Festival

Sunderland 

Literature 

CREATIVE 

WRITING 

Festival 

2016

Sunderland Literature & CREATIVE WRITING Festival 2016 

www.sunderland.gov.uk/libraries 

www.litwritfestival.com 

Page 2


Welcome to the 

Sunderland 

Literature 

CREATIVE 

WRITING 

Festival 

2016 

Sunderland Literature & Creative Writing 

Festival - This annual celebration of the 

written word has something for everyone. 

The diverse programme features many local 

artists and authors including Jayne Hughes, 

Fiona Veitch Smith, Amanda Revell Walton 

and Tony Wilson as well as a Comedy 

Writing Workshop and Writing Crime 

Fiction with Ann Cleeves and David Mark. 

The majority of the events are FREE. 

If you need further information about any 

event please enquire at the venue where 

the event will take place or 

www.sunderland.gov.uk/libraries or 

www.litwritfestival.com 

If you haven’t been to the festival or a 

library service event before, look through 

the programme and try something new. 

You’ll be surprised at what is on offer. A 

variety of local venues are hosting events, 

so you should be able to find something 

near to where you live. 

We are organising some events 

just for schools. These are listed 

at the back of the programme. 

You can find out more 

from our Schools 

Library Service. 

Important information 

• Children under 8 years must be 

accompanied by an adult at all events 

• For details regarding ease of access to 

any of the events please contact the 

host venue 

• Latecomers will be admitted at the 

organisation’s discretion 

Brought to you in collaboration 

with MAC Trust Sunderland 

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Friday 30 September 

Sunderland 

on Film Take 2 

Quayside Exchange, High Street East 

Viewings at 2.30pm and 6.30pm 

Booking required - ticket £6.00 

Tickets available from City Library and 

Arts Centre and Ticketsource - 

www.ticketsource.co.uk 

A second film to further showcase 

Sunderland’s vibrant past, using archived 

footage put together by the North East Film 

Archive. Join us for another trip down 

memory lane. 

A DVD compiled with footage for both 

Sunderland on Film 1 and 2 will be available 

to purchase on the night and from other 

outlets from 1 October 2016 

Saturday 1 October 

Goodnight Mr Brave: 

children’s 

illustration activity 

Washington Town Centre Library 

10.30 – 11.30am, 

Booking required 

Suggested donation £2 

Jayne Hughes, BA (Hons) Illustration and 

Design Graduate from University of 

Sunderland, demonstrates how to draw 

characters from her children’s book 

‘Goodnight Mr Brave’. 

Spectral Visions 

Book Launch 

Dandy Longlegs, Silksworth Row, 6pm 

Spectral Visions Press is an innovative new 

publishing house located at the University 

of Sunderland. It specialises in publishing 

outstanding works of creative writing, niche 

pieces, and writing concerned with, and 

inspired by, Gothic literature and Gothic 

studies. To include - Supernatural Wearside, 

Around the World in 40 Fairytales and 

Wearside and Living Libraries. 

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Monday 3 October 

Rhyme Time 

Houghton Library, 10am 

Join our Children’s Centre team for a fun, 

lively session of songs, rhymes and actions. 

Fiona Veitch Smith 

City Library and Arts Centre 

11.30am – 12.30pm 


Suggested donation £2 .00 

‘Flappers, fops and murder: writing crime 

fiction in the Jazz Age’. North East author 

Fiona Veitch Smith, whose novel ‘The Jazz 

Files’ is on the shortlist for the Crime 

Writers Association Historical Dagger award 

for the best historical crime novel of 2016, 

will be reading from her latest book ‘The Kill 

Fee’ from the ‘Poppy Denby Investigates’ 

series. 

Senior Scribblers 


1.30 – 2.30pm 

The Senior Scribblers meet weekly to share 

ideas and support fellow creative writers. 

New members welcome. 

Monday 

Reading Group 


2 – 3.15pm 

Join the monthly reading group for a lively 

discussion of ‘The Innocent’ by Scott 

Turow. New members welcome. 

Alan Parkinson - 

local crime writer 

National Glass Centre, Liberty Way 

3 – 4pm 


Suggested donation £2.00 

This talk by Sunderland born writer Alan 

Parkinson, who has spent the majority of 

his life living in his native city, explores his 

two novels, ‘Leg It’ and ‘Idle Threats’. Both 

are set in Sunderland and lean heavily on 

his experiences growing up in Southwick 

and living and working on Wearside. 

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Tuesday 4 October 

Rhyme Time 

Shiney Row Library, 9.30am 

Join our Children’s Centre team for 

a fun, lively session of songs, rhymes 

and actions. 

Rhyme Time 

Washington Town Centre Library, 10am 

Join our library team for a fun, lively session 

of songs, rhymes and actions. 

Story Time 

City Library and Arts Centre, 11am 

Bring your toddler along to our weekly 

story time and instil a love of reading from 

an early age. These sessions are a great way 

to introduce young children to libraries. 

Children can join the library and take out 

books on their own library card. 

Against the Grayne: 

Learning about your 

Reiver ancestry 

City Library and Arts Centre, 1 – 2pm 


A talk by Colin Younger, Senior Lecturer, 

University of Sunderland. 

Family History 

Taster Sessions 


2.30 – 3pm and 3 – 3.30pm 

Learn how to investigate your family history 

with a short introduction to the facilities 

and resources the Local Studies library has 

to offer. To book contact Local Studies 

Library. 

Witchcraft and 

Wizardry in 

Wearside 

Washington Old Hall, 6.30 – 8pm 


A talk by Colin Younger and Alison Younger, 

Senior Lecturers, University of Sunderland. 

