2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, a defining moment of the 20th Century. One hundred years on the richest 1% now have more wealth than the rest of the world’s population combined, tens of thousands of migrants die each year while here in the UK working families face a huge squeeze on their living standards and the most vulnerable are at the sharp edge as benefits are withdrawn and essential services axed. Change is in the air again. The vote for Brexit and the election of Donald Trump challenges many of the accepted orthodoxies held since the end of the Second World War. ‘Where are we now?’ Are we moving forwards or backwards; is the curve of revolution taking us up or down? WoWFest 2017 invites writers, artists, activists, journalists, commentators and audiences to explore the impact of these changes, delving into issues that impact on the way we live; robots, artificial intelligence, immigration and the preservation of our environment. So, sharpen your pens and step up to the barricades, comrades; as novelist Toni Morrison says, ‘There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language.’.
Mayday Parade & Rally
May 1st 2017 Assemble 12.30pm Toxteth Library, Windsor Street, Liverpool L8 1XF March and rally with speakers you won’t want to miss. Writing on the Wall is calling on communities across Merseyside to join us on a Mayday Parade and Rally in Liverpool to highlight austerity and rising economic inequality. Joined by members of Garrett’s family, the cast of LIPA’s Made In Dagenham the musical, Lynn Collins Regional Secretary of the North-West TUC, with other acts and speakers tbc, including drummers, dancers and more! This protest also celebrates the publication of the autobiography of Liverpool writer and radical activist, George Garrett (1896-1966), who was a defender of the most vulnerable, a proud anti-racist, and a key organiser of the hunger marches of the 1920s. The march will be led by a five-metre high model of George Garrett, based on when he led the 1922 Hunger March from Liverpool to London. The model is being created by renowned Liverpool model maker, Brian Hanlon, whose previous work includes creating the floats for the Olympic Medallist’s homecoming parade in Manchester. His fight then is our fight now. Bring your banners, your whistles and drums, your kids, your mates and your mum! Supported by The Mayor’s Office, North-West TUC and Liverpool Trades Council. This event is free.
Listings Ticket outlets are in italics at the bottom of each listing. Tickets for all events can be obtained at www.wowfest.uk 0151 703 0020 Our Festival Venues The festival events take place at a number of wheelchair accessible venues across Liverpool. These are listed below and can be found on each individual listing. If you have any other access requirements, contact WoW on 0151 703 0020 or email info@writingonthewall.org.uk Blackburne House News From Nowhere Blackburne Place 96 Bold Street L8 7PE L1 4HY 0151 709 4356 0151 708 7270 The Black-E 1 Great George Street L1 5EW 0151 709 5109
Philharmonic Music Rooms Myrtle Street L1 9BP 0151 709 3789
Bluecoat School Lane L1 3BX 0151 702 5324
SIREN Liverpool 54 James Street L1 0AB 0151 706 8148
The Capstone Theatre Shaw Street L6 1HP 0151 291 3578
Studio 2 33-45 Parr Street L1 4JN
The Casa 29 Hope Street L1 9BQ 0151 709 2148 Liverpool Central Library William Brown Street L3 8EW 0151 233 3069 Leaf 65-67 Bold Street L1 4EZ 0151 707 7747 Naked Lunch 431 Smithdown Rd L15 3JL 0151 735 1596
Fred D’Aguiar Workshop Tuesday 2nd May. 2pm - 4pm Blackburne House WoW welcomes, all the way from California, acclaimed writer Fred D’Aguiar. Fred’s fiction and poetry has been broadcast on radio, produced on stage and made into film. This is a rare chance to work closely with this multi award-winning BritishGuyanese novelist, essayist, playwright and poet as he delivers an inclusive workshop for first-timers and seasoned pros. In partnership with TIDE. Admission free, to book email: info@writingonthewall.org.uk or call 0151 703 0020 A Cartoon History of Here Ian McMillan and Tony Husband Tuesday 2nd May. 8pm - 10pm Philharmonic Music Rooms Get ready for an evening of comedy, cartoons, poetry, and improvisation with the self-professed ‘Bard of Barnsley’, poet Ian McMillan and regular Private Eye cartoonist, Tony Husband. These two Northern powerhouses will take you on a journey through the fairytales and legends of Macclesfield’s hidden 17th century Unitarian Chapel, sharing their poetry and cartoons in this fast-paced, humorous, and interactive evening. Expect poetry and cartoons with a northern twist. Tickets £14/£10 from the Philharmonic Hall Box Office
