Read it. Share it. Talk about it. Join Marlborough’s Big Town Read.
Get ready to join Marlborough’s biggest book club!
This year’s Big Town Read is bestselling novelist Kit de Waal’s latest novel, The Best of Everything. The Big Town Read invites people across Marlborough and the surrounding area to read the same book, sparking conversations, debates and a shared love of reading. Whether you’re an avid bookworm or an occasional reader, everyone is invited to pick up a copy, dive into the story and join in.
The Best of Everything is Kit de Waal’s sixth novel – a heartwarming and unforgettable story about found family, resilience and the unexpected love that changes lives. The Times praised it as “affecting… a story of loneliness and sacrifice that navigates great sorrow with a remarkable lightness of touch”.
De Waal’s own story is just as fascinating. Before becoming an award-winning author, she spent 15 years working in criminal and family law and later served as a magistrate. In 2025, she chaired the Women’s Prize for Fiction. This autumn, she’ll be at Marlborough LitFest to discuss her latest novel and answer questions from readers – save the date for 5.30pm on Sunday 27 September.
So start reading now and come along ready to put your questions to the author. To help fuel discussion, reading group questions will be available on the LitFest website in July – but no peeking until you’ve finished the book!
Thanks to the support of Wiltshire Libraries, multiple copies of The Best of Everything are available to order from Marlborough Library. And look out for copies of the book popping up in cafés and coffee shops around Marlborough High Street. Pick one up, settle in with a coffee and a good story, then help spread the joy by putting it back for someone else to discover – or passing it on to a fellow reader. After all, the best books are the ones that get shared…
Chair of Marlborough LitFest, Mary-Vere Parr, with Joanna Smith, Library Manager – Calne, Marlborough, Aldbourne & Ramsbury Libraries.