Folklore is the traditional, unofficial, part of 

culture. It encompasses all knowledge, 

understandings, values, attitudes, 

assumptions, feelings and beliefs, 

transmitted in traditional forms by word of 

mouth or by customary examples. Our 

purpose is to examine historical cases of 

witches in Wearside, from the Cauld Lad of 

Hylton to the Witches of Southwick. 

Blue Bell 

Reading Group 

Blue Bell Pub, Fulwell Road, 7 – 8.15pm 

Come and join the group for a lively 

discussion of ‘Room’ by Emma Donoghue. 


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Wednesday 5 October 

Amanda Revell 

Walton - The 

Shipyard Girls 

City Library and Arts Centre, 

10.30 – 11.30am 



Writing under the pen name Nancy Revell, 

writer and journalist Amanda Revell Walton 

was brought up in Sunderland and comes 

from a long line of shipbuilders. Her saga 

series ‘The Shipyard Girls’, published by 

Random House/Arrow, follows the fortunes 

of the first female workers in the 

Sunderland shipyards during the Second 

World War. There will be a question and 

answer session and book signing by the 

author. 

Rhyme Time 




Foyle Street Writers 

City Library and Arts Centre, 10 – 12noon 

Foyle Street Writers meet weekly to share 



Tiny Tweeties 

Houghton Library, 10 – 11am 

A lively music and song session for 

preschool children involving puppets, 

songs, dancing and instruments. The Tiny 

Tweeties duo have performed on CBeebies 

and their music resources are used in 

schools across the globe. Engaging and 

creative fun for little ones! 

Visually Impaired 

Reading Group 


10 – 11am 

The group meets monthly and new 

members are welcome to share their love 

of books. Please contact Washington Town 

Centre Library for more details. 

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Coalfields Reading 

Group 

Hetton Library, 10.30am 


discussion of ‘The Girl on a Train’ by Paula 

Hawkins. New members welcome. 

Pooh and 

other Bears 

Fulwell Library, 2pm 

Commemorating the 90th Anniversary of 

‘Winnie the Pooh’ being published. Bring 

along your favourite teddy to this Winnie 

the Pooh themed session. 

Wellness Reading 

Group 

Washington MIND, The Life House, 

Grasmere Terrace, 

2 – 3pm 

The group meets monthly and new 


of books. The group will be discussing 

‘Shining Girls’ by Lauren Beukes. 

Washington Library 

Reading Group 


5.45 – 6.45pm 


discussion of ‘Back When We Were Grown 

Ups’ by Anne Tyler. New members 

welcome. 

Northern Gothic: 

Jayne Harvey’s 

the Castle of 

Tynemouth 

Ship Isis, Silksworth Row, 6.30 – 8pm 

By Dr Alison Younger, Senior Lecturer, 

University of Sunderland. The purpose of 

Gothic is arguably to create an atmosphere 

of suspense and terror. It is filled with 

supernatural beings, legends and 

superstitions, combined with an 

appreciation for the wilderness and a 

fascination with antiquarianism and 

medieval chivalry. Combined these aspects 

create what is known as the Burkean 

Sublime; the experience of fear and awe 

when the human is confronted with the 

vast, the excessive and the uncontainable. 

This talk will draw on issues relating to a 

Northern Sublime in relation to Jane 

Harvey’s novel: The Castle at Tynemouth: A 

Tale (1806) and relate this, through its 

distinctive use of setting and the pathetic 

fallacy to the historical mileu and the 

surrounding area of the northern region. 

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Thursday 6 October 

National 

Poetry Day 

Ancestry 

Taster Session 

Houghton Library, 10 – 12noon 

Investigate your family history with this 

short introduction on how to use the 

Ancestry website. For further details 

contact Houghton Library. 

The Trouble 

with Compassion 

City Library and Arts Centre, 1 – 2.15pm 



A solo show for anyone with a heart… 

The world would be a better place if people 

could just show more compassion - but 

sometimes it’s hard to find time to be kind 

to yourself, let alone anyone else. Poet, 

performer and haphazard meditator, Kirsten 

Luckins, invites you to join her in an 

informal performance-discussion all about 

kindness. 

Poetry Reading 


2.30 – 3.30pm 

Calling all budding poets. There will be 

opportunities at this informal session to 

recite your own poem and to listen to the 

writings of like-minded individuals - or you 

may wish to just come and listen. 

David Fallon - 

Eternity in an Hour: 

William Blake and 

Popular Music 

Starbucks, The Bridges 

6 – 7pm 

Why has the visionary Romantic poet and 

painter William Blake been so influential on 

the outlaw spirit of rock and roll music? 

David Fallon, Senior Lecturer, University of 

Sunderland will search for answers while 

introducing this uncompromising and 

radical artist and introduce excerpts of the 

music inspired by him. 

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Friday 7 October 

Rhyme Time 

Hetton Library, 11am 

Join our Children’s Centre team for a 

fun, lively session of songs, rhymes 

and actions. 

Stephanie Butland - 

Writing Workshop 

for Beginners 

Houghton Library, 10 – 12.30pm 



Author Stephanie Butland’s first two books 

were about her dance with cancer. She 

then turned to fiction, and her novels 

‘Letters to My Husband’ and ‘The Other Half 

Of My Heart’ are set in a small English town. 

Her third novel ‘Poetry With Loveday’ set in 

York, will be out in 2017. Stephanie lives in 

Northumberland and writes in a studio at 

the bottom of her garden, and when she’s 

not writing, she trains people to think more 

creatively. 

