New Writing North Durham Festival

With details of Durham Book Festival as it starts today:

Durham Book Festival begins! Durham Book Festival is here! We can't quite believe it's happening so soon, but we're so excited to see you all this weekend. We've put together a list of some of the great events that are coming up below to make sure you don't miss out. Make sure to head to our special commission Song for Sophia, which celebrates the Centenary of the Representation of the People Act, an important step towards universal suffrage. Author Caitlin Davies and historian Fern Riddell will discuss their work on the suffragette movement and  played in British political history. Joining them is writer and composer Sarah Sayeed, who will deliver a short dramatic monologue about Victorian suffragette Princess Sophia Singh. We’ve also commissioned writer Lucie Brownlee to interview Easington women, many of whom were activists during the miners’ strike. These women’s voices are integral to the mining history of County Durham, and Lucie, along with Durham activists Heather Wood and Charlotte Austin, will highlight and discuss their impact on the mining communities of the past and how this past affects women and girls living in Durham today. To top it all off, we'll be rounding off the first week with a celebration of the publication of Pearl, a short story collection by the unforgettable Julia Darling. These brilliant stories will be brought to life with readings and memories from some of Julia's friends: actors Judi Earl and Zoe Lambert. These are just a few of the outstanding events this week, so make sure to grab your ticket before it's too late!  Keep in touch with us over the weekend on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #dbf18. See you there! Durham Book Festival team Una: Cree Friday 5 October, 6pm–7pm, Waterstones Durham In 2017 Durham Book Festival commissioned acclaimed graphic novelist Una to create a graphic novel inspired by the people of Durham and its landscapes. Una spent time at...read more Katy Massey: Who are we now? Life-writing post Brexit and Beyond Saturday 6 October, 10:30am-12:30pm, Durham Clayport Library Interested in memoir and life-writing? Do you have a story to tell about how your life in the UK has changed since the Brexit referendum...read more Owen Sheers: The Green Hollow Saturday 6 October, 11am-12pm, Palace Green Library In 1966 a coal slag-heap collapsed on a school in South Wales, killing 144 people, most of them children. Poet Owen Sheers has given voice to those who...read more AJ Pearce and Anne Youngson: Literary Letters Saturday 6 October, 4pm-5pm, Palace Green Library Set in 1940s London, AJ Pearce’s novel Dear Mrs Bird is a love letter to female friendship, Blitz spirit, the kindness of strangers and the art of letter-writing...read more Jessica Hepburn and Libby Page: Swimming Outside the Lines Saturday 6 October, 6pm-7pm, Palace Green Library Join Jessica Hepburn and Libby Page as they discuss two powerful new books: 21 Miles and The Lido, both inspired by the power of swimming. After a decade of...read more Bob Beagrie: Civil Insolencies Sunday 7 October, 10.30am–11:30am, Palace Green Library This exciting new commission from the creator of Leásungspell, one of 2018’s sell-out events, sheds fresh light on the bloody Battle of Guisborough, fought in the heart of...read more Charlotte Roberts and Chris Gerrard: Bodies of Evidence Sunday 7 October, 12pm-1pm, Palace Green Library Discover the chilling secret beneath Durham’s Palace Green Library, as two archaeological experts discuss the tragic fate of a cohort of Scottish...read more Song for Sophia: Radical Women Then and Now: Sarah Sayeed, Caitlin Davies and Fern Riddell Sunday 7 October, 2pm–2.30pm, Redhills This event and special commission commemorate the centenary of the Representation of the People Act...read more Tamsin Daisy Rees: Living in the Age of Anxiety Sunday 7 October, 3.30pm–5pm, Palace Green Library ‘Are we living in an age of anxiety?’ We commissioned Durham-born writer Tamsin Daisy Rees to write a...read more Faber Poets: Rachael Allen, Sophie Collins and Zaffar Kunial Sunday 7 October, 5:30pm-6:30pm, Palace Green Library Join three of Faber’s exciting new poets as they read from their work. Rachael Allen is poetry editor of Granta magazine and her first full collection...read more Lucie Brownlee: The World Above Sunday 7 October, 5:30pm-6:30pm, Redhills Mining stories are integral to the history of County Durham; however, the stories of the women and girls who lived in the world above the pit are not heard as frequently as those of their male...read more Julia Darling: Pearl Sunday 7 October, 7pm-8pm, Palace Green Library Join us to celebrate the publication of Pearl, a collection of short stories from a beloved North Eastern poet, playwright and novelist the late Julia Darling, published by Mayfly and the Julia Darling Trust...read more Help us to inspire and nurture the readers of the future. We know that when books become a part of a child’s daily life, it changes for the better. Childhood reading opens up new horizons and encourages aspiration and empathy, while literacy improves comprehension and confidence. This year, Durham Book Festival is launching a Little Read for County Durham, which will see us give away 500 copies of the picture book Izzy Gizmo by Pip Jones and Sara Ogilvie. We’ll be working with families across the County, engaging children with literature and encouraging creative responses. Your generous support will help us to grow the Little Read and help our children reach their potential, no matter their circumstances. New Writing North PO Box 1277, Newcastle upon Tyne NE99 5BP Tel: 0191 204 8850 office@newwritingnorth.com     Like     Tweet     Forward