Stephen Cooper After the Final Whistle: The First Rugby World Cup and the First World War

Friday 25th September, 7.45–8.45pm St Peter’s Church, Oundle, PE8 4AL

As Britain’s Empire went to war in August 1914, rugby players were the first to volunteer. They led from the front and paid a disproportionate price.

In 1919, a grateful Mother Country hosted a rugby tournament: sevens teams at eight venues, playing 17 matches to declare a first ‘world champion’. There had never been an international team tournament like it. For the first time teams from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Britain and France were assembled in one place. Rugby held the first ever ‘World Cup’. It was a moment of triumph, a celebration of military victory, of Commonwealth and Allied unity, and of rugby values, moral and physical.

In 2015, the tournament returns to England as the world remembers the Centenary of the Great War. Values of teamwork, respect, discipline were forged and tested in war – and enjoyment of rugby helped men through it. This is the story of rugby’s journey through the First World War to its first World Cup, and how those values endure today.

Stephen Cooper was born in Birmingham and studied at Cambridge University. His first book ‘The Final Whistle’ was Rugby Book of the Year in the 2013 Times British Sports Book Awards.

Stephen Kelman Man on Fire

Friday 2nd October, 7.45pm St Peter’s Church, Oundle, PE8 4AL

Bibhuti Nayak is a journalist, fitness freak, community activist and multiple World Record holder who lives in Mumbai. He is not a fiction, for all his extremes, and is the inspiration behind Stephen Kelman’s extraordinary second novel, Man on Fire. Bibhuti Nayak has already broken the Limca world record for the number of kicks to his groin - 43 - when John Lock abandons his life in Wiltshire to assist Bibhuti in his next world record breaking claim: to see how many baseball bats can be broken over his own body.

Through this extraordinary endeavour, and narrated through the voices of Bibhuti and John, Stephen Kelman explores British and Indian culture, and the layers of humanity that need to be penetrated to bring about new beginnings and transformation; endeavour, self-discipline, faith, friendship and trust.

Stephen Kelman was born in Luton in 1976. Pigeon English, his first novel, was shortlisted for the 2011 Man Booker Prize, the Desmond Elliott Prize and the Guardian First Book Award, and he was also shortlisted for the New Writer of the Year Award at the 2011 Galaxy National Book Awards. Pigeon English is now a set text on the GCSE syllabus. Stephen lives in St Albans and will be interviewed by Richard Smith, the new Head of English from Oundle School.

Tickets for both events £8 (£6), £1 off early bird tickets bought before 18th September, available from the Oundle Box Office, 4 New Street, Oundle. Open hours: 10am to 1pm, Monday to Friday. Tel 01832 274734 online at www.oundlefestival.org.uk

Any queries call Helen on 07743 988 181 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.