Year of Libraries

2018 seems to be panning out as a year of libraries for me. I’m gearing up for my month at Gladstone’s Library in February, and can now reveal that Basic Nest Architecture was chosen as one of New Writing North’s Read Regional books for 2018. The Read Regional scheme pays for writers to do events in libraries around the North, bringing talks and workshops into communities.

I’ll be doing several events, mostly with this year’s other Read Regional poet, Anthony Dunn:

Hebden Bridge Library, Cheetham Street, Hebden Bridge, HX7 8EP
Thursday 29 March, 7.30pm (Exploring Poetry Workshop at 6.30pm)

Community Hub Central, 124 York Road, Hartlepool, TS26 9DE
Thursday 5 April, 5.30pm (Exploring Poetry Workshop at 4pm)

Robinson-Gay Art Gallery, 3A Market Street, Hexham, NE46 3NS
Wednesday 2 May, 1pm (Part of Hexham Book Festival)

Keighley Library, North Street, Keighley, Bradford, BD21 3SX
Saturday 2 June, 3pm (Exploring Poetry Workshop at 2pm)

The range of books chosen is fantastic, and I really enjoyed hearing about them when we all met up in the Autumn: from crime to historical fiction, nature writing, innovative children’s fiction, a superb feminist picture book, and poetry of course. I’d highly recommend getting to some of the events if you can. Sadly, the fabulous Jenn Ashworth couldn’t be there on the day we all gathered at the Lit and Phil in Newcastle. I think someone should photoshop her into this group shot.

I’m also doing an event in Leeds Library on March 17th, as part of Wildlines @ Leeds Library. Though Wildlines is not directly to do with Read Regional, its linked by association, as it’s being organised and hosted by one of my fellow Read Regional authors, Richard Smyth. I’ll be reading with Zaffar Kunial on the Saturday evening, but the whole three days of events looks fantastic, asking questions like ‘Who gets to write about nature, and why? Is there a place for politics in nature writing? Does the North have the nature-writing it deserves? And why does nature writing matter?’