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

A Treasured Collection
in 'Jarrolds magazine', October 2024
Daniel Dawson-Gordon is bringing the unloved back to life at his reclamation yard in Norfolk, and his one-of-a-kind treasures for the home are now available in Jarrolds.
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.

Found in books

This weekend I visited an extraordinary exhibition at the Art Workers' Guild in London. It was called the Table Top Museum and for one day only, 30 collectors had been invited to share their particular obsessions.

It was an eclectic mix, to say the least. There were beer mats, sugar sachets, perfumes, map postcards, 'all things blue', coloured knitting needles and...petrified potatoes. Yes. They were rather amazing actually. But there was much more, with each collection displayed on an allocated table in a couple of rooms in this beautifully historic terrace house near Bloomsbury.

A friend was taking part. She loves all things associated with libraries and invited visitors to her Table Top Museum of old library cards, stamps, badges and signage. I've seen some of her collection before, and it was fabulous viewing it in this setting (take a look at her Instagram account @bookyjen).

But I was thrilled to find other bookish collections here.

The incredible Rob Ryan had a table. He's known for his intricate cut paperwork and screenprinting, and he designs book covers and writes children's books. Here he revealed that when he has enjoyed reading a book, he redesigns the cover with something he considers more fitting than that commissioned by the art directors and marketing teams! (@robryanbookcovers)

The cartoonist and creator of graphic novels, Gary Northfield (@stupidmonster) was here with his collection of Norakuro alarm clocks. Based on the 1930s war propaganda manga dog character, the colourful and cheery models sound a bugle when it's time to get up.

And there was a Table Top Museum dedicated to 'things we find in books'. Two booksellers from the nearby secondhand bookshop, Skoob Books displayed the random items they had discovered in the pages of books handed in for resale. These ranged from shopping lists to party invitations, cigarette papers to love letters, and theatre tickets, photographs and prescriptions.

The exhibition as a whole was a perfect example of one person's trash being another person's treasure. While I'm busy trying to get rid of my clutter, it was wonderful to see these collections and I loved the stories behind them all.

So what have you discovered in the pages of a book? Or what do you think you might have left there?! And what would you present as your Table Top Museum? I'd love to know...

Thank you for reading.

More about books

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