Toxteth Library Windsor Street L8 1XF 0151 703 0020 The Women’s Organisation 54 St James St L1 0AB 0151 706 8111 Unity Theatre 1 Hope Place L1 9BG 0844 873 2888 Waterstones Liverpool ONE 12 College Lane L1 3DL 0151 709 9820
Revolution! China Miéville, John Rees and Kate Evans Wednesday 3rd May. 6pm - 8pm Liverpool Central Library China Miéville, John Rees, and Kate Evans discuss the revolutions explored in their books that take place in England, Russia, and Germany, as well as what revolution means to them and their own fight for freedom. Tickets £6/£4 from the Philharmonic Hall Box Office
Staring Directly at the Eclipse Henry Normal Wednesday 3rd May. 8pm - 10pm Philharmonic Music Rooms Returning to his first love, poetry, multi-award winning TV producer and writer (The Royle Family, The Mrs Merton Show) Henry Normal’s Staring Directly at the Eclipse encompasses hard-hitting subjects: death, loss and frailty. Join us for a poetry evening that will include a witty yet memorable outlook on life. Tickets £12/£6 from the Philharmonic Hall Box Office
#Storytime Joanne Harris & the #Storytime Band Friday 5th May. 8pm - 10pm Philharmonic Music Rooms ‘There is a story the bees used to tell, which makes it hard to disbelieve…’. Renowned Chocolat author, Joanne Harris, takes the stage with her #Storytime Band for an intimate and darkly magical show. Featuring tales from her book, Honeycomb, #Storytime is a show that appeals to all ages and lovers of fantasy. Time For Action Featuring Akala, Francesca Martinez, Raoul Martinez, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Kerry-Anne Mendoza, Tom Mills, Thomas Barlow, Natalie Bennett, Martha Spurrier, Nahella Ashraf, Prof. Michael Dougan, Gary Younge and Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff Saturday 6th May. 1pm til Late The Black-E Full details for this all-day event can be found on opposite page.
Standing Rock Dakota Pipeline Protest With Thomas Tonatiuh Lopez Thursday 4th May. 7:30pm - 9:30pm The Black-E The protests led by The Standing Rock Dakota Nation united 200 Indigenous Nations for the first time in 500 years to resist a ‘Big Oil’ pipeline at the Cannonball river, North Dakota, which threatened their only water source and has now been approved by the current Republican Administration. Writing on The Wall in partnership with AKI, Centre for the Study of Crime, Criminalisation and Social Exclusion at LJMU, Liverpool Hope University and Liverpool University present a discussion on the protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline with Indigenous Water Protector Thomas Tonatiuh Lopez. Tickets £10/£5 from Philharmonic Hall Box Office (Includes donation to campaign) Culture of Independence Geoff Travis - Rough Trade Friday 5th May. 7.30pm - 9.30pm Bluecoat Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Punk with Rough Trade’s founder, Geoff Travis, who joins us to discuss grassroot movements, the music revolution and keeping the independent spirit alive. Rough Trade has since gone on to release a catalogue that defines the genre of independent. With DJ Lord Borthbury. In partnership with Bido Lito! Tickets £6/4 from www.bidolito.co.uk (free for Bido Lito! members)
61 Minutes in Munich Howard Gayle in conversation with Emy Onuora Monday 8th May. 7.30pm - 9.30pm Toxteth Library Howard Gayle, the first black footballer to play at first team level for LFC, in discussion with Emy Onuora, author of Pitch Black, takes you inside his life from a child in Liverpool suffering racism and other forms of abuse, before his ascent from teenage football hooligan to a player with Europe’s leading club. Tickets £6/£3 from the Philharmonic Hall Box Office
5pm - Creating Freedom. Writer, philosopher, artist and award-winning documentary maker Raoul Martinez discusses his book Creating Freedom: Power, Control and the Fight For Our Future which explores freedom through the lens of economics, philosophy, political theory and neuroscience. Raoul will be in conversation with author and journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, columnist for the Independent and the London Evening Standard.
