Gyles Brandreth

We are so pleased to welcome back Gyles Brandreth this Autumn Literary Festival, this time hosting in Ely Cathedral.

This is the story of a man, a boy and a bear - but it is also a gripping family drama, and a fascinating exploration of the complicated nature of growing up, and the impossible longing for a return to the enchanted places of childhood.

When Winnie-the-Pooh first appeared in print on Christmas Eve 1925, his creator had no idea that this bear, and the fellow inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood, would go on to capture the imaginations of people of all ages all over the world for the next hundred years.

In this new biography Gyles Brandreth tells the remarkable story of A A Milne - and of the 'bear of very little brain' who went on to become a global phenomenon.

Drawing on his friendship with Milne's son, the real Christopher Robin, Gyles Brandreth has produced a revealing and intimate portrait of a prolific author whose legacy came to be defined by his most famous creation, and of the divided Milne family who for many years had a conflicted relationship with the iconic bear.

Author Biography: Gyles Brandreth is a writer, broadcaster and former MP and Government Whip. His many books include the bestselling poetry anthology, Dancing by the Light of the Moon, and the international bestseller about spelling and punctuation, Have You Eaten Grandma? With Susie Dent, the lexicographer from Countdown, he co-hosts the award-winning podcast, Something Rhymes with Purple. Gyles presents Great Canal Journeys on Channel 4 with Dame Sheila Hancock and regularly appears on Celebrity Gogglebox with Dame Maureen Lipman.