WORD featuring MARK GWYNNE JONES

Wednesday 2nd July, 8pm (1st Wednesday of each month)
Bambu Bar, Welford Rd
FREE

WORD is Leicester’s premiere spoken word event, open to poets, storytellers, performers and writers of all kinds to come along and share their work with others. Featuring a regular open mic, a headline act every month and the infamous WORD raffle.

“Mark Gwynne Jones is to poetry what The League of Gentlemen is to television. He should be ruined with fame and money before he shows the rest of us up for the bunch of sissies we are. But if you don’t want the truth, don’t call a poet, at least not a real one.” – Martin Newell of The Independent.

Me and Mickie James by Drew Gummerson – Official Launch

Tuesday 22nd July, 6pm
Waterstones, Market Street, Leicester

Drew Gummerson was born in 1971 and lives in Leicester, England. In 2002 his first novel The Lodger was published. It was a finalist in the Lamda awards in the USA. Drew’s next novel Darts was a finalist in the UKA / PADB Great Read Novel Competition. Drew’s latest novel Me and Mickie James will be published by Jonathan Cape in July 2008.

Down By Law are a pop duo like no other. For a start Mickie James has a hunchback, but that doesn’t matter, he is the talented one. From their base in a disused room at the top of St Pancras Station they plan to take the music industry by storm. Only first they need gigs, a record deal and a flushable toilet. “Me and Mickie James” is a novel of amazing energy and humour about love, fate and the importance of pop music in all our lives.

To reserve your place at the official launch of Me and Mickie James e-mail: booknews@leicester.gov.uk
– stating your name, contact details and the number of places requested (max 4).

Westcotes Reading Groups Event

Thursday 18th September 2008, 7-9 pm
Westcotes Library, Narborough Road.
Information: 0116 2995510
FREE but places very limited

An event for anyone who is a member of a reading group or would like to become a member.

A lively evening when reading group members from all over Leicester come together to discuss their desert island reads and favourite fictional heroes and villains. The evening will be well paced with quizzes, wine and nibbles and will conclude with a bedtime story! If you are not already a member of a reading group but would like to be, you are also very welcome to come along. We will have information available on how to find or set up your own group. For more information please contact Westcotes Library on 0116 299 5510. This event is free to attend but as numbers are limited please contact the library to book your place.

Slavery Exhibition

1st – 14th December – Central Lending Library
15th – 27th December – Learning and Information Library
FREE

Slaves Narratives is an exciting new exhibition from the Open University. Following on from the bicentenary of the abolition of slavery the exhibition explores the stories of slaves themselves including Quobna Ottobah Cugoano, born a free man but kidnapped and sold into slavery as a teenager; Mary Prince, born enslaved but claimed freedom when she was brought to England and Robert Wedderburn who’s mother was a slave and his father her owner. Experience the real lives caught by slavery.

Adverse Camber present The Middle Yard

Friday 12th September
The Richard Attenborough Centre
0116 252 2455
http://www.le.ac.uk/racentre

The Middle Yard is an exceptional story of leadership, power, corruption and ambition, brought vividly to life by two of the UK’s finest professional storytellers, Nick Hennessey and Simon Heywood. The tale sees the iconic hero Lugh Lamfhota confronting questions of honour and the challenge of leadership in this world and the next. Against an apocalyptic backdrop of rising tension between warring factions, a very personal story of tragedy and revenge unfolds. Enjoy an epic night of storytelling and music, one which will stay in your imagination long after you’ve heard it.

Carole Matthews – From Milton Keynes to Hollywood

Wednesday 24th September, 7-9pm
Knighton Library, Clarendon Park Rd, LE2 3AJ
FREE but places very limited
To reserve phone 0116 2995477
or email knighton.lib@leicester.gov.uk

The hilarious story of a writers’ life from one of our favourite romantic
comedy novelists. Want to know what goes on in Brad Pitt’s bedroom? Carole will dish the dirt! From humble beginning in Milton Keynes to crazy stories from Planet Hollywood, Carole will share her experiences.

Carole Matthews is the international best selling author of hugely successful romantic comedy novels. Published in twenty-four countries, her unique sense of humour has won her legions of fans and critical acclaim all over the world.

In the UK, her books include Let’s Meet on Platform 8, A Whiff of Scandal, More To Life Than This, For Better, For Worse, The Sweetest Taboo, and With or Without You. Carole’s latest bestsellers, The Chocolate Lovers’ Club and sequel, The Chocolate Lovers’ Diet are out now. Her latest book, It’s a Kind of Magic will be published in July 08 in paperback. When she’s not writing novels, television or film scripts she manages to find time to trek in the Himalayas, rollerblade in Central Park, take tea in China and snooze in her garden shed in Milton Keynes.

Brighterside Poetry Slam

BrightSparks presents…
The Brighter Side Poetry Slam
Thursday, 16th October, 2008, 8pm
£5 / £3.50 conc
Box Office: 0116 2557066
This high energy live poetry competition is compered by renowned performance poets Rob Gee and Lydia Towsey. With a theme of ‘The Human Condition’ it is particularly open to mental health service users as well as anyone who writes and performs poetry. Everyone gets a prize and the winner gets money and a trophy. Come and have a go if you think you’re bard enough!

A series of performance poetry workshops are available for anyone wishing to fine tune their poems and performances prior to the event. Please register for the Slam and workshops in advance by emailing Lydia at: secretagentartist@hotmail.com or call 0788 884 7840.

The Brighter Side Slam may contain material unsuitable for children.

Attila the Stockbroker

Thursday 9th October, 7pm
Central Lending Library, Leicester
Tickets: £3
Book early to avoid disappointment.
To reserve phone: 0116 2995402
central.lending@leicester.gov.uk

Punk poet Attila the Stockbroker helps celebrate National Year of Reading with his unique brand of high energy, surrealist poems and songs. Inspired to start performing by the do it yourself ethos of punk, he has played wih punk greats including The Jam, New Model Army and Manic Street Preachers. He has performed at every Glastonbury festival since 1982 and is well known for his fanatical support of Brighton and Hove Albion FC. His last collection of poetry ‘My Poetic Licence’ was published in 2007.

Attila will be performing live at Leicester’s Central Lending Library. Book early to avoid missing out on this special event.

Storytelling Café Tours present Mats Rehnman

Saturday 1st November
The Richard Attenborough Centre
0116 2522455
http://www.le.ac.uk/racentre

Mats Rehnman has a warm, concerned and personable approach to storytelling that interweaves myth and life into a whole. He has an eclectic repertoire drawn from international traditions as well as his own Scandinavian and Sami lore.

“Mats Rehnman has created a programme combining education and folklore. It’s a labyrinth of dangerous and humorous turns, bringing the audience to the warm heart of the cold North.”

Write-a-thon at BBC Open Centre

Thursday 4th December, 10 – 4
BBC Leicester, 9 St Nicholas Place

Join local authors and get writing at our All-Day Drop-In Writeathon in the Atrium of BBC Leicester’s inspirational building in St Nicholas Place.

If you love reading, and perhaps have always been a secret scribbler, drop in and join in the fun. This lively day will be packed with mini opportunities to try out your own skills and discover hidden talents,
short spoken-word performances, microtalks, and book signings.

To round off the National Year of Reading, Writing School Leicester is delighted to join forces with the BBC and Leicester City Libraries to stage this reading into writing event.