2004 Reviews

Friday 2 July

Coleridge and the Wordsworths in Somerset
8 pm Frome Library £3 (including glass of wine)

Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William and Dorothy Wordsworth produced some of their finest work in Somerset. Helen Wynter and Susan Date bring their work to life drawing on contemporary letters, reports and comments, quotations from Coleridge and the Wordsworths, and later assessments. A varied programme of readings including: extracts of letters; press reports; Dorothy Wordsworth's journal; The Rime of the Ancient Mariner; Tintern Abbey; a selection of shorter poems.

Sat 3 July

Authors and Publishers Day

10am – 4pm Assembly Rooms All-day tickets £2 on the door(£1 concessions, children free). Bar.
Authors and publishers promoting their latest books. Lots of stalls.

Programme: Grand Opening 10am by Antiques Roadshow star Christopher Wood.

Steve Voake : The Dreamwalker’s Child. Steve will talk about his forthcoming first fantasy novel for children and read some extracts

10.55 Helena Drysdale : Mother Tongues – Travels through Tribal Europe

Lindsay Clarke: The War at Troy
Ted Honderich: Understandable Philosophy
Christopher Wood : Victorian Art
Ross Bradshaw: (Five Leaves Publications) Small but perfectly formed? Small publishers, little magazines… are they an answer to Rupert Murdoch and the book barons?

2.25 Kevin Snelgrove: The Carry On Films

2.55 Caroline Bagias: Withy, Rush & Reed: A Somerset Levels Legacy

Further details from Upper Room Books (Badcox, Frome) 01373 467125 and Frome Library 01373 462215

Mon 5 July

Champagne Slam at the Poetry Café

7.30pm Garden Café, Stony Street £1.50 on the door

Frome's popular Poetry Café is celebrating its 3rd anniversary with an all open-mic event featuring a totally new concept: 'Champagne Slam' - a friendly Frome-style version of this ‘extreme sport’ for poets. A bottle of bubbly for the slam winner, and entertainment for all. Bring a poem or just listen and enjoy.

Tues 6 July

Prose and Cons

7.30pm Frome Library £4 (including glass of wine)

This showcase for local writers promises a thrilling dose of crime readings, compered by writer and performer, Martin Dimery, The identity parade includes award-winning mystery writers Michael Z Lewin and Liza Cody (creator of Anna Lee as played by Imogen Stubbs on T.V, Eva Wylie and Birdie Walker). Others in the line-up are Mimi Thebo, Alison Clink, Peter Waterman and Hazel Stewart. Talented sax player Josh Arcoleo will play a crime medley and some of his own pieces.

Weds 7 July

Literary Lunch with Sarah Harrison
12.30 for 1pm Mendip House Hotel £8

Delicious two course lunch with glass of wine. Tickets limited.

Sarah Harrison began her career as an editorial trainee on Woman's Own, turning freelance to write fiction. She has written 16 novels, including international bestseller 'The Flowers Of The Field', 'An Imperfect Lady' and most recently the 600-page epic 'The Dreaming Stones'. Sarah has also written children’s books and 'How to Write A Blockbuster'.

‘Indian Ink’ – Talk & slideshow by travel writer Joe Roberts
7.30pm Frome Library £3.00

Joe Roberts has been described by Eric Newby as a writer of ‘the best sort of travel book’. The Bath based author will speak of his experiences in India as recounted in his critically acclaimed books: Three Quarters of a Footprint and Abdul’s Taxi to Kalighat. Join him for a fascinating and evocative evening interweaving words and images of his Indian journeys including a preview of his forthcoming work.

Thurs 8 July

Festival Storytime with Zainab Nigoumi
(pre-school children and parents)
11 – 12 noon Frome Library £1 (numbers limited)

Listen to your favourite stories and some exciting new ones, sing your heart out and create a masterpiece in the party atmosphere of this jovial storytime.

Zainab combines creative talent with considerable teaching experience to offer a memorable storytime with activities. Why not enrol the children at the library at the same time? It’s free to join and borrow books.

An Evening with Helen Dunmore
7.30pm Rook Lane Chapel £6.50

Novelist, poet and winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction, Helen Dunmore will be giving a talk, and answering questions about her work. She will be reading from her latest novel, MOURNING RUBY and presenting the prizes for the first Frome Festival Short Story competition. Bar.

Friday 9 July

Jane Judd One-to-One Writing Consultations
2 – 6 pm Frome Library £10 (for 20 minutes)

London Literary Agent Jane Judd was an editor for 15 years before setting up her own London agency. She represents authors in mainstream fiction and non-fiction. Jane is offering a face-to-face personal assessment of your writing. (Full booked)

Liquid Jam meets the Llama
7.30pm Garden Café, Stony Street £4.50 on the door

Skilled guitarist Laurence Parnell joins poets Crysse Morrison and Hazel Stewart to create an enthralling fusion of words and music, supported by other talented local performers.
This event will be recorded live by Will Angeloro of Handsome Llama Studios to produce the ensemble's second CD.

Sat 10 July

Art Workshop with Zainab Nigoumi for 6 – 10 year olds
10.30 – 11.45am Frome Library £2.50

Zainab combines her love of books with a passion for art and craft to offer a workshop for 12 lucky children. She brings an imaginative outlook and a diverse teaching background in Nursery, Primary, Family Learning and Adult Education. A dab hand at stretching and tweaking small ideas and limited resources into creative explorations, Zainab aims to add an enthusiastic sparkle to the simple things of life.

Dark Laughter
5pm Frome Library Free tickets from the library

From outrageous toilet humour to cutting-edge political satire, black humour is part of a rich tradition in English literature. Local authors Karen Sainsbury and Crysse Morrison devised this event for their 'Roving Writers' tour of Somerset Libraries (funded by Arts Council England, South West and the County Arts Fund) and the discussion, lavishly illustrated by readings, is not for the faint hearted...