Reading and Writing Festival

This year, the Festival runs between the 14th and 30th April, as part of a year of events celebrating the National Year of Reading.

Monday April 14th sees the launch of the Festival with guests including Leeds Rhino, Jamie Peacock, who is celebrating the publication of his autobiography.  Here we will begin Leeds Met "Bookcrossings" and everyone attending will be invited to take a book which will start a journey.  During the day Performing Arts students will also be collecting stories from people about a range of objects - both the ordinary and the extraordinary.

Leeds Met Gallery & Studio Theatre have joined the Festival holding a series of events entitled Reading the Arts, considering "writing" as a devised, collective activity and "reading" in how an audience interprets or "reads" a piece of theatre or exhibition.  On the final evening of the Festival the Theatre also presents a show eccentrically subverting the children's classic The 3 Little Pigs.

In between, a range of personal development sessions are available on topics such as Plain English, life writing and the use of Inspiration software.  Max Farrar will explore how he "writes to engage"; Tom Dobson asks if it is possible to teach creative writing while "My Summer of Love" author, Helen Cross, talks about her experience of becoming a writer. You can join the International Students on their trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon, attend the dress rehearsal and meet the author of a new play at West Yorkshire Playhouse; test your knowledge in our literary quiz or find out how to support reluctant readers.   Students' work will be showcased within The Library and via the website, alongside reflections on reading and writing and the chance to vote for your favourite Booker prize winner.

Some events are bookable through this website by clicking on the link associated with a particular workshop.  If you do this for more than one event you will be asked for your contact details each time.  Alternatively you can choose your preferred workshops and submit a block booking by clicking on this link Reading and Writing Festival Booking Form. Any problems please contact the festival team.

Monday 14 April 10am - 4pm The Library, Headingley Campus
A History Of Objects
Inspired by Roger-Pol Droit's book How Are Things? Contemporary Performance Practice students collaborate with Senior Lecturer and Co-Artistic Director of Third Angel, Alexander Kelly on a project exploring the memories and stories we associate with inanimate objects.

The students will be present in and around Headingley Campus Library collecting stories about a range of objects - from the everyday to the extraordinary.

The stories collected will feed in to a final performance to be presented at House 14, Queens' Square 20 - 22 May and 4 June.

Monday 14 April 6.30pm Studio Theatre, Civic Quarter
Cultural Conversations
As part of Leeds Met Gallery & Studio Theatre's Reading the Arts Programme Cristian Radu, Director of the Sibiu 2007 Capital of Culture (Romania) joins Professor Noel Witts and the Director of the Gallery & Studio Theatre, Annie Lloyd, in a Cultural Conversation.  Free but please call 0113 812 5998 to reserve your place.

Tuesday 15th April 11am - 12pm Cavendish 220, Headingley Campus
Reading Matters - taster session
Around one quarter of 11 - 16 year olds do not have the reading skills they need for life.  You can help change this by becoming a Volunteer Reading Mentor.  Working one-to-one with young people in a local secondary school, for just one hour a week, you can really change lives.  Full training and support is provided. If you're interested in finding out more about the scheme please come along to this informal information session.  http://www.readingmatters.org.uk/ To book your place please click here.

Tuesday 15 April 12.30pm - 1.30pm C212, Civic Quarter
How to Get Published - seminar with the author of My Summer of Love, Helen Cross
Helen Cross is an award winning writer whose novels have been published in ten languages, and adapted into film. She is also an experienced teacher of creative writing, both in the UK and abroad and is currently a Lecturer with Graphic Arts and Design. She will talk about the opportunities for creative writing training, her own experience of becoming a writer, and the options available for finding an agent and publishing your work.' To reserve your place please click here.

Tuesday 15 April 2pm - 3.30pm C212, Civic Quarter
Business Planning Workshop
It is essential to have a realistic, working business plan when you're starting up in business. A business plan is a written document that describes a business, its objectives, it strategies, the market it is in and its financial forecasts.  It has many functions from securing external funding to measuring success within your business. The workshop will run through the key aspects of preparing a high quality business plan.  To reserve your place please click here.

Tuesday 15 April 7.30pm Studio Theatre, Civic Quarter
Leeds Met Gallery & Studio Theatre's Reading the Arts programme presents The Paper Birds "In a Thousand Pieces"
After beginning their new production with a period of research and development in Poland, alongside Teatr Piesn Kozla (Song of the Goat Theatre), The Paper Birds return to their all female roots with this performance based on sex slavery. Written and told in The Paper Birds trademark style of lyrical and inventive dance based theatre. This work in progress is free and is followed by a Q&A with the company. Please call 0113 812 5998 to reserve your place.

