ED: SADLY POOLE SEEMS TO BE have been a one-off affair in 2010. Maybe later?
What? The inaugural Poole Literary Festival offers the chance to meet leading authors, attend discussions, storytelling events, literary walks, workshops and much more in the historic Dorset seaside town.
As part of the festival, writers are being challenged to enter the New Media Writing Prize, which aims to embrace new ways of sharing your writing with an audience. The competition is open to all writers with the only cave at being that the work has been written specifically for delivery and reading or viewing on new media, including computers, mobile phones, via the internet or on DVD/CD ROM.
Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo is patron of the festival and among the guest speakers at the three day festival. With events for adults, children and families, Poole Literary Festival looks set to put the town firmly on the literary map.
Who? Carol Ann Duffy, Michael Morpurgo, Minette Walters (left), Keira Rathbone, Adrian Beckingham, Elvis McGonagall, Imogen Parker, Deborah Moggach, Mavis Cheek, Gervaise Phinn, Nicky Singer, David Gaffney
Where? Poole, Dorset.
When? October 29-31st 2010
Web? www.poolelitfest.com
| Michael Morpurgo Michael Morpurgo is the former Children's Laureate and best-selling author of over 120 books for children including Private Peaceful, Kensuke's Kingdom and War Horse, which first performed at the National Theatre in 2007. Michael was awarded an OBE for services to literature in 2007. His latest novel is Running Wild published in September 2009. |
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Minette Walters Award-winning, bestselling, the 'queen of the psychological thriller' -- phrases you'll often find in front of crime fiction author Minette Walters' name. Passionate and caring, open-minded, wickedly funny -- phrases that describe the real Minette Walters. |
Mavis Cheek Mavis Cheek was born and grew up in Wimbledon. She began her working life at Editions Alecto, the contemporary art publishers. After Alecto, she attended Hillcroft College for Women from where she graduated in Arts. After her daughter Bella was born, she began her writing career in earnest; journalism and travel writing at first, then short stories, and eventually, in 1988, her novel Pause Between Acts was published by Bodley Head and won the She/John Menzies First Novel Prize. She is the author of thirteen novels novels including Mrs Fytton's Country Life, Janice Gentle Gets Sexy and, most recently, Amenable Women which was described in The Times as 'a brilliantly funny, warm, intelligent read'. She now lives and writes in the heart of the English countryside. |
Deborah Moggach Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, poultry keeper, and author of 16 novels, Deborah Moggach has also become prolific in her adaptations of books into films. Her screen play for the film of Pride and Prejudice was nominated for a BAFTA and her TV screenplays include the award-winning adaptation of Goggle-Eyes. Her most recent work in taking words from the page to the screen, which she described as 'an extraordinary and emotional journey', was for The Diary of Anne Frank broadcast earlier this year on BBC1. Deborah Moggach has also worked closely with the Anne Frank Trust, helping to spread Anne's message, of tolerance and respect for all people. |
Gervase Phinn Known for his bestselling autobiographical novels, including The Other Side of the Dale, Over Hill and Dale, Head Over Heels in the Dales and most recently The Heart of the Dales. He has also written books for children, including Twinkle Twinkle, Little Stars, and A Bit of a Hero. As well as being a freelance lecturer, broadcaster and writer, Gervase Phinn is a consultant for the Open University, Honorary Fellow of St. John's College, York, Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) of the University of Leicester, Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) of The University of Hull and the Fellow and Visiting Professor of Education at The University of Teesside. "Gervase Phinn has a unique understanding and love of children, and a wonderful gift for storytelling ... a real star." Esther Rantzen "Gervase Phinn is one of the most accomplished public speakers of any kind. A natural storyteller, he combines the timing of the professional comedian with palpable warmth and the ability to deliver a message that is just more than just a series of jokes." The Times Educational Supplement "He tells a cracking good tale!" The Times |