Daytime
1pm - Gary Younge will open up the day with his perspective on Trump’s America and the so called ‘special relationship’ with the UK. As well as having five books to his name, Gary is a broadcaster and editor-at-large for The Guardian, monthly columnist for The Nation magazine and is the Alfred Knobler Fellow for The Nation Institute. 1:15pm - I’m Not Racist But… Journalists and writers Gary Younge, Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff and anti-racism campaigner Nahella Ashraf will discuss the rise in hatecrime on both sides of the Atlantic, and how to fight it. The ‘I’m not racist but...’ brigade are out in force once again, so what can we do about it and the rising populism of politics? 2.30pm - Fake It Til you Make It. Fake News! is no longer the preserve of hateful rags like The Sun. The leading suspect, US President Donald Trump, declares FAKE NEWS! while burying the truth under the glare of ever-more sensational headlines. The Canary’s Kerry-Anne Mendoza; author of The BBC: Myth of a Public Service, Tom Mills; and editor of multiple media publications Thomas Barlow, discuss the Fake News! phenomenon. 3:45pm - Brexit Britain. Representing a wide-spectrum of opinion and beliefs about Brexit, article 50 and its aftermath, we’re sure to see some sparks fly among our guests Natalie Bennett (Green Party), Martha Spurrier (Liberty), Michael Dougan (Professor of European Law) and Chris Nineham (Stop The War), as we present diverse perspectives on the problem of Brexit and ask ‘where do we go from here?’
Evening
8pm - Akala and Francesca Martinez. A stellar double bill including the Liverpool premiere of a new stand-up show from acclaimed comedian, writer and actor Francesca Martinez, which asks ‘Why are we still so damn scared of difference?’ and a unique spoken word performance by musician, poet and historian Akala from his impressive body of work, including The Ruins of Empires.
This all-day event will be held at: The Black-E 1 Great George St L1 5EW Day Tickets £8/£4 Evening Tickets £12/£6 Combined Day and Evening £18/£9 Tickets available from the Philharmonic Box Office or at www.wowfest.uk
The Sons of Liverpool Gerry Potter Monday 8th May. 7.30pm - 9pm The Casa Poet, director, actor and author Gerry Potter’s Sons of Liverpool is a theatre-verse exploration of a different kind of parenting. Are we our cities, do redbrick and industry, back-alleys and nightclubs, the church, the school and the chippy have a hand in our upbringing? This new work is about being the child, the troubled teen and then the grown up of more than your immediate clan. Tickets £6/£3 from the Philharmonic Hall Box Office
Vicky Pricve Pic
Finding Some Way Through (A City of the Mind) Patrick Dineen Thursday 11h May. 6pm - 8pm Naked Lunch Finding Some Way Through (A City of the Mind) was created in collaboration with project participants and composer Patrick Dineen to mark Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year, and to combat mental health stigma. The soundscape will be introduced by Patrick Dineen with participants taking part in the discussion. Presented in partnership with Liverpool Mental Health Consortium. Free entry The Punter Written by Deborah Morgan Friday 12th May. 6.30pm - 8.30pm The Cornerstone Theatre The Punter is a dark, absurdist comedy about Margaret, a GP, and Nicholas, a taxi driver, both struggling to deal with dysfunctional family lives. The play explores the NHS, and how cuts put pressure on both patient and practitioner. Tickets £12/£10 from www.wowfest.uk
Prisonomics Vicky Pryce. With Maggie O’Carroll, The Women’s Organisation Tuesday 9th May. 6pm - 8pm The Women’s Organisation In 2013 Vicky Pryce, former Joint Head of the United Kingdom’s Government Economic Service was sentenced alongside her former husband, MP Chris Huhne, to eight months in prison for accepting driving license penalty points which were incurred by her husband. Prisonomics, her new book, analyses the economic and human cost of imprisoning women. In Partnership with The Women’s Organisation Solar Bones Mike McCormack Wednesday 10th May. 6.30pm - 8.30pm News From Nowhere Mike McCormack’s award-winning novel, Solar Bones, is set in a single day and told in one continuous sentence. It is an amazing feat of storytelling and style, one of the best Irish novels of the 21st century. Don’t miss the chance to hear this outstanding Irish writer discussing his fascinating work. Tickets £6/£3 from the Philharmonic Hall Box Office
The Last Word Lyndsay Price and Debris Stevenson, hosted by Ciarán Hodgers Thursday 11th May. 7.30pm - 9.30pm Studio 2, Parr Street ‘I was there when…’ is what you’ll say when you catch the spoken word talent of ‘The Last Word’. Award-winning poet Ciarán Hodgers and eight Young people from Merseyside Youth Association’s Talent Match scheme have created sensational new poetry. Ft. extra special guest poets Lyndsay Price and international sensation Debris Stevenson. Admission Free
