Wakefield Literature Festival 18-30 September 2014

As it starts next week, here is the latest newsletter about the Wakefield Literature Festival:

Image Credit: The Knowledge Emporium - Slung Low With one week to go until the start of Wakefield Lit Fest 2014 we pick just some of the many highlights to look forward to! For full listings please visit www.wakefieldlitfest.org.uk This year Lit Fest has grown to 60 plus events taking place in various Wakefield venues between 18 – 30 September and there are plenty of opportunities for everyone, whatever your background or level of experience with books, writing and reading.  ‘Festival In A Day’ comes to Ossett Roger McGough headlines ‘Festival in a Day’ - a day of word based fun and events taking place at Trinity Church in Ossett, in partnership with Ossett Observer and supported by Wakefield Council’s Creative Partners Scheme. There’s lots of fun and quirky goings on with pigeon poetry - ‘Word on the Wing’, poets on Wakefield buses - ‘Ossett There, Bus It Back’, ‘Book in a Day’ with Ian Clayton, ‘Doodle Ventures’ storytelling for children by artist Fabric Lenny and much much more besides. Saturday 20 September   The Knowledge Emporium at Trinity Walk The Knowledge Emporium pitches up at Trinity Walk – an old-fashioned sweet shop in a converted 1960’s airstream caravan. The Emporium trades in sweets, the sort you remember as a kid, but it is a sweetshop with one big difference: it doesn’t take money, it trades only in knowledge, your knowledge – your stories, your recipes, anecdotes or facts for sweets. Presented in partnership with Trinity Walk Shopping Centre. Thursday 18 – Sunday 21 September   ‘The Castle of Dreams’ at Sandal Castle Be transported from Wakefield city centre on our special bus to Sandal Castle, where you will encounter epic tales of fantasy, romance, feuds and maybe some dangers that lurk in the moat. Featuring new writing by local young people aged 4-19 and performed by an intergenerational company of actors. This event is supported by the Clore Duffield Foundation through its Clore Poetry and Literature Awards. Sunday 28 September   Festival Headliners 2014 Jackie Kay Scottish born Poet and Writer Jackie Kay reads from a selection of her most recent works for our Festival Launch. She is joined by Wordsworth Trust Poet in Residence Zaffar Kunial. ‘Jackie Kay has a magnetism, a charm and a soul that would drive the coldest person to tears – or laughter’, The Guardian. Friday 19 September Simon Armitage Simon Armitage returns to the festival in 2014 for the Northern Launch of ‘Paper Aeroplane: Selected Poems 1989 – 2014’ marking the 25th anniversary of the publication of his first collection ‘Zoom’ by Faber. Simon will also be delivering a Poetry Workshop – places strictly limited! Sunday 21 September Will Self Will Self introduces ‘Shark’ at Unity Hall, his thrilling new novel about the biggest shark attack in history, based on incredible real events. ‘Shark’ turns upon an actual incident in the Second World War when a ship was sunk and over 200 were killed in the largest shark attack ever recorded. Tuesday 23 September Joanne Harris will be reading from ‘The Gospel of Loki’, her first epic fantasy novel, presented in partnership with Jordans Solicitors. A brilliant first-person narrative of the rise and fall of the Norse gods – retold from the point of view of the world’s ultimate trickster, Loki. Thursday 25 September Sailing to Byzantium UK based, Irish born multi-award winning artist Christine Tobin won a 2012 British Composer Award for her work 'Sailing to Byzantium' which is presented at the festival in partnership with Wakefield Jazz. ‘In this beautiful collection of songs based on the poetry of WB Yeats, vocalist Christine Tobin has created an unqualified masterpiece’. Jazzwise magazine Friday 26 September Readers Group Day with Jo Baker Meet the Writer session as part of Wakefield Library’s ‘Readers Day’ with Jo Baker  author of ‘Longbourn’ – presenting the other story behind Pride & Prejudice – the story of the servants who made it all possible – a Richard & Judy Book Club pick. Saturday 27 September Ian McMillan asks ‘Are We Happy?’ – Panel Discussion & Reading Join Academy of Urbanism Poet in Residence Ian McMillan, Beam director Robert Powell and other experts for a panel discussion exploring the connections between happiness and place, wellbeing and playfulness, writing and identity. Saturday 27 September Ben Aaronovitch Ben will be talking about his much-anticipated fifth book in the bestselling PC Grant series ‘Foxglove Summer’. Monday 29 September Stuart Maconie comes to Theatre Royal Wakefield to talk about ‘The People’s Songs’, a social history of modern Britain told through the records that we listened to and loved during the dramatic and kaleidoscopic period from the Second World War to the present day. Monday 29 September Lit Fest returns for its third year in 2014, programmed by arts charity Beam and funded by Arts Council England, Wakefield Council, the Clore Duffield Foundation through it’s Poetry and Literature Awards and other partners.

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