Day 2 - Pop up Bookshop and Simon Armitage

Helmet secured, shoes tied, bag packed and lights charged off to Birmingham Book Festival for the second instalment of fun this evening.

Today, I wanted to be early so leaving at 3 for the 6 o'clock show was not an issue unlike yesterday where things were just missed timed.

My aim was to get to the Pop-Up Bookshop situated in the lower ground of the Central Library, I knew I could take as long as I wanted, have a jolly good look around and see what fantastic writing and writers we had coming up, not that I didn't know but wanted some background reading. You can never have enough books, a wise person once said. I think I was my Dad-in-Law come to think of it!

Bit of a precarious cycle in to City Centre but will put that in another blog another time!

BOOKSHOP

I already had one request of purchase and that was to get Jackie Kay's new book 'Reality, Reality'. Never personally read her before and neither had my partner, she wanted the book as she and her dad (along with me, hopefully, as I volunteering for the event) on the 11th October at Birmingham Cathedral. Whilst standing waiting to pay for the book, I had a quick leaf through the first few pages and looks a good read with 15 short stories slotted within its covers. The theme is Reality and I can see that the basis of the book is around people perception of losing touch with Reality with all the TVs shows we are watching where Reality seems to be lost.



Find out more from Jackie Kay at Birmingham Book Festivals: http://www.birminghambookfestival.org/jackie-kay-reality-reality-3872/ and the British Council Literature: http://literature.britishcouncil.org/jackie-kay

Other books that caught the eye fell into the usual genres of attraction to myself; Adam Nevill, the author of 'Apartment 16', which was a gripping, page turning horror novel from the new author in 2010.
"A wonderfully written, deftly-plotted tale of terror. Apartment 16 kept me guessing right to the end, and kept me turning pages long into the night." Review by Fantasy Writing sums it up.
When I saw the latest offering from Nevill, 'Last Days', with its big bulky spine, large cover filled with dark haunted house in the shadows; I got excited and will be purchasing it on my next trip to the Bookshop with an empty bag!



Heart Shaped Bruise and Black Heart Blue were my next find on the tables filled with literature ready to be devoured.

                               

Heart Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne, the cover caught my eye firstly as any good book should, I turned the book over with trepidation to read the blurb. Digesting every word, sentence. I now wanted to run away and hide in a dark room to read cover to cover without distraction. Let's see if you have the same effect from the few words on the back cover:

"They say I'm evil.

The police. The newspapers. The girls from school who sigh on the six o'clock news and say they always knew there was something not quite right about me.

And everyone believes it. Including you.

But you don't know. You don't know who I used to be. Who I could have been.

Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever shake off my mistakes or if I'll just carry them around with me forever like a bunch of red balloonsAwaiting trial at Archway Young Offenders Institution, Emily Koll is going to tell her side of the story for the first time."

Black Heart Blue by Louisa Reid, almost had the same effect, I say almost as I only noticed it because it was sat next to Tanya Byrne's book. The blurb had the exact effect of wanting to read more:

"How would you feel if your twin sister died suddenly? Particularly if she was the beautiful one and you were horribly disfigured.

And how would it feel to be alone now if you and your sister were the only ones to know the truth about what takes place behind closed doors at home?

And what would you do if it was your parents who brought danger and terror into your life? Would you dare reveal how your sister died?

And would you be brave enough to find an escape of your own?

Black Heart Blue is a powerful novel about the domestic horrors that can unfold within a small community - and one girl's quest to stand up for the truth."

Come and see them at Central Library on the 9th October. Find out more from: http://www.birminghambookfestival.org/tanya-byrne-and-louisa-reid-3885/.

Simon Armitage



The evening started as it meant to go on I think and it was not rehearsed. Simon Armitage was introduced by Jonathan Davidson, Chief Executive of Writing West Midlands and he said,

"We had been talking earlier and I realised I have been reading his writing for 25 years".

Simon's response, "You have been reading longer than I have been writing it"

Fantastic comedy value there.

Simon Armitage showed why writers, poet, bloggers and in fact everyone does something that they feel passionate about. He grew up in a village called Marsden which is on the south Pennine Way, he explained that he saw "astronauts" on the horizon with their large rucksacks and they would come the hills into Marsden for some good old hospitality.

Armitage played both of these concepts on his travels for "Walking Home". Marsden was his destination and the walk was done backwards from Scottish Borders to Yorkshire.

With not a penny to his name, well in his pockets anyway, he set off looking for hospitality and for this he read his poetry in anywhere he could find.