Nicky Singer Nicky has written four novels for adults, two books of non-fiction and five works for young people. Her first children's novel, Feather Boy, won the Blue Peter ‘Book of the Year's Award and is published in 28 countries. It has also been adapted for TV (winning a BAFTA for Best Children's Drama) and commissioned by the National Theatre as a musical with lyrics by Don Black and music by Debbie Wiseman. Nicky's other novels for young people include: Doll, The Innocent's Story and GemX. Nicky's new novel is Knight Crew, a re-creation of the Arthur legend set in contemporary gangland. March 2010 sees the Glyndebourne premiere of a full-length operatic version of Knight Crew with a libretto by Nicky and music by Julian Philips. This is the first time Glyndebourne have ever commissioned an opera from a teen novel and the making of the show is being filmed by the BBC for a three-part documentary series to be presented by Gareth Malone. |
Imogen Parker Imogen has published eleven novels, including her recent trilogy, This Little World, that chronicles the post-war history of a fictional South-Coast town. Before becoming a writer she was a literary agent with a major London agency where she represented many prize-winning authors. Imogen has served on the Committee of the Society of Authors, and is well-connected in the publishing industry. Favourite book: Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. |
David Gaffney David Gaffney* is from Manchester. He is the author of *Sawn Off Tales *(2006), *Aromabingo *(2007), *Never Never* (2008), *Buildings Crying Out,* a story using lost cat posters (Lancaster litfest 2009),* 23 Stops To Hull *a set ofshort stories about every junction on the M62 (Humber Mouth festival 2009) and *Rivers Take Them * a set of short operas with composer Ailis Ni Riain (BBC Radio Three 2008.) *Destroy PowerPoint*, stories in PowerPoint format for Edinburgh festival in August 2009,* the Poole Confessions *stories told in a mobile confessional box * (*Poole Literature festival 2010) and his new collection of short stories, The Half Life of Songs, will be out in 2010. |
Elvis McGonagall (“one man and his doggerel”) Stand-up poet, armchair revolutionary and recumbent rocker, Elvis McGonagall is the sole resident of The Graceland Caravan Park somewhere in the middle of nowhere where he scribbles verse whilst drinking malt whisky, listening to Johnny Cash and throwing heavy objects at his portable telly. Elvis is the 2006 World Slam Champion, the compere of the notorious Blue Suede Sporran Club and appears regularly on BBC Radio 4's “Saturday Live” and occasionally on the “Today” programme. |
B.O.A.T. People Since 1964 BOAT have been presenting Shakespeare on the beautiful Island of Brownsea in Poole Harbour. PLF are delighted to collaborate with them to bring highlights from their 2010 production of ‘The Taming of the Shrew's, Directed by Denise Mallender. Look out for highlights from this vibrant, fast paced and colourful production that never fails to delight. BOAT will be appearing across the Festival venues, timings to be confirmed. |
Keira Rathbone Artist Keira Rathbone has carved out a name in the international art world using her typewriter technique, a technique Keira developed into art form; as well as her other line drawings, both procedures stand alone to create her various works of art. Her method of using a vintage typewriter to type out letters, numbers and symbols, in place of brush strokes and pixels results in her beautiful enigmatic images. |
Adrian Beckingham The Man from Story Mountain, has been a full time professional storyteller for 15 years. Appealing to all generations, he won the Help The Aged Millennium Award in the year 2000, has performed in over 400 UK schools, and been "recommended" by Royal Historic Palaces in 2007. He also performs for the National Trust, English Heritage, Duke of Edinburgh Award, the Home Office, and festivals across the UK. He works extensively with the charity MIND using storytelling and creative writing to help aid people suffering from mental ill health toward recovery. His collection of traditional earth creation stories from tribal peoples across the world, titled 'Stories That Crafted The Earth', was published in 2005. He is currently writing the authorised biography of reknown Aboriginal Australian elder Francis Firebrace, plus his first novel 'The Silver Tiger'. |
If you are involved in this festival you can update or change details via the organisers page . Authors can list here.