Celebrity writers join literature festival

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Benjamin Zephaniah, Hanif Kureishi, Brian Keenan and Penelope Lively take part of the Westwords Live Festival

The largest literature festival that west London has ever seen kicks off in March – with celebrity names including Benjamin Zephaniah, Hanif Kureishi, Brian Keenan and Penelope Lively.

The Westwords Live Festival, which spans five west London boroughs, features more than 100 mostly free events – including:
· Author readings, performance poetry and theatre
· Book launches, writers’ workshops, one to one writing surgeries, screenwriting talk and author visits to readers’ groups
· Advice from leading professionals on finding an agent and publisher
· Focus on international literature, including Middle Eastern and Irish writing
· Focus on women writers, in association with literary magazine Sable LitMag. Events will be linked to International Women’s Month in March.

Westwords Live spans the boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Ealing, Brent and Hillingdon. The month-long festival will be launched in Hammersmith & Fulham on Tuesday, 1 March by Buchi Emecheta OBE, one of Britain’s most prominent black female writers.
Other acclaimed writers taking part include the philosopher and international best-selling author Alain De Botton, whose latest work Status Anxiety explores the universal anxiety about what others think of us.

Westwords Live participant Maggie Gee, whose novel The White Family was shortlisted for the 2002 Orange Prize for Fiction as well as the 2003 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, said: “What a wonderful festival to take part in – readings from international stars, help for unpublished writers, plays and films for everyone. This must be one of the most ambitious and exciting festivals London has ever put on.”

The literary extravaganza has been organised by Westwords, the literature development agency for west London, with the support of the five London boroughs and Arts Council England.

David Herbert, chair of Westwords, said: “Westwords Live is bringing some of the biggest names in British and international literature to west London to develop interest in creative writing, reading and performance. This extraordinarily varied programme of more than 100 events reflects the cultural diversity of west London and marks an important step forward for literature development across the participating boroughs. I would particularly like to thank Westwords project manager Steve Porter for his hard work in making this happen.”
More (including highlights from the programme of events)…
The Westwords project grew out of Harrow’s literature development programme and now encompasses the literature development programmes of all five boroughs, with Hammersmith & Fulham currently the lead borough.

Cllr Andrew Slaughter, leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council, said: “Westwords Live features a rich and exciting range of readings, performances and creative attractions for people of all ages and backgrounds and I am delighted that so many acclaimed writers are supporting the festival. This is one of many ways in which we are helping to celebrate local and international talent as well as develop the creative potential of our community.”

Festival highlights

Tuesday 1 March, 7.30pm
Buchi Emecheta OBE, one of Britain’s most prominent Black female writers, launches Westwords Live with a reading and talk from her latest novel The New Tribe. She will be joined by a selection of performers and readers who have contributed to the Hammersmith and Fulham literature development programme over the past year.
Venue: Hammersmith and Fulham Archives, Lilla Huset, 191 Talgarth Road, W6. Free admission; reservations necessary.

Saturday 12 March, 2.00pm
Author and former hostage Brian Keenan is the celebrity guest who will be reading and discussing his work at the Irish Centre, in Hammersmith, during their popular Irish Book Fair. Lots of book bargains available.
Venue: The Irish Centre, Blacks Road, W6. Free admission; reservations necessary.

Tuesday 22 March, 7.30pm
Following the screening of his latest groundbreaking film The Mother, Hanif Kureishi will let us into the secrets of writing for film. The film is rated Certificate 15. Young people will be required to prove their age.
Venue: BBC Television Centre. Tickets: £10/£8 Con. Box Office: 020 8237 1111.
(Proceeds to Amnesty International UK, with thanks to Hanif Kureishi).

Thursday 24 March, 7.30pm
Benjamin Zephaniah, one of the most high-profile international authors writing today, gives readings of his work. He is best known for his performance poetry with a political edge for adults and groundbreaking performance poetry for children. Ages 14 plus.
Venue: Harrow Arts Centre. Tickets: £10/Conc £6. Box Office: 020 8428 0124.

Tuesday 15 March, 7.30pm
Former Booker Prize winner, Penelope Lively, gives a talk about character and place, using material from her own work to illustrate the points raised.
Venue: Ealing Central Library. Tickets £10/£8 Con. Box Office: 020 8237 1111

Tuesday 1 March, 7.30pm
Acclaimed novelist Maggie Gee launches Ealing’s literary programme with a reading from her latest book, The Flood. She will be joined by a selection of performers and readers who have contributed to the Ealing literature development programme over the past year. Venue: Central Library, Ealing. Free admission; reservations necessary.

Saturday 12 March, 7.30pm

Alain De Botton, international best-selling author explores the universal anxiety of what others think of us. Alain will read from his latest publication Status Anxiety, as well as give a talk.

Venue: Fulham Library. £10/Conc £8. Box Office: 020 8237 1111.

Wednesday 2 March, 7.30pm

Samuel Shimon, raconteur par excellence, launches his eagerly awaited autobiographical novel, An Iraqi in Paris. After escaping to Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen, Cyprus and Tunisia, a young Iraqi lands up in Paris in the 1980s and as a homeless refugee walking the streets pursues his dream of making a film about his deaf-dumb father.
Venue: The Irish Centre, Blacks Road, Hammersmith. Free admission; reservations necessary.
Also taking place at Willesden Green Library Centre at 7.30pm on 9 March; Stanmore Library, Harrow at 8pm on 15 March; Pitshanger Library, Ealing at 7.30pm on 16 March and at a venue tbc on 24 March.

