Saturday 23 March 2024
11am - 4pm
Chorley’s Annual Festival of Words
Over 30 authors, storytellers, poets, actors and musicians taking part Town centre venues - Book bench trail
The aims of the event are:
• To establish an annual event in Chorley that helps people to discover (or rediscover) and enjoy the power of reading, writing and listening
• To help grow the creative community in the area
• To encourage people to read and write and to help them discover how enjoyable using these skills can be - reading and writing are such powerful tools that can open up lots of new opportunities for people of all ages
• To attract people into the town centre creating a ‘feelgood’ factor and supporting local businesses
Our grateful thanks go to all the independent businesses - and Chorley Library - who volunteer to host this event and we hope that you will also support them throughout the year.
We’d love to know what you think of the event so tweet us using #whatsyourstory
We hope you enjoy the event!
JOIN OUR BOOK BENCH TRAIL
We have joined forces with local schools, Edge Hill University and Adlington and Anderton Cub group to create the Book Bench Trail around the town centre aimed at encouraging creativity and a love of books. The brightly coloured benches are designed by children and inspired by their favourite books.
There will be a community bench, outside the Covered Market on Fazakerley Street, that people will be able to help decorate on the day with their favourite book characters.
You can pick up the Book Bench Trail quiz sheet from all these venues: Chorley Library, Chorley Council Offices on Union Street, Primrose Gardens, Chorley Theatre, Ebb & Flo Bookshop and Chorley Town Hall reception.
Our thanks go to the schools and organisations involved in the book bench project:
Acorns Primary (Preston) – Adlington and Anderton Cubs
Charnock Richard CE – Chorley St James CE – Edge Hill University
Euxton St Mary’s RC – St Gregory’s RC – Trinity CE/Methodist Buckshaw
A thank you to our book bench project co-ordinator Sylvia Crowder and to all the schools, organisations and children for taking part and designing these amazing book benches.
CHORLEY LIBRARY – BOOK STACKS 1
t: 0300 123 6703
11am - 4pm Magical Story Jars
Create a Fun Filled Story Setting With 3D Treasure Maps
Come along to Chorley library and let your imagination soar with story making activities from Magical Story Jars. The Chief Story Makers will be on hand to help you create a fun filled 3D treasure map. Choose from an array of colourful and inspiring craft materials and get hands on with this creative activity designed to spark story ideas to fuel a fun filled quest story. Next, decide which Magical Story Jars characters will use your map and how they will navigate the map to find the hidden treasure!
Note: Please be aware that photos and video footage may be taken during this session. We ask that those of you who are camera shy and don’t want to be in any footage please make a member of staff aware so we can ensure this does not happen. Thanks.
10am Tracey Collins, Mrs Stanley from Wild about Story
Stories, Songs & Rhymes with Mrs Stanley Mrs Stanley, Storyteller will tell stories and sing songs suitable for children of all ages. Lots of joining in!
11am Chorley District Writers’ Circle
A Mixed Bag of Treats
An engaging mixture of poems and stories accompanied with picture for kids, which will also keep the parents amused too! Poems, pictures and punchy prose, imagine a world where anything goes.
12noon Liz Flanagan
Dragons and Pirates!
Liz Flanagan will talk about The Pirate’s Dragon, and ask: are pirates heroes or villains? Test your knowledge in a pirate quiz. Start writing your own adventure using a Pirate Pick-and-Mix. Liz will lead children through an accessible series of creative prompts designed to generate new ideas and start a story. Ages 7-11.
1pm Rogan Mills
Rabbits, rabbits and even more rabbits!
Hop down to the library today to enjoy a whole warren of rabbit stories. Bring your floppy ears along with you please because audience participation is compulsory. Suitable for children from 3 to 8.
2pm Susan Brownrigg
Super Storyboards Creative Writing Workshop
Join children’s author Susan Brownrigg for a fun workshop using the art of movie storyboards to create your own story plot! Art skills aren’t important – you can use stick characters if you are not confident at drawing! Suitable for ages 6 to 12.
3pm Katie Zeka
Chill Your Beans!
Using story telling to help children with behavioural management. A focus on breathing techniques to calm big emotions in little children. Workshop will include a fun interactive reading for kids and a brief presentation for parents/teacher/social workers on how to use the techniques through story telling.
