Read Regional 2010
There’s a full programme of events from all our eight Read Regional authors running throughout July, with writers reading and talking about their work all over the North East, including special events at South Shields Amphitheatre, Hexham Farmers’ Market and the Stockton International Riverside Festival. Read Regional authors are also in the spotlight at the Middlesbrough Literary Festival, which runs throughout the month and features all manner of events, including prize-winning novelists such as Sarah Waters and Jill Dawson. For a full schedule and lots more information about Read Regional 2010, see www.readregional.com.

Salley Vickers: Life, Death, Love and Art
Darlington Arts Centre, Vane Terrace, Darlington: Thursday 1 July, 8pm
Salley Vickers is the author of several highly-acclaimed novels including Miss Garnet’s Angel, Mr Golightly’s Holiday and Dancing Backwards. Hear her read from her novels followed by a Q&A session. Tickets £10.50. For more details or to book, contact the box office on 01325 486 555 or go to www.darlingtonarts.co.uk.

Keith Pattison and David Peace: No Redemption book launch
Easington Social Welfare Centre: Saturday 3 July, 7.30pm
Join us for the launch for the photography collection, No Redemption: The 1984-85 Miner’s Strike in the Durham Coalfields, with photographs by Keith Pattison and words by David Peace. The evening also includes performed readings by Libby Davidson, Trevor Fox and David Peace, as well as music by Frankie & The Heartstrings. Tickets £3 from Easington Welfare Centre (tel: 0191 527 0635).

Oxfam Bookfest 2010
The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle: Sunday 4 July, 1pm-11pm
A whole day of page-turning, word-changing, book-loving celebrations as part of the national Oxfam Bookfest 2010. Including performances by local authors Catherine Graham and Rod Glenn, children’s storytelling, book stalls, and creative writing workshops. Tickets from free to £5. To book and for more information, see www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/content/books.

Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India
The Sage, Gateshead, Hall Two: Monday 5 July, 8pm
William Dalrymple’s latest book, Nine Lives, explores how faith and ritual are clinging on – and changing – in the face of India’s commercial boom. The concert will include readings from the book by the author and showcase one of the less well-known musical traditions of South Asia: Bengal’s wandering minstrels. Tickets: £13. Special offer: quote ‘New Writing North’ when you book and get £2 off. To book, call 0191 443 4661 or go to www.thesagegateshead.org.

Mushira live poetry
Westgate Community College, Newcastle: Sunday 11 July, 7.30pm
One of the Pakistan Cultural Society’s most popular live poetry events organised annually for over a decade. A great opportunity to meet, listen and be mesmerised by the series of romantic, patriotic and humorous poetries written and recited by well-known poets from the UK, Pakistan, India, USA, Canada and many other countries. Admission free. For more information, see www.pakistanculturalsociety.co.uk.

The All Comers Lyrical Slam
The Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle: Monday 12 July, 8pm (doors 7.30pm)
A new kind of slam: instead of poetry, use song lyrics performed as a spoken-word piece. No singing, no instruments, just you and your voice. The judges will vote on the performance and originality of the delivery. If you want to take part all you need are the lyrics from five songs, any songs, by anybody. Admission: £4 on the door. Slammers should email jeffprice@btopenworld.com to book their place in the line-up.

SJ Litherland and Andrew Forster book launches
The Lit & Phil, Newcastle: Wednesday 14 July, 7pm
SJ Litherland launches her sixth poetry collection, The Absolute Bonus of Rain, and Cumbrian poet Andrew Forster launches his second, Territory. Free entry, no need to book. For more information, see www.litandphil.org.uk.

Roz Southey: Putting the Mystery into History
Bishop Auckland Town Hall: Wednesday 14 July 7.30pm
Launch of Sword and Song, the fourth Charles Patterson murder mystery novel, and talk by author and musicologist Roz Southey. Charles Patterson is a determined but impoverished musician in 18th century Newcastle upon Tyne, who, together with some idiosyncratic – not to say outrageous – friends, solves mysteries he finds himself involved in. Free event, entry by ticket. To book and for more information, see www.bishopaucklandtownhall.org.uk.

Val McLane and Asit Maitra
Newcastle City Library: Thursday 22 July, 6.30pm
The anthology Xhosa Women’s Voices, edited by Val McLane, describes life during the Apartheid regime and afterwards, in the new, post-1994 South Africa. Asit Maitra’s poetry collection, Knife on the Edge, describes a journey from the young boy in Kolkata, full of dreams, through the experience of training to be a surgeon in Britain. Tickets: free from any Newcastle library, or by phone on 0191 277 4100. For more information, email information@newcastle.gov.uk.

Middlesbrough Literary Festival
Throughout 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. See www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/litfest for further details.

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