Tuesday, 15 March 2016

Northern Short Story Festival, Saturday 4 June, Leeds

The Leeds Big Bookend Festival are bringing us the first ever Northern Short Story Festival this June, full details below:

The First Ever Northern Short Story Festival from the Leeds Big Bookend Festival

Announcing the first ever Northern Short Story Festival on Saturday 4th June, 2016

There are tall tales to be told at the Carriageworks Theatre on Saturday 4th June as they host the first ever Northern Short Story Festival as part of the Leeds Big Bookend Festival 2016. Funded by Northern Accent, it is the first Festival of its kind in the North.

Follow the Northern Short Story Festival on Twitter: Northern Short Story @NoShoSto

It is dedicated to celebrating Northern writers and Northern talent where popular and published authors will come together to share their stories, expertise and wisdom. With workshops, readings, performances and discussions, if you are a fan of fiction then make sure you come along.

The day gets off to a dark start with a workshop titled The Art of Murder, led by writers Anna Chilversand Alison Taft, this interactive, practical workshop is designed to help you commit murder… on paper of course! Other workshops during the day include Success in Short Story Competitions led by Costa prize winner Avril Joy and Flashbulb Flash Fiction dedicated to the art of writing very short stories with rising star, Clare Sita Fisher.

Events include – a discussion with an Independent Press Panel – a must for any aspiring author. Bringing together three northern specialist publishers – Comma Press, Valley Press and Tartarus Press– this panel will give a fascinating insight into new and innovative approaches to publishing short stories as well as giving the opportunity to meet the publishers and ask questions about getting published yourself.

There are readings with headliner Carys Bray, winner of the Scott Prize and Costa Award nominee; Michael Stewart, winner of the Not the Booker Prize and Anna Chilvers, at the Bluemoose Books Reading Event, and following this,The Dark Side of the North, gives readers and writers the chance to hear two Northern writers, Barney Walsh and David Martin read from their work and discuss with them the North’s unique literary culture.

The evening gives a choice between watching or participating in the Festival’s free Open Mic event; bring something you have written already, or share something you have written at one of the day’s workshops. Or you could come to Stories from the Forests of Leeds, a celebration of the culmination of a project led by author and theatre producer Daniel Ingram-Brown working with Leeds Big Bookend Festival, the Leeds Church Institute and local writers, where Leeds has been imagined as a forest, a complex and diverse place. There will be readings of some of the stories and the book launch of Stories from the Forests of Leeds.

Created by the Leeds Big Bookend Festival in partnership with the Carriageworks Theatre, this Festival was made possible by Northern Accent – a project funded by Arts Council England and designed to bring literature based events to audiences across the North.

So whether you are an aspiring writer looking for inspiration or just love short fiction, make sure you book your tickets for the first ever Northern Short Story Festival.

Full details can be found here.

Tickets are available from today and cost £4 – £8 per event. Go to www.carriageworkstheatre.org.uk to book your tickets or phone 0113 376 0318. Full-day tickets at £20.00 are available by phoning 0113 376 0318.

Afterparty

The finale of the first ever Northern Short Story Festival, join us as we party the night away in the intimate setting of the Hyde Park Book Club, with flash fiction master Benjamin Judge, and the world-famous ukulele troupe, The Three Amigos.

Benjamin Judge is a writer/performer/editor/artist/idiot from Manchester. Some of the things he has written have won awards. His favourite small orange is the satsuma. He exists on twitter as @benjaminjudge.

The Three Amigos are world-famous ukulele masters bringing you the finest in pop, rock and punk awesomeness. Available for gigs, weddings, bar mitzvahs, christenings and office parties.

Pay on the door – £3.00. Proceeds to the performers.