MIND'S EYE

The 2001 Festival described itself as "a festival where writers and readers head into uncharted territory". The programme announced:

Durham Literature Festival is delighted to welcome some of the most prestigious writers at work in the UK today and some of the most hotly tipped talent of tomorrow. Writers who dare to tell us who we are, how we live and where we are going.
Join us as we delve into the darkest of desires, the deepest of needs and recall the flush of first love. We ask why do poets write, predict the future of fiction and work out what being English means.
The festival also highlights some of our tremendous local talent, including launches of new books from regional authors and events that profile creative writing by young people.

The listing below is a full programme of the events of the festival.

 

Events and Readings

RIVER Tuesday 12 June, 7.30pm

The festival starts with Northern Arts Literary Fellow, Ian Duhig and former Fellow and current recipient of the Northern Writer of the Year award, Sean 0' Brien. Sean will read from his long-anticipated new collection Downriver - rivers that start in hell and fall as rain, while Ian premieres his specially commissioned Literature Festival poem.
The Miners Hall, Redhills £5.00 (£3.00 concessions).

NORTH Wednesday 13 June, 7.30pm

Celebrate new collections from leading Northern poets, with readings from Andy Croft, Just as Blue, Gillian Allnutt, Lintel and Cynthia Fuller, Only a Small Boat.
Waterstones, Saddler Street £5.00 (£3.00 concessions)
SPONSORED BY CORNWELL INTERNET

INSIDE Thursday 14 June, 7.30pm

A rehearsed reading and first public airing of a new radio play, On My Toes written by Kitty Fitzgerald in collaboration with Wendy Robertson, (while writer in residence at Low Newton Remand Centre) and prisoners Christine, Anna, Susan, Fran and Sharon.
The City Library, South Street £3.00 (£2.00 concessions)

FORCE Friday 15 June, 7.30pm

Ciaran Carson is perhaps best known as a poet and winner of the TS Eliot Prize for Poetry. His wonderful new novel, Shamrock Tea, tells of a substance that allows people to view the world with visionary clarity, only after they pass through a Van Eyck painting. Marina Warner is a cultural historian and prize-winning novelist whose work includes Indigo and From the Beast to the Blonde. Her new book, The Leto Bundle, is the epic story of an eternal refugee who slips magically through time.
DU Museum and Art Gallery, Aykley Heads £6.00 (£4.00 concessions)

STRONG Saturday 16 June, 7.30pm

Strong Words is an acclaimed anthology that features poetic manifestos from the past and present century. The editors WN Herbert and Matthew Hollis will discuss why poets write and what they think about writing. The highly acclaimed poet Selima Hill, who contributed to the book, will join them and Neil Astley, editor of Bloodaxe Books, will chair the event.
Waterstones, Saddler Street £5.00 (£3.00 concessions)

BITING Tuesday 19 June, 7.30pm

A celebration to launch Biting Back a new collection of short stories from Iron Press, with readings by contributors Wendy Robertson, Julia Darling and others. Editor Kitty Fitzgerald will host the evening.
Bishop Auckland Town Hall, Market Place £3.00 (£2.00 concessions)

DEADLY Wednesday 20 June, 7.30pml.

Three of the best novelists and three of the funniest books of 2001. The Rotters' Club, from Jonathan Coe, relives the progressive rock saturated days of seventies teenagers. Never Trust a Rabbit is a surreal selection of moral fables from Jeremy Dyson, one of the writers of the BBC's League of Gentlemen. They are joined by Toby Litt, author of Corpsing, who makes a welcome return to the festival with his new dark novel, Deadkidsongs.
Waterstones, Saddler Street £5.00 (£3.00 concessions)

RITES Thursday 21 June, 7.30pm

Four first-time novelists, four northern urban settings, four dysfunctional lead characters, umpteen brilliant reviews. Join Chrissie Glazebrook, The Madolescents, Harland Miller, Slow Down Arthur, Stick to Thirty, Helen Cross, My Summer of Love and Laura Hird, Born Free, to explore the grisly side of growing up.
Waterstones, Saddler Street £5.00 (£3.00 concessions)

DEEP Friday 22 June, 7.30pm

Border Crossing, the latest novel from Booker prizewinner, Pat Barker, deals with the ramifications of the trial of a child killer, of chance meetings and flawed evidence. Michel Faber's Under the Skin is a deftly paced social satire, one of the most acclaimed novels of 2000. Both deal with dark and uncompromising territory.
The Miners Hall, Redhills £8.00 (£6.00 concessions)

FUTURE Saturday 23 June, 7.30pm

Editors of the controversial collection All Hail the New Puritans, Nicholas Blincoe and Matt Thorne, discuss their manifesto for the future of fiction. They will be joined by two contributors to the book who are each mapping out the future of the written word. Scarlett Thomas is the author of the edgy suspense novel, Bright Young Things and Tony White is editor of Brit-Pulp! and author of Satan, Satan, Satan.
Waterstones, Saddler Street £5.00 (£3.00 concessions)

MOONSHINE Tuesday 26 June, 7.30pm

Monks, Miners and Moonshine is an anthology of linked short stories written by Valley Writers. This is a rehearsed reading of the dramatisation of the stories, created by the group with professional director John Kirtley. The finished work will tour County Durham.
The City Library, South Street £3.00 (£2.00 concessions)

WRITING Wednesday 27 June, 7.30pm

Jonathan Tulloch, author of last year's popular success The Season Ticket returns to the festival with his new novel The Bonny Lad and to discuss the writers that influenced his work.
Bishop Auckland Town Hall £3.00 (£2.00 concessions)

COPING Thursday 28 June, 8.00pm

This special event with Wendy Cope, one of the nation's favourite poets, will take place in the mediaeval hall of one of Durham's most beautiful houses. It launches Wendy's long awaited new collection If I Don't Know, her first since Serious Concerns in 1992.
Your ticket allows admission into Crook Hall's beautiful gardens where you will be greeted with a glass of wine. Bring a picnic and explore the gardens and hall. The gardens open at 6pm.
Crook Hall, Frankland Lane, Durham £10.00 (£8.00 concessions)
Please note that tickets are limited and early booking is advised. Disabled access to Crook Hall is very difficult.
Please contact Alison Lister, 0191 301 8830 for details.

