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An appetite for more
A CROWD of literature fans gathered in the bar of the Crescent Hotel as they waited to dine with broadcaster, critic and author Sarah Dunant.
Behind closed doors in a nearby room, the award winning writer has sat down with the Evening News to chat about her work and return to Scarborough.
Sarah last visited the town nearly 10 years ago when she was writing crime thrillers, to speak about her work at a festival organised by playwright Sir Alan Ayckbourn.
She said: "I loved Scarborough, although the weather was terrible. I nearly got blown into the sea as I tried to walk along the beach.
"I remember how friendly people here are. I've been wandering around the town for a few hours and have a real sense of people being willing to talk to you."
In just a few minutes of conversation Sarah's passion for her craft shone through especially when talking about Renaissance Italy, which she explored in her recent novels, The Birth of Venus and In The Company of the Courtesan.
She said: "By chance I spent some time in Florence and became quite excited by this amazingly rich time in history in the middle of the 15th and 16th centuries."
"It was suddenly very easy for me to think I could move over from thrillers and write a novel which made you feel as if the past was the present as if it was actually happening now as opposed to a page in a history book."
As an author why does she think events such as literature festivals are important?
Sarah said: "For writers it's quite a lonely experience when you're actually working on a book. It's very invigorating and affirming to get out in front of an audience and realise there was a point to all of this."
After some more chat, Sarah made her way through the bar and met the crowd she would soon dine with to experience that invigorating and affirming moment.
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Weather for Scarborough
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
