I sat within a near capacity crowd, and listened to this lady, dressed in what looked like a flower garden, in total awe. Not just because she’d worked with the most troubled children but because she was smiling; genuinely smiling. Continue reading
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From shattered lives to school wars
9 May
“Jung and Freud would have rewritten their books if they’d been to Peckham,” said Camila Batmanghelidjh, founder of Kids Company and author of Shattered Lives: Children Who Live with Courage and Dignity, speaking at the Swindon Festival of Literature this evening.
Inspired by running and bones
7 May
Later today after the Dawn Chorus…
In a bonus to the stories enjoyed in a brisk walk around Lydiard Park grounds (lucky old Swindon with this on its doorstep) with international storyteller Rachel Rose Reid, ponies and their cute foals were close up to the fence by the path.
Rachel Rose followed two stories of love with a ‘Just So’ inspired tale of an elephant that ate its own eyes. She made us do the suction sounds as the eyes popped out. I’ve still not recovered. Continue reading
Dawn Chorus…almost
7 May
Okay so I won’t bore you with the details of how long it took me to find Lawn Woods. I worked for a year once in Swindon’s Old Town – and had no idea this expanse of parkland was hiding round the back. It’s well worth a visit and looks especially picturesque in bright May dawn-light. Continue reading
On Running
1 MayNaomi Benaron
The only time I run is for the bus or the train.
I’m not saying I’m proud of this fact. And I’m getting to that scary age where running without some kind of stretching warm up is positively bad for my health. A long way, in fact, from the time where simply walking was just impossible. My five year old gives me this uncomprehending look when I tell him to walk (like when crossing the road), you know – that’s a run. Nope, that’s a skip. A walk is when one foot is still on the ground when the other one leaves it. Slow. Not fast. Still blank look. You know, like mum and dad. Oh – boring!
I’m also not a fan of watching sport. Maybe a bit of tennis. Perhaps even snooker though to be honest I’m not even watching the current world championships. (Whenever I watch it, Ronnie O’Sullivan loses. So I stopped. And he wins).
So when Swindon Festival of Literature director Matt asked me to chronicle the running event on the opening day (Monday 7 May) it was, at first, a dutiful ‘yes’ in response.
Then when he told me about the people taking part and their interesting stories, I was hooked. Continue reading
We are the Official Chronicle for the Swindon Festival of Literature, yay!
20 AprSwindon Festival of Literature launch. Photo by Festival Chronicler
So I’ve just agreed to do this crazy thing.
Report on twenty-nine literature events in twelve days.
That’s twenty-nine sparklingly written accounts, plus any other back stage gossip and thoughts and feelings I can find, complete with illustrative photos, on this year’s Swindon Festival of Literature as the *trumpets herald* first ever Official Festival Chronicler. Continue reading
Popping the Domestic Cherry
20 Apr
Is this Cotswolds town the festival capital of the world? It surely must be now. Cheltenham UK, the festival town. They can have that for free.
Just did one day of Cheltenham Poetry Festival yesterday (it runs until Sunday) and had a great time. I was part of, ahem, select audiences who I got to know (hi to Ki and poets Nick and Alice).
First up: Domestic Cherry in the basement of gothic-looking pub, Tailors. It felt like I was entering the mansion of Elvira Mistress of the Dark (brilliant!). It had the air of a secret gig (i.e. a distinct lack of festival signage). Continue reading
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