Sell-out crowds attend city literature festival
Thousands of people flocked to the third Wolverhampton Literature Festival.
More than 100 events offered workshops, readings, presentations and performances at venues across the City of Wolverhampton.
Central Library saw a sell-out crowd for the Agatha Christie Exhibition launch talk and welcomed novelist Miranda Dickinson and Birmingham Poet Laureate Roy McFarlane, who co-hosted an event with Somerset Maughan award-winner Liz Berry.
Ann Widdecombe and Alan Johnson were at Wolverhampton Art Gallery sharing career highlights, while audiences at Bantock House Museum were entertained by Daisy Black, John Edgar and Rowena McDonald.
The Lych Gate Tavern hosted a hand-picked selection of festival fringe shows running for free. While, across the city, the Arena Theatre and Light House Cinema screened classic films.
Big names in the music industry also took to the stage – Tracey Thorn, at Wolverhampton Art Gallery, and Steve Lamacq, at Broad Street’s Slade Rooms.
Writing workshops included blogging and research tips from Dr Who writer, William Gallagher, and lessons in life writing, finding an agent and self-publishing.
Providing the laughs was Richard Herring, with special guest Sathnam Sanghera, to a packed crowd at Bilston Town Hall, while Newhampton Arts Centre played host to Peter Chand’s new show, ‘Tales from The Motherland’.
Wolverhampton Libraries were also in on the action with children and family events including talks by children’s authors, storytelling and the winning plays from the city-wide ‘Page To Stage’ schools competition, performed by City of Wolverhampton College students.
Wrapping up the festival, retired British Police murder squad detective, Trevor Marriott, lifted the lid on ‘The Real Truth of Jack The Ripper’, with the focus on Bilston-born Ripper victim Catherine Eddowes.
Cllr John Reynolds, City of Wolverhampton Council cabinet member for city economy, said: “It has been a fantastic festival and we have seen a number of people inspired by the events.
“We hope to make it bigger and better in 2020 and for more acts to get involved.”
