Dr Hilary Jones, one of the UK’s most loved TV personalities who has been offering advice and support for over 30 years on programmes including TV-AM, GMTV, Daybreak, and ITV Lorraine, will be in town for this year’s Sidmouth Literary Festival.

Dr Hilary will visit on Friday, September 24 to talk about his first novel. In Conversation with Dr Hilary Jones is a Festival Plus event from Sidmouth Literary Festival and will be hosted by Sunday Times bestselling author and Festival founder, Jane Corry.

Frontline is Dr Hilary’s first book in a sensational new series charting the rise of a prominent British medical family in the twentieth century. Prescient and moving, and introducing a cast of irresistible characters, this pacey, brilliantly told story is set to be the read of the Autumn. It will appeal especially to fans of Jeffrey Archer, Ken Follett and Kate Mosse.

Dr Hilary said: “I’m delighted to be coming to Sidmouth to talk about my debut novel, Frontline. It is a book I have loved writing and has been almost an obsession from start to finish. It was also a creative antidote to covering the 2020/21 pandemic on TV on an almost daily basis for the last 20 months.

Sidmouth Herald: Dr Hilary Jones' new book, FrontlineDr Hilary Jones' new book, Frontline (Image: Dr Hilary Jones)
“The idea came to me to reflect the similarities between fighting this battle against Covid-19 to fighting an implacable enemy during the Great War as well as the lethal assault of the Spanish flu of 1918, which killed over 50 million people globally. It is also partly inspired by my Grandfather who fought at the Somme and was sent back to fight three times after being injured. While it reflects the tragedy of war and the scourge of deadly infections, it is ultimately a love story, a story of quiet courage and hope.”

Liz Gordon, Festival Director, said: “We’re so excited that Dr Hilary will be the Festival’s first in person event this year. After the huge success of our online events in June and July, it’s great to be back with such a high profile speaker with a fascinating talk. We’ll also be putting on more Festival Plus events in the town between now and next year’s Festival.”

The event, sponsored by Winstone’s Bookshop, starts at 7pm at The Old Meeting Unitarian Chapel, All Saints Road, Sidmouth. Full details of the event and how to book tickets can be found at www.sidmouthlitfest.co.uk