* Bookfest, Oxfam’s first book festival, ran from 4 to 18 July. The books team blogged during Bookfest 2009 (check our archives to see what went on). We continued our coverage with a series of Bookfest end notes. This is the last post in the series.
Bookfest 2009 was 14 days of more than 250 events big and small, far and wide around the UK. It ran 4-18 July, but we had so much going on we’ve only now (three months later!) reached the end of our reports on festival events. We thought we’d give you a wrap-up of all the action and leave you with some good memories…
The celebration of all things books and writing got off to a sensational start, with Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy penning a poem (OXFAM) for us and giving a reading in Didsbury.
Bill Nighy, Joanna Trollope and Monica Ali were the first of many big names who generously volunteered their time at an Oxfam shop. The trio launched the festival and rolled up their sleeves to shelve and price books, plus work the till at the Marylebone 
High Street bookshop in London.
Philip Pullman got behind the counter as well at Oxfam’s very first bookshop, St Giles in Oxford.
Ken and Barbara Follett launched Bookfest in Stevenage, with customers lining up to meet the best-selling author and their local MP.
Also on the first day, Marti Leimbach visited the Oxfam Reading Bookshop at High Street and blogged about her experience for us.
Authors turned artists when they created special Bookfest shop front window displays, with Jonathan Coe and William Sutcliffe, followed by Ali Smith and Kamila Shamsie, decorating the Oxfam Bloomsbury Bookshop.
Elsewhere in London, Sebastian Faulks and William Boyd 
paid a visit to the Portobello Road Oxfam (see a video of the two here).
During Bookfest, we released Ox-Tales, Oxfam’s new four-volume fiction collection featuring works from a star-studded cast of 38 writers and based around the elements of earth, air, water and fire. It’s been a hit with critics and readers, and is now being sold not only in the UK but in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, with more countries to follow. Ox-Tales contributors Mark Haddon, Joanna Trollope and Nicholas Shakespeare launched the new books in Oxford (check out a video of the event). The collection was then launched in Edinburgh with Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall Smith via video and readings from Kate Atkinson and Michel Faber (who debuted an extract from his new novel – we have an exclusive video of the reading). The Ox-Tales juggernaut then rolled into London, with DBC Pierre, Jeanette Winterson, Diran Adebayo and Kamila Shamsie 
delighting an audience of 500 people, who snapped up a record 158 copies of Ox-Tales in 40 minutes.
The Hay Festival’s Bookfest programme included a fantastic and diverse range of speakers including Fleet Street legend Rosie Boycott, Around the World in 80 Trades‘ Conor Woodman, poet Katrina Naomi, Countdown’s word expert Susie Dent, master of adaptation Andrew Davies, biographer Brenda Maddox, and Law and Order creator GF Newman. 
Also pulling in the crowds were authors Marina Lewycka (who sold-out her session in Sheffield), Adhaf Soueif and Howard Jacobson. Many thanks go to Paul Blezard, literary editor of the Lady magazine, who tirelessly criss-crossed the country MC-ing many of the Hay Festival events.
We officially launched our Book Barn in Huddersfield, with Simon Armitage coming along to do the ribbon-cutting honours.
But Bookfest wasn’t all about name-dropping literary stars (although did we mention Jeffrey Archer helped Oxfam Bexleyheath publish a book of memories?)! The festival was about showcasing Oxfam shops and bookshops throughout the UK, and getting book lovers in to check out our diverse and high-quality book range. We aimed to raise awareness
about Oxfam as the largest secondhand bookseller in Europe, and we certainly attracted attention. Plus we received lots of very welcome donations too, from individuals to large companies. The generous Times newspaper team were a standout, donating 20,000 of unwanted pre-publicity and review copies of books, CDs and DVDs.
The nationwide Oxfam shop network put together some amazing, entertaining, educational and simply fun events. Local shop teams banded together to put on events, such as the Glasgow shops hosting Scottish talent at their all-day literary celebration.
Kids got into story-telling sessions, punters picked up bargains at book fairs and auctions, and people enjoyed music events, learnt something new at talks, were spooked on
ghost tours, and got crafty at workshops.
We had a design-a-bookmark competition in Perth, creative shop windows in Crewe, a pop-up bookshop at the Go Greener Family Festival in Barrhead, a poetry and photography exhibition in Swansea, readings from local authors in Didsbury (check out Elizabeth Baines’ blog for her accounts of her reading and other events), Rising Brook Writers group’s marathon poetry recital in Stafford and busking for Bookfest in Northallerton in aid of a Tanzanian charity.
Not only did we enjoy getting people involved in celebrating books at events, we loved that you joined in the fun online, too. As this was our first festival, we continued the run of firsts with our first books competition. When we asked you for your favourite first lines (and tempted you with the chance to score a hamper of Cafedirect goodies), we were thrilled by the quantity and quality of entries. Find out who our 
winner was here.
We hoped you managed to get to an event or joined us here for your front-row seat (and views from the other side of the microphone from event speakers such as guest blogger Oxfam staffer Mary Malpas). Speaking of views from Bookfest insiders, here’s a few words from the driving force of the festival, the extremely hard-working Bookfest project manager, Suzy Smith:
“A huge thank you to all of you who bought books, donated 
books, volunteered time and attended an event during Bookfest. We are enormously grateful. Your money, books and time are amazing gifts to those living in poverty around the world and every book bought, every item donated and every hour given really does make a difference.
During Bookfest we received 40% more donations compared to last year. Your generosity has meant that since the festival 
we have raised 10% more cash in our shops from book sales and this trend is continuing. Without your gifts of donated books, time and custom we could not have achieved these amazing results, so give yourself a great big pat on the back.
Your efforts will make a difference on the ground in the countries Oxfam works in, where people live with extremity and hardship every day. It’s wonderful to hear from these people when our staff visit projects and they want us to pass 
on a whole-hearted thank you for all your support. Many of them are overwhelmed by the fact that you give your time, unwanted items and custom to Oxfam to help them and want you to know how much it changes lives. You are amazing! Be proud of being part of the Oxfam community fighting poverty around the world - together we can make an enormous difference.
And the great news is that Bookfest will be back! Oxfam 
Bookfest 2010 will run from 3 to 17 July. Put the dates in your diaries and tell your friends. If you have been inspired to get involved or to learn more about our book shops, please contact your local Oxfam shop to find out how you can help by donating, purchasing or even giving a few hours of your time. You can find our handy shop finder here. We would love to work with you!”
Thanks Suzy! And finally, a huge thank you to our books team, dedicated shop network of managers and volunteers, and every single person who helped out with, supported and attended Bookfest (that includes all people who commented on posts and you right now, for reading this blog)!
Please let us know in the comments your thoughts on Bookfest – the good, bad and ugly; what you loved or loathed; and what you’d like to see in future festivals.
Tags: Book Barn, book donations, Bookfest 2009, Bookfest end notes, Bookfest events, Bookfest launch, Carol Ann Duffy, famous faces at Bookfest, favourite first lines competition, Guest blogger, Hay Festival's Oxfam Bookfest events, Ox-Tales, Ox-Tales launch, Oxfam shops and specialist book shops, Oxfam volunteers, Oxfam's work with others to overcome poverty and suffering, thank you!, The Times
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