Punk Survivors & Cosey Fanni Tutti Steve Ignorant Don Letts Pauline Murray Cosey Fanni Tutti Curated and Hosted by Roger Hill Friday 12th May. 6.30pm - 10pm Leaf Cafe Year after year punk returns as a symbol of anarchy, rebellion and change. Our speakers have been continuously active in music and culture since their beginnings in punk; each qualifies as a Punk Survivor. WoW explores what it was that held punk together with survivors Steve Ignorant, Don Letts, Pauline Murray. Cosey Fanni Tutti has been a provocative champion of sexuality and political action. Her work takes her around the globe as an active musician and artist. Join Radio Merseyside’s Punk Survivor, Roger Hill for a night dedicated to the survivors. Tickets £10/£5 from the Philharmonic Hall Box Office
Tax the Robots OhBot, Lynn Collins, Brhmie Balaram, James Farrar, Matt Kerr, Will Slocombe, Matthew de Abaitua, Prof. Mike Fisher, Liverpool Geek Girls, Louise Dennis Saturday 13th May. 11am til 5pm Liverpool Central Library Full details for this all-day event can be found over this page Tickets £8/£4 from the Philharmonic Hall Box Office
Ten Years On The Parish, The Life and Letters of George Garrett Mike Morris, Tony Wailey, Andy Davies Monday 15th May. 6pm - 8.30pm Waterstones Liverpool One Join Mike Morris, Tony Wailey and Andy Davies, editors of Garrett’s autobiography, and members of the George Garrett Archive project, for a discussion about the life and work of this under-sung Liverpool working class radical writer. Written between 1934 and 1936, and rediscovered in a suitcase of archive material held by one of George’s grandsons, Ten Years On The Parish documents Garrett’s life and the unemployed struggles of the 1920s and 1930s. Tickets £3/£2 (discount for Waterstones loyaly card members) available from Waterstones website or in store at Liverpool One.
What’s Your Pride Story? Project Launch Monday 15th May. 6.30pm - 7.30pm SIREN Liverpool 2017 commemorates the 50th anniversary of the legalisation of homosexuality here in Britain, yet globally how far have we actually come? With ‘International Love’ as Liverpool Pride’s theme this year, WoW have joined forces to launch the new What’s Your World Pride Story? project, sharing the stories of those that are so often denied. Admission Free
Fractured Lives, Dissenting Voices and Recovering ‘Truth’ Phil Scraton Tuesday 16th May. 7.30pm - 9.30pm Blackburne House In 2016 ‘post-truth’ was introduced into the Oxford Dictionaries as ‘word of the year’, describing a politics in which ‘objective facts’ are ‘less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief’. Phil Scraton, drawing on his published in-depth research on subjects as wide as Hillsborough, prisons, childhood, and Ireland, argues that dissenting voices are the foundation of hope, resistance and transformation. Tickets £6/£3 from the Philharmonic Hall Box Office
Learning from Baby P Sharon Shoesmith With Maggie O’Carroll, The Women’s Organisation Wednesday 17th May. 6pm - 8pm The Women’s Organisation ‘Baby P’ was killed by his mother, her boyfriend and his brother. Known to social workers, health professionals and police, his death caused shockwaves across the UK. A media witch-hunt aimed mainly at social workers followed, and Sharon Shoesmith, then Head of Haringey Social Services, was sacked on ‘live’ TV by Home Secretary, Ed Balls. After eventually winning her case against unfair dismissal and going onto study a PhD, Sharon Shoesmith’s book, Learning from Baby P, explores the politics of blame, fear and denial. In Partnership with the Women’s Organisation
The term ‘robot’ was coined by Czechoslovakian playwright Karel Capek in 1920 — ‘robota’ being a Czech word for tedious labor. Today, robots assemble products better, faster and often cheaper than manual labourers. Recent reports in the UK suggest that ‘robots’, or software programmes, could replace up to 250,000 white collar jobs in the next few years. In Liverpool, Merseyrail staff are striving to prevent their own jobs being outsourced to autonomous colleagues. The response of some during the industrial revolution was to smash up the machines; should we too become ‘luddites’ or is there another way? Head of Microsoft, Bill Gates, is just one voice calling for us to tax the robots as a way to ease the transition to an autonomous work force and ensure that the payments from human workers into tax and national insurance, the bedrock of health and social care, are not lost. But weren’t robots, and tech generally, meant to free us, give us more leisure time and take the heavy load from us?