COLPITTS Friday 29 June, 7.30pm

For over twenty-five years Colpitts Poetry has encouraged the production of good poetry with regular readings in Durham City. They are joined by Fleur Adcock and other past guests for a celebratory evening.
Alington House, North Bailey £5.00 (£3.00 concessions)

LAUREATE Monday 2 July, 7.30pm

An evening of poetry with the Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion, the acclaimed author of Love in a Life, The Price of Everything, and Salt Water. He has recently written public poems to celebrate the new Millennium, the TUC Conference, and the National Census and has reflected in verse on the Foot and Mouth epidemic.
The Miners Hall, Redhills £8.00 (£6.00 concessions)

SOHO Tuesday 3 July , 7.3Opm

Keith Waterhouse will read from his new novel Soho, a tour-de-force that paints a vibrant portrait of London's liveliest quarter, its past and present. He is the acclaimed author of thirteen novels, including Billy Liar and the hit play, Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell, and is an outspoken columnist and social commentator.
St Nicholas Church, Market Place £8.00 (£6.00 concessions)
SPONSORED BY GNER

STORY Wednesday 4 July, 2.00pm

Lesley Glaister writes novels of intelligence and emotional tautness. She will read from and discuss her latest book Now You See Me.
The City Library, South Street £3.00 (£2.00 concessions)

TALE Wednesday 4 July, 7.30pm

A second chance to meet author Lesley Glaister who will talk about her latest novel, and the writers that have inspired her work.
Bishop Auckland Town Hall £3.00 (£2.00 concessions)

ENGLAND Friday 6 July, 7.30pm

Who are the English? To help decipher the myth from the reality are award-winning author David Almond, whose work features in the new short story collection England Calling, David Aaronovitch whose book Paddling to Jerusalem chronicles his travels around England in a boat and Maureen Duffy the acclaimed author of a brilliant new work, England - the Making of the Myth.
The Miners Hall, Redhills £6.00 (£4.00 concessions

WOMEN'S WRITING DAY

The last day of the festival has been organised with Mslexia, the popular magazine for women who write, which is published in Newcastle. It is one of a series of national events featuring leading women writers and is supported by the Arts Council of England.

VANE Saturday 7 July, 12 noon

Join Vane Women Press as they launch their hottest new books, Puritan Games by Marilyn Longstaff and Dark Matters by Anne Hine.
Waterstones, Saddler Street. Free

POPULAR Saturday 7 July, 7.30pm

Prize-winning author Barbara Trapido will read at this, the final event of the Festival. Her most recent book The Travelling Hornplayer was shortlisted for the Whitbread Novel Award and followed a string of hits including Juggling and Temples of Delight. During the evening Barbara will be joined by Mslexia editor, Debbie Taylor and Livi Michael, author of Inheritance, All the Dark Air and Their Angel Reach. They will discuss, the merits of popular genre writing in comparison to those of literary fiction.
Waterstones, Saddler Street £5.00 (£3.00 concessions)

Workshops and Education Events

A WEB OF WORDS

Thursday 13 June, 2.00pm
If the internet is the world's biggest library, how do you find what you want to read? And how do you get your work on the shelves? A hands-on session with internet designers Jean Rogers and Roger Cornwell
City Library, South Street £2.00 (£1.00 concessions)

WHY READ WHEN YOU COULD BE SHOPPING?

Saturday 16 June, 12 noon - 4pm
A practical workshop for writers on why we read, how we read and what we read. The poet Selima Hill will lead the workshop and participants will need to bring with them their favourite passage from a novel and a copy of the anthology Hand in Hand, edited by Carol Ann Duffy (Picador).
Alington House, North Bailey £15.00 (£10.00 concessions) Cost includes a light lunch

SHORT IS BEAUTIFUL

Saturday 16 - Sunday 17 June, 10.30am - 3.30pm
A two-day short story workshop with Margaret Wilkinson and Julia Darling who claim making it short does make it easy. Get to grips with short story writing whatever your previous experience.
Bishop Auckland Town Hall £20.00 Lunch not included
Contact Bishop Auckland Town to book your place tel: 01388602610

KEEPING UP WITH THE READER

Saturday 7 July, 1.00pm-S.OOpm
Part of the Women's Writing Day, a writing workshop for women on how to pace and pitch your fiction. Author Livi Michael, a past winner of the Faber Prize who currently teaches on the MA in Writing at Sheffield Hallam University, will lead the session.
Alington House, North Bailey £15.00 (£10.00 concessions) Cost includes a light lunch

THE NEED FOR POETRY IN SCHOOLS

Monday 2 July, S.30pm
A special event for English teachers. The Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion, will talk informally about the value of poetry in the curriculum.
The Gallery, DU Museum and Art Gallery, Aykley Heads. Contact New Writing North, 0191 232 9991 for details.