Come along to the CreaTIVHub in Tiverton between 28th November and 2nd December for your chance to purchase books from local authors!
See you there!!
Jenny x
Tag: Tiverton
Hello my lovely friends.
You may have noticed a dip in the number of blogs appearing on my site over the last couple of weeks. There is a very good reason for this. I’ve been neck deep in organising- with my two lovely colleagues- this year’s Tiverton Literary Festival!
Only a week away now, the last minute rushing around and sorting out things to make sure the festival runs smoothly is in full flow! It’s amazing how many tiny tasks are involved in event organising, and I take my hat off to anyone who does it for a living.
The line up really does offer something for everyone. We have poetry, romance, crime, writing workshops, a writer’s market, a children’s story trail, historical research, journalism, and even a tiny touch of erotica.
To make the week extra special, we’d love to see you there too!
Tickets for the events can be purchased online from www.tivlitfest.co.uk, or (if you are local enough) from Reapers on Bampton Street, and Tiverton Library.
Happy reading everyone!
Jenny xx
It’s now two days since the very first Tiverton Literary Festival ended, and I’m still trying to comprehend just how much happened in just 5 days!
Yesterday I posted the first batch of photographs from the festival, today I thought I’d share a few more. See yesterdays post here.
The festival wasn’t just about the listening to famous authors talk on panels, but also about getting as many children enjoying words as possible. There were a great number of events which were not open to the public, but involved our local schools. The fantastic Charlie Carroll was joined at Blundell’s School, by primary school pupils from Heathcoat, St Johns and others, to take a Lend me Your Literacy workshop.
Writer and illustrator team, Chloe Uden and Matt Harvey caused happy havoc with their book, Beastie and the Boys, with the aid of a huge group of primary school children at St George’s church. While at Tiverton High School, authors Alexandra Stoppford, Emily Barr, and international journalist, Alexander Sehmer all ran interactive workshops.
For a while we all had the luxury of a bookshop in the town’s CreaTIV Hub on Fore Street, where books by all the authors involved were available for sale, thanks to Brendon Books in Taunton.
Books at the CreaTIV Hub
There were two great talks during the festival, one by city boy turned Exmoor smallholder, Simon Dawson, who was telling us all how to get mucky in middle age! I’ll never forget how his wife hatches chicks….
Simon Dawson sees his new book for the first time!
We were also privileged enough to be joined by the countries most prolific crime series writer- the brilliant and hilarious Michael Jecks, who entertained us in The Oak Room for two delightful hours.
Michael Jecks talks about the quirky side of writing at The Oak Room
I could chatter away about the festival for hours- but I have a book to write! So, I’ll leave you now with a few more photographs!
Once again, many thanks to everyone involved in the festival- role on next year, and Tiv Lit Fest 2!!!
Buying books after the Crime Panel
Michael Jecks signs books
Prize giving for excellent story writing
Jo Mortimer reads on the Story Trail
Amy Sparkes reads on the story trail
Creative Writing with Chris Ewan and Cal Moriarty
Happy reading,
Jenny x
On the 3rd June, myself and fellow organisers Sue Griggs and Kerstin Muggeridge, launched the very first Tiverton Literary Festival!
Five days of author visits, panels, talks, school workshops, story telling, fancy dress, and book loving!
There have been times between September 2014 (when we began to work on the festival), and the end of the last panel (yesterday at 3.30pm), when we all thought we were insane! So much could go wrong! We had worked so hard, so many well known and respected authors had travelled miles and miles to be with us- what if not one showed up?
The beautiful Oak Room in Tiverton, had rushed it’s opening so it could become our main venue (And an amazing venue it is too!!) Local businesses, Reapers, the library, Tiverton Museum, and Majestic Wines, had all put themselves out to sell tickets for us. The locally owned Costa Coffee had arranged to open especially for an evening quiz, and Lionel- the owner of Brendon Books in Taunton- was due to travel to us everyday with a stock of books from all the featured authors- so- WHAT IF NO ONE TURNED UP??????
It is with no little relief that I am pleased to report that, not only did we get a great local response- we had a full house on many occasions!
