proudWORDS 2003: the UK's only festival of lesbian and gay writing

Welcome to proudWORDS 2003
the best, the biggest, the juiciest!

This year we're very proud to welