The Shell Chester Literature Festival

3rd September 2008

6-24 October 2008

Download High Res Image of Ffion Hague

Download High Res Image of Nicholas Crane

Download High Res Image of Lemn Sissay

Making the most of Chester’s myriad of small personable venues and spaces, the Shell Chester Literature Festival presents an assortment of colourful and thought provoking events mainly within the city walls. Featuring an eclectic mix of national and local author events alongside innovative participatory activities aiming to capture the public's imagination, headliners this year include Chris Patten, Esther Rantzen, David Owen, Michael Morpurgo, Martin Bell, Nicholas Crane and Ffion Hague.

Visitors new to festivals or literature can taste-test a selection of readings or even join the literary lunch while those who know and love the Literature Festival will be challenged and extended by sessions on blogging as literature or the delights of the poetry slam.

One of the focal points of the Festival is the Performance Weekend, 17-19 October, entitled Chester, Oyez!which ties in with the National Year of Reading’s October theme of Word of Mouth. Devised by the weekend’s artistic director, Chester Poet Gill McEvoy, the weekend is packed with performance poets, pub drama, a storytelling tent on Cathedral Green, open mic sessions, a slam, and a poetry into song event, all in venues in and around the city centre. BBC Radio 4 favourite Lemn Sissay,heads up a strong Saturday night line-up and is joined by poet laureate young pretender Luke Wright and late night vamp Rosie Lugosi at Alexander’s night-spot withestablished open mic night Zest! on Sunday night.

Other highlights include Oxfam’s Duncan Green on the spectre of world poverty and popular scientist Paul Parsons exploring the science of Dr Who. Prize winning poets abound at the Festival as US poet Anne Stevenson, winner of the Northern Rock Foundation Writer Award, and Jean Sprackland, winner of this year’s Costa Prize for Poetry join Chester writer Gee Williams, shortlisted for James Tait Black literature prize for first novel Salvage on the subject of literary prizes and their value. A John Milton performance event with Lance Pierson will mark one of the 400th anniversary of England’s greatest poets.

The Shell Chester Literature Festival has the community at heart with a number of great events including internet blogging to publication with Caroline Smailes, Chester Poets open evening, Chester Writers open evening, and Bite Size free poetry readings in St Peter’s by the Cross every Wednesday lunchtime.