Read Regional 2010: Author events in libraries across the region

Our annual Read Regional campaign has kicked off once again, with eight fantastic authors from the North East showcased this year. Throughout the summer, the Read Regional authors will be doing free events, reading from their work and taking questions from readers, in libraries all over Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, County Durham and Teesside. You can get all the details about Read Regional at www.readregional.com but here’s what’s coming up in June:



Janette Jenkins: Angel of Brooklyn

West End Library, Newcastle: Monday 7 June, 2pm



Rebecca Jenkins: The Duke’s Agent

Fenham Library, Newcastle: Tuesday 8 June, 2pm



Linda France: You Are Her

Hartlepool Central Library: Friday 18 June, 6.30pm



Cynthia Fuller: Background Music

Tynemouth Library: Thursday 24 June, 2pm

The Read Regional stall will be at Longsands Beach, Tynemouth, next to Crusoes Café, from 10am that day



Graham Pears: The Myth of Justice

Blackwell Bookshop, Newcastle: Wed 30 June, 6pm

Middlesbrough Literary Festival
19 June-30 July
A festival designed to celebrate the word in all its forms: written, spoken, sung and created. Festival highlights include prize-winning novelists Sarah Waters, Richard Milward and Jill Dawson, as well as local poets Bob Beagrie and Andy Willoughby. There will be writing workshops, literary performances of work by Jane Eyre and the fashions of the 1950s, an open mic event and a musical workshop. The festival is co-ordinated and delivered by Middlesbrough Libraries & Information Service and events are hosted in libraries throughout the borough. Visit www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/litfest for further details.


Create your own comic in a week
Seven Stories, Newcastle: Tuesday 1-Friday 4 June, 11am-1pm/2pm-4pm
Children under eight can unleash their creative talents for a four-day intensive comic book workshop. Tickets: £10 per participating child (includes four sessions, either morning or afternoon) and £15 for a child’s annual pass. For more information, call 08452710777 ext 715.

Jackie Kay
Great North Museum, Newcastle: Thursday 3 June, 7pm

Prize-winning novelist, poet, playwright and short story writer Jackie Kay launches her eagerly-anticipated memoir, Red Dust Road, with the Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts. Tickets: £6/£4. For details, see www.ncl.ac.uk/ncla.

The Key to the Garden
Eden Theatre, Bishop Auckland Town Hall: Friday 4 June, 7.30pm
Rachel Laurence’s one-woman play tells the story of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s rise from genteel poverty in Salford to become a pioneering author of classic books such as The Secret Garden, A Little Princess and Little Lord Fauntleroy. Tickets: £6 (concs available) and more information from (01388) 602610 or the Town Hall Library.

The Palestinians Are Coming
Side Cinema, Newcastle: Friday 4 June, 7.30pm

A special screening of Alastair Cummings’s documentary, The Palestinians Are Coming, on the visit to the North East last year of The Children of Shatila, who were in the region performing work by North East writer Peter Mortimer. Peter will also talk about the whole Shatila project. Tickets £2.50. To book call 0191 232 2208.

Hyperlexic presents: Poetry Boxing
Saville Exchange, North Shields: Saturday 5 June, 7.30pm

An exciting spoken-word event that pulls no punches. Featuring work from Hyperlexic’s mini poetry residency at North Shields Boxing Club led by poets Jess Johnson and Joe Hakim. Tickets: £7/£5 and more information from 0191 643 7093.

Sean O’Brien
Newcastle City Library: Sunday 6 June, 2pm

Award-winning poet Sean O’Brien reads a selection of his poetry. Tickets: free from any Newcastle library, or by phone on 0191 277 4100. For more information email information@newcastle.gov.uk.

Paul Durcan
Curtis Auditorium, Herschel Building, Newcastle University: Thursday 10 June, 7pm

In the last ten years alone, Paul Durcan has published three books of poetry and, most recently, a collection drawing on the full body of his published work, Life is a Dream: 40 Years of Reading Poems 1967-2007 (2009). Tickets: £6/£4. For more details see www.ncl.ac.uk/ncla.

Ink Festival
Cluny 2, Newcastle: Friday 11 June & Saturday 12 June, 7pm

An exciting new event promoting new writing from the region. Two nights of scratch performances of poetry, short stories and mini plays, plus live music. Tickets: £5. For more details, email inkfestival@hotmail.com.

The Galloping Stone
Alington House, Durham: Friday 11 June, 8pm

The Galloping Stone is a collection of poems and prose written by clients, staff and volunteers at the Medical Foundation for the Care of the Victims of Torture, arising from Gillian Allnutt’s residency there. At this special Colpitts event Gillian and some of the contributors will read their work. Tickets £5/£3. For more details go to www.colpittspoetry.co.uk.

Storytelling: Local Legends at The Bowes Museum
Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle: Sunday 13 June, 11am & 12pm

Tales based on local legends will be delivered by popular storyteller Adam Bushnell, in the museum’s outdoor Story Garden. Each drop-in session will last for around 30 minutes and is free of charge. For more details ring 01833 690606.

Murder on the Orient Express: discussion with Martyn Waites
Newcastle City Library: Wednesday 16 June, 6pm

Writer Martyn Waites discusses Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express as part of the Harrogate Book Festival. Tickets: free from any Newcastle Library or by phone on 0191 2774100. For details email information@newcastle.gov.uk.

Catherine Graham
Lit & Phil, Newcastle: Wednesday 16 June, 7.30pm

Northern Voices Poetry Award and Northumberland Writers’ Special Award winner Catherine Graham launches her first collection of poetry, Signs. Tickets: £2 on the door, to include refreshments.

Crime Fiction Week event
Lit & Phil, Newcastle: Thursday 17 June, 7pm

Join Red Squirrel Press crime fiction and Read Regional novelists Valerie Laws (author of The Rotting Spot) and Graham Pears (author of The Myth of Justice) who will read from their novels. Free event, refreshments available. Please contact Lit & Phil on 0191 232 0192 to reserve a place, and go to www.redsquirrelpress.com for more details.

Dean Wilkinson
Ingleby Barwick Library, Stockton on Tees: Thursday 24 June, 6.30pm
BAFTA award-winning TV comedy writer and author Dean Wilkinson will be giving a talk and signing copies of his books. Dean has enjoyed a long and successful career writing for British TV and radio shows, magazines and comics, console games and books. He is also founder of the Wilkinson Press. This is a free event but booking is essential. To book call 01642 528528 or email inglebybarwick.library@stockton.gov.uk.

SJ Litherland
Alington House, Durham: Friday 25 June, 8pm

Poet, Vane Woman and creative writing tutor, SJ Litherland launches a powerful new collection, The Absolute Bonus of Rain, with music. Tickets: £5/£3. For more information, see www.colpittspoetry.co.uk.

Bridlington Poetry Festival
Sewerby Hall, Bridlington: Friday 11 June-Sunday 13 June

This inaugural festival comprises 32 events over three days, including poetry workshops, special drama and word-play events for children and parents, and performances from some of poetry’s most popular figures, including Simon Armitage, Daljit Nagra and Mario Petrucci. For details and festival listings go to www.bridlington-poetry-festival.com.

Deadline for the next newsletter
The next edition of The Listening Post covering July's literature events will go out towards the end of June. If you have events that you would like to submit for inclusion, you will need to send information by 20 June 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.