Gothic Wearside 

Waterstones, The Bridges, 4 – 5.30pm 

By Dr Alison Younger, Senior Lecturer, 

University of Sunderland. Our purpose is to 

examine two areas: Historical cases of 

witches in Wearside, and from the Cauld 

Lad of Hylton to the Witches of Southwick, 

we will place Sunderland on the 

supernatural map. 

John Yearnshire - 

Back on the 

Borough Beat 

Elephant Tea Rooms, High Street West, 

5.45 – 6.45pm, 



An illustrated history of Sunderland 

Borough Police based on John’s book of 

the same name, published in 1987, which 

traces 150 years of history from its 

inception in 1837. 

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Reading Group - 

National Glass 

Centre 

National Glass Centre, Liberty Way, 

10 – 11am 

Join the group for a lively discussion of ‘The 

Gargoyle’ by Andrew Davidson. New 

members welcome. 

Rachel Cochrane - 

Introduction to 

Creative Writing 


10.30 – 1.00pm 



Rachel Cochrane, a North East writer of 14 

years and facilitator of writing, real stories, 

audio recording and creative projects, will 

be running a creative writing workshop 

suitable for all adults including those trying 

creative writing for the first time. 

Tim Crocker, 

Dr Miguel Gomes, 

Dr Sheila Walsh, 

Dr Maria Astudillo - 

World books to read 

before you die 

Waterstones, The Bridges, 2pm 

Lecturers from Sunderland University 

modern foreign languages team read from 

their pick of ‘must read’ books from around 

the world. What is the number 1 all time 

‘must read’? Come and find out! 

Books read from will be in English 

translation and available at the store. 

Stephanie 

Yearnshire - The 

Other Side of Elvis 

Elephant Tea Rooms, High Street West, 

5.45 – 6.45pm 



The music of Elvis Presley caught the 

imagination of a generation and he could 

be called the first musical megastar. An 

incredibly kind man, there were also 

conflicting aspects of his life unknown to 

the public. This presentation will uncover 

his relationship with Priscilla, with the 

Colonel who spent most of his money, his 

frustrations and his subsequent decline 

from a talented man to poor health, obesity 

and extreme drug dependency. 

Stephanie Yearnshire, MBE, a retired 

superintendent with degrees in criminology 

and criminal justice, has worked across the 

world and won awards in the USA and 

Australia for her policing work. 

The Pageant 

Washington Old Hall, The Avenue, 7pm 

Contact venue for further details 

As part of the National Trust’s 60th 

anniversary with Washington Old Hall, this 

play brings to life the characters from 100 

years of Old Hall history. 

Page 11


Sunday 9 October 

Dr Sarah Dobbs - 

Apples and Snakes 

Performance Poetry 

University of Sunderland 

City Space Studio, Chester Road, 1 – 4pm 

Apples and Snakes are England’s leading 

organisation for performance poetry and 

spoken word. Their monthly Scratch 

Sunderland session is hosted at the 

University of Sunderland and aims to 

nurture local talent. All levels of poets, 

spoken word and performance artists are 

welcome. You’ll learn things like, mic 

technique, how to engage an audience and 

command a stage! 


Rhyme Time 




and actions. 


City Library and Arts Centre, 1.30 – 2.30pm 

The Senior Scribblers meet weekly to share 



Of Kings and 

Black Panthers 

City Library and Arts Centre, 2 – 3.30pm 

The impact of the Civil Rights Movement by 

Dr Kevin Yuill, Senior Lecturer in American 

History, University of Sunderland. 

(Commemorating Black History Month). 

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Rhyme Time 




and actions. 

Rhyme Time 



of songs, rhymes and actions 

Story Time 








Coalfields 

Writing Group 

Hetton Library, 1.30 – 3.30pm 

Coalfields Writing Group meets every two 

weeks to share ideas and support fellow 

creative writers. New members welcome. 

Celia Bryce - Adult 


Session 




Local author and singer-songwriter Celia 

Bryce is a contributor of short fiction to 

Women’s Weekly and has had short stories 

published and broadcast on BBC Radio 

Four. Her play, The Skategrinder, won an 

award for a first radio drama and she has 

written short pieces for the stage. She is 

currently writing teenage fiction and her 

first novel, ‘Anthem for Jack Dawes’ was 

nominated for the Carnegie Medal. 

Page 13


Time Bandits 

Roker UR Church, Sidecliff Road, 2pm 


An interactive talk on clothing from the 

Tudor era including how it was made and 

cleaned with replica costumes on display. 




2.30 – 3pm and 3 – 3.30pm 



and resources the Local Studies library has 

to offer. To book contact Local Studies 

Library. 


Rhyme Time 









Daisy James 

Houghton Library, 10 – 11am 



Daisy James writes contemporary women's 

fiction and romantic comedy. She grew up 

in North Yorkshire but has lived in the North 

East for over thirty years. Her debut novel 

‘The Runaway Bridesmaid’ includes recipes 

for readers to try out at home. A close 

second in her league table of pastimes is 

knitting which is featured in her second 

novel ‘If The Dress Fits’, a romantic comedy 

set in a lovely little haberdashery shop in 

North Yorkshire. Daisy will talk about the 

experiences and influences that shape her 

writing, also with a question and answer 

session and book signing. 

Page 14


Tiny Tweeties 

Fulwell Library, 2 – 3pm 








Peter Hayes - 

Reading Philosophy 

to Lose Weight 

Serendipity Tea and Trinkets, Frederick 

Street, 2 – 3pm 

Philosophers provide fascinating and 

practical insights into dieting and we will 

look at several of them including Henri 

Bergson's Laughter Diet, Thomas Hobbes's 

Diet Contract and John Locke's Bucket 

Diet. Peter is a Senior Lecturer in Politics at 

University of Sunderland and the author of 

‘The Philosophy of Dieting’. 

