Liverpool Readers' Day

Programme for the Day 10 am

10.15 am 10.30 -11.30

Arrival & registration. Tea and coffee.

Jane Davis, Director of the Reader Organisation, welcomes everyone to The Readers’ Day First workshop. Choose from:

Mersey Minis - Editor of the series, Deborah Mulhearn, will talk about and read from her anthologies that give an amazing insight into the city’s heritage.

Work Poems - This year’s theme for National Poetry Day was ‘work’, a theme with much resonance for a city like Liverpool. Join Rebecca Goss to read and discuss a broad range of poems addressing this topic, whether it be women’s work, men’s toil or nature’s struggle, it’s all about survival.

Accelerate - Read and discuss Frank Cottrell Boyce’s short story that appeared in the Autumn edition of The Reader magazine. Author not present.

11.30 -12.30

Second workshop. Choose from:

City of Seafarers and Storytellers. Francis Boyce discusses authors with seafaring backgrounds and family roots in the city. Some are still remembered and celebrated, others wrongly neglected or forgotten. Shipwrecked poems. Poetry is often turned to in times of need and difficulty, when life’s seas turn rough and choppy. Bring along a favourite poem that has been a lifeline. Local poets Andrew Taylor and Scott Thurston will lead a discussion around a selection of the poems. All welcome.

Readers’ Surgery. Stuck in a reading rut? looking for a cure for life’s ups and downs? Put your reading dilemmas to a panel from The Reader Organisation who will prescribe a reading cure. 12.30-1.30 pm Lunch and Readers’ Fair

1.30-2.30 pm Dame Beryl Bainbridge talks about her distinguished career as a novelist and discusses her astonishing literary output with Jane Davis of The Reader Organisation.

2.30-3.30 pm Panel discussion. Dame Beryl Bainbridge is joined by Frank Cottrell Boyce, Liverpool’s funniest serious writer, and Jane Davis to discuss favourite writing with a local connection and what it means to them. 3.30-4 pm

Tea

5pm

Close.

4 - 4.45 pm Discussion. Respected screen writer and prize-winning children’s writer, Frank Cottrell Boyce discusses his writing career with Jane Davis. Dame Beryl Bainbridge

Liverpool Libraries & Information Services and The Reader Organisation Present

Special guest authors:

Dame Beryl Bainbridge and Frank Cottrell Boyce

Saturday 22nd November 2008 Liverpool Central Library, William Brown Street 10am-5pm

Free admission by ticket only

Frank Cottrell Boyce

r A day fo o e wh everyon ks o loves bo g din and rea

Booking form

I would like to book a ticket for the Readers’ Day on Saturday 22nd November 2008. Please send me a free ticket for the event.

Name: ................................................................................. Address: ............................................................................ Postcode: .................. Tel: ................................................

E-mail: ................................................................................ Please choose your options in order of choice for the morning sessions.

My first session preference is (choose from Mersey Minis, Work Poems or Accelerate)

First choice: ......................................................................

Second choice: ................................................................. My second session preference is (choose from City of

Seafarers & Storytellers / Shipwrecked Poems / Readers’ Surgery)

First choice: ......................................................................

Second choice: .................................................................

Free tickets are available from the following Libraries: Central, Allerton, Childwall and Norris Green Or return this form, to arrive no later than Friday 14th November 2008, to: Ron Travis, Liverpool Central Library, William Brown Street. Liverpool L3 8EW. Email: [email protected]

We expect tickets for the Readers’ Day to be snapped up quickly, so get your application in as soon as possible.

Tea and coffee will be available, but those attending should make their own lunch arrangements. There are plenty of cafes, restaurants and bars close to the Central Library

Liverpool Libraries & Information Services and The Reader Organisation invite you to a day of books and reading to celebrate Liverpool’s literary heritage as part of National Year of Reading and European Capital of Culture 2008.

The Readers’ Day is made up of author events, discussions and small reading workshops that aim to open up reading choices and help people share their interests in books and reading.

There is a unique opportunity to meet two highly respected local authors: prize-winning novelist, Dame Beryl Bainbridge, and screenwriter and children’s writer Frank Cottrell Boyce. You can join Deborah Mulhearn, editor of the Mersey Minis for an insight into the city’s heritage through the fascinating range of writing in her series. Francis Boyce, father of Frank Cottrell Boyce will be discussing Liverpool authors with seafaring roots.

There will be a Readers’ Fair where you can find out about reading groups and reading activities, buy or borrow books, see displays and talk to authors.

Everyone can view the “Write On Liverpool” collection of photographic portraits and audio dialogue featuring twelve established Liverpool poets that will be on display in the Picton Library. The poets include Roger McGough, Brian Patten and Paul Farley and the collection is presented by local artists Leila Romaya and Paul McCann. Everyone is most welcome to come along.

Authors and speakers

Dame Beryl Bainbridge was born in Formby and worked for a time at Liverpool Playhouse. Her repertory experiences are used in her novel, An Awfully Big Adventure (1989). She is the author of many fine novels including The Dressmaker and Master Georgie.She won the Whitbread book award twice and was nominated for the Booker Prize five times. A new novel, The Girl in the Polka Dot Dress, is due for publication in 2009.

Francis Boyce Since retiring from full-time teaching he has been tutoring courses in local history at the University of Liverpool’s Department of Continuing Education, and researching Liverpool writers James Hanley and George Garret.

Frank Cottrell Boyce was born and lives in Liverpool and is one of the most respected screenwriters in the English film industry. He wrote episodes for Coronation Street and Brookside, screenplays such as Butterfly Kiss, Welcome to Sarajevo and 24 Hour Party People. God on Trial is his latest script to be filmed. His children’s novels are Millions (Carnegie Medal winner), Framed and Cosmic. Rebecca Goss was born in Suffolk, but has lived in Liverpool for 16 years. She is a poet and writes full time. Her poems have appeared in many anthologies. Find out more about her and read a selection of her poems at www.poetrypf.co.uk

Deborah Mulhearn was born in Liverpool into a family with a seafaring tradition. She worked at the Liverpool Playhouse. She now works as a freelance journalist and is the editor of the Mersey Minis series. Dr. Andrew Taylor is a Liverpool based poet and editor. His latest publication is ‘And the Weary are at Rest” (Sunnyoutside Press, 2008).

Scott Thurston was born in Surrey and has been living in Toxteth since 1997. He has published six books of poetry and lectures in English and Creative Writing at the University of Salford