Clevedon Literary Festival Programme 9th - 11th June 2022
Thursday 9th June
The Hate U Give
Thurs 9th June
7.30pm
Curzon Cinema and Arts
The Hate U Give & Discussion –
Starr Carter, an African-American teenager, faces pressure from various communities and tries to stand up for what is right after she witnesses the shooting of her best friend by the police. Elegantly dealing with themes of racism from the perspective of a modern teenager, The Hate U Give also empathises with the universal struggles of growing up faced by every adolescent. Screening at the Curzon followed by a discussion on the topics of the book of the same name, in collaboration with Clevedon School English department.
Cinema entry charges.
Friday 10th June
People Are Cats People Are Dogs – Stepping Out Theatre
Fri 10th June
7:30pm
The Theatre Shop
Five darkly comic Covid era monologues, created by Bristol writer Mark Breckon. Dark satire runs through these linked female monologues from dystopian, Covid haunted nightmares of dogs, cats and giant beetles to the excruciating cringes that sometimes come from working in theatre. Snappy, tightly woven, and occasionally hilarious, this show is a foretaste of the play’s trip to the Edinburgh Fringe later in the season.
“Pivoted beautifully from humour to sadness to the occasionally shocking moment. Original and engaging series of pieces.”
Formed in 1997, based in Bristol, and with ninety-four productions to its credit, Stepping Out Theatre is the country’s leading mental health theatre group.
https://www.steppingouttheatre.co.uk/SteppingOutHowWeWork
The bar will be open for ticket holders
Over The Weekend
More Than Words…Pictures
Sat 11th 10-5pm
Sun 12th 10-5pm
The Porthole Room, The Pier
Pier entry charge
Sponsored by Greenfield Acupuncture +
Jo Shepherd is a local photographer with an interest in photographing local events, locations and people. She will be exhibiting photographs of our Lest We Forget event in November 2021, photographs by Ian Knox of live music from our festival in June 2021 and by Chris Taylor of our Live Poetry event with Marvin Thompson in October 2021. An Associate of the Royal Photographic Society Jo “got serious” about her lifelong interest in photography ten years ago. She has also completed and will be displaying studies of venues and the people associated with them.
Jo will be displaying studies of venues and the people associated with them.
Exhibition of Local Artists’ Works With Polodango
Sat 11th 10-4pm
Sun 12th 10-4pm
Polodango
31 Old Church Road, BS21 6NN
Free entry
Paul is an artist and bespoke professional furniture painter who displays contemporary local artworks throughout the year.
Artist in Residence
Clevedon Art Club, with support from the Clevedon Community Bookshop Cooperative, has appointed an artist-in-residence for the duration of the Literary Festival. The artist will be visiting various events, making sketches and taking notes, and using these to create artworks to be exhibited in the town later in the year. If you spot our artist-in-residence please feel free to ask about their work and this project.
Saturday 11th June
Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Lucian Freud (2002) with Jonathon Camp
Sat 11th 9.30am -11am
St Peters C of E Church 1 Alexandra Rd BS21 7QE
Tickets £8
Well-known local art historian and wild swimmer, Jonathan Camp, runs courses and arranges tours to galleries in this country and abroad, as Art Unwrapped.
Lucian Freud (1922-2011) is thought of as one of the foremost British portrait painters of the 20th century, but he was much criticised by the media when he produced this unflattering portrait of the Queen in 2001. Jonathan will discuss his style and technique then tell us about his life, his paintings and his place in the world of contemporary art.
A Celebration of the Book
Sat 11th
Funded by Clevedon Community Bookshop Cooperative
St Andrews Church
Bookbinders, book artists, paper-makers, book makers, independent publishers and pamphleteers come together to celebrate the ‘book’ with exhibition stalls and sales. Talks and demonstrations:
’Sleeping with the Moon’
Sat 11th
The Porthole Room, Clevedon Pier
10:15am & 11:15am (duration 30mins)
“One of the most amazing things my ears have ever had the pleasure to hear. Really captivating, just magical”
Kev F’s Children’s Comic Art Masterclass
Sat 11th
10am-12noon
Christchurch
Chapel Hill
BS21 7LL
Tickets £7
7-12yrs
Well known for his writing and comic strip creations, Kev F Sutherland will teach you everything he knows showing you how easy comics can be. After the end of the Comic Art Masterclass, everyone goes away with a comic containing a strip by everyone in the class plus an individual caricature by Kev F.
Learn everything he knows, so you could leave school and steal his job!
Kev F Sutherland has written and drawn comic strips for everyone from The Beano to Marvel Comics, from Doctor Who to Viz magazine, and most points in between.
