Bristol Festival of Literature 19th-29th October 2017
Posted on: 06 Oct 2017October is a very exciting month for the lovers of literature in Bristol.
The Bristol Festival of Literature returns for the 7th year in a row, with over 20 events taking place all around the city’s wonderful locations.
The festival itself consists of a slew of contributors and creatives, writers, publishers, readers and editors. The team behind the festival is made up of representatives from different writing groups and organisations locally. A grass roots organisation, made up entirely of volunteers who go by the name of ‘Unputdownable’.
The packed programme of events to take place at the Bristol Festival of Literature, includes talks, seminars, workshops, readings competitions, book fairs and conventions. Spanning the city, they love a quirky venue, making literature enjoyable and accessible to celebrate the best of our vibrant city and its creative writers.
Their ethos is all about giving a platform to unknown and also published writers, offering audiences a chance to listen to the many diverse voices of the city.
“We inspire audiences with the very best local, UK and international authors; we engage communities with each other through events in unusual places and we equip writers at all levels with masterclasses, showcases and routes to publishing. We love irrepressible creativity and dissenting voices. That's why we call it 'Unputdownable'.”
Locations vary from Redcliffe to Stokes Croft, Bedminster and the Harbourside.
Expect good old-fashioned storytelling in the evening air of an eerie cemetery, or in the darkness of a cave, lit only by candlelight. The events are so unique to Bristol because of the weird and wacky places and themes.
The events kick-start on the 19th October, through to the end of the month. Some of the events to look out for are:
North Bristol Writers present: “Tales from the Graveyard” 19th October and Stories of Strong Women 20th October, both at Arnos Vale Cemetery.
Last year’s Tales from the Crypt at the Cemetery was a sell-out event and this year North Bristol Writers have prepared all new stories of the weird and macabre. Inspired by the ghoulish setting, top local authors read chilling stories as the sun sets over the Cemetery.
Members of the group are widely published and received honourable mentions in the Best New Horror awards. Those that love the gothic, the creepy and the terrifying, rest-assure that you’re in for an evening of it.
Returning to Arnos Vale is the Stories of Strong Women event. Author and stand-up comedian Becky Walsh interviews other local writers about fictional heroines breaking new ground. With historian and thriller writer Lucienne Boyce, publisher Cheryl Morgan, children’s writer Virginia Bergin and novelist Jean Burnett. Tickets for both events are only £5-£8, yikes that’s brilliant.
Bristol Writers Group go into the Dark 24th October and Crime in the Caves 26th October, both at Redcliffe Caves.
The events Redcliffe Caves are always popular. A must-go, for those that love atmospheric readings. All that you need to take with you are a torch and a camping chair. Upon arrival, you are greeted and told to ‘follow the path’ that is lit by hundreds of candles, to guide you towards the large cave, where the story-telling will take place. The authors seated in front, eagerly anticipating their audience, their faces lit only by the light of the fire behind them.
The Crime in the Caves event features spine-tingling criminal tales from local authors Sanjida Kay, Cavan Scott, CL Taylor, AA Abbott and Amy Fitzjohn. Ticket prices are extremely affordable at only £5 a pop!
Flash Slam 3- The Returning 20th October at 51 Stokes Croft
The Flash Slam, returns to Stokes Croft with teams drawn from Bristol’s many and diverse creative writing groups battling it out with stories of 300 words or less, for the honour of being 2017 Flash Slam champion- in an event hosted by local comedian Angie Belcher.
The event is exactly what you’d expect from a competition of its kind; fast, funny and full-on! Perfect for the quick-witted, this event is sure to be a night of high energy and slam-tastic talent. What makes this event even better is that it is free entry! Need I say more?
Tangent Book Fair 21st October at PRSC Jamaica Street
Tangent are an independent publishing house in Bristol, founded by Richard Jones in 2004. They pride themselves on being at the literary forefront of the city’s radical, witty, and quirky mind. Offering alternative books such as The Naked Guide to Bristol and A Dictionary of Bristle, which is all about the city’s mother-tongue and how to speak in ‘Bristolian’…should you ever want to.
The book fair will feature some utterly fantastic, hilarious and provocative literature to purchase. Ideal for those who love the uncensored underbelly of the writing world. There will be readings and signings by Tangent Books authors and guests as well as new and second-hand books for sale. Not to mention the event is free, so…get involved!
This year, The BFL have teamed up with Flow vegetarian restaurant in the Bearpit and have a whole series of premium events with influential entrepreneurial writers running workshops for a fraction of their commercial rates, including delicious food, at Flow. To check out their website, click here.
The Workshops include:
Blogging for Writers 27th October
Blogger, Author and entrepreneur Amy Morse is running the workshop to help writers to put their work out there and sell more books. She’ll be stripping away the layers of fear writers have around marketing their work and raising their profile, with a packed session of actionable tips.
Social Media for Writers 28th October
Lead by Social Media trainer and consultant, Tom Mason. Tom brings his wealth of experience running marketing campaigns for big festivals in Manchester, so local writers can punch above their weight in the digital space.
Making History Workshop 21st October
Well-known local authors Lucienne Boyce and Mike Manson are running the workshop for those interested in historical writing – fiction and non-fiction.
These are only around half of the many fabulous events that are hosted by the Bristol Festival of Literature. You can check out ALL of the events on the Facebook page, click here and to find out more about the Bristol Festival of Literature, visit their official website here.
Article by:
Hannah recently graduated with a degree in English with Writing. She is an avid writer, freelancer and creative. She is currently writing her first full-length novel and a collection of poetry. Always out and about in Bristol's music scene, she attends music events on a weekly basis.
