Programme for the Day Readers’ Surgery. Stuck in a reading rut?

looking
for a cure for life’s ups and downs? Put your
reading dilemmas to a panel from The Reader
10 am Arrival & registration. Organisation who will prescribe a reading cure. Liverpool Libraries & Information Services
Tea and coffee.
and The Reader Organisation
12.30-1.30 pm Lunch and Readers’ Fair
10.15 am Jane Davis, Director of the Reader Present
Organisation, welcomes everyone to 1.30-2.30 pm Dame Beryl Bainbridge talks about
The Readers’ Day her distinguished career as a novelist and discusses
her astonishing literary output with Jane Davis of
10.30 -11.30 First workshop. Choose from: The Reader Organisation.

Mersey Minis - Editor of the series, Deborah 2.30-3.30 pm Panel discussion. Dame Beryl
Mulhearn, will talk about and read from her Bainbridge is joined by Frank Cottrell Boyce,
anthologies that give an amazing insight into the Liverpool’s funniest serious writer, and Jane Davis Special guest authors:

Dame Beryl Bainbridge

city’s heritage. to discuss favourite writing with a local connection
and what it means to them.
Work Poems - This year’s theme for National
Poetry Day was ‘work’, a theme with much 3.30-4 pm Tea
and Frank Cottrell Boyce
resonance for a city like Liverpool. Join Rebecca Saturday 22nd November 2008
Goss to read and discuss a broad range of poems 4 - 4.45 pm Discussion. Respected screen Liverpool Central Library, William Brown
addressing this topic, whether it be women’s work, writer and prize-winning children’s writer, Frank Street 10am-5pm
men’s toil or nature’s struggle, it’s all about survival. Cottrell Boyce discusses his writing career with
Jane Davis.
Free admission by
Accelerate - Read and discuss Frank Cottrell
Boyce’s short story that appeared in the Autumn 5pm Close. ticket only
edition of The Reader magazine. Author not present.
Dame Beryl
11.30 -12.30 Second workshop. Choose from: Bainbridge

City of Seafarers and Storytellers. Francis Boyce

discusses authors with seafaring backgrounds and
family roots in the city. Some are still remembered
and celebrated, others wrongly neglected or
forgotten.
Frank Cottrell Boyce
Shipwrecked poems. Poetry is often turned to in
times of need and difficulty, when life’s seas turn
r
A day fo o
rough and choppy. Bring along a favourite poem
that has been a lifeline. Local poets Andrew Taylor
e wh
everyon ks
and Scott Thurston will lead a discussion around a
o
loves bo g
selection of the poems. All welcome.

din
and rea
Booking form
I would like to book a ticket for the Readers’ Day on
Saturday 22nd November 2008.
Please send me a free ticket for the event.
Name: .................................................................................
Address: ............................................................................
Postcode: .................. Tel: ................................................
E-mail: ................................................................................
Please choose your options in order of choice for the
morning sessions.
My first session preference is (choose from Mersey Minis,
Work Poems or Accelerate)
First choice: ......................................................................
Second choice: .................................................................
My second session preference is (choose from City of
Seafarers & Storytellers / Shipwrecked Poems / Readers’
Surgery)
First choice: ......................................................................
Second choice: .................................................................
Free tickets are available from the following Libraries:
Central, Allerton, Childwall and Norris Green
Or return this form, to arrive no later than Friday 14th
November 2008, to:
Ron Travis,
Liverpool Central Library,
William Brown Street.
Liverpool L3 8EW.
Email: ron.travis@liverpool.gov.uk
We expect tickets for the Readers’ Day to be snapped up quickly,
so get your application in as soon as possible.
Tea and coffee will be available, but those attending should make
their own lunch arrangements. There are plenty of cafes,
restaurants and bars close to the Central Library
Liverpool Libraries & Information Services and
The Reader Organisation invite you to a day of
books and reading to celebrate Liverpool’s literary
heritage as part of National Year of Reading and
European Capital of Culture 2008.
The Readers’ Day is made up of author events,
discussions and small reading workshops that aim to
open up reading choices and help people share their
interests in books and reading.
There is a unique opportunity to meet two highly
respected local authors: prize-winning novelist,
Dame Beryl Bainbridge, and screenwriter and
children’s writer Frank Cottrell Boyce.
You can join Deborah Mulhearn, editor of the Mersey
Minis for an insight into the city’s heritage through the
fascinating range of writing in her series. Francis
Boyce, father of Frank Cottrell Boyce will be
discussing Liverpool authors with seafaring roots.
There will be a Readers’ Fair where you can find
out about reading groups and reading activities,
buy or borrow books, see displays and talk to
authors.
Everyone can view the “Write On Liverpool”
collection of photographic portraits and audio
dialogue featuring twelve established Liverpool poets
that will be on display in the Picton Library. The poets
include Roger McGough, Brian Patten and Paul
Farley and the collection is presented by local artists
Leila Romaya and Paul McCann.
Everyone is most welcome to come along.
Authors and speakers
Dame Beryl Bainbridge was born in Formby and
worked for a time at Liverpool Playhouse. Her
repertory experiences are used in her novel, An
Awfully Big Adventure (1989). She is the author of
many fine novels including The Dressmaker and
Master Georgie.She won the Whitbread book award
twice and was nominated for the Booker Prize five
times. A new novel, The Girl in the Polka Dot Dress,
is due for publication in 2009.
Francis Boyce Since retiring from full-time teaching
he has been tutoring courses in local history at the
University of Liverpool’s Department of Continuing
Education, and researching Liverpool writers James
Hanley and George Garret.
Frank Cottrell Boyce was born and lives in
Liverpool and is one of the most respected
screenwriters in the English film industry. He wrote
episodes for Coronation Street and Brookside,
screenplays such as Butterfly Kiss, Welcome to
Sarajevo and 24 Hour Party People. God on Trial is
his latest script to be filmed. His children’s novels are
Millions (Carnegie Medal winner), Framed and
Cosmic.
Rebecca Goss was born in Suffolk, but has lived in
Liverpool for 16 years. She is a poet and writes full
time. Her poems have appeared in many
anthologies. Find out more about her and read a
selection of her poems at www.poetrypf.co.uk
Deborah Mulhearn was born in Liverpool into a
family with a seafaring tradition. She worked at the
Liverpool Playhouse. She now works as a freelance
journalist and is the editor of the Mersey Minis series.
Dr. Andrew Taylor is a Liverpool based poet and
editor. His latest publication is ‘And the Weary are at
Rest” (Sunnyoutside Press, 2008).
Scott Thurston was born in Surrey and has been
living in Toxteth since 1997. He has published six
books of poetry and lectures in English and Creative
Writing at the University of Salford