His three new graphic novels adapt Shakespeare with a twist: Findlay Macbeth is a salesman in 1970s Scotland, Hamlet Prince Of Denmark Street is in a punk rock band, and The Midsummer Night’s Dream Team takes Shakespeare’s comedy and turns it into a heist movie. Since 2021 he has published a series of Pop Star Colouring Books, with illustrations and articles on everything from Eurovision and Punk to David Bowie and Rom Coms. https://www.kevfcomicartist.com
‘Hold On Tight’
Vintage Bus
Sat 11th 11am-4pm
Circuits of Clevedon
Donations welcome
Our vintage bus is back, following in the spirit of Doris Hatt’s communist coach, which provided transport for people to enjoy cultural events. Our bus will tour many of the venues in town.
The bus service will operate to the following times.
St Andrews Church 1100 1130 1200 1230 1300 1330 1400 1430
Triangle (Kenn Road) 1110 1140 1210 1240 1310 1340 1410 1440
Princes Road 1115 1145 1215 1245 1315 1345 1415 1445
Six Ways Bus Stop 1120 1150 1220 1250 1320 1350 1420 1450
Salthouse Fields 1125 1155 1225 1255 1325 1355 1425 1455
St Andrews Church 1130 1200 1230 1300 1330 1400 1430 1500
St Andrews Church 1500 1530 1600 1630
Triangle (Kenn Road) 1510 1540 1610 1640
Princes Road 1515 1545 1615 1645
Six Ways Bus Stop 1520 1550 1620 1650
Salthouse Fields 1525 1555 1625 1655
St Andrews Church 1530 1600 1630 1700
Market Place – Local Authors
Sat 11th 11am -3pm
The Hawthorns
18-19 Elton Rd, BS21 7EH
Outside /free entry
Sponsored by The Hawthorns
A bright and colourful “Marketplace” where authors, illustrators and other artists will gather to share their books, arts and “More Than Words” products.
This is a chance to meet local artists, have a chat and ask them questions.
There will be a raffle, with loads of prizes donated by the stallholders. (It is also hoped there will be a quiz/trail – TBC).
Doris Hatt: Art, Politics and Principles
Sat 11th 11.30-1pm
St Peters C of E Church
1 Alexandra Rd, BS21 7QE
Tickets £8
Sponsored by Court Gallery
Doris Hatt lived her life according to strong principles and on occasions would use her paintings to subtly make a point. The talk will outline her life as an artist in Clevedon and illustrate how she used her art to reflect her views.
The painting is Doris Hatt’s monumental (40” x 60”) work from 1951 titled, ‘The Fisherwomen of Dieppe’, and it is an example of how Doris gave recognition to the difficult lives of working people.
The painting was displayed in Clevedon Community Centre for several years during the 1960s and 70s.
Stephen Lisney co-authored the book ‘Doris Hatt – Revolutionary Artist’ (2019) for the South West Heritage Trust.
www.courtgallery.com
Climate Activism for Everyone – Tamsin Omond
Sat 11th
Bandstand, Elton Road
Clevedon
BS21 7EH
12 noon -1.00pm
Free
We know there’s a climate emergency but what does that mean we should do? What does a ‘better future’ look like and how do we get there? Having spent over a decade on the frontlines of climate activism Tamsin realised that this crisis is too big for one group of activists to solve. It needs everyone. They will share their experiences – taking action with Extinction Rebellion and organising community-led protests – and invite us to consider, with practical guidance and gentle encouragement, how we might heal our relationships with nature, each other
and ourselves and recommit to our beautiful planet.
Moderator: Sasha Snow, BAFTA winning film maker, recent film ‘The Trouble Maker”
Since dropping banners against Heathrow Airport’s third runway from the roof of the Houses of Parliament, Tamsin has consistently shifted public conversation on the climate and ecological emergency.
They have organised a number of high-profile protests and been a founding member of Extinction Rebellion.In 2021 Tamsin stood for co-leadership of the Green Party of England and Wales. They are also active in queer uprising; a theatre maker and the author of two books – RUSH! The Making of a Climate Activist and Do Earth: Healing Strategies for Humankind.
Empowering Children through Books
Four amazing children’s authors of different ages talk about their books, their inspiration and how empowering reading can be.
Sat 11th
Christchurch
Chapel Hill, Clevedon
BS21 7LL
12.30-1.30pm
Tickets £5
Jamie Russell: Former contributing editor of Total Film magazine turned author and screenwriter; he is the author of the Skywake trilogy published by Walker Books.
Tamsin Mori:. Tamsin Mori – her debut novel, The Weather Weaver, has been a favourite with young readers and won the Dudley Children’s Book Award. The second book in this magical adventure series, A Gathering Storm, is out now.
