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Knutsford
Literature Festival Weekend 2002
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Events run from Friday 27th September to Monday 7th October 2002
Details Coming Soon
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Knutsford
Literature Festival Weekend 2001
A Resounding Success |
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Knutsfords second Literature Festival, (5th - 7th October),
was a complete sellout.
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Friday 5th October
7.30pm for 8pm - £6 - ticket essential
including a glass of wine on arrival
POETRY AT TABLEY
Tabley House Northwich Rd, Tabley
VERNON SCANNELL
preceded by a short talk on The Poet of Tabley by
JOAN LEACH
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| This Occasion, featuring
Vernon Scannell at Tabley House, is a special treat. Perhaps
you might like to dress up? |
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The inaugural event at Tabley House, on Friday (5th) evening set
the tone of the festival. A large audience, listened attentively
to the poet, Vernon Scannell, reading his work; which spans half
a century. His voice, damaged after treatment for throat cancer,
rallied to perform such gems as, Walking Wounded, Six
Reasons for Drinking and A Case of Murder.
Local poet, Charlotte Peters Rock, was allowed to perform such
poems as Elaine, The Widows Complaint
and Picnic on the Lawn, from his Collected Poems
- 1950-1993', (Robson Books), to supply the female voice which these
poems needed.
Jardines Bookshop, attending Tabley House, reported a sellout,
that evening, of his many poetry books.
To start the evening - and the festival - local historian, Joan
Leach, gave a short talk on the life and work of John Byrne Leicester-Warren,
of Tabley House. He was an interesting but shy man, who had always
regarded himself as a failure, in spite of excellent reviews of
his poetry.
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Saturday 6th October - 2.30pm -
£4 - ticket essential
The Methodist Church Princess St Knutsford
AN AFTERNOON WITH BERYL BAINBRIDGE
New book "According
to Queeney" (Little Brown), out in Sept
Jardine's Bookshop will be present at this event.
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Saturday (6th) saw Liverpool writer, Beryl Bainbridge, eagerly
received at the Methodist Church for her reading of her newly published
book, According to Queeney (Little,Brown). She also
spoke about her life and career, avoiding reference to her recent
six-times rejection for the Booker Prize.
Admitting that she had read very little of Mrs Gaskells work,
she promised to read more in future, following her visit to Knutsford.
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Sunday 7th October - 10.15pm -
please be prompt
from Brook Street Unitarian Chapel, Adams Hill, Knutsford
JOAN LEACH will lead A CRANFORD WALK AROUND
KNUTSFORD
No charge - but donations to the upkeep of Mrs Gaskell's House
in Manchester will be gratefully received.
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Joan Leachs A Cranford Walk around Knutsford on Sunday
morning, (7th), took place in glorious sunny weather. A gentle stroll
from the Unitarian Chapel, where Elizabeth Gaskell, and many of
her relatives lie buried, took us into her past - and the past of
Knutsford.
Frequent stops were made around the town, where interesting details
about lives and buildings mentioned by Mrs Gaskell, in her books,
were related by Joan Leach, who is constantly unearthing new information
and speaks with infectious enthusiasm. She included a visit to Elizabeth
Gaskells old home - where she had kept a cow in the
garden.
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Sunday 7th October - 2.30pm - £6
- ticket essential
Civic Centre Toft Road Knutsford
THE LADIES OF CRANFORD
a Celebration of a Certain Age
Sandra Hunt and Rachel Laurence playing numerous characters
from Mrs Gaskell's Cranford
We are pleased to inform you that this event is supported by SSL
International plc.
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The first visit to Knutsford of the theatrical production, The
Ladies of Cranford, on Sunday afternoon, played to a packed
house at the Civic Centre. A touring production, it introduced numerous
characters from Mrs Gaskells book Cranford. Many
Knutsford people as members of The Gaskell Society, are very familiar
with the book. A consensus of opinion as people left the performance,
was that it had been excellent.
Plans are afoot for Knutsford Literature Festival 2002, which is
expected to be much longer; possibly going back to a 7 or 9 day
festival.
The earliest event to be announced is the Cheshire Life Short Story
Competition which was launched during this festival, to give writers
the chance to consider their entries.
The winning story will be read at Knutsford Literature Festival
in 2002 and printed in the October 2002 edition of Cheshire Life.
Details are in this months Cheshire Life and will also be
placed in libraries and other venues throughout the year.
The Committee is also investigating possible literature links to
the Queens Golden Jubilee and to countries taking part in
the Commonwealth Games, which is due to be held in Manchester next
year.
For the first time, feedback forms have been used, to ensure that
potential audience members will have the chance to suggest future
guests, and so that the performances and venues suit the audience.
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Knutsford
Literature Festival Weekend 2001
acknowledges - and values - the support of Cheshire County Council
Tickets from Knutsford Tourist Information Centre,
Toft Road, Knutsford, WA16 6TA
Tel: 01565 632611 Open Mon-Thurs 8.45pm - 5pm / Fri. 8.45am - 4.30pm/
Sat 9am - 1pm
Cheque/postal order payable to Knutsford Literature Festival contact
email: knutsfordlitfest@aol.com
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