February 6, 2019 - 10:06am by Anonymous

As a freelance journalist, writer, editor and presenter, I have enjoyed many years meeting and interviewing fascinating people, and visiting wonderful locations worldwide.

I regularly conduct on-stage interviews with authors and personalities at festivals and events, and for more than 10 years co-hosted a monthly on air book club with Lesley Dolphin at BBC Radio Suffolk.

Details of my events, book reviews and recommendations can be found on my website moreaboutbooks.com and all the latest information is available in my weekly e-newsletter which you can receive by signing up here or read recent issues here.

Or follow me on Twitter @catherinelarner

In the press

Magazine cover pagesAs a journalist I contribute lifestyle features and profiles for regional and national newspapers and magazines. Earlier in my career, I was the launch editor of what became the leading business journal for the fitness industry in Europe, and I regularly contributed articles about the market for a US publication.

published articles

On the radio

For more than 10 years I co-hosted an on-air book club on BBC Radio Suffolk with Lesley Dolphin. Listen to past discussions here.

In addition, my print articles and author interviews often feature as podcasts. You can listen to an interview with former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams for Premier Radio here.

view archive on moreaboutbooks.com

At events

Hosting book launches and talks for festivals and events throughout Suffolk, I regularly interview authors on stage with audiences from 30 to 300. I have been in conversation with Esther Freud, Salley Vickers, Victoria Hislop, Rev Richard Coles, Elly Griffiths and Patrick Gale (pictured).

view event listings on moreaboutbooks.com

Recent articles

Profile Frank Cottrell-Boyce
in 'Premier Christianity', October 2024
The Waterstone's children's laureate and mastermind of the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony on normalising faith, telling hopeful stories and why he no longer apologises for being a Christian.
The garden untamed
in 'Norfolk', October 2024
In his latest book, The Accidental Garden, acclaimed nature writer Richard Mabey explores the creativity and ingenuity of plants, insects, birds and animals.
Read all about it
in 'This England', September 2024
Catherine Larner explains how independent libraries are enjoying a renaissance.
Finding himself in Framlingham
in 'Suffolk', September 2024
The actor, Toby Jones, is coming to Suffolk for the Flipside Festival at the end of this month. Here, he shares his love for the town and the impact of what is turning out to be the role of his lifetime.
How Suffolk bewitched Erica James and inspired her latest novel
in 'Suffolk', September 2024
Popular novelist Erica James has embraced her Suffolk home. But be careful what you say to her - it might end up in her next novel.
The return of make do and mend
in 'Suffolk', September 2024
TV's The Repair Shop is much loved. But in cafes across Suffolk, we are offering tea, cakes and some fixer-upping of our own.

Lifting our spirits

There's little to please or delight us from the news these days. Even the satirical radio and tv programmes struggle with their wry observations when we're bombarded with tragic and troubling events on every side. Their response, then, has been to look closer to home with the smaller stories, raising smiles and laughter from the more trivial and inconsequential which are nonetheless often bizarre and bewildering.

We need to laugh after all. We know that humour helps diffuse tension and lift our mood, just like spending time outdoors appreciating our natural environment, listening to music or looking at beautiful art. 

So as we approach winter, there are a couple of events coming up at The Riverside which I hope will lift our spirits for the short days and dark nights! 

In addition to meeting the fabulous printmaker Angela Harding in December and finding out about her travels throughout Britain exploring the landscape and viewing birds and wildlife to inspire her glorious prints and watercolours, I'm pleased to announce another event a couple of weeks earlier.

On Sunday 17 November at 6pm we will be joined by the much-loved cartoonist Matt who will be telling us how he finds something for us to laugh about each day.

Whether or not you read the 'Daily Telegraph', I'm sure you're familiar with the work of Matt Pritchett who has been contributing a cartoon on the front page of the paper for more than 30 years (I have heard of some people who pick up the newspaper to take a look at that day's Matt cartoon and then put it down and buy a rival news sheet!).

I had the privilege of meeting Matt at his home on the border with Norfolk a couple of years ago and found him brilliant company. You can read my interview here. He's very entertaining and positive, and genuinely has a twinkle in his eye. I hope you'll come along and meet him. We'll be showing some of his cartoons from the past year on the big screen, and you'll go away with your own copy of his 'Best of Matt' annual for 2024. This event will be a real tonic, I'm sure, and I look forward to seeing you there!

Thank you for reading.

More about books

Catherine LarnerFor my book reviews, event information and blog, please visit moreaboutbooks.com