Annelise Gray: Author of the thrilling ancient Roman adventure series Circus Maximus. Written to wishfully see a female jockey win the Grand National – that subsequently happened – and to bring ancient Rome alive for children, it stars humans, horses, and real characters from history.
Laura James: Captain Pug, her debut novel (Adventures of Pug series), was shortlisted 2017 for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. Other stories include Fabio: The World’s Greatest Flamingo Detective and some dogs who start a newspaper in News Hound series.
Moderator: Alistair Sims
https://www.jamierussell.co.uk/
Clevedon Community Bandstand
Sat 11th
1.30-8pm
Bandstand, Elton Road BS21 7EH
Free
Step Into A World Of stories: An Introduction To The Art Of Telling Tales with Katy Cawkwell
Sat 11th
St Peters C of E Church 1 Alexandra Rd, Clevedon BS21 7QE
2pm -4.30pm
Tickets £15
Storytelling is enjoying a renaissance, a refreshing change from consuming media online.
This “hands-on” workshop introduces the art of storytelling using traditional, personal or newly devised narratives. We will explore story structure, ‘seeing the story’ and finding your own voice, pace & rhythm, through some basic performance skills.
Participants can choose from outline stories provided or one they’re bringing to work on. Suitable for complete beginners & those with some experience.
“Katy is a brilliant workshop leader. She is warm, generous and accessible“(previous participant)
Katy Cawkwell has been a performance storyteller since 1996, appearing in the UK & beyond in theatres, festivals, clubs and on BBC Radio 3 and 4 https://www.katycawkwell.co.uk
A Historical Thriller – Rory Clements
Sat 11th
Christchurch
Chapel Hill, Clevedon
BS21 7LL
2-3.00pm
Tickets £5
Rory Clements is a Sunday Times bestselling author. He is twice winner of the CWA Historical Dagger Award, most recently in 2018 for Nucleus, the second Tom Wilde novel. A TV series of Rory’s previous series, the John Shakespeare novels, is currently in development.
His most recent novel published January this year, The Man in the Bunker, is a gripping new spy thriller set in Germany, late summer 1945.
Moderator: Alistair Sims
Poetry Open Mic
Funded by The Clevedon Community Bookshop Cooperative
Sat 11th
2-4pm
St John’s the Evangelist Church
Queen’s Rd BS21 7TH
Suggested donation £5
Local poets will recite their work. Proceeds to be used to create a 2023 poetry prize competition.
How To Write About Disability With Tom Shakespeare
Sponsored by The Spinning Weal
Sat 11th
2.30pm-3.30pm
Rugby Club
Southey Rd
BS21 6PF
Tickets £5
Disability may seem like a neglected topic, but characters with disabilities are found surprisingly commonly in fiction. Drawing on extracts from contemporary fiction, Tom will talk about common stereotypes of disability, and how to avoid them. But what is a good representation of disability? Tom helped develop the café scientifique movement – in this style, the bar will be open for hot and cold drinks
Moderator: Sarah Harris
Tom, regular contributor to Radio 4, academic, writer, and elected fellow of the British Academy. ‘Stand-up’ comedian, compère in the disability arts world, Tom’s repertoire has included ‘one-man’ shows and contemporary dance performances. He worked for the WHO on the World Report on Disability (2011) and published widely including Disability Rights and Wrongs and Disability – the Basics. Tom has recently completed his first novel, and halfway through his second – thus, images of disability are not merely of academic interest.
‘The Illustrated Secret History of the Mona Lisa’
Conversation with Natasha Solomons author of I Mona Lisa
Sat 11th
3.30pm-4.30pm
Christchurch
Chapel Hill, Clevedon
BS21 7LL
Tickets £5
From the Renaissance, admirers of the Mona Lisa have said how the painting looks as if ‘she’s just waiting to speak’. In Natasha Solomons’ dazzlingly inventive new novel, I, Mona Lisa she finally does. In her illustrated talk Natasha Solomons will talk about the secrets behind the Mona Lisa and how she inspired her critically acclaimed novel. She’ll talk about everything from who Mona Lisa really was, from how she was created, to how she crossed the alps and how she changed the world of art. In recent years, the Mona Lisa has become an icon and a meme, but hopefully by the end of this illuminating discussion, you — like Natasha – will be able to truly appreciate the Mona Lisa again. Maybe you’ll even hear her speak!
Moderator: Alistair Sims
Writers Meet
Funded by The Clevedon Community Bookshop Cooperative
St John’s the Evangelist Church Queen’s Rd BS21 7TH
Sat 11th
4pm -5pm
Free
Writers Meet will be holding a session on who they are and what they do. In addition, members will be reading short pieces of their work, both poetry and prose.