Wednesday 16 April 2pm C212, Civic Quarter
Writing to Engage
Max Farrar has been writing about 'community' for 'communities' of all types for the past 35 years.  In this talk he will explain how his writing style has developed as his ideas about community, culture and politics have changed in the process of seeking to engage with audiences in the multi-ethnic inner cities, with the readers of 'quality' newspapers and magazines, with students, and with academics.  He will set out his abiding theme - to support those who yearn for radical social change from the bottom up - and its impact on his various styles for effective communication.  Illustrations will be drawn from his work in Chapeltown News, Big Flame, Emergency, Asian Times, New Statesman and Society, Red Pepper, his lecture notes, and his main book, The Struggle for Community. To reserve your place please click here.

Wednesday 16 April 5pm G02, Old School Board, Civic Quarter
Leeds Met Book Club
Join the Leeds Met Book Club to discuss the The Island by Victoria Hislop, Waterstones' Newcomer of the Year for 2007. To reserve your place please book below. To reserve your place please click here.

Thursday 17 April 11am - 12pm James Graham 123, Headingley Campus
CV Writing Workshop
The CV workshop will assist participants to create a competitive CV by providing guidelines, discussing content and considering examples of CVs both good and bad. To reserve your place please click here.

Thursday 17 April 12pm - 1pm Leslie Silver 310, Civic Quarter
Inspire your Writing - Inspiration Software Workshop
Learn to use the leading program in visual thinking and planning. The easy and fun way to plan, revise and structure your work - write at ease with inspiration.  To reserve your place please click here.

Thursday 17 April - 4pm Jubilee room, Headingley Campus
In conversation with Val McDermid
Celebrated and bestselling author of over 20 novels, winner of the Gold Dagger, the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and many other international prizes. Val's work regularly flies straight into the top 10 bestsellers list and has been translated into over 30 languages.

Multi-award winning author Val McDermid was born in Scotland, and now lives in Manchester. She read English at St Hilda's College, Oxford, and was a journalist for sixteen years, but is now a full-time writer. In 1995 she won the CWA Gold Dagger award for the best crime novel of the year with The Mermaids Singing and this year has been shortlisted for the British Book Awards. One of the UK's most talented writers, she has written three series; The Lindsay Gordon Mystery series; The Kate Branningan Mystery series; and the Dr. Tony Hill and Carol Jordan Mystery series now a major ITV series Wire in the Blood. To reserve your place please click here.

Thursday 17 April 7.30pm Studio Theatre, Civic Quarter
Leeds Met Gallery & Studio Theatre's Reading the Arts programme presents Chotto Ookii "THUS FAR and no further"
This tale of gremlins in the machinery won a Total Theatre Award at the Edinburgh Fringe. When writing this play Chotto Ookii seamlessly combines elements of clown-like comedy, dance and puppetry to invoke this strange underground world, where insanity is average and consistency is everything. Call 0113 812 5998 for bookings or call into the Gallery & Studio Theatre Office in G105, Civic Quarter. Exclusive offer for students - quote "Read n Write Fest" to get tickets for just £5.

Thursday 17 April 6pm - 8pm The Gallery, Civic Quarter
Unheimlich- Steve Bishop, Rachel Goodyear, Matt Lippiatt, Pete Smith and Clara Ursitti
Leeds Met Gallery & Studio Theatre's Reading the Arts programme presents a preview of Unheimlich, bringing together the work of five artists whose practices have an interest in Freud's notion of the 'uncanny'. Freud used this term to explain the phenomenon that occurs when ideas and feelings from childhood, which have become repressed in the adult, are suddenly re-awakened, and the familiar becomes 'unheimlich' or unhomely. Familiar items are displaced and disturbing images of suburban life sit alongside bizarre stuffed animals and dismembered mechanical limbs. The exhibition is free and runs until Saturday 17 May (excluding. Monday 5 May). The discussions also offer an aspect of 'reading' the exhibition.

Friday 18 April 1pm The Gallery, Civic Quarter
Unheimlich Panel Discussion
As part of the Gallery & Studio Theatre's Reading the Arts programme join Unheimlich's Curator and artists, Matt Lippiatt, Steve Bishop and Rachel Goodyear as they explore the themes and relationships of the work featured in the exhibition.  Free but please call 0113 812 5998 to reserve your place.