The History 

of Whisky 


2.30 – 4pm and 5 – 6.30pm 


Tickets £5.00 (includes a glass of whisky), 

available from Ticketsource - 


Join our Whisky workshops including 

tasting, discovery and demonstrations. The 

session will kick off with a quick history 

lesson, followed by ‘whisky readings’ of 

smugglers ‘n shanties. Tastings included. 

Whisky gifts can be purchased at the 

workshop. 

Justice 

Reading Group 

Bar Justice, Sunniside, 6 – 7pm 

The group meet the second Wednesday of 

every month. Join them this month for a 

lively discussion of ‘The Railway Man’ by 

Eric Lomax. New members welcome. 

Books, Bikes and 

Bran Tubs Reading 

Group 

For more information contact Houghton 

Library on 0191 561 6383 


discussion. New members welcome. 

Page 15



Geoff Nash - The 

Terrorist Novel from 

Conrad’s ‘The Secret 

Agent’ to Hamid 

Mohsen’s ‘The 

Reluctant 

Fundamentalist’ 


Geoff is a Senior Lecturer in Culture from 

University of Sunderland. He asks: ‘how has 

the terrorist figure in literature changed 

over the last one hundred years, and what 

does this tell us about ourselves and our 

society?’ 

Ancestry 







Nifty Fifties - Of 

Peter and Jemima 

City Library and Arts Centre, 1.30pm 

£2.50 on the door 

An Introduction to the Extraordinary Life of 

Beatrix Potter by Steve Watts, Head of 

Culture, University of Sunderland. 

Washington Village 

U3A Reading Group 

Washington Town Centre Library, 2 – 3pm 

Join the monthly reading group for 

a lively discussion of ‘Memoirs of a 

Geisha Girl’ by Arthur Golden. New 


Peter Peverley - The 

Little Waster was a 

Washington Lad 




This 60 minute talk is an informative look 

back at Bobby Thompson’s early life in 

Washington and celebrates his connection 

to the town and Wearside. With the help of 

old photos and Bobby’s original stage 

costumes, it tells the story of Bobby’s 

journey from pit lad to being the king of 

club-land. Your host is Pete Peverley who’s 

one man show about Bobby is a firm 

favourite in the regions theatres. 

Page 16


Sheila Quigley 

and Crime Panel 

Houghton Library, 5 – 6.30pm 


Tickets £3.50, 



Femme Fatale of North East crime writers. 

Join Shelia Quigley, Danielle Ramsey, Eileen 

Wharton and Kerry Richardson to discuss 

the genre that is crime. 


Rhyme Time 




and actions. 

Shiney Row Reading 

Group 

Shiney Row Library, 2pm 


discussion of ‘The Little Coffee Shop of 

Kabul’ by Deborah Rodriguez. New 



Martyn McFadden 

and Paul Swinney - 

A Love Supreme and 

Mackem Dictionary 

City Library and Arts Centre, 2pm 



Martyn McFadden is the author of 

‘A Love Supreme’ fanzine of SAFC and 

also joint editor of the Mackem 

Dictionary, which was released for 

Christmas 2015 and became a number 

one best seller at Waterstones. Martyn 

published the book and will be joined 

by fellow editor Paul Swinney. 

Page 17


History of Chocolate 


10.30am and 1pm 


Tickets £5.00 (includes a glass of wine), 



Our chocolate workshops sessions will 

begin with a quick history lesson, followed 

by ‘chocolate readings’, you will then be 

indulged with a truffle demonstration and 

tasting. Chocolate gifts can be purchased at 

the workshop. 

Washington Old Hall 

Story Day 

Washington Old Hall, Open 11 – 3pm 

Entrance fees applicable - contact the 

venue for further details 

As part of the National Trust’s 60th 

anniversary with Washington Old Hall, 

follow a narrated story trail around 

Washington Village and the Old Hall. 


Rhyme Time 




and actions. 



1.30 – 2.30pm 

The Senior Scribblers writers meet weekly 

to share ideas and support fellow creative 

writers. New members welcome. 

Alan Parkinson - 

Local Crime Writer 

Shiney Row Library, 2pm 



This talk by Sunderland born writer Alan 

Parkinson, who has spent the majority of 

his life living in his native city, explores his 

two novels, ‘Leg It’ and ‘Idle Threats’. Both 

are set in Sunderland and lean heavily on 

his experiences growing up in Southwick 

and living and working on Wearside. 

Page 18



Rhyme Time 




and actions. 

Shiney Row U3A 

Reading Group 

Shiney Row Library, 10am 


discussion of “Ghost Moth” by Michele 

Forbes. New members welcome. 

Tiny Tweeties 


10 – 11am 








Story Time 











2.30 – 3pm and 3 – 3.30pm 



and resources the Local Studies library 

have to offer. To book contact Local 

Studies Library. 

Dr Michael Pearce 

‘Not Quite a 

Geordie’: The 

ethnonyms of North 

East England 



'Geordie', 'Mackem', 'Smoggie' ... we're all 

familiar with labels such as these for people 

from different parts of our region, and we 

might also have some theories about their 

origins. But what's the real story behind 

these North East ethnonyms and why are 

they so often the subject of heated debate 

and discussion? Come along and find out. 

Michael is a Senior Lecturer in English 

Language at University of Sunderland. 

