s t n e v E t s Litfe e m m a r g Pro 014 3 - June 2
December 201
ches
n oetry, book lau Storytelling, p re and much mo
www.litfest.org
Friday 6 December 8.00pm
Beyond the Firelight - Clare Murphy & Dominic Kelly Performance Storytelling Not recommended for children under 12 Venue: Meet at NICE at The Castle Tickets: £10/£8 concs Booking: www.litfest.org This is a Lancaster Arts City First Friday event Is anything better than curling up by a fire while winter howls outside? But beyond the edge of the firelight, who knows who (or what) is peering in at the window? Walk away from the safety of the fireside with tales that encapsulate the strange and dangerous beauty of winter.
Friday 7 February 8.00pm
Tree of Leaf and Flame - Tales from The Mabinogi Performance Storytelling Not recommended for children under 11 Venue: The Storey Tickets: £10/£8 concs This is a Lancaster Arts City First Friday event www.treeofleafandflame.co.uk Daniel Morden - Storyteller Oliver Wilson-Dickson - Violin Dylan Fowler - Guitar Haunting storytelling and dazzling musicianship come together in this unique retelling of The Mabinogi, the oldest stories of Britain. Daniel Morden is one of the UK’s most popular storytellers. He and Oliver have wowed Lancaster audiences as members of The Devil’s Violin Company. 2
“Master storytellers” The Guardian
Friday 7 March 7.30pm
Jo Baker - Longbourn Fiction Lancaster author Jo Baker gives voice to the servants of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in her triumphant new novel; a story of romance, intrigue, and drama among the servants of the much loved Bennet household. “If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, Sarah thought, she would be more careful not to trudge through muddy fields.”
“A splendid tribute to Austen’s original but, more importantly, a joy in its own right, a novel that contrives both to provoke the intellect and, ultimately, to stop the heart.”
Venue: Lancaster Library Tickets: This event is free but advance booking is advised to ensure entry Booking: www.litfest.org
The Guardian
This is a Lancaster Arts City First Friday event
Friday 14 March 7.30pm
Jane Routh - Falling into Place Book Launch and in conversation with Ian Hill The evening launches Falling into Place, a book about a small area of land in the Forest of Bowland and its wildlife, work and weathers over four decades. At its heart is a month by month celebration of seasonal shifts – their feel, their smell, their mood. But it also has a wider sweep, deftly considering the place of the individual in the evolving story of land use. Jane will read some short selections from the book, and will be joined by Cumbrian writer and photographer Ian Hill in conversations ranging widely across writing about place, about nature, and about how we relate to landscape. and weatheR of wildlife, woRk england a celebRat ion of noRth west in the uplands
A prize-winning poet, Jane has previously published three collections of poetry with Smith/ Doorstop, and contributes book reviews and nonfiction to several journals.
Falling into Place
Ja n e Ro u t h
Venue: The Storey Tickets: This event is free but advance booking is advised to ensure entry Booking: www.litfest.org www.litfest.org
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Friday 4 April 8.00pm
Sally Pomme Clayton Eros and Psyche Performance Storytelling Merging myth, fairy tale, and raucous Greek philosophy, performance storyteller Sally Pomme Clayton invites Aphrodite, Eros, and Socrates under one roof, and lets the battle of hearts and minds commence! The myth of Eros and Psyche is over 2000 years old, but captures the contemporary imagination with its questions about love, beauty, suffering, and the choice to live. In this raunchy, compelling performance Sally Pomme Clayton strips back the myth and speaks to anyone who has ever loved. Not recommended for children under 18 Venue: The Storey Tickets: £10/£8 concs Booking: www.litfest.org This is a Lancaster Arts City First Friday event
Thursday 10 April 7.30pm
April Poets
Poetry with a touch of class and a dash of music Organised by Carole Coates, Mike Barlow and Ron Scowcroft, April Poets exists to promote the best of regional poetry and to give a voice to new and established writers in North Lancashire and Cumbria. April Poets has quickly established itself as the venue where North West poets want to read. Audiences are treated to a great atmosphere and stunningly good poets to listen to. The evening offers a few floor spots which are first come first served on the night. See www.aprilpoets.org.uk for the full line-up.
Venue: The Storey Tickets on the door: £4/£2
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Friday 2 May 7.30pm
Andrew Greig Poetry and Music Critically acclaimed Scottish writer Andrew Greig is author of over twenty books, including seven novels and four non-fiction books. Poetry was, and remains, his first love. Andrew will be reading from his latest collection Found At Sea. A theatrical version ran at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh and a 30 minute version has been commissioned by Radio 4. He will also read selected poems from This Life, This Life, including some of the poems from his Himalayan years, and from his last Bloodaxe collection As Though We Were Flying.