lynn collins
11am - Your Robots And You. Have you ever wondered what the future will look like, or wanted to help program a robot? Join Liverpool University’s Will Slocombe, writer Matthew de Abaitua, and computer scientist Louise Dennis, to consider our future with robots. You will get to consider the ways robots might change our lives, get to devise your own stories and graphics, and take part in deciding how a robot should act. Organised in collaboration with The Centre for Autonomous Systems Technology, University of Liverpool. 12:30pm - The Future Of Tech Is Female. By 2040 it is estimated that only 1% of the tech sector will be female. It’s also thought that if we were to close the gender gap, it would be worth an estimated £600 billion to the UK. Liverpool Geek Girls are on a mission to challenge gender inequality in the workforce by creating positive interventions. They also celebrate and showcase role models within the tech sector. These geekiest of girls will be joining WoW and discussing how ‘the future of tech is female’.
1:45pm - Robots In the Future. What impact might robots have on our lives, our jobs, and our city? Liverpool University’s Will Slocombe, writer Matthew de Abaitua, and computer scientist Prof. Mike Fisher discuss the possibilities, practicalities, benefits and drawbacks of our increasing use of technology, especially autonomous systems. You’ll have the chance to turn ideas from the discussion into a creative piece that you can submit for possible inclusion in a forthcoming book. Organised in collaboration with The Centre for Autonomous Systems Technology, University of Liverpool. 3:30pm - Robot Rant / Gig Economy: Robots and The Future Of Work. The Robots have Risen, and one of them will be joining WoW to deliver a world-first ‘Robot Rebel Rant’! WoW’s Rebel Rants have been bringing unique high profile speakers together with diverse communities to explore and debate important and difficult, sometimes controversial issues. This year we’ve outsourced our Rebel Rant to a robot... Ohbot, to be specific, a robot head constructed and programmed by children. Followed by ‘Gig Economy’, a panel of humans including North-West TUC Regional Secretary, Lynn Collins, Brhmie Balaram - Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (The RSA), James Farrar - the Uber driver who took the company to court over holiday pay, and Glasgow Labour Councillor Matt Kerr, a supporter of the Universal Basic Income, who are fighting back against the autonomous onslaught of the labour market.
This all-day event will be held at: Liverpool Central Library William Brown St L3 8EW 11am til 5pm Tickets: £8/£4 from the Philharmonic Hall Box Office or at www.wowfest.uk
Estuary Sean Street Thursday 18th May. 7.30pm - 9.30pm Capstone Theatre In 2015, Writing on the Wall premiered Estuary, a performance based on Sean Street’s poetry of tides, rivers and harbours, with musical settings by Neil Campbell and featuring vocalist Perri AlleyneHughes. Two years on, WoW presents a completely new interpretation of the work in collaboration with acclaimed choreographer and dancer, Rachel Sweeney, with visual realisations by photographer/ filmmaker/fine artist Peter Dover. A totally unique fusion of words, music, movement and stunning imagery. £9.50/£6.50 from the Capstone Theatre From London Recruits to Mandela8 - Living the Legacy Ken Keable Thursday 18th May. 7pm - 9pm Blackburne House Hear the incredible and inspirational stories of how ordinary British men and women join the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, from the editor of “London recruits” soon to be made into a film. Also hear how Liverpool intends to commemorate the life of Nelson Mandela with a permanent reminder of his legacy. Tickets £4/2 from the Philharmonic Hall Box Office Light Night: Time to Rhyme Open Mic Ciarán Hodgers Friday 19th May. 8pm - 10pm Liverpool Central Library Step up to the mic for a spectacular evening of poetry and spoken word on Light Night. ‘Time’ is the theme, exploring Liverpool’s past, present and future. Hosted by the Pangaea International Slam winner, Ciarán Hodgers, featuring an exhibition of Central Library’s amazing archives. If you’ve got what it takes to Light Up The Night, apply to: Ciaran@writingonthewall.org.uk. Admission Free Indie-pendence Day Debbie Morgan, SYP, Laura Robertson, Lyndsey Price, Mancnubian, Andy Johnson, John Donoghue, Ros Barber, Jim Friel, Laura Robertson, Sophie O’Neill, Ra Page, Nathan Connolly, Liv Little Saturday 20th May. 1pm til late The Black-E Full details for this all-day event can be found over the page Tickets £6/£3 from the Philharmonic Hall Box Office
