Literary events at the Festival '07
Directory of Literary Events at the Frome Festival 2007
There's a strong focus on words at this year's festival, with more events and venues than ever to delight and inspire readers and writers of both poetry and prose.
For aspiring authors once again we're offering a day to JUST WRITE! - with the chance to meet a Literary Agent as well as practical workshops, this year held in the Library on Sunday 8th July. This event is always extremely popular so book early if you want to find out more about markets for fiction and non-fiction. If writing for children is your dream, on Thursday 12th consultations are available from Chicken House publishing editor Imogen Cooper, so book your 20 minutes slot without delay.
Another favourite making a welcome return is Writers- in-Residence, where on Saturday 7th July you can watch local writers put themselves in the goldfish-bowl of a local shop to scribble against time in this one-day story writing contest.
Speaking of story contests, the climax of the international annual Frome Short Story competition arrives on Saturday 14th with a prize-giving lunch at Bar 11 where judges Gerard Woodward and Debby Holt will reveal what gave the winning stories their sparkling edge. Best tales will be broadcast on Frome Festival Radio next day.
And of course there has to be a Poetry Café ! The now-famous 'Frome champagne slam' open-mic night has even more fizz this year, with multi-award-winning performance poet Elvis McGonagall bringing his wicked wit and demon ditties to the Garden Café on Monday 9th to head the hunt for the Festival Poet Laureate - the most popular reader 'from the floor'. Will you be the Moêt Poêt? Bring your words and find out.
Children are never left out of the Words events, and this on Saturday 7 th 7-11year olds can enjoy poetry at the Library in the afternoon, while for 5-9 year olds there's book-making at the Key Centre in the morning. Pet lovers can hear the funny side of life from a vet's angle at the Library on Saturday 14 th and anyone with an interest in local history will be fascinated by readings and discussion by Susan Date and Helen Wynter on the lives of Newbold and Sassoon at Rook Lane Chapel on Thursday 12th.
So we've brought back all the favourite events of previous festivals, and added some more too!:
Desert Island Reads brings together a stunning octet of high-profile writers - Lindsay Clarke, Helena Drysdale, Andrew Miller, Debby Holt, Rosie Jackson, John Payne, Pip Utton, and Steven Voake - at Trinity Hall on Wednesday 11th , to share favourite pieces of poetry or prose. Listen to their choices and reasons and enjoy a cup of tea and a piece of cake too.
Another new big-name event, this time at Rook Lane Chapel, is An Evening with Salley Vickers. Salley's new novel The Other Side of You has been highly- acclaimed for its therapeutic insight, gleaned from her work as a psychologist, and Salley will talk about these issues as well as reading from novels.
And if your appetite is titillated by this smorgsbord of literary treats, why not join the Frome Library Self-Help Writers Group and come along to one of the meetings, on either Friday 6th 4.45-6.45 or Monday 9th 1-3. If reality palls, there'll be fantastic fibbery at the Griffin on Sunday 8th .
For more details of all these events, see the festival Brochure or the website www.fromefestival.co.uk
Box office opens Friday 18 May at 9.30am at the Cheese & Grain in Frome 01373 455420