Friday 18 April 6.30pm West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds
Join our partners, the West Yorkshire Playhouse, at the dress rehearsal of a new play, Fast Labour, with a chance to meet the playwright, Steve Waters. To reserve your place please click here.

Saturday 19 April (full day event)
Join the International Students' Social Programme on a trip to Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon.  To reserve your place please click here.

Monday 21 April 1pm The Gallery, Civic Quarter
Unheimlich Exhibition Tour
As part of the Gallery & Studio Theatre's Reading the Arts programme join curator of the exhibition, Matt Roberts, in the gallery and take a tour of the exhibition. Free but please call 0113 812 5998 to reserve your place.

Monday 21 April 1.15pm Leeds College of Technology
Leeds College of Technology's National Year of Reading Launch Event
Join our Regional University Network partner, Leeds College of Technology, as they launch their National Year of Reading celebrations with special guest Ian McMillan.  Renowned poet, BBC Radio 4 regular and Barnsley supporter, Ian will be giving an entertaining talk on his love of reading and how he got into writing, before presenting awards to students for various literary achievements including writing competitions and 'Reader of the Year'. Those attending are asked to participate in a "bookswap" so please bring along a book or magazine you have recently read. To reserve your place please click here.

Monday 21 April 1.30pm C212, Civic Quarter
Your Life in Your Hands: Life Writing Workshop
Lisa Samson will lead you through a series of writing exercises that will help you to unearth your memories and shape them into life writing. To reserve your place please click here.

Monday 21 April 6.30pm Studio Theatre, Civic Quarter
Cultural Conversations
As part of the Gallery & Studio Theatre's Reading the Arts programme Stella Hall, Creative Director of the Newcastle Gateshead Initiative, joins Professor Noel Witts and the Director of the Gallery & Studio Theatre, Annie Lloyd, in a Cultural Conversation.  Free but please call 0113 812 5998 to reserve your place.

Tuesday 22nd April 11am - 12pm James Graham 123, Headingley Campus
Plain English Workshop
This aims to be an entertaining and informative hour based on the Plain English Campaign's recommendations for public communicating.  During the hour we will:
. find out about the Plain English Campaign, including its  
. "Crystal" award for clear English - and its "Golden Bull" award for......
. know the five guidelines for clear, concise and lively expression
. demolish some so-called "rules of grammar" that are often quoted but are wrong
. recognise some common punctuation mistakes - the dreaded Apostrofly!
. be aware of further resources to help you write good, clear English 
. look at using Word to calculate some helpful statistics about readability
To reserve your place please click here.

Tuesday 22nd April 1pm James Graham 227, Headingley Campus
Inspire your Writing - Inspiration Software Workshop
Learn to use the leading program in visual thinking and planning. The easy and fun way to plan, revise and structure your work - write at ease with inspiration.  To reserve your place please click here.

Tuesday 22nd April 1pm The Gallery, Civic Quarter
Unheimlich Exhibition Tour
As part of the Gallery & Studio Theatre's Reading the Arts programme join curator of the exhibition, Matt Roberts, in the gallery and take a tour of the exhibition.  Free but please call 0113 812 5998 to reserve your place.

Wednesday 23 April 7.30pm Studio Theatre, Civic Quarter
Leeds Met Gallery & Studio Theatre's Reading the Arts programme presents Hello Friends | How to be Well Dressed and Famous
This double bill of solo performances takes a look at the excesses of the rich and famous. Fuelled by a desire to emulate their heroes both Jennifer and Ellie are prepared to go to extremes. Call 0113 812 5998 for bookings or call into the Gallery & Studio Theatre Office in G105, Civic Quarter. Exclusive offer for students - quote "Read n Write Fest" to get tickets for just £5.

Thursday 24 April 12pm - 1pm Leslie Silver 309, Civic Quarter
Plain English Workshop
This aims to be an entertaining and informative hour based on the Plain English Campaign's recommendations for public communicating.  During the hour we will:
. find out about the Plain English Campaign, including its  
. "Crystal" award for clear English - and its "Golden Bull" award for......
. know the five guidelines for clear, concise and lively expression
. demolish some so-called "rules of grammar" that are often quoted but are wrong
. recognise some common punctuation mistakes - the dreaded Apostrofly!
. be aware of further resources to help you write good, clear English
. look at using Word to calculate some helpful statistics about readability
To reserve your place please click here.

