Lambeth Readers and Writers Festival - May 2008
The fifth Lambeth Readers and Writers Festival is a month-long programme of events during which Lambeth Libraries become the hub of a celebration of creativity in reading and writing.
The festival is a series of extraordinary events for all ages and tastes, from best-selling authors like Kate Mosse or Panos Karnezis to new authors such as Jacqueline Walker and Sean Longley. Whether you enjoy reading, writing, discussion or simply listening, they'll be something for you taking place in a library near you!
This year's festival includes poetry from acclaimed poet Aoife Mannix and poetry in translation with Portuguese poet Jose Letria. Music is supplied with a very special appearance of Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby. Authors cover the full spectrum of literature, including BBC 'Ladies of Letters' writer Carole Hayman, Alex Wheatle and children's writer Nicholas Allan.
History is featured with leading writers discussing Marcus Garvey, Claudia Jones and the West Indian Gazette. The 60th Anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush is highlighted with a special performance of a play by Victor Richards, as well as writing competitions, workshops and more.
This year's programme will have you laughing and crying, stimulated and curious - but never bored. Come and join us and discover just how exciting libraries can be! After all, where else can you find so much fun free of charge?
Events and activities
To view a full list of all the activities and events taking placing during the Lambeth Readers and Writers Festival, download the Readers and Writers Festival programme of events or pick up a copy from your local library.
Highlights include:
West Indian Gazette 50th Anniversary
Thursday 22 May, 7pm
Minet Library
The West Indian Gazette was Britain's first Home-grown Black newspaper. It was published and edited by Claudia Jones from offices in Brixton Road and when the first edition hit the streets in April 1958, its immediate readership was the local black community in Brixton.
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of its foundation, join Colin Prescod, chair of the Institute of race Relations (and whose mum worked on the Gazette) with Donald Hinds, former Gazette journalist, Alex Pascall, Marika Sherwood and other staff from the paper for a talk and panel discussion about this key moment for Black British journalism.
Kate Mosse - Sepulchre
Saturday 24 May, 2pm
Clapham Library
Kate Mosse is an author, broadcaster and the co-founder of the Orange Prize for Fiction. Her novels include Eskimo Kissing, Crucifix Lane and the number one best-selling Labyrinth which has been translated into 37 languages, and has sold over a million copies in English to date. Her latest novel, Sepulchre (2007), is set in France in 1891 and 2007.
Kate Mosse is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts and won the 2000 European Woman of Achievement Award for her contribution to the Arts.
Alex Wheatle – The Dirty South
Wednesday 28 May, 7pm
Brixton Library
Set in Brixton, 20 years after the riots, The Dirty South follows the adventures of Bricky teenager Dennis Huggins as he drifts into the easy, dangerous life of the shotta (drug dealer) and discovers that, hard as the struggle for respect on the streets is, the struggle for love is harder still.
This is Alex Wheatle's seventh novel, and it returns to some of the characters from his award-winning East of Acre Lane.
Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby supported by Steve Lake and Project Adorno
Wednesday 14 May, 7pm
Brixton Library
Wreckless Eric has been a cornerstone of the underground music scene ever since he blagged his way onto the Stiff Records roster in 1976 and wound up on the famous Live Stiffs tour alongside Ian Dury and Elvis Costello. His honed-down, cranked-up playing, coupled with a no-nonsense attitude and a voice that can strip wallpaper, has endeared him to successive generations of DIY music fans.
Singer-songwriter Amy Rigby is ultimately a product of New York's CBGBs scene. Whilst her early recordings pursued a brand of urban country music that pre-empted the Americana movement by a decade, she really found her feet with the release of her Diary of a Mod Housewife album in 1996.
Further information
For more information or to book tickets for Lambeth Libraries events please call 020 7926 0752 or email readersandwriters@lambeth.gov.uk.
To avoid disappointment please book for all events.