Page 23



Rhyme Time 









Tiny Tweeties 

Sandhill Library, 10 – 11am 








Dr Mel Gibson - 

What Became of 

Bunty? British 

Comics for Girls 


10am – 12noon 



Come along to share memories of Jackie, 

Bunty, School Friend, Misty and others. Mel 

will talk about the history of these comics 

and bring a collection for everyone to 

browse through. Dr Mel Gibson is a 

researcher who focuses on comics, graphic 

novels and children’s literature. She lectures 

at Northumbria University in Childhood 

Studies. Her book ‘Remembered Reading’ 

was about British comics for girls. 

Michael Chaplin 

Starbucks, The Bridges, 3pm 



The son of a Durham pitman and himself a 

colliery blacksmith, the young Sid Chaplin 

dreamed of learning a new trade and living 

another life - as a writer. In time he 

achieved both, becoming an acclaimed and 

internationally published novelist, essayist 

and short story writer. Now 100 years after 

his birth, his son Michael, himself a 

playwright and screenwriter, traces his 

father’s story, what made him special as a 

writer and his lifelong fascination with the 

people and culture of his native North East. 

Page 24


The Wild Lassie - 

Courtesy of the 

National Theatre 


The Canny Craic Theatre Company perform 

three short scenes from the life and times 

of Emily Wilding Davison and other 

Suffragettes, telling the story of Emily, 

Emmeline Pankhurst, North Eastern 

suffragettes and their struggle to get ‘Votes 

For Women’ risking their lives and liberty. 

Lots of opportunities for the audience to 

ask the historical characters questions or 

just sit back and enjoy the experience. 

Starbucks 

Reading Group 

Starbucks, The Bridges, 5.45 – 6.45pm 

Join this monthly reading group for a lively 

discussion of “The Miniaturist” by Jessie 

Burton. New members welcome. 


Poetry Reading 

Group 

City Library and Arts Centre, 10 – 11am 

Meet likeminded poetry lovers to discuss, 

read and write poetry. The group meets 

monthly. New members welcome. 

Ancestry 







Story of the Codex 

10.30 – 11.30am 



A talk by Matthew Storey accompanied by a 

handling session of the replica Codex 

Amiatinus. The replica of the Codex 

Amiatinus will be on display in the City 

Library from 3 October to 21 October and 

then will be on long term loan to St Peter’s 

Church, Monkwearmouth. 

Page 25


Celia Bryce - Adult 


Session 


10.30 – 12noon 



Local author and singer-songwriter Celia 

Bryce is a contributor of short fiction to 

Women’s Weekly and has had short stories 

published and broadcast on BBC Radio 

Four. Her play, The Skategrinder, won an 

award for a first radio drama and she has 

written short pieces for the stage. She is 

currently writing teenage fiction and her 

first novel, ‘Anthem for Jack Dawes’ was 

nominated for the Carnegie Medal. 

Steve Watts - 

Wizards, Goblins 

and forbidden love: 

Sir Walter Scott’s 

The Lay of the Last 

Minstrel 

Bede’s Bakehouse, 2pm – 3pm 

Steve is Head of Culture at University of 

Sunderland. The Ballad tells the story of a 

feud between two Border families. 

Bede’s Bakehouse 

Reading Group 

Bede’s Bakehouse, St. Peter’s Church 

3 – 4pm 


discussion of “Birdsong” by Sebastian 

Faulks. New members welcome. 

The End: Fifteen 

Endings to Fifteen 

Paintings 

Bar Justice, West Sunniside, 6.30pm 

Fifteen writers were invited to respond to 

fifteen paintings by Nicolas Ruston. All of 

the paintings express The End. In the 

stories, the writers endeavoured to solve 

the mystery of The End. The End includes 

original short stories by Sarah Dobbs, Aiden 

O’Reilly, UV Ray, Angela Readman and 

Ashley Stokes to name a few. A number of 

contributors will perform readings on the 

night. 


Book Chat 

Reading Group 

Back on the Map, Villette Road, 10 – 11am 

Join this monthly reading group for a lively 

discussion. New members welcome. 

Contact City Library for further details. 

Rhyme Time 




and actions. 

Page 26


Norman Kirtlan - 

Dead bodies and 

dark places… the 

sad memoirs of a 

Sunderland bobby 

Miss Tina’s, Beaumont Street, Southwick 

2 – 3pm 



Norman Kirtlan is a retired police officer 

and forensic artist of 30 years. His sketches 

have helped identify the perpetrators of 

many crimes in the region over the years. In 

this session, Norman will talk about a 

policeman’s ‘on the job’ memories. 


Bob Mason 

Collection 


10.30 – 12.30pm 

Bob Mason was an engineer in Huddersfield 

who had a great affinity with Sunderland 

and a lifetime interest in ships and the sea. 

He amassed a large amount of material, 

kindly gifted to Sunderland Libraries. A 

selection of this rarely seen collection will 

be on display including documentation 

from the White Star Line and other 

individual memorabilia. 

Titanic - The Truths 

and Myths 




When Titanic sank on Monday 15th April 

1912 it shocked the world in a similar 

manner as the 9/11 attack on the Twin 

Towers in New York. Bernard Hope has 

taken a great interest in this ship since he 

was taken by his father to see ‘A Night To 

Remember’ and discovered that he was 

born on the anniversary of the sinking. In 

this talk he explores some interesting facts 

and much repeated myths as well as a long 

kept secret about this doomed vessel. 

Scott Tyrrell - 

Performance Poet 

Elephant Tea Rooms, High Street West, 6pm 



This Newcastle-based stand up poet is 

currently both the BBC Poetry Slam 

Champion and the UK Anti-Slam champion. 

