Thursday, 21 October 2021

Birmingham Literature Festival

 With details of a new podcast and more:







































Birmingham Lit Fest Presents...

Sarfraz Manzoor: THEY
























The Birmingham Lit Fest Presents... podcast this week is journalist and writer Sarfraz Manzoor with his book THEY: What Muslims and Non-Muslims Get Wrong About Each Other, which has just been published.



Sarfraz is interviewed by writer Will Buckingham, whose book Hello Stranger was also recently published.








In a fascinating and insightful discussion about identity and culture, Sarfraz Manzoor reflects upon his own identity: how he perceives it, and how others perceive it - and that these can and are two different things:



"The word 'Muslim' was a big part of how I identified myself, growing up. I was Pakistani, and the country and culture were an important part of me, but not the religion. That was put on me by others around the time I went to university."



The Birmingham Lit Fest Presents.... podcast feed is available wherever you usually get your podcasts.











Listen Now





































Birmingham Literature Festival | a project of Writing West Midlands

Writing West Midlands is an Arts Council England NPO.



























































Birmingham Lit Fest Presents...

On This Day She...
























The Birmingham Lit Fest Presents... podcast this week is the Twitter sensation and book On This Day She...



Fed up with historical figures and achievement always being men (or attributed to men), Jo Bell, Tania Hershman and Ailsa Holland found a woman for every day of the year - most of whom you've never heard of, all of them extraordinary.








Join Jo, Tania and Ailsa for a special audio dinner party with some of their amazing women from history.



Available wherever you usually get your podcasts: just search for "Birmingham Lit Fest Presents..."











Listen Now






















Birmingham Literature Festival:

online workshops this weekend


























Historical Fiction writing



A 2-hour online workshop to learn about writing historical fiction, with novelist and writer Carolyn Kirby.



Saturday 16 October

10am - 12noon

£30










Poetry and Performance



A 2-hour online workshop to learn how to approach reading and performing your poetry, with Birmingham Poet Laureate Casey Bailey.



Saturday 16 October

2-4pm

£30














Book Now

















































Birmingham Literature Festival | a project of Writing West Midlands

Writing West Midlands is an Arts Council England NPO.





























































In-person events: Saturday 9 October

Bramall Music Building, University of Birmingham




















David Olusoga:

Black and British


Sat 9 October, 8pm

Tickets: £15 / £12 (concs)



Historian, broadcaster and presenter David Olusoga presents his book Black and British: A Forgotten History.








Book Now
































Kit de Waal:

adapting My Name Is Leon

Sat 9 October, 4pm

Tickets: £8 / £6 (concs)



A discussion with novelist Kit de Waal, and others who are part of the TV adaptation of her bestselling debut My Name Is Leon, due to be broadcast in November on BBC One.








Book Now








Otegha Uwagba:

We Need To Talk About Money

Sat 9 October, 12noon

Tickets: £8 / £6 (concs)



Let’s talk about one of the last taboos: money.



Who has it, who doesn’t, what you do with it, and what options that affords you.








Book Now








































Writing for Children: Maisie Chan, Ben Davis and Lauren James

Sat 9 October, 2pm

Tickets: £8 / £6 (concs)



Three recently-published children’s writers talk about writing for children aged 8+ as well as how the writers have taken their schools events and workshops online during the pandemic.








Book Now








The Novels That Shaped Our World

Sat 9 October, 6pm

FREE but booking required



The BBC Arts project The Novels That Shaped Our World has celebrated English language fiction with a 100-strong list of novels designed to spark debates about the fiction that has had the largest impact on Britain.








Book Now








Regional Writer Meet-Up: Birmingham

Sat 9 October, 10am

FREE but booking required



A free morning of discussion and networking for emerging and established writers.



This is a great opportunity for writers to meet one another, share ideas and tips, and hear from industry professionals.








Book Now

























Podcast: Birmingham Lit Fest Presents...

Hanif Abdurraqib
























The Birmingham Lit Fest Presents... podcast this week welcomes Hanif Abdurraqib, author of A Little Devil in America.



Hanif talks to Birmingham Poet Laureate, Casey Bailey, about the joy of watching and taking part in Black cultural traditions and events - and why it's so important to recognise them as such. He talks about icons including Aretha Franklin and James Baldwin, and describes his own love of music and books.











Listen Now






















Birmingham Literature Festival | a project of Writing West Midlands

Writing West Midlands is an Arts Council England NPO.



























































Events for Writers

at Birmingham Literature Festival

Bramall Music Building, University of Birmingham

















Children's Fiction Event



Saturday 9 October 2021, 2-3pm: tickets £8/£6 (concs)



Birmingham Literature Festival is delighted to bring together three lead writers from our Spark Young Writers groups:

· Ben Davis (Tamworth group)

· Lauren James (Rugby and Coventry groups)

· and Maisie Chan (Edgbaston group)



This event is for writers of any age from 8+.



Children's books allow writers to talk about issues in a completely different way, and the response from their readers is often surprising. Through their novels, these writers have covered immigration, embarrassing families and climate change, as well as many other subjects.



We'll talk about social media, science, how to keep it real for their audience of young readers, and what it’s like to be a cog in the publishing industry.



We welcome questions from members of the audience – of any age.



The authors will be doing a book signing after the event.











Book Now










Other events you may like...























David Olusoga:

Black and British



Sat 9 October, 8pm

Tickets: £15 / £12 (concs)



One of the UK’s most respected historians and broadcasters, David Olusoga tells the rich and revealing story of the long relationship between the British Isles and the people of Africa and the Caribbean in his new book Black and British: A Forgotten History.








Book Now








The Novels That Shaped Our World



Sat 9 October, 6pm

FREE but booking required



The BBC Arts project The Novels That Shaped Our World has celebrated English language fiction with a 100-strong list of novels designed to spark debates about the fiction that has had the largest impact on Britain.








Book Now








Online Workshop: Poetry and Performance

Sat 16 October, 2pm

Tickets: £30



Join the Birmingham Poet Laureate, Casey Bailey, to learn how to approach reading and performing your poetry to an audience. For poets of all levels of experience, including beginners.








Book Now










Where to find us








Bramall Music Building, University of Birmingham



We'll be in building R12, off Chancellor’s Court in the red zone of the University of Birmingham campus. Click here for a map of the university.



Parking on campus is free at weekends, even in the car parks. For ease, aim for the East Gate, by the Barber Institute.



Alternatively, University train station is a short walk away – easily accessible from New Street Station.



Once on campus, head for the tall clock tower and you won’t miss us.











View Campus Map










Spark Young Writers

















Do you want to be a writer? Our Spark Young Writers Groups are open for booking! With a mix of online and in person sessions, you'll find a group that is perfect for your young writer.



Our groups are for young people aged 7 to 18, across the West Midlands region.



Your young writers will be part of monthly Creative Writing Workshops on a Saturday once a month, run by a professional writer.



They'll take part in fun writing exercises in all genres from poetry to fan fiction. They'll get inspiration and feedback, from the group leader as well as the other young writers. They'll also get to meet other young writers who love the same things they do.











Find out more

























Birmingham Literature Festival | a project of Writing West Midlands

Writing West Midlands is an Arts Council England NPO.























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