His mission for the journey was to 'test' the resolve and longevity of his existence as a poet and other poets through his own works and stories. He upset a few local poets I am sure! Using the pull of Marsden and Home, he found that Poetry and Prose still has an existence in today's society and long may it continue.

Read the Book Festival site for the evening: http://www.birminghambookfestival.org/simon-armitage-walking-home-3774/ and more about "Walking Home" at http://www.simonarmitage.com/

A few snaps from last night after the event:

Birmingham Book Festival - Launch Party

Early again as usual I just can't seem to help myself, setting off way before I need to.

Arrived in the old Bird's custard factory in Digbeth, the building has had a facilitate through a jolly colourful lick of paint, lots of retro shops with a splattering of the abnormal some would say. A tree seems to be growing out of the walk at first glance not that it would be totally unheard of in old buildings then you realise that at closer inspection that the sculpture of a person had been made using an old tree and wicker protrudes from it. The reason is the pagan place that lies next door, now longer out of place. It reflects along with other pieces of art dotted around the vibe and culture the custard factory is trying to create. It guides the creative, imaginative and the minority of people from West Midlands area to come to a unique centrepiece.


It you want to find out more about the Custard Factory in its present form, take a look at http://www.custardfactory.co.uk/


The history of the Custard Factory can also be found there also but here is a quick overview:
"This 5-acre sprawl of riverside factories was built 100 years ago by Sir Alfred Bird, the inventor of custard. At one time he had a thousand people making the stuff. Some even say it helped create the British Empire. But by the early 1980s it had long since lost its mysterious appeal and the factories fell derelict."


West Midlands Writing is based on in the old factory walls, the perfect place in my opinion to have a team for what can only be described as an "Alternative Book Festival". You will not find the usual big name authors, poets, publishers or event organisers at The Birmingham Book Festival.
This year the Festival will cover topics ranging from New Libya, where three people from Gaddaffi's Libya have lived through the troubles and want to share their experiences through writing, to Walking the Penine Way with Simon Armitage, no money walking it the unconventional way round and reading poet to make his way home to Yorkshire.
All the events make for good talking points with friends, family, colleagues and fellow event goers.


Want a more in depth look at the programme, check out: www.birminghambookfestival.org/


Looking at the start of the programme, "Dr" Deborah Alma is the Emergency Poet, sat in her 1960s ambulance fully equipped with life saving equipment, a bed and the uniforms to match. This sounds like a weird idea having a doctor in the house at a book festival but it fits as she will reads sonnet to soothe the love troubles, a stanza to sign off the end of lunch or even Nurse Verse will give you some medical attention with the "Write Poem".


Moving onto my involvement and reason for this blog, I am volunteering at the festival and having taken the whole event off work to absorb and enjoy the 10 days as much as possible I have elected to be present at as much as I can.


Whilst mingling with the guests and interested parties at the Launch last night I was asked by a few people, Why have I volunteered? What makes the Birmingham Book Festival stand out? (Already covered that one!) What am I looking to get out of the event?


Why and What am I getting out of it, can be answered simply with I have a personal interest in Literature through writing and reading and it being in my City, why the heck not. I write poetry but only for my own consumption and after years of an overactive imagination, not finishing anything longer than the idea stage I got to the end of my first novel last year so another reason I am here is to pick up the usual tips, hints and guidance to get to the end of another.


Onto the main event after food and drink had been consumed, introductions made etc. Boring bit but had to done. First bit of interesting news was the New Poet Laureate was announced, I would like to congratulate Stephen Morrison-Burke on this fantastic accolade. He performed last night and I was dancing with him as he read his poem, it conjured up imagery and the imagination ran wild as he 'waxed lyrical'.


The launch party was rounded off last night by the silliest, funniest poet I have ever seen. I think the best way to introduce him is the way he was introduced last night with Elvis McGonagall in his own words:


"Stand-up poet, armchair revolutionary and recumbent rocker! Elvis, we are told, is the sole resident of The Graceland Caravan Park somewhere near Dundee, where he scribbles verse whilst drinking malt whisky and listening to Johnny Cash. He is also a former World Slam Champion, compere of the notorious Blue Suede Sporran Club and is one of the poets occasionally in residence on BBC Radio 4’s “Saturday Live”. Oh, and he is very, very funny!"

I don't want to spoil the fantastic act that he was so if I have tickled the taste buds, look him up and see him live or listen to him on his website. http://www.elvismcgonagall.co.uk/