Theme: Timeless Creation
Calling all budding novelists and poets: prepare to be inspired by the work of new and experienced poets and writers, and learn how to write without time. There's also a chance to gain a behind-the-scenes view of the world of Quentin Blake and Seamus Heaney.
What's on
Writing Without Time
In the hectic modern world, lack of time is one of the most frequent excuses for not doing more creative work. This set of lightning workshops, led by Creative Writing lecturers from York St John University, challenges the assumption that all good writing takes time.
Exhibiting Seamus Heaney
Since the untimely death of Seamus Heaney in 2013, writers, readers and fans have been revisiting his work and considering his legacy. Join Geraldine Higgins of Emory University, Atlanta as she reflects on the experience of curating the first major exhibition on Heaney’s life and works. Opening in Dublin in 2017, the exhibition will give visitors the chance to explore the world of Heaney's poetry behind the scenes.
Faber New Poets
Come along and meet three Faber New Poets as they read their poetry. A showcase of the very best of the next generation of poets, this event includes Sam Buchan-Watts, a University of York student, fellow 2016 Faber New Poet Rachel Curzon from Leeds, and Rachael Allen whose first pamphlet was published in 2014.
Ideas to Publication: What Works for Us
If you think there is a novel inside you, read on! York Novelists are hosting a workshop to explain the methods they have developed as a writing critique group. The event provides practical advice on setting up similar groups and on transforming novel ideas into the printed word. There will be an opportunity for Q&A.
The Metrical and Emotional Challenge of the Sonnet
Do you swoon at the ability of poets to embrace the sonnet? Are you impressed by their technical grasp of its tricky form? Are you swayed by the sonnet’s power? Do you yearn to learn how to capture the metrics? Own the iambs? Lizzi Linklater of the University of York will steer you to explore and dissect the form, inspiring you to fashion a sonnet of your very own.
Amazing Memories of Childhood
Mairi MacInnes reads from her new book Amazing Memories of Childhood, etc. A selection of poems from six collections published over six decades, the book also includes a series of new work exploring place and memory. Anne Stevenson has praised her ‘visionary realism’, Richard Wilbur her ‘fierce attachments to familiar and natural things’ and Helen Dunmore her ability ‘to create a powerful sense of the identity of place.’
Tick Tock: Rhythm of the Climate Clock
Join Helen Shay of the Centre for Lifelong Learning for a presentation delivered by local poets on the theme of climate change, ranging from praise of the planet, to satire on the stupidity that risks ruining it. A rise in emotional temperature above two degrees is predicted, as well-known bards mix with new voices to give poetic awareness to an issue on which we are all up against the clock.
Quentin Blake: Artist, Teacher, Healer
Author, curator and lecturer Ghislaine Kenyon explores the extraordinary work of Quentin Blake, with whom she has often collaborated. Ghislaine offers a new view of an artist who is much more than Roald Dahl’s illustrator. Alongside much-loved images from books such as The BFG, the illustrated talk explores works made for hospitals and other more private settings. A unique insight into Blake’s working and studio practice.
