Hexham Book Festival
Queen’s Hall, Hexham, and other venues: Friday 23 April-Sunday 2 May

A week of events and talks based in Hexham, Northumberland. The festival this year boasts an outstanding line-up of writers, journalists and storytellers, including Margaret Drabble, Philippa Gregory, Jodi Picoult and AL Kennedy, as well as poets Ruth Padel and Wendy Cope. Plus as a festival exclusive, doyenne of crime writing PD James interviewed by Val McDermid. Tickets from free to £12.50. For more details and bookings, see www.hexhambookfestival.co.uk.

Words & Music Festival
The Sage Gateshead: Friday 14-Sunday 16 May
A long weekend of great music, great songwriters, and great stories behind the words. Including talks and performances by Ian McMillan, Randy Newman, Kathryn Tickell and Don McLean. Tickets from free to £15. More details and bookings at www.wordsandmusicnortheast.com.

Literature events at Newcastle City Library
Newcastle City Library: Events held throughout May

Newcastle City Library will be hosting a series of literature events including readings from leading contemporary romantic novelists; acclaimed author of The Other Hand, Chris Cleave; and murder mystery writer Cara Black. All events are free. For tickets, call 0191 277 4100 or email information@newcastle.gov.uk.

Fix This Moment book launch
Queen’s Hall, Hexham: Saturday 1 May, 12pm

Why is the North East such an inspirational place for writers to live and work? Join writers Ellen Phethean, Andy Croft and Michael Chaplin and editor Stevie Ronnie as they discuss the personal essays that they have contributed to Fix This Moment, a new book about and by the writers, editors and critics who have shaped the literary history of our region. Presented by New Writing North. Admission free. For more information, see www.hexhambookfestival.co.uk.

May Day Social
Star & Shadow Cinema, Byker: Saturday 1 May, 7.30pm

Listen to poetry from Keith Armstrong alongside folk music from Kiddar’s Luck, Beeswing and Dave Douglass. Free admission.

Kevin Cadwallender: Sagrada Familia
Gallery North, Northumbria University: Tuesday 4 May, 6pm

Kevin Cadwallender launches his new book of uncollected poems, Sagrada Familia. Free event. For more information contact Sheila Wakefield on 07799 002 040 or email info@redsquirrelpress.com.

Fiona Sampson
Culture Lab, Newcastle University: Thursday 6 May, 7pm

Fiona Sampson’s latest books are Common Prayer (2007), Writing Poetry (2009) and A Century of Poetry Review (2009). She has won the Newdigate Prize, been shortlisted for the Forward single-poem and TS Eliot prizes and in 2009 received a Cholmondeley Award. She is the editor of Poetry Review, and contributes regularly to the TLS, Guardian, Irish Times and Independent newspapers. Tickets: £6/£4. For more information, see www.ncl.ac.uk/ncla/events/readings.

Dine With the Author
Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle upon Tyne: Sunday 9 May, 7pm

An inspiring literary evening where you will have the opportunity to meet and have dinner with three novelists: Sue Moorcroft, Katie Fforde and Benita Brown. Tickets £38.50 (includes three-course meal and wine). To book, call 0191 212 3000 or email info@jesmonddenehouse.co.uk.

Cinema Slam
Tyneside Cinema: Monday 10 May, 8pm
Anyone can enter this open poetry slam. Cinema Slam is looking for 16 poets with a maximum of five poems. Each poem should be your own work and no more than three minutes long. For more information and to register for this event, email jeff@zebrapublishing.co.uk.

China Miéville and Helen Oyeyemi
Lit & Phil: Wednesday 12 May, 7pm
China Mieville and Helen Oyeyemi read from their work and discuss the supernatural in literature. China Miéville has won both the Arthur C Clark award and the British Fantasy Award twice. His new novel, Kraken, explores worlds of warring cults and surreal magic. Helen Oyeyemi’s latest novel, White is for Witching, is a mesmerising spine tingler, described as ‘Angela Carter meets Edgar Allen Poe’. Admission free. For more information, see www.litandphil.org.uk.

Return
ARC, Stockton-on-Tees: Wednesday 12 May, 7.45pm

Incorporating the mechanics of lighting and stunning cinematography alongside the immediacy and freedom of spoken word, Return is the story of a man trying to figure out where he fits. In this captivating and imaginative piece, spoken word artist Polarbear has joined forces with director Yael Shavit and new technologies designer Marie Blunck. Together the trio encourage you to explore, and like a film director, be challenged to re-imagine as the story unfolds. Tickets £8 (discounts available). For more details visit www.arconline.co.uk.

Fleur Adcock & Chase Twichell
Culture Lab, Newcastle University: Thursday 13 May, 7pm
Fleur Adcock’s wryly witty poems are remarkable for their poise and psychological insight. She received an OBE in 1996, and the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry in 2006 for Poems 1960-2000 (2000). Her new collection is Dragon Talk. Chase Twichell was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1950. She is the author of numerous collections, most recently Dog Language. Tickets: £6/£4. For more information, see www.ncl.ac.uk/ncla/events/readings.

Dr Richard Moore: Fairies and Witches in Literature
Lit & Phil: Tuesday 18 May, 1pm
This lecture will examine the way fairies and witches have been presented in Western literature and the degree to which a sense of them has permeated everyday rural life – such as Mrs Gaskell’s Lois the Witch and Harrison Ainsworth’s The Lancashire Witches, plus some ‘real-life’cases. Admission: £2 members, £4 non-members. For more information, see www.litandphil.org.uk.

A Thrilling Lunch
Lit & Phil: Wednesday 19 May, 12.30pm-2pm

Spend an entertaining and delicious 90 minutes in the company of two award-winning crime writers. Martyn Waites is from Newcastle and bases his novels here. Stuart MacBride sets his crime thrillers, featuring DS Logan McRae, in the ‘Granite City’ of Aberdeen. Cost: £10, includes a buffet lunch. Please book in advance. For more information, see www.litandphil.org.uk.

Alison Carr: Coal Dust Whispers Song
Bishop Auckland Town Hall: Wednesday 19 May, 7.30pm

A rehearsed reading of a new poetic play by Bishop Auckland-based writer and poet Alison Carr. Coal Dust Whispers Song is a map of recollections of what has been before: the secrets, sweetness, and hardship brought by land and turmoil. Tickets £4, concessions £3. To book call 01388 602 610 or go to www.bishopaucklandtownhall.org.uk.

Gail-Nina Anderson: The Ghost Stories of EF Benson
Lit & Phil: Wednesday 26 May, 6pm
Although perhaps best known for the six comic novels which make up his Mapp and Lucia series, Fred Benson was an immensely prolific author whose output ranged through popular novels, biographies, works on winter sports, history... and ghost stories. His many short tales (which he liked to term ‘Spook Stories’) were mostly published in magazines before being gathered into four collections. This talk will discuss the author, his background and his particular take on spooks. Admission: £2 members, £4 non-members. For more information, see www.litandphil.org.uk.

Deadline for the next newsletter
The next edition of The Listening Post covering June's literature events will go out towards the end of May. If you have events that you would like to submit for inclusion, you will need to send information by 20 May to olivia@newwritingnorth.com. The Listening Post is North East-specific, but from time to time may also highlight interesting writing events nationally. Promoters should also note that they can also submit information on events happening in the Tees Valley area directly to the Lit-Tees website.

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While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this newsletter is correct at the time of going to press, things do change, frequently at the last minute and very often without our knowledge.