Thursday 24 April 11am - 1pm James Graham 123, Headingley Campus
CV Writing Clinic
The CV Clinic will provide the opportunity for students or staff to drop in, speak briefly to an expert and be given feedback on their current or draft cv. To reserve your place please click here.

Thursday 24 April 7pm Student Union Bar, Civic Quarter
Do You Know your JK Rowling from your JRR Tolkein?
Join us on the night to test your wits in our literary quiz.  Individuals and teams welcome.  Prizes to be won.

Friday 25 April 12pm - 2pm D209,  Civic Quarter
Developing Academic Storytelling
In this session I want to argue that academics of all kinds and at all stages, can improve their writing by thinking of it as a species of storytelling. However, I will begin with some remarks about the way in which professional academics often take a pride in making their work difficult to the point at which it seems almost devoid of meaning, almost as if they believe that doing so makes it more worthwhile.

Though the session will begin with argument and critique, it will end with practical advice about developing academic stories, which will be relevant to all academic disciplines, because all academics have stories to tell, whether their research is empirical, documentary or conceptual in nature. In particular I will speak about the use of citation to build coherent, well structured and informative text, rather than in the attempt to make it seem more worthy.
Gavin Fairbairn, Running Stream Professor of Ethics and Language, School of Applied Global Ethics, whose publications about academic literacy include:
To reserve your place please click here.

Saturday 26th April, 7.15pm Grand Theatre, Leeds
Macbeth - FULLY BOOKED.
Join Leeds Met Partner, Opera North for their production of Verdi's Macbeth at the Grand Theatre, Leeds.  The Reading & Writing Festival has 10 pairs of tickets for Leeds Met staff and students. First come first served basis please e-mail Helen Loughran.  Collection of tickets will be CQ Library by 25th April.

Monday 28 April 12pm - 1pm Bronte 116, Headingley Campus
Can You Teach Creative Writing?
Tom Dobson discusses his research into creative writing degrees: the tensions between creativity and an education system where learning is increasingly commodified. To reserve your place please click here.

Monday 28 April - 4pm Jubilee room, Headingley Campus
The Great Gender Debate:
So who writes the better crime? - men or women? Two formidable teams thrash it out to challenge the preconceptions we have about gender in crime fiction. Fighting for the women, Natasha Cooper and Laura Wilson, while in the men's corner are Martyn Waites and Allan Guthrie. To reserve your place please click here.

Monday 28th April 5pm The Grange, Headingley Campus
Readers and Professors Event
Sheila Scraton and Sally Brown are inviting Leeds Met Readers and Professors for a conversation over buffet with wine. To celebrate the Reading & Writing festival, we would like to invite you to bring along a book that has impacted on your thinking or research in the last year and to share with the group why that is the case.  Please let k.procter@leedsmet.ac.uk know if you are able to attend.

Tuesday 29th - Wednedsay 30th April, Civic Quarter Library Finale Event

 24 hour reading performance celebrating Leeds met authors. Staff are invited to see, hear and take part in this 24 hour celebration taking place in Civic Quarter Library from 18:00 on Tuesday 29th April until 17:59 on 30th April. Seven of our own performers take excerpts from books written by and edited by Leeds Met authors, reading them with character and using their own interpretation of the script.
Join us as their journey starts at 6pm on the 29th, and again for lunch on 30th April. Take the opportunity to "buzz-in" by interrupting the performance to take part alongside the readers, at a dedicated desk. There will be live web streaming so that you can see them throughout the 24 hours. Click here to view the programme.

Wednesday 30 April 5pm Lower Concourse, Civic Quarter - Book Launch

Avril Brock and Carolynn Rankin are celebrating the launch of their new book 'Communication, Language and Literacy from Birth to Five' published by SAGE. 
By invitation. Further details available from Teresa Pioro on ext 29071 or email t.pioro@leedsmet.ac.uk

Wednesday 30 April 7.30pm Studio Theatre, Civic Quarter
Leeds Met Gallery & Studio Theatre's Reading the Arts programme presents Mishimou | The 3 Little Pigs
The 3 Little Pigs is a gloriously eccentric written play with a performance show that subverts the children's classic. It's full of beguiling invention: funny, sinister and very naughty..This is definitely not a children's tale, anymore. Mishimou's work is collage like in structure, colliding layers of material from many genres. Call 0113 812 5998 for bookings or call into the Gallery & Studio Theatre Office in G105, Civic Quarter. Exclusive offer for students - quote "Read n Write Fest" to get tickets for just £5.