Words – spoken, written, discussed, performed – in storytelling, books, poems and plays – words in all their guises are represented at the 2015 festival. From Writers in Residence, busy scribbling away in the shops of Frome on July 4th, to a fantastic series of writers’ talks and workshops in the library on the 12th, culminating in the Short Story Competition prize-giving, this year’s programme is bursting with literary gems.
The Frome Writers Collective will be hosting literary workshops and talks throughout the week and you could also try out for the acclaimed Bard of Frome or the Festival Poet Laureate on the 6th.
There’s plenty of drama with a production of MRS SHAKESPEARE at the Silk Mill on July 2-4th by the Frome Drama club and staying on the Anne Hathaway theme, the Festival presents a professional production of THE SECOND BEST BED at the Merlin theatre. There’s also open-air theatre with Nevertheless Productions at the Dissenters’ Cemetery on the 10th and from Miracle Theatre on ECOS at the Merlin on the 7th.
Poetry lovers can head to the Garden Café on Monday 6th, the Hip Yak Poetry Shak at the Archangel on the 8th or to the Three Swans on both the 9th and 10th to hear Helen Moore and Kate Moore respectively.
On Tuesday 7th Ivan Cooper will give a talk on his book Tibet an Accidental Pilgrimage, which is the Festival Book this year, at the Three Swans. On the 8th Rook Lane will host a talk on ‘Syria Today’ with three acclaimed writers John McHugo, Diana Darke and Peter Clark; then on the 9th local author Alison Clink will be launching her recently published book ‘The Man who Didn’t Go to Newcastle’ at the Three Swans.
Peter Clark and David Lassman present an evening of nostalgia at Rook Lane on the 6th, looking back at the stories of WWll evacuees, and Home in Frome are running a story-makers workshop in connection with their memory quilt on the 7th. With a Sci-fi event, a forum for script and screenwriters, a talk on writing for children, the Booklovers’ Pub Quiz, and tales from Frome Storytellers and there’s plenty to choose. (See highlighted literary events in the brochure).