February 6, 2019 - 10:06am by Steve

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

The poetry of everyday life
in 'Suffolk', November 2026
As Poetry in Aldeburgh brings writers to the coast this month, poet Michael Laskey reflects on a lifetime spent championing verse.
A Christmas miracle in Orford
in 'Suffolk', November 2026
Inspired by Benjamin Britten's vision, Master of The King's Music, Errollyn Wallen is bringing a new Nativity opera to Suffolk, celebrating storytelling, community and the power of music.
Life in the Norfolk Alps
in 'Norfolk', October 2026
His social media posts were never intended for publication, but they have become a warm, funny and personal record of life in the county. Bestselling author Louis de Bernieres discusses writing, belonging and finding inspiration in everyday moments.
Keeping up with the Cazalets
in 'Suffolk', October 2026
Louisa Young, niece of 'The Cazalet Chronicles' writer Elizabeth Jane Howard, discusses continuing her aunt's legacy ahead of her appearance at Bury Literature Festival.
Patching the puncture
in 'Suffolk', October 2026
Eight years after his dementia diagnosis, Suffolk's Peter Berry is still cycling and sharing his story - with friend and author Deb Bunt by his side.
From salon to sermon
in 'Woman's Weekly', September 2026
Anthea Mitchell juggles two very different jobs, but both serve the community in their own way.

More about books

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

 

 

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Getting prepared

It's been a wild and windy weekend and in East Anglia the trains stopped due to fallen trees. There's been debris from leaves and branches and water on the roads, but the sun has been shining today, so it hasn't felt quite so challenging.

We are all needing to be more resilient these days with increasing incidents of extreme weather, but also various other situations being raised as possibilities by the authorities. Have you got three days worth of food and water, and cash? Even blankets, torches and wind-up radios are being recommended in order to be prepared for any eventuality. It's rather unsettling!

But of course we don't need to make special arrangements in our reading material. If we can't access the internet, television or phones, I'm sure we all have a wealth of material on our bookshelves to transport us to a better place, distracting us from the concerns of modern life.

Indeed, I'm finding myself revelling in books which take me back in time. Whether I'm returning to authors I've enjoyed in the past, like Anita Brookner, or choosing novels which imagine lives in another century, it's been consoling to look at how troubles were overcome in earlier times. I'll have my recommended reading for you in the coming weeks!

Thank you for reading.