Scott has been writing and performing 

poetry and comedy since the turn of the 

century. An award-winning comedian as 

well as multi slam winning poet, he has 

performed his work around the UK, Europe 

and at many festivals including the 

Edinburgh Fringe, the Prague Fringe, 

WOMAD, Larmer Tree and Glastonbury, 

where he was Poetry Blogger in Residence 

in 2015. He is author of two collections of 

Poetry; most recently, the warmly received 

‘Grown Up’ published by Red Squirrel Press. 

Page 27



Holly Sterling - 

Inspired by African 

and Maori Art 

Printmaking Activity 


Booking required, max 20 places 

Discover how to create African and Maori 

inspired art in a printmaking activity led by 

award winning illustrator Holly Sterling. 

(Commemorating Black History Month) 

Beatrix Potter Craft 


Make a mobile for your room with some of 

your favourite Beatrix Potter characters. 

Suitable for primary age children. 

Beatrix Potter craft 

Washington Millennium Centre Library, 

2.30 – 3.30pm 





Rhyme Time 




Sponges 

City Library and Arts Centre, 11am and 2pm 

Tickets £8.00 per adult and first child, 

£6.00 per additional child 

To book tickets contact Arts Centre 

Washington at 

www.artscentrewashington.co.uk/booktickets.aspx 

Roll, squeeze and pop yourself through a 

new malleable kind of family dance show, 

set to a 1970s-influenced score, perfect for 

babies, young children and families. Sponge 

is about all things spongy, a child’s ability to 

soak information up like a sponge and the 

squishy, squashy texture that fascinates 

children and adults alike. 

Performed by dance company 

Turned On Its Head. 

Quayside Exchange - 

Tour and Tea 

Quayside Exchange 1 – 3pm 

Tickets £10.00 

Tickets available from Living History North 

East, The Donnison School Buildings, 

Church Walk, Sunderland SR1 2BN. Phone: 

0191 565 4835 or via Eventbrite. 

Take a guided tour of the building, 

discovering it’s fascinating history followed 

by a lovely vintage afternoon tea. 

Page 28


Coalfields 

Writing Group 


Coalfields Writing Group meets every two 

weeks to share ideas and support fellow 

creative writers. New members welcome. 

Winnie the 

Pooh Craft 

Ryhope Centre Library, 2 – 3pm 

Create a bouncy Tigger door hanger for 

your bedroom to celebrate Winnie the 

Pooh’s 90th birthday. Suitable for primary 

age children. 

Halloween Craft 

Bunny Hill Centre Library, 2 – 3pm 

Make a Creepy Sliding Eyes Portrait and 

watch the eyes move! Suitable for primary 

age children. 

Winnie the Pooh 

Craft 

Washington Town Centre Library, 

2.15 – 3.15pm 

Make an Eeyore mask to celebrate Winnie 

the Pooh’s 90th birthday. Suitable for 

primary age children. 




2.30 – 3pm and 3 – 3.30pm 



and resources the Local Studies Library 

have to offer. To book contact Local Studies 

Library. 

Heroes and Villains 

at the Quayside 

Exchange 

Quayside Exchange 7 – 9pm 

Tickets £15.00 

Tickets available from Living History North 

East, The Donnison School Buildings, 

Church Walk, Sunderland SR1 2BN. Phone: 

0191 565 4835 or via Eventbrite. 

Take a ‘talk on the darkside’. Join Living 

History North East to uncover the heroes 

and villains of the East End and be guided 

through Victorian Sunderland by characters 

such as Mary Ann Cotton and Jack 

Crawford. Hot buffet supplied and a 

payable bar is available. 

Page 29



Stephanie 

Yearnshire - 

Mary Ann Cotton 




Stephanie Yearnshire, MBE, a retired 

superintendent with degrees in criminology 

and criminal justice, has worked across the 

world and won awards in the USA and 

Australia for her policing work. Mary Ann 

Cotton preceded Jack the Ripper and over 

an eight-year period poisoned her victims 

and in most cases benefited from their 

insurance money. In this talk Stephanie will 

question whether this was the last of a long 

line of deaths by her hand or if she was a 

mother caring for her family against a 

background of poverty and poor medical 

facilities. 


Craft 

Fulwell Library, 2 – 3pm 




“My Own, My Native 

Land” 

Living History North East, Donnison School, 

Church Walk, 2 – 3pm 

Contact venue to book 

An introduction to the Scottish Borders and 

Sir Walter Scott’s ballad ‘The Lay of the Last 

Minstrel’. A talk by Steve Watts, Head of 

Culture, University of Sunderland. 

Holly Sterling - 

Inspired by African 

and Maori Art 

Printmaking Activity 

Houghton Library, 2.30 – 3.30pm 

Booking required, max 20 places 

Discover how to create African and Maori 

inspired art in a printmaking activity led by 

award winning illustrator Holly Sterling. 

(Commemorating Black History Month) 


Craft 


Create a bouncy Tigger door hanger for 

your bedroom to celebrate Winnie the 

Pooh’s 90th birthday. Suitable for primary 

age children. 

Sunderland 

University and 

Waterstones Short 

Story Competition 

The Bridges 

4.30 – 6.00 - Under 17 Awards 

6.00 – 7.30 - Adult Awards 

Sunderland University and Waterstones, 

along with guest host Alan Gibbons, will be 

celebrating the art of short story writing. 

Page 30



Ancestry 







Thursday Reading 

Group 


10.30 – 11.30am 


discussion of ‘The Little Old Lady Who 

Broke All the Rules’ by C. Ingleman- 

Sundberg. New members welcome. 

Halloween Crafts 

Sandhill Centre Library, 10.45 – 11.45am 

Create a creepy spider to scare your friends. 


