Books / Festivals
Inaugural Working-Class Writers Festival to take place in Bristol
Working-Class Writers Festival will play host to established and budding writers, readers, agents and editors across multiple in-person and digital events around the city.
Artistic director, poet, author and campaigner for greater working-class representation in the arts, Natasha Carthew has been working for three years to bring her vision to fruition.
‘I’ve created a festival for future generations of writers, an accessible festival that will celebrate the work of working-class writers and gift our community with a sense of pride,” says Natasha.
“The festival will not only provide a platform for working-class writers but will set a precedence among future festivals to make attendance more affordable and accessible to all.”
Events at the festival are free, and range from panel discussions and interviews to writing workshops and poetry performances.
The programme aims to inspire young people from similar backgrounds who may have aspirations in the field through the exposure of authentic and relatable story-telling.
Selected highlights include:
October 22, Hillfields Library: Big Stories From Few Words – Writing Workshop
October 22, St George’s: Escapism or Empowerment? The Importance of Diversity in Children’s and Young Adult TV and Books – Panel discussion
October 23, Watershed: Beyond Misery Porn: Working-Class Memoir – Terri White and Cash Carraway
The Working-Class Writers Festival 2021 takes place from October 21 to 24. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.bristolideas.co.uk/projects/class.
Illustration by Heather Colbert
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