Food Revolutionaries Deirdre Dee Woods and Nina Edge Sunday 21st May. 1pm - 5pm Toxteth Food Central Deirdre Dee Woods and Nina Edge are tenacious and joyful revolutionaries, passionate about resilient, citizen-led food sovereignty. Come and hear them discuss radical community food production within our past, present and future neighbourhoods, then join in the conversation over a hearty Sunday lunch. This co-production between Squash Nutrition and WoW is a launch event for new community hub Toxteth Food Central (TFC). Following a talk from Dr. Bryce Evans, history of food expert, Liverpool’s The Real Junk Food project will prepare a vegetarian Sunday lunch including produce grown on Windsor Street. Lunch is by donation/pay as you feel. Tickets £6/3 from the Philharmonic Hall Box Office
Digital Storytelling Lab Liverpool World Centre Monday 22nd May. 1.30pm - 3.30pm Toxteth Library Digital Storytelling is a short form of digital filmmaking that allows participants to share aspects of their life stories via a digital narration on personal, social, intercultural and intergenerational topics. It is a new practice for ordinary people who use digital tools to tell their personal ‘story’ in compelling and emotionally engaging formats. Search ‘Digital Storytelling Lab’ on eventbrite to book your FREE place. This workshop is funded by the EU Commission For more information about the project: http://idigstories.eu/
WoW’s Indie-pendence Day devotes itself to exploring independent publishing, new platforms in the digital age and options for writers to self-publish or wait it out for the ‘old guard’. With unique insights from leaders in the field including head of Inpress Publishing Sophie O’Neill, we will explore these issues and offer practical support and advice through panels, workshops and one-to-one mentoring. You can book in to get support from writers including poetry, flash fiction, playwriting, comics and zines. Take part in a workshop delivered by The Society of Young Publishers, poet Lyndsay Price, Mancnubian, zines with Andy Johnson, playwright Debbie Morgan, Clare Combes, Laura Robertson from the Double Negative. All places can only be booked on the day itself. 1pm - Keynote Address. Sophie O’Neill is Managing Director of Inpress, an Arts Council England funded organisation specialising in selling books produced by independent publishers. Sophie, who leads their drive to achieve the best possible sales, marketing and business development for independent publishers will bring her unique insight into the world of the independent publisher to WoWFest 2017 and declare WoW’s Indie-pendence Day open!
1:30pm - Indie-pendence Day. The indies are gathering in the NorthWest. The legendary Comma Press will be joined by new kids on the block, Dead Ink and the amazing, Londonbased gal-dem, a creative magazine (online and in print) comprising over 70 women of colour. Join Comma’s Director Ra Page, Dead Ink’s Creative Director Nathan Connolly, and gal-dem assistant Arts & Culture Editor Mariel Richards, who, along with Inpress’s Sophie O’Neill, will discuss the recent upsurge in independent publishers and ask whether they can mix it with the big guns of publishing.
2.45pm - Self-Publishing. Should authors embrace the digital self-publishing market, promote their own work and wrest control of publishing from the ‘old guard’? Isn’t mainstream publishing still dominanted by middle- aged, upper-class white men, who can never truly represent the diversity of the modern writer? Or does digital self-publishing lead to a deterioration in quality, with self-published authors admitting they won’t pass the test of the big publishing houses? Writers Ros Barber, John Donoghue and Kevin Duffy, founder of Bluemoose Books, will tackle these and other thorny writerly questions and share insights based on their own experiences in the publishing world.
