St Mary's Lecturer's successful book launch at Richmond Literature Festival

Dr Richard Mills Senior Lecturer in Literature and Popular Culture at St Mary’s University, Twickenham launched his latest book The Beatles and Fandom: Sex, Death and Progressive Nostalgia at the Exchange, Twickenham last week.

Part of the Richmond Literature Festival, the event featured an interview between Richard and Dr Holly Tessler the course lead of The Beatles: Music, Industry Heritage MA at the University of Liverpool, before a Q+A session with Bruce Welch OBE from The Shadows, where they discussed 1950s and 1960s pop music. The evening finished with a book signing.

Speaking of the event, author Richard Mills said, “I was very flattered and excited to have taken part in such a prestigious literary festival. Holly’s author interview was incredibly well-informed and intelligent. Bruce told brilliant stories of his close friendship with Paul McCartney and time spent with the Beatles. I chatted to the DJ Gary Crowley and author Tony Barrell as well. I received lovely comments on the book at the signing afterwards and I got a little carried away by drawing pictures of John Lennon beside my signature on some books!”

St Mary’s will be running a short course The Beatles: A Magical History Tour at The Exchange, Twickenham on Thursday evenings from 7pm-8:30pm between 6th January – 10th February 2022. Led by Richard, the course is open to anyone with an interest in the Beatles or 1960s culture. Beatlemania and feminism, psychedelia, the Beatles’ musical influences and the modern-day Beatles fandom are just some of the topics discussed.

The book is available to purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, W.H Smith, Waterstones and Bloomsbury for £20.29.