Venue: Lancaster Library Tickets: £6/£4 concs Booking: www.litfest.org This is a Lancaster Arts City First Friday event
Friday 6 June 8.00pm
Mr Sandmann with Ben Haggarty Performance Storytelling Internationally renowned for his dynamic and challenging performances, Ben Haggarty slips behind the lights into the dark side of the fairground, where you risk getting more than you bargained for. Via freak-show and moonshine bar, ready yourself for an intense and alarming journey through the ambivalent mythology of the Sandman. Flirting with Americana; drawing on urban legend, fairy tale, myth and folklore, and paying oblique homage to Heinrich Von Kleist, ETA Hoffman, Hans Andersen and Nick Cave, Ben Haggarty surrenders his sanity to the magnetic pull of a ravenous moon. Not recommended for children under 14 Venue: The Storey Tickets: £10/£8 concs Booking: www.litfest.org
“Intense and alarming... Screw up your courage and go” The Times
This is a Lancaster Arts City First Friday event www.litfest.org
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Friday 13 June 7.30pm
SIXFOLD - A City and a River Poetry Venue: The Storey Tickets on the door: £5/£3 concs www.sixfold.org.uk
An evening with SIXFOLD reading poems based on Lancaster, the River Lune and the world beyond. SIXFOLD are six widely published Lancaster-based poets whose themed readings blend and celebrate their distinctive individual styles. They are Mike Barlow, Elizabeth Burns, Carole Coates, Sarah Hymas, Jane Routh and Ian Seed.
“an enchanting coherence” “chiming between the poems enabled subtle connections to gather in the mind” Come and hear for yourself.
3rd Friday of every month 8.00pm
Spotlight Performance
Spotlight is a cave of ideas, always on the hunt for new and experimental writers and performers at its Open Mic spots. On the 3rd Friday of every month, the event gives a platform to poets, writers, comedians, ranters and musicians. It’s a dynamic platform on which a wide variety of aspiring writers are positively encouraged to experiment with words, music and performance. Each Spotlight event opens with an Open Mic session featuring 5 minute spots open to anyone. As these are very popular you may want to e-mail to book a spot in advance - spotlightclub@btinternet.com. Following the Open Mic session, Spotlight showcase 4 different writers and 2 music acts with some of the best writing and musicianship in the region! 6
Venue: The Storey Tickets on the door: £4/£2 concs www.spotlightlancaster.co.uk
Booking and Visiting Unless stated, please book at www.litfest.org Litfest The Storey, Meeting House Lane, LA1 1TH www.litfest.org E: info@litfest.org T: 01524 62166 litfestlancaster @litfest
Travelling to Events The Storey Meeting House Lane Lancaster LA1 1TH
The Storey is located in Lancaster City Centre, just 2 minutes walk from Lancaster Train Station (follow signs to the city centre). Paid parking is available around Lancaster Castle or there a several car parks nearby, the closest being Dallas Road.
Lancaster Library 18 - 20 Market Street Lancaster LA1 1HT
There is no immediate car parking outside the library but there are car parks and disabled spaces nearby. For more details see www.lancaster.gov.uk/parking
Lancaster Castle Castle Park Lancaster LA1 1YJ
The castle is a five minute walk from the railway station, and there are a number of car parks, all of which are within easy walking distance.
Access Information
If you require a large print version of the brochure please contact: info@litfest.org
The Storey, Lancaster Library and Lancaster Castle are fully accessible to wheelchair users. If you wish to reserve a wheelchair space please call 01524 62166. Guide dogs and hearing dogs are welcome.
www.litfest.org
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Event Schedule Date
Time
Event
Venue
Friday 6 December
8.00pm
Beyond the Firelight Clare Murphy and Dominic Kelly
Lancaster Castle
Friday 7 February
8.00pm
Tree of Leaf and Flame Tales from The Mabinogi
The Storey
Friday 7 March
7.30pm
Jo Baker - Longbourn
Lancaster Library
Friday 14 March
7.30pm
Jane Routh - Falling into Place
The Storey
Friday 4 April
8.00pm
Sally Pomme Clayton - Eros and Psyche
The Storey
Thursday 10 April
7.30pm
April Poets
The Storey
Friday 2 May
7.30pm
Andrew Greig
Lancaster Library
Friday 6 June
8.00pm
Mr Sandmann with Ben Haggerty
The Storey
Friday 13 June
7.30pm
SIXFOLD - A City and a River
The Storey
3rd Friday monthly
8.00pm
Spotlight
The Storey
Booking www.litfest.org Please call 01524 62166 if you experience any problems with online booking. The office is staffed part-time so please leave a message if there is no answer and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
All details are correct at the time of going to press. We reserve the right to change the programme if circumstances dictate. Litfest cannot refund money for purchased tickets, except in the case of a cancelled event. Lancaster & District Festival Ltd, trading as Litfest. Registered Company No. 1494221. Registered Charity No. 510670.
Funded by