John Yearnshire - 

The Edlingham 

Vicarage Burglary, 

a Miscarriage of 

Justice, 1879 

Houghton Library, 10.30 – 11.30am 



This talk centres on the perpetration of 

a country crime in Victorian times and the 

trial and harsh sentencing of two Northern 

men for the armed robbery, believed to 

have been framed by corrupt police. 

Wearside U3A 

Reading Group 


10.30 – 11.30am 


discussion of ‘Reading Lolita in Tehran’ by 

Azar Nafisi. New members welcome. 

Nifty Fifties; David 

Fallon - A Fatal 

North East Marriage: 

mad Lord Byron and 

the Prince of 

Parallelograms 

City Library and Arts Centre, 1.30pm 

£2.50 on the door 

David Fallon, Senior Lecturer of English at 

the University of Sunderland presents ‘mad, 

bad and dangerous to know’ poet Lord 

Byron and his disastrous marriage to Anne 

Isabella Millbanke of Seaham Hall. 

Winnie The Pooh 

Craft 

Shiney Row Library, 2.30 – 3.30pm 




Page 31




2.15 – 3.15pm 

Build a scary Lollipop Haunted House. 


Sunderland U3A 

Reading Group 



discussion of ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ by 

John Le Carre. New members welcome. 

Tesco Reading 

Group 

Tesco, Roker Retail Park, 6.30 – 7.30pm 


discussion of ‘The Sweetest Hallelujah’ by 

Elaine Hussey. New members welcome. 


Visually Impaired 

Reading Group 


10.30 – 11.45am 

The Group meets monthly and new 


of books. 

Beatrix Potter Craft 

Kayll Road Library, 2 – 3pm 





City Library, 2.30-3.30pm 

Make a Creepy Sliding Eyes Portrait and 

watch the eyes move! Suitable for primary 

age children. 

Sheila Quigley - 

Meet the Author 

Event 

Elephant Tea Rooms, High Street West 

5.45 – 6.45pm 


Sheila Quigley is the north east’s most 

popular crime writer. She rose to fame in 

2001 through a fiercely contested auction 

for her first two books, which resulted in a 

six figure deal signed with the UK’s biggest 

publisher, Random House. 

Sheila now has seven books in print, and is 

currently working on her eighth. Sheila 

will talk about her latest novel ‘Sound 

of Silence’. 

Page 32



Peter Welsh - What 

did you do in 

Washington in the 

Great War, Mammy? 

Washington Old Hall, 3 – 4pm 


Local historian and author Peter Welsh 

gives a talk about women in Washington in 

the Great War. 

Liz Million - Spooky 

Workshop 

Fulwell Library, 10.30 – 11.30am 

Liz million is a crazy, lively illustrator and 

author of children’s books. She will have 

you chuckling, drawing, writing and 

learning within minutes. She loves drawing 

crazy creatures, cartoon animals and 

showing children (and grown ups!) how to 

become better artists. Join Liz and create 

crazy, creepy cartoon characters for 

Halloween. 


Rhyme Time 




and actions. 

Halloween Guided 

Fantasy 

Ship Isis, 7pm 

A talk by Colin Younger, Senior Lecturer, 

University of Sunderland. 

Page 33


Also at this years festival 

Mackem Maps 

Display 


Saturday 1 – Monday 31 October 

Artist Ian Potts has been asking people to 

draw their own map of Sunderland for over 

30 years, created in workshops by students, 

community groups and general public of all 

ages and abilities. They are personalised 

memory maps displaying all the charm and 

inconsistencies of personal accounts 

coupled with graphology and pictograms 

and are on display throughout October 2016. 

Cyril Lomax 

Exhibition 

Washington Old Hall, Open 11am – 3pm 

Entrance fees applicable 

Reverend Canon Cyril Lomax was Rector of 

Holy Trinity Church in Washington, Tyne 

and Wear, from 1899 to 1946. He went on 

to serve as Chaplain to the 8th Battalion, 

Durham Light Infantry, in World War I. Cyril, 

who was an accomplished artist and prolific 

letter writer, saw the devastation during the 

Battle of the Somme and described the 

reality of life in the trenches within his 

letters and diary. Illustrated with intricate 

sketches showing humour, the mundane 

and the dreadfulness of war, they are on 

display in this exhibition. A big character in 

Washington Village, he played an active part 

in saving Washington Old Hall in the 1930s 

and without his and others’ hard work, 

Washington Old Hall would not be 

celebrating its 60th anniversary with the 

National Trust this October. 

Page 34


Sessions for schools 

A number of events will be taking place in 

schools. For further information please 

contact the Schools Library Service on 

telephone 0191 561 8866. 

To celebrate National Poetry Day on 

Thursday 6 October children’s author and 

illustrator Liz Million and Theatre Space 

North East will be delivering interactive 

workshops. 

Children’s Codex 

The Codex Amiatinus was one of three great 

single volume Bibles made at Wearmouth- 

Jarrow, written in the 8th century. It is the 

earliest one-volume Latin Bible to survive in 

the world. To commemorate the 1300 

anniversary of the original pilgrimage of the 

Codex, a Children’s Codex has been created 

involving 188 Sunderland Schools, a copy of 

which is due to be presented to the Pope in 

October 2016. A copy of the Children’s 

Codex will be on display during the sessions 

on 4 and 10 October. 

The replica of the Codex Amiatinus will be on 

display in the City Library from 3 to 21 

October and will then be on long term loan 

to St Peter’s Church, Monkwearmouth. 

Tony Wilson 

On 7 and 11 October Tony Wilson, winner of 

the British award for storytelling excellence 

in 2013, will be sharing some African stories 

to commemorate Black History Month. Tony 

was born in South Shields and now travels 

the world as a professional storyteller and a 

keynote speaker. 

