James Bailey Rewrites Muriel Spark

Muriel Spark's life was shaped by reinvention, ambition, and artistic brilliance, yet she remains an elusive figure surrounded by myth and speculation. Biographer James Bailey's new book, In Like a Cat Loves a Bird: The Nine Lives of Muriel Spark, offers a captivating portrait of the author, tracing her life from Edinburgh to South Africa, London, New York, Rome, and Tuscany.

Bailey's book is a rich and insightful exploration of Spark's life, revealing a woman far more complex than her public reputation suggests. With literary insight, surprising discoveries, and stories from a remarkable life, this event is a rare opportunity to explore why Spark's work continues to challenge, delight, and provoke readers today.

The event, chaired by award-winning novelist Sophie Haydock, will take place on Thursday, 19 November 2026, at the Quarterhouse in Folkestone. Tickets are with the button beside the article. As part of the Folkestone Book Festival, this event is a chance to discover the secrets and contradictions behind Muriel Spark's extraordinary creative life, and to be part of a thriving community of readers, writers, and curious minds.