City gets ready to read and write

Activities and events celebrating reading and writing will pop up at community venues, cafes, shops and historic buildings across the city as part of this year’s Wakefield Lit Fest.
Newspaper: Wakefield Express.
Story: Final preparations are being made at The Orangery, Wakefield, for the upcoming pop up Arts Bar & Cafe with Kirkstall brewery, as well as the Wakefield Children's Writing Challenge.
Pictured: Helen Ainsley.
Photo date: 17/09/15
Picture Ref: AB218b0915Newspaper: Wakefield Express.
Story: Final preparations are being made at The Orangery, Wakefield, for the upcoming pop up Arts Bar & Cafe with Kirkstall brewery, as well as the Wakefield Children's Writing Challenge.
Pictured: Helen Ainsley.
Photo date: 17/09/15
Picture Ref: AB218b0915
Newspaper: Wakefield Express. Story: Final preparations are being made at The Orangery, Wakefield, for the upcoming pop up Arts Bar & Cafe with Kirkstall brewery, as well as the Wakefield Children's Writing Challenge. Pictured: Helen Ainsley. Photo date: 17/09/15 Picture Ref: AB218b0915

Opening today, the festival, now in its fourth year, includes poetry readings from National Poet of Wales Gillian Clarke and an exploration of what it means to be Yorkshire by Barnsley bard Ian Mcmillan.

Historian and festival patron Michael Wood will take people back in time to explore the achievements of King Alfred and the Anglo Saxon, and Zodwa Nyoni will showcase her new play ‘Nine lives’, a poignant look at the reality of being an asylum seeker in modern Britain.

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Lynn Hill will talk about her new book ‘A Year of Cake’ and stand-up comedian Kate Fox will perform and also run a spoken word workshop.

Children and young people are invited to get creative in the festival’s first ever dedicated weekend for youngsters from September 25 to 27.

There will be bed time stories, workshops including the chance to write a chart stopping song, and a special apperrance from Nick Arnold, best known for his ‘Horrible Science’ children’s book series.

Year five pupils across the district will also have chance to take part in a children’s writing challenge, supported by Wakefield Grammar School Foundation and poet Andy Craven-Griffiths.

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Fran Smith, co-director of Beam which plans the festival, said: “We are inspired by the passionate enthusiasm of all our festival partners and volunteers who are joining us to celebrate the written and spoken word. We hope the people of Wakefield can join us too.”

Lit Fest runs until September 27.

Friday

- Beehive Poets present Voices of Yorkshire

-An evening with Gillian Clarke

Saturday

- creative writing workshop

- Helen Burke poetry readings

- literary quiz

Sunday

- songwriter Ali Bullivent

- the drawings of Hepworth

- women’s writes anthology launch

For a full programme of events and activities, visit 
www.wakefieldlitfest.org.uk

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