Union Street, Chorley, PR7 1EB t: 0300 123 6703
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11am Ivana Fletcher
The Singing Cicada with Ivana Fletcher
YOUNG CHILDREN
Cyril the Cicada wants to change his monotonous sound but with the help of Miss Nightingale, the music teacher and his bugtastic friends he learns to celebrate and embrace it. Join picture book author Ivana Fletcher on a fun-filled journey of self-acceptance with interactive, musical story-telling and book-themed crafts.
12noon Chris Martin
Release Your Inner Detective!
ALL AGES
Chris is the published author of ‘the Great School Detective’ series of whodunit novels for readers aged 8 to 13. Become one of the suspects in his novel, ‘the Case of the Caretaker’s Keys’, as he presents material from his popular school literacy session. Can you work out whodunit?
1pm Dedrah Moss
Rainforest
ALL AGES
Chorley Flower Show’s Floral Art coordinator Dedrah Moss demonstrates flower arranging techniques. Dedrah is encouraging visitors to get involved and take part and inspire children to enter our Floral Art Junior Competition which this year is titled “Rainforest”.
2pm Genevieve Aspinall
Percy the Post Penguin - Make a Penguin!
Stand-up penguins will be given to children to colour in and dress up, which they can take home! There are cut out scarves and hats which fit onto your penguin to colour in or decorate too. Genevieve will also show you how to draw a penguin.
3pm Sharron Howard
Storytime with Sharron
Join Sharron as she reads one of her series of stories about the ‘Amazing Adventures of Felix the Fearless’.
CHORLEY LIBRARY
FIRST FLOOR
Union Street, Chorley, PR7 1EB t: 0300 123 6703
11am Mike Wilson
Recovery 4 U
Using Song Lyrics and Poems I will help people understand what it is like to be mentally unwell and to promote the positive aspects of music and poetry to sustain a person’s mental well-being. I will sing two of my choir pieces which compliment how singing can enhance positivity.
12noon Susan Osbourne
Poetry and Chat, ‘Ave a Laff Wi’ a Lancashire Lass
Susan chats about life and reads a selection of her witty Lanky Twang verses. It’s a look at everyday life through a northern lens, laced with nostalgia and humour, and presented in a distinctive Lancashire accent.
1pm John Winstanley
Why every writer needs a Developmental Editor
John launched his bestselling debut book (Unsigned Unscene) at the first WYSC? He returns with a workshop to share his recent experiences with publishers and book promotion for his next book and the authors he has assisted. He will demonstrate how to help yourself to achieve what you want from your writing.
2pm James Walton
Author of Beltin and Every Neet O’Week
Join James Walton as he reads sections of his latest novella ‘Every neet o’week’ and poetry from collection ‘Beltin’ followed by a Q&A/Talk.
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12noon Glyn Shipman
Songs from my Kitchen:
The Great Apes - Fact and Fiction
Join singer songwriter Glyn Shipman as he performs his songs including, Great Apes:- Richard Branson, Evelyn McHale, Audrey Mestre, The Princess of Wales, Christopher Boone, Santino the Chimp, Sgt Paul Meyer and William Kemp.
1pm Lauren Wood
Lauren Wood
Join singer songwriter Lauren Wood as she performs some of her own songs and popular covers.
2pm Dean Lane
Dean Lane
Dean has been writing and recording his own music for over ten years, blending sweet and melodic folk acoustic riffs with moving and reflective lyrics. His latest E.P. “Everything Considered” will be released later this year via his YouTube channel: Dean Lane Music.
3pm Antonia Sharples
Antonia Sharples
Antonia Sharples is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Chorley. She will be playing some original songs written for both herself and her band.
12noon Jen Carney
The Day My Dog Got Famous
CHILDREN
Come along to listen to Puffin author-illustrator, Jen Carney, read from her latest comedy novel, The Day My Dog Got Famous. Pick up some cartooning tips (don’t forget to bring your sketch pad and pencil), discover the name of your cartoon alter-ego, and ask any questions you might have. Suitable for ages 8+. Jen will be happy to sign books following the session.
1pm Chorley District Writers’ Circle
Wonderfully Woven Poems and Prose
ADULTS TEENS
An illustrated eclectic collection by the Circle of poetry and stories, all interwoven with humour, pathos and passion that will engage all.
2pm Don Conlon
To The Moon… AND BEYOND!
CHILDREN
TEENS
Join Dom Conlon, celebrated author of the Meet Matilda series, on a journey to the Moon. How far will it be? Are we there yet? How fast will we travel? Are we there yet? What will we eat? Are we there yet? How will we poo? Are we there yet? From how the Moon was formed, to how vital it is for life on Earth, this event will be out of this world! ARE WE THERE YET? Suitable for ages 6+.
