark Book Festival is proud to join celebrations for the 40th year of the town twinning with two European towns.

Newark is linked with Sandomierz in Poland and Emmendingen in Germany, bringing communities closer together as people have made lasting friendships.

To mark the milestone, the festival has announced it will be featuring several events that reflect Newark’s connections with communities from other parts of the world.

Words in Special Places is a four-day Fringe Event. running from 3rd to 6th July in various Newark venues.

On Tuesday 4th, in Tambo Lounge in the Buttermarket, Izabela Olendzki will be reading a selection of popular English favourites, such as the Gruffalo, in Polish.

There will be an opportunity to find out basic Polish words, discover Polish culture, ask questions, and have a chat.

Celebrating People and Places is an online event on 1st July, which celebrates Polish authors and features Julia Fiedorczuk, a poet and author who lectures at the University of Warsaw and the Polish Cultural Institute in London.

The executive director of Nottingham City of Literature, Hannah Trevarthen, will chair the event.

In the Buttermarket throughout the festival there will be a My World exhibition, featuring short stories and poems by children and young people from Newark schools, Emmendingen and Sandomeirz.

On Sunday, 9th July, the film The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler will be screened free in the Tudor Hall.

Artistic director Sara Bullimore said: “We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the people of our twin towns for their friendship and support over the past 40 years.

“We hope the events at this year’s Book Festival provide an insight into literature in different languages and cultures.

“We look forward to many more years of collaboration and creativity between our communities.

“These strands sit alongside our outreach touring programme, schools’ events, and early years competitions as the festival works with communities across many areas.”

The programme also features events linked to neurodiversity, Holocaust stories with Broken Instruments, nature, and eco-themed celebrations.

For more information and to book tickets visit the festival website at www.newarkbookfestival.org.uk

Details of extra events and pop-ups will also be on social media — @newarkbookfest and #NewarkBF.

Tickets are available from Newark Palace Theatre Box Office, call 01636 655755.

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