Friday 4 March, 8.00pm
In association with Sable LitMag, a series of readings by international women writers will take place throughout March, turning International Women’s Day into a month-long celebration. Tonight’s event, introduced by Nkechi Ebite, will feature Dorothea Smartt, Denrele Ogunwa and poets and writers from Just Write.
Venue: Hammersmith Library Free admission; reservations necessary.

Tuesday 22 – Sat 26 March, 7.45pm
The Baskerville Beast, is a musical version of the classic Conan Doyle story. Written by Teddy Hayes with musical direction from Chris Jerome, the play offers eight highly effective numbers with superb acting over a thoroughly entertaining 2 hour performance.
Venue: Questors Theatre, Ealing. Tickets £12/Cons £9. Box Office: 020 8237 1111.

Thursday 31 March, 7.30pm
Acclaimed Poets, Cecily Herbert, and Gerald Benson, the selectors for Poetry On The Underground, join together for an evening celebrating 12 years of Poetry on the Underground. Readings will be of their own and other peoples work. Poetry on the Underground Posters available.

Venue: Greenford Library. Free admission; reservations necessary.

Monday 7 – Monday, 14 March, 7.30pm
Siobhan Curham, Courttia Newland and Chris Tutton lead a series of short dramatic presentations written by guest writers and members of the Westwords New Theatre
Writing Programme. Each show will consist of five 10 minute performances,
hosted by the guest writers, who will also present their work.
Featured Writers appearing on following dates:
Monday 7 March • Riverside Studios, Hammersmith • S Curham and C Newland
Wednesday 9 March • Lyric, Hammersmith • Chris Tutton
Thursday 10 March • Lyric, Hammersmith • C Newland
Monday 14 March • Riverside Studios • S Curham and C Newland.

Tuesday 8 March, 7.30pm

Through theatre, storytelling, music and dance this performance of Texterminators, written and directed by Mai Ghoussoub, explores the destructive energy of young males in wars, when normality is lost and the game of power is the key to survival.
Venue: Lyric Hammersmith £10/ Conc £8. Box Office: 020 8237 1111.
Also taking place at the Dominion Centre, Southall, at 7.30pm on 18 & 19 March.

Wednesday 16 March, 7.30pm

Deborah Gaye, from Avalanche Books, gives a talk on the do’s and don’ts of sending your manuscript to a publisher. Editorial support is also offered beyond this event.

Venue: Shepherds Bush Library. Free admission; reservations necessary.

Monday 21 March, 7.30pm

Michele David, former commissioning editor for a leading publishing house, offers a workshop on how writers can find a literary agent and how to write the synopsis and covering letter that will introduce your work to a publisher.
Venue: Shepherds Bush Library. Free admission; reservations necessary.

Wednesday 30 March, 7.30pm

Performance poets Sundra and shortMAN give a rip-roaring performance alongside pupils from various high schools in the borough. Opportunities for the public to read, but performers should register first on the Festival Hotline.

Venue: Dominion Theatre, Southall. Free admission; reservations necessary.

Tuesday 22 March, 7.30pm

Local young people will show a film of a story they have written and digitally animated under the direction of artist Andrea Tiernay. The young people will also perform some of the other pieces they have written.
Venue: Hammersmith Information Centre. Free admission; reservations necessary.

22 & 24 March (Drop in 12 -2pm/Surgeries 3pm -6.45pm

Kadija Sesay, publisher of Sable LitMag, introduces a series of general advice drop-in sessions and one-to-one writers’ surgeries enabling you to obtain guidance and to discuss your writing in depth.
Venue: Hammersmith Library. See Westwords Live brochure for booking details.

Monday 7 March, 7.00pm
Nii Parkes, performance poet, and co-founder of the Tell Tales project will launch Westwords Live in Harrow. He will be joined by a selection of Harrow-based performers and readers and there will be a launch of a new book by Harrow residents.
Venue: Harrow Museum and Heritage Centre. Free admission; reservations necessary.

Thursday 3 March, 7.30pm
As part of the Middle East programme of new writing three creative writing groups have been held in Hammersmith and Fulham and Ealing. Tonight
they come together to celebrate their first publication.
Venue: Assyrian Club, Ealing. Free admission; reservations necessary.

Wednesday 9 March, 7.30pm

Siobhan Curham, author of Sweet FA, Frankie Says Relapse and The Scene Stealers, launches the Talking Loud Festival with a reading and talk. She will be joined by a selection of performers and readers who have contributed to the Hillingdon literature development programme over the past year.

Venue: Hayes Library. Free admission; reservations necessary.

Friday 11 March,10.30am
Preethi Nair, author and prize-winning publicist joins the Ruislip Manor Library Reading Group. Preethi will give a brief reading from her latest novel Beyond Indigo. This will be followed by an open discussion.

Venue: Ruislip Manor Library Free admission; reservations necessary.

Thursday 31 March, 8.00pm

Members of the Willesden Green Writers Workshop and Black Inc., a project aimed at developing new black writers, launch a new publication celebrating 10 years of developing creative writing in Brent. Featuring writers past and present and all previous workshop leaders. To find out more about both groups e-mail www.brandnewwriters.com or blackincwriters@aol.com.

Tuesday 24 March, 7.30pm
Jude Simpson treats you to a taste of her popular comedy routine with her show A Taste Of Reading.

Venue: Yiewsley Library Free admission; reservations necessary.

January 23, 2005