3pm Chorley Theatre
Ian and Estelle’s Story
ALL AGES
Ian and Estelle from Chorley Theatre give a talk about Chorley Theatre through the ages. Hear the story of when the venue first opened as the Empire Electric Picture Palace in 1910 right through to the current day. Hear about Ian and Estelle’s experiences of the Theatre with the many stars that have performed on stage here.
10 Dole Ln, Chorley PR7 2RL t: 01257 264362
CHORLEY THEATRE - BAR 3
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11am Lancashire Dialect Group
Cracks from a Cobblers Seat
Come hear this group of people taking it in turns to recite from a historical local publication in Lancashire dialect.
12noon Lancashire Authors’ Association
Lancashire Authors
ALL AGES
ADULTS TEENS
Be entertained with poetry, prose and stories written and read by LAA members. Plus recitations in Lancashire dialect.
1pm Cath Cole
“Snapshots.” A novel set in Chorley
ADULTS
Cath Cole has enjoyed success with her previous two novels “Home from Home,” and “Everyday Lies”, set in Bolton. Her third, recently published, novel “Snapshots” is set in Chorley. Cath will discuss why she chooses to set her novels in northern towns.
2pm Poetry Relay Team
Poetry Relay
ADULTS
Join the Culture Queen, The Brierfield Bard, The Lancashire Lass, The Magical Thinker and Lancsy as these local poets come together to perform a poetry relay, offering the audience a variety different styles in a humorous and thought-provoking performance.
3pm Megan Roberts
Convict Tales
ADULTS
A little history of transportation as a punishment and then a few stories of actual convicts/criminals and their lives, in terms of how they came to be prisoners, and what happened to them afterwards.
CHORLEY THEATRE - STUDIO
3pm Sarah Lee
ADULTS CHILDREN
Macbeth! Interactive Storytelling for Children and Families
An interactive and fun packed storytelling session based on the Shakespeare play for children aged 5 to 10 years and their families. There will be battles, witches and the odd banquet of course! All family members are encouraged to join in, so don’t forget to brush up on your Shakespeare!
11am – 2pm Drop In Session
Mini Booky Extravaganza
Join a bunch of children’s authors & illustrators at Ebb & Flo bookshop while they fill our tiny shop with bookish chat & fun! Visit their pop-up bookstall upstairs and let them show you just how wonderful their books are in their Speed Blurb session. You’ll also find out what they are reading themselves and if you’re lucky, will recommend some top class reads from other writers too. You can ask them any questions you like and get them to sign your book! There’ll be Mini Draw-Alongs from our visiting illustrators and you’ll take away your own work of art!
Our collaboration with UCLAN Publishing includes their amazing authors Genevieve Aspinall, Susan Brownrigg, Dom Conlon, Kerri Cunningham (Murphy’s Sketches) and Liz Flanagan. Plus we have the best-selling Jen Carney (Accidental Diary of B.U.G. series) popping in too!
There will be goody bags for all children visiting, and of course, the delicious smell of real books in a real bookshop!
PRIMROSE GARDENS
11am Claudia Cortez
The Three Ladies
Join published writer Claudia Cortez as she presents her new book from the saga ‘The Three Ladies’ (a gothic mystery). Claudia will be reading from her book and signing books too.
12noon Sarah Hunter
The Big Creativity Boost
How do we think up stories, or poems, or inventions or anything really? Where does creativity come from and why does it sometimes get stuck? Welcome to the wonderful world of journalling. Unstick your creativity and get into flow with morning pages, prompt jars and conscious questions!
1pm Jeanette Greaves
Writing Flash Fiction
Jeanette Greaves will be discussing what makes flash fiction work and writing flash fiction to a prompt. Participants should bring a means of writing, such as a pen and paper or a tablet/smart device.
2pm Gemma Holgate
Sharing Your Story
Join author and ghostwriter Gemma Holgate as she talks about how she helps individuals share their life stories, how sharing her own story has grown into a successful wellbeing business, and how you can start sharing your story to inspire others.
3pm Sarah Bee
The Story of The Bees - from Chorley Market to The Food Network
Mrs Bee tells the updated version of how a Chorley family took to a disused market stall into a multi-national award winning food business, soon to be featured on The Food Network.