Five Ways Of Looking At
A Character -Maria McCann
Sat 11th
4pm-5pm
Rugby Club
Southey Rd
BS21 6PF
Tickets £5
A relaxed and informal workshop for aspiring writers of any kind of fiction, you’ll explore ways of building and enriching your characters. We’ll focus on the inner world of characters, how character drives plot and how characters interact with one another. We will also look at how your writing style can help with characterisation. If you’re already working on a book, please bring along a list of your main characters – but don’t worry if you haven’t yet got this far.
The bar will be open for snacks, and hot and cold drinks.
Moderator Angela Everitt
Maria McCann is a writer of historical fiction whose novels As Meat Loves Salt (Harper Collins), The Wilding (Faber & Faber) and Ace, King, Knave (Faber & Faber) have been praised for their historical accuracy, imagination and psychological intensity. She is also an experienced teacher and literary mentor who has worked for The Royal Literary Fund and the Arvon Foundation.
Historical Narratives: The Many Ways To Portray History in Fiction
Three inspirational historical fiction author talk about their inspiration, and how they all in different ways portray history in their fiction.
KJ Maitland
Dr Harry Sidebottom
Ben Kane
Sat 11th
5pm-6pm
Christchurch
Chapel Hill, Clevedon
BS21 7LL
Tickets £5
Karen Maitland Historical novelist, lecturer, and teacher of Creative Writing, with over twenty books to her name, she grew up in Malta, which inspired her passion for history, and travelled and worked all over the world before settling in the United Kingdom.
Dr Harry Sidebottom is a Fellow of St Benet’s Hall and lecturer at Lincoln College, Oxford, where he specializes in ancient warfare and classical art. His Roman historical fiction has gained critical praise from newspapers such as the Times and he is a bestselling author.
Ben Kane Kenya born, Irish by blood and UK resident, Ben’s passion for history has taken him to almost 70 countries, visiting Roman, Greek, Persian, Carthaginian, Aztec, Maya, Inca, indigenous Australian and Native American archaeological sites. His novels are commonly seen in the Sunday Times top ten.
Moderator: Alistair Sim
‘Elvis Has Not Left The Building’
Elvis McGonagall and support acts
Sat 11th
8pm till late
Rugby Club
Southey Rd
BS21 6PF
£10
Star of radio and TV, the Fresh Prince of Graceland Caravan Park, Elvis McGonagall brings his biting satirical Caledonian rant to the great unwashed of Clevedon, equally ably supported by stars of the London spoken word scene Mark ‘Mr T’ Thompson, Steve Tasane and Cynthia Hamilton. Expect a night of shame and (rhyming) hyperbole!
Performance poet and stand-up comedian
Sunday 12th June
“From Fact Into Fiction: How Travel And Undercover Journalism Inspired Adventure Thriller-writing.”
EM Davey
Sun 12th
11am-12.30pm
Theatre Shop
Unit 5 Triangle Centre,
BS21 6HX
12yrs up
£5
E.M. Davey’s career as an undercover journalist has landed him in some sticky spots. He’s tracked down a corrupt supergrass in Brazil, been chased by an enraged hippopotamus in Sierra Leone and posed as a commodity trader to expose human rights abuses on palm oil plantations in Papua New Guinea, and and faced the threat of being ‘spiritually destroyed’ by voodoo priests in Benin. He also has a lifelong love of history, devoting his spare time to visiting archaeological sites around the world. Now Davey describes how his work – and deep understanding of modern espionage techniques – inspired a series of well-received action thrillers. Because sometimes, truth is indeed stranger than fiction…
Moderator : Ruth Bennett
E.M. Davey is a novelist and investigative reporter specialising in environmental crime and international corruption. He’s worked on investigations for BBC programmes such as Panorama and Newsnight. His thrillers mash up history and 21st century espionage, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.
The Super Greedy Caterpillar
Wild Words
Sun 12th
2.30pm Playshop 3.15pm Show
Theatre Shop
Unit 5 Triangle Centre
BS21 6HX
5yrs plus
£8
Want to see puppets behaving badly; a man wearing fairy wings; and a 6-foot caterpillar who wants to eat the entire supermarket including your granny?!
Want to hear toe tapping tunes to dance to; singalong songs to join in with; and other silly serious business?
Wild Words aka Scruff and Ratty ably assisted by humans Michael Loader and Tom Veck bring you their new show and what is sure to be a new freaky family favourite with a serious message about the Environment… The Super Greedy Caterpillar!
Two funny puppets, two desperate men, live song and music, an undersized trumpet an oversized grub, glorious family theatre, participation galore and one giant Un-Eco friendly beast!
