Events

People and Places

Saturday 21 June and Saturday 5 July 10.00am – 3.00pm

Join novelist and tutor Avril Joy for a series of two workshops in which the people who live in our stories and the places they inhabit will be explored.

Workshop 1: People Saturday 21 June 10.00am – 3.00pm

In the first workshop we will call up our characters. We will name them, bring them to life and begin to explore what their story might be. Together we will consider what constitutes a fully developed character that will engage our readers and sustain our narrative. Most important of all we will explore what it is our characters want.

Workshop 2: Places Saturday 5 July 10.00am – 3.00pmIn this workshop we will name and explore the places - from the mundane to the mystical - in which our characters live. We will discuss the centrality of landscape to storytelling and consider how to bring a powerful sense of place to our writing. We will attempt to be strangers in the landscapes we are creating.

Cost for the series: £30.00 (to include a light lunch on both dates)

Short story writing for children: a workshop

Wednesday 25 June at 7.30pm

A practical session for aspiring writers. Dorothy Massey is a teacher of literacy, specialising in family learning. She enjoyed children’s stories so much she made writing for children her focus and her workshop aims to discover what makes a good children’s short story, looking at age-grouping and genre as well as the mechanics of the writing itself.

A free event Entry by ticket only

Signed copies of Dorothy’s book of children’s short stories will be available to buy on the evening.

Bywords: Heat and Dust

Wednesday 9 July at 7.30pm

Art historian Elizabeth Conran returns to contextualise the art and architecture of that most intriguing continent of contrasts, India.She will make reference to Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s prize-winning novel ‘Heat and Dust’ which was made into a film by acclaimed director James Ivory.

All tickets: £5 (to include light themed refreshments).

PlayDay

Sunday 23 November

Interested in writing a 30-minute play script?

See ‘Theatre’ section for further details

Wear Valley Writers

Wednesdays in term time 7.00 - 9.30pm

Would-be writers are always welcome to joint this dedicated group. They meet most Wednesdays in term time in the library here at Bishop Auckland Town Hall.

A full schedule of structured literature-based events forms part of the Town Hall’s events programme and members of Wear Valley Writers are encouraged to widen their literary experience by supporting the ‘Book It!’ programme.

For further details contact Peter Walters on 01388 528423.