Reeves, Rosen and revolution as the Bluecoat announce second Chapter & Verse Literature Festival.
With a diverse range of events including performances from Vic Reeves and Michael Rosen, debates and workshops, the second Chapter & Verse Literature festival at the Bluecoat promises to be an eclectic and highly enjoyable programme.
The festival includes 30 events over five days from October 14 -18 2009 with a special focus on ‘revolutionary moments’ to coincide with a range of anniversaries occurring in 2009, including the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the 50th anniversary of the recording of Kind of Blue by Miles Davis.
From football fans of all shades to those who just want some hard, slightly wrong facts such as Leonardo ‘DaVincicode’ inventing the racing handlebars (well, we did tell you Vic Reeves was in attendance) the annual festival at the Bluecoat is sure to please a diverse audience.
The readings, talks and workshops will offer visitors a chance to hear directly from authors whilst mingling with fellow book-lovers.
And adding excitement for children and adults alike is much loved children’s author and illustrator Michael Rosen who returns to the Bluecoat courtesy of the Children’s Bookshow.
Rosen who is the children’s poet laureate will be performing some of his own poems and sharing his love of children’s books from all around the world with a reading from the best-selling Loulou by French author Gregoire Solotareff. In addition, during the first three weeks of October, children can participate in some giant fridge poetry as part of regular ‘Explore’ activities at the Bluecoat.
Elsewhere, performance poet Adisa who has been described as ‘the future’ by esteemed poet Benjamin Zephaniah, will put on a poetic and musical one-person show exploring a profound year of the 20th century – 1968 – and its relationship to now. Progressing the revolution theme, it draws inspiration from the music of the time and explores the power of the collective voice and its effect on politics, culture and artistic expression.
Continuing Liverpool’s own rich literary history is Sally Vickers whose debut novel, Miss Garnet’s Angel, became a publishing phenomenon and a word-of-mouth bestseller. She will be talking to Philip Davis about art, psychology and other dimensions of reality.
There will also be two literature-related exhibitions on display during the festival period and beyond: Under the Volcano forms the backbone of the Malcolm Lowry season (25 Sept-22 Nov), celebrating the centenary of the birth of the Merseyside author. And in addition, Dave McKean’s illustrations from this year’s challenging Liverpool Reads title, graphic novel The Savage written by David Almond, will also be shown (15 Sept- 1 Nov).
Highlighting the wide range of topics featured at this year’s festival is the ‘Football Stories’ event with Mark Ward & Jonathan Wilson. Hosted by broadcaster John Keith of City Talk, this is an evening for football lovers of all shades. Mark Ward is from Huyton and played for Everton and West Ham among others. His witty and moving autobiography, From Right Wing to B Wing, describes his journey from the Premier League to a four-year prison sentence. Jonathan Wilson writes regularly on football for FourFourTwo and the Guardian and many other national newspapers and his book, Inverting the Pyramid, is a fascinating account of how football tactics have changed over time and around the world.
Other highlights of the festival include legendary journalist Richard Williams’ talk on Miles Davis’ groundbreaking jazz album, Kind of Blue. Recorded over nine miraculous hours in 1959, the talk marks the album’s 50th anniversary, illuminating its lasting beauty and all-pervasive influence. Richard Williams is the author of The Blue Moment: Miles Davis’ A Kind of Blue and the Re-making of modern music.
Another writer offering his unique insight into a revolutionary moment is Peter Millar. Awarded the Foreign Correspondent of the Year prize in 1989 for his coverage of the fall of the Berlin Wall, he joins the Bluecoat on the 20th anniversary of this event to discuss his experiences and how the episode was the perfect example of ‘the ‘cock-up’ theory of history.’
On Friday October 16, Vic Reeves introduces us to the world as he sees it, from asparagus to Zeppelin, via eggs and Henry VIII. Illustrated by Vic himself, his new book amasses all the world’s knowledge “into one gloriously preposterous book, written in a scholarly fashion yet comprehensible to idiots”. Reeves’ talk is hosted by Tim Clare, author of We Can’t All Be Astronauts.
And closing the festival in style is poet-in-residence at the Bluecoat Nathan Jones, and his guests, who will be celebrating revolutionary song and poetry.
Tickets on sale now. To book call Tickets and Information on 0151 702 5324
at the Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool, L1 3BX or visit www.thebluecoat.org.uk
Vic Reeves and Michael Rosen in Bluecoat Literature Festival 09 | Liverpool Art and Culture Blog.
