Festival Round-up

Well the Manchester Literature Festival closed its doors for this year on Monday, and I had a cracking time volunteering for it's many events. Just to finish my experience off, I've just included a short round-up of the last events that I covered below as well as other things I've been up to this week.

Comedy Poetry Slam @ The Northern Pub - 21/10/10

I've been to poetry slams before, but never with a razor sharp comedy edge and an open invitation for contestants of any skill. Some really tickled me, but some just lulled the packed Northern Pub on Oldham Street into stony silence. I was in position at the back of the pub, tallying the scores and acting as official whistle-blower for acts that took over 3 minutes delivering their material. Between hit and miss compering by Julian Daniels there was some cracking poetry and a marvellous stint by Marvin cheeseman whose joke;

"Some people have dreams,

Some come true,

Liverpool 1

Blackpool 2."

Had me in so many stitches, I felt like I had been in a knife fight with a monkey. Simple but effective.

Women and Crime Fiction @ Whitworth Art Gallery 22/10/10

Val McDermid and Sophie Hannah delivered a Q&A within the menacing exterior of the asylum-esque Whitworth Art Gallery. Again the full blog will be included on the Manchester Literature Festival blog soon but needless to say it was an interesting evening; who knew dark, twisted crime writers were such a hoot?

Chuck Perkins @ The Zion Arts Centre 23/10/10

Unfortunately this was the least witnessed of the events that I volunteered for, due to its overwhelming popularity that well and truly filled the fairly large auditorium, meaning we had to stay outside and stand guard for latecomers. However I would still recommend Chuck's work so check it out online if you can. I would also recommend finding a bus or getting a lift to the Zion Arts Centre, 'bit of a stroll' is definitely an understatement.




Here's a round-up of other things I have been doing this week:

Interviewing Lewis Costello for Large Magazine

Not quite sure yet when it's going to be put in the magazine but the interview was very informative, entertaining, and for a 17 year-old, Lewis has got a few things up his sleeve. Basically watch his space, because your bound to see more of him soon. As for the near future he will be playing the Ruby Lounge with Simon Munnery on Dec 14th. Get yourself there.

Automatic Cinematic

Free 20 minute preview of the new Tron film at the Printworks in Manchester... if that makes me a geek, then I'll keep on wearing those 3D nerd glasses but it looks pretty impressive. That's the thing, you get a lot of 3D for the hell of it nowadays, but a artificially created world like Tron definitely benefits. Bring on Dec 17th.

I also saw Saw. Avoid that like the plague unless bits of brain flying at you in 3D is your kind of thing. Traps were inventive, story was naff. Not much more to be said really!


Finshing Mari Crachan's The Earth Hums in B Flat

Really enjoyed this book, so full of innocent imagination in a world where dark things can happen, and it still impressively manages to finish positively. Strachan is a writer with substance, and her originality is a thing of beauty. She also is brilliant at making you feel bad for hating some of her characters, linking nicely with the old adage, 'Don't Judge a Book by its Cover'. Also thank you for not keeping it in Welsh Mari! Hopefully I'm going to update my Book Scribbles page with book reviews soon, and I might just make The Earth Hums in B Flat my first one.


Parallel Parking

That's right, if a car needs to be parked between two other cars I'm there for you. Think of me as some kind of Automotive superhero. I'm that good. In other words, learning to drive is going well.



Now that the Lit Festival is over I'm going to try and keep the blogging to a regular beat.

Every Wednesday - Something Creative. Quite possibly a short story if I'm quick!

Every Sunday - Something Informative. What I've been up to and what events have been hitting Manchester.

Watch this Space...