International freelance journalist and renowned author of Those Feet: An Intimate History of English Football and Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football, David Winner has explored his personal fascination with the land that gave the world Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Johan Cruijff – and searched for reasons why such a tiny country has produced some of football's most intelligent, enigmatic and unfulfilled teams.

Appearing at the festival to introduce his latest book, Around the World in 90 Minutes (Plus Extra Time and Penalties) (Bloomsbury), Winner will kick off by sharing this unique World Cup diary...

He will be in conversation with freelance film critic and award-winning documentary filmmaker Jos de Putter, former editor of the leading Dutch film magazine Skrien.

De Putter's awards include the Prize of the City of Utrecht for best debut film (It's Been A Lovely Day, 1993), the Joris Ivens prize at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (Solo, The Favela's Law, 1994), the Jury Prize at the Tehran Film Festival (Nagasaki Stories, 1996), the LJ Jordaan Prize (The Making of a New Empire, 1999), and the Dance Screen Festival Prize (Zikr, 1999).

Around the World in 90 Minutes
Whilst only relatively few football fans managed to get a match ticket for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, billions of people watched it on TV screens all around the globe. Acclaimed football writer David Winner decided it was time to get off his sofa and join them. His quest: to circle the globe in just four weeks and watch as the planet went World Cup crazy.

Travelling from Gdansk to Seoul, from Buenos Aires to Rome, joining in the drama of the World Cup in nation after nation whilst battling flu, exhaustion and agonisingly intense jet-lag, David soon realises he is watching the people as much as the games themselves – the differences in their reactions to victory, defeat, tragedy and even the odd dull 0-0 draw. Whether it be the rueful resignation of drunken Poles or the ecstatic jubilation of hysterical Koreans, the way we celebrate or commiserate the World Cup seems to bring out our national characters and stories in a way that not much else can.

This heartfelt, humorous and ultimately poignant account of David Winner's travels is a book by and for the true fan. He reminds us that, despite the tears, headbutts and early exits, the World Cup is for its spectators a truly global experience, managing, for just four weeks every four years, to unite us all.

FA Cup Final 2007

Join David Winner after the event to watch the FA Cup Final 2007 in a nearby bar: details coming shortly.

Language: English

Further information:

www.bloomsbury.com/davidwinner/

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Winner