Jordan Smith 

On Monday 17 October Jordan Smith will 

provide a hands on graphic arts workshop. 

Jordan has worked as a graphic artist and 

artist most of his adult life and has been an 

avid comic enthusiast since his childhood. 

He was commissioned in 2002 to create the 

cover, logo and several pages of the book 

‘Alice in Sunderland’. 

Holly Sterling 

Holly Sterling, a local freelance children’s 

illustrator, will talk to children about her 

work, give demonstrations and read from her 

latest children’s book. Holly graduated from 

Sunderland University with an honours 

degree in Illustration and Design. She was 

highly commended for the Macmillan 

Illustration Prize and was also the winner of 

the Seven Stories/Frances Lincoln Illustration 

Competition in 2013. 

Page 35


Venues 

BUNNY HILL LIBRARY 

Hylton Lane, Sunderland, SR5 4BW, 

Tel 0191 561 8103 

CITY LIBRARY AND ARTS CENTRE 

Fawcett Street, Sunderland, SR1 1RE, 

Tel: 0191 561 1235 

FULWELL LIBRARY 

Dene Lane, Fulwell, Sunderland, SR6 8EH, 

Tel: 0191 561 5260 

HETTON LIBRARY 

Welfare Road, Hetton DH5 9NE, 

Tel: 0191 561 6616 

HOUGHTON LIBRARY 

74 Newbottle Street, Houghton, DH4 4AF, 

Tel: 0191 561 6383 

KAYLL ROAD LIBRARY 

Kayll Road, Sunderland, SR4 7TW, 

Tel: 0191 561 2760 

RYHOPE LIBRARY 

Black Road, Ryhope, Sunderland, SR2 0RX, 

Tel: 0191 561 4444 

SANDHILL CENTRE LIBRARY 

Grindon Lane, Grindon, Sunderland, 

SR3 4EN, Tel: 0191 561 5800 

SHINEY ROW LIBRARY 

Chester Road, Shiney Row, DH4 4RB, 

Tel: 0191 561 3031 

WASHINGTON MILLENNIUM 

CENTRE LIBRARY 

The Oval, Concord, 

Washington, NE37 2QD, 

Tel: 0191 561 3878 

WASHINGTON TOWN CENTRE 

LIBRARY 

Independence Square, Washington, 

NE38 7RZ, Tel: 0191 561 3441 

DANDY LONGLEGS 

38 - 40 Silksworth Row, Sunderland, 

SR1 3QJ, Tel: 0191 514 4627 

LIVING HISTORY NORTH EAST 

The Donnison School Buildings, Church 

Walk, Sunderland, SR1 2BN, 

Tel: 0191 565 4835 

WASHINGTON OLD HALL 

The Avenue, Washington Village, NE38 7LE, 

Tel: 0191 416 6879 

MISS TINA’S SUNDERLAND 

Beaumont Street, Southwick, Sunderland, 

SR5 2JR, Tel: 0191 447 5010 

NORTHERN GALLERY FOR 

CONTEMPORARY ART 

City Library and Arts Centre, Fawcett Street, 

Sunderland, SR1 1RE, Tel: 0191 561 8487 

THE QUAYSIDE EXCHANGE 

197 High Street West, Sunderland, SR1 2AX, 

Tel: 0191 514 4574 

Page 36


Acknowledgements 

Sunderland Library Services would like to 

thank the following organisations for their 

support to deliver the festival. 

University of Sunderland: 

Faculty of Culture 

MAC Trust 

Blackwells 

Waterstones 

Living History North East 

North East Film Archive 

Blackwell’s are the official bookseller for 

Sunderland Literature Festival. A ‘pop up’ festival 

shop will be situated in City Library and Arts 

Centre during the Festival to purchase books, 

tickets and festival merchandise. 

Page 37


If you have enjoyed our talks, workshops 

and lectures at the Sunderland Literature 

and Creative Writing Festival and want to 

explore the possibility of studying at the 

University of Sunderland, please take a look 

at the available Department of Culture 

courses below and read what our students 

and graduates have to say. 

BA (Hons) English 

Kate Mccaffery 

“The fantastic lecturers on the English 

course bring the subjects to life and allow 

you to explore and understand texts in a 

way you never considered previously.” 


Language and 

Literature 

Evan Drakou 

“Throughout the course, you develop a high 

quality set of transferable skills which make 

you stand out whatever career path you 

choose to follow. The academic team 

constantly provide support, guidance and 

inspire students to make the most out of 

their studies.” 


and Creative Writing 

Amy Batch 

“Lecturers with such passion 

become infectious and the 

hard work becomes an 

achievement. It is by far 

the most exciting 

accomplishment and 

experience I have had, 

and was more than I 

could have hoped for.” 

BA (Hons) History 

Toni Lawson 

"The best thing about the course 

academically has to be the lecturers and the 

passion with which they each deliver their 

subjects; I know I would not have learned as 

much as I have without such enthusiastic 

tutors.” 

BA (Hons) French 

and Spanish 

Andrew Ray 

“My language skills in French and Spanish 

have really improved during my course. The 

year abroad is one of the best things I have 

done, it gave me confidence not only in the 

target language, but in personal and 

professional skills too.” 

The Culture Department also offers a range 

of subjects on the Combined Subjects 

Programme which include: Creative 

Writing, English, English Language and 

Linguistics, History, MFL French, MFL 

Spanish, Politics and Teaching English to 

Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) 

To find out more about our courses 

please go to 

http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/ 

Or call 0191 5153000 or email 

student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk 

Page 38

oce20912 

www.sunderland.gov.uk/libraries 

www.litwritfestival.com

Festival

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