4pm - Writer’s Marketplace. We have a host of generous, yet critical in a friendly-ish sort of way, writers offering you the chance to get support, discuss your ideas and your work, and participate in sessions designed to empower you from inspired idea through furrowed brow and onto marketing genius. Book in to get support for your poetry, flash fiction, playwriting, comics and zines, etc. Take part in workshops delivered by The Society of Young Publishers, poet Lyndsay Price, Mancnubian, zines with, playwright Debbie Morgan, novelist Clare Coombes, Laura Robertson from the Double Negative. All places can only be booked on the day itself.
sophie and roz
6:30pm - Pulp Idol Final. You can hear the novelists of the future at our Pulp Idol Grand Finale, with the winners of the heats reading from their first chapters, hoping to get the judges wanting to read more and looking to win the prestigious top-spot and get their work read by a major agent or publisher. It’s fun, exciting, and always top quality writing. Agent Laura Williams from PFD Literary Agency will be heading up this years’ panel of judges.
This all-day event will be held at: The Black-E 1 Great George Street L1 5EW 1pm til Late Tickets: Indie-pendence Day £6/£3 Pulp Idol Final £4/£2 Indie-pendence Day & Pulp Idol Combined £8/£4 Tickets available from the Philharmonic Hall Box Office or at www.wowfest.uk
The Cooperative Movement: Time to Come Together Tony Webster Monday 22nd May. 6pm - 8pm Naked Lunch In the face of a changing and challenging economic period could co-ops be one solution? The people who came together to create Naked Lunch, a cooperatively owned Café on Smithdown Road certainly think so. Tony Webster, Professor of History at Northumbria University, joins the Naked Lunch Cooperative to discuss his book, Building Co-operation: A Business History of the Co-operative Group 1863-2013. To register your place email: info@writingonthewall.org.uk Admission Free
The Play’s The Thing Monday 22nd May. 7.30pm - 9pm Toxteth Library An evening of new, innovative playwrighting brought to you by Grin Theatre Company, WoW and Everyman Theatre. 2016’s The Play’s The Thing winner RECOIL is a tense and riveting piece of drama devised by Georgie Madeley, with a script in hand reading of this year’s winner too. Brace yourself for some provocative fringe theatre. Donations on the door Rebel Women Sabrina Mahfouz, Dashni Morad and Margaret Aspinall. With Maggie O’Carroll, The Women’s Organisation Tuesday 23rd May. 6pm - 8pm The Women’s Organisation Get ready for an insightful and powerful panel discussion with Sabrina Mahfouz, Dashni Morad and Margaret Aspinall. These women who have rebelled on a personal or political basis to take back control, will explore the obstacles they have faced and share their stories of of what it’s like to be a rebel woman! In partnership with The Women’s Organisation Tickets £7/£3 from the Philharmonic Hall Box Office
The Waterstones Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell Wednesday 24th May. 1.30pm - 3pm Liverpool Central Library Primary school students from across Merseyside will come together for an afternoon of sketching, storytelling and celebration in Central Library. Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell will give an illustrated talk on what it’s like being the ‘Children’s Laundrette’ and let these little Liverpudlians know just why he loves libraries so much! Admission Free The Oompa Lumpa of Doom and the Brexit Elephant in the Room Chris Riddell Wednesday 24th May. 7.30pm - 9.30pm Bluecoat Observer Cartoonist Chris Riddell has spent almost 30 years lampooning some of our most recognisable political figures. In a period when the political arena resembles parody and politicians, cartoon caricatures, Writing on the Wall is delighted to welcome Chris Riddell with his sharp wit and even sharper pencil! Tickets £10/5 from Bluecoat
Protest! Stories of Resistance Martyn Bedford, Jacob Ross and Stuart Evers Thursday 25th May. 7.30pm - 9.30pm Blackburne House When does a riot become a revolution? Protest! Stories of Resistance asks 20 authors, working in collaboration with historians and activists, to bring crucial moment of British protest to life, from the Peasants’ Revolt to Greenham Common. WoW welcomes Stuart Evers, Martyn Bedford and Jacob Ross to discuss their contributions. Published by non-profit Comma Press, the result is a primer on the art of political protest itself. Tickets £7/£3 from the Philharmonic Hall Box Office
Dave Randall in Conversation with Peter Hooton DJ set from Dave Randall Friday 26th May. 8pm til late Leaf Dave Randall, guitarist with the legendary Faithless, discusses the political power of music following the publication of his book, Sound System. Dave will be treating us to a little bit of live guitar and posing the question: how can we make music serve the interest of the many, rather than the few? Hosted by the Farm’s front-manPeter Hooton. Tickets £8/£4 from the Philharmonic Hall Box Office