There are so many things to report- but for now I shall leave you with a few photographs, and a HUGE THANK YOU to all those who came along, be you visitor or author. You all made the event a success- for which we thank you heartily. Extra special thanks to Lucy Hay, for setting up all our social media and keeping it going, and to Ben Overd, for keeping our lovely website going!! www.tivlitfest.co.uk
Julie Cohen, Rachel Brimble, Alison Rose and Jenny Kane talk romantic fiction
Packed house from the Crime Panel
Simon Hall and Nicola Upson chat to Paul Mortimer
Crime writer Clare Donoghue
Teresa Drsicoll, veronica Henry, Vanessa LaFaye and Karen Maitland chat to Bill Buckley
Keeping the coffee coming at The Oak Room
A happy fancy dress prize winner!!
SO much has happened over the last week- and I honestly haven’t taken it all in yet!! I will share more moments with you soon!
Happy reading everyone,
Jenny xx
Today I had the great pleasure of attending the official opening of a brand new venue in Tiverton, Devon- The Oak Room – which will be the prime location for the Tiverton Literary Festival. (3rd -7th June)
A converted church, there has been a church on the site of The Oak Room since 166o. The current building, made of imposing limestone, was built in 1831. It was used as a United Reformed Church until 2012, when the church was put up for sale. In 2014 Sue Searle, bought the church with a view to converting it into a café, art gallery and events venue- and she has done an amazing job!!
Sue Searle on the Oak Room stage
Why not come along on 3rd June and join the Cupcakes and Romance panel? With a cupcake to hand, come and listen to bestselling authors Julie Cohen (Where Love Lies), Alison Rose, (Off the Record), and Rachel Brimble (What a Woman Desires), chat to me about their work, their writing, and their inspiration. You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions of your own, and find out just what makes their imaginations spark a heart warming tale.
Julie Cohen
Or perhaps you fancy sipping a latte while listening to some of the countries best crime writers?
Simon Hall
Poet and journalist Paul Mortimer, will be hosting an hour of murder, suspense and dodgy dealings, as bestselling crime writers, Simon Hall (The TV Detective Novels), Nicola Upson (The Josephine Tey novels) and Clare Donoghue (The Watcher), talk about committing crimes via the pen and computer keyboard. There will be a chance to ask your own questions, enjoy refreshments, and purchase some books.
Coffee at The Oak Room
Paul Mortimer will also be at the Oak Room for an evening of outstanding and award winning poetry from the Poetry Café and Junction 25 team.
On Thursday 4th June join award winning and, bestselling author, Michael Jecks, for a light hearted look at the life of a writer. Reflecting on a career spent with one foot in the Fourteenth Century fighting the Hundred Year’s War (often with murderous intent never far behind), and the other foot in Devon, scribbling words at high speed, Michael raises a glass to a life only half lived in reality. With a talk entitled ’20 Writing Questions’ I can guarantee an evening of smiles!!
Michael Jecks
There are many many more literary events being held at The Oak Room, and throughout Tiverton town as a whole, between 3rd and 7th June- just checkout the web site for details www.tivlitfest.co.uk
Tickets are available from www.tivlitfest.co.uk , or from Tiverton Library, Reapers Wholefoods on Bampton Street, and Majestic Wines, Tiverton.
Hope to see you there!!
Jenny xx
Between the 3rd and 7th of June this year, Tiverton in Devon, will be hosting its very first literary festival!
I am delighted to be one of the organisers, along with fellow author Kerstin Muggeridge, and the town mayor, Susie Griggs.
When we took this venture on, we weren’t at all sure if any one would want to take part- how wrong we were! We have been so overwhelmed with authors wanting to take part that the festival has already expanded from being a two day affair to a five day celebration of books, reading, writing and the imagination.
Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing more details about the festival, as we confirm more and more guests. But I can already announce a fantastic romance panel with the brilliant Julie Cohen, Rachel Brimble and Alison Rose, hosted by yours truly at the gorgeous Oak Room in Tiverton (3rd June, 7pm)
Julie Cohen
There will be an exclusive talk by the wonderful medieval murder mystery writer, Michael Jecks, about Devon in the Hundred Years War, at The Oak Room in Tiverton (4th June 7pm)
Michael Jecks
Saturday 6th June sees a jam packed day full of children’s stories, fancy dress competitions, a best selling author packed crime panel (with Simon Hall, Nicola Upson, Cal Moriarty and Clare Donaghue),- and then there is a family literary quiz at the Costa café on Bampton Street.
Simon Hall
There will be a number of workshops for writing fiction, screen writing, self publishing and children’s story writing, as well as much much more!
Keep an eye on the web site for all the latest events and the forthcoming ticket sales!!
Come back soon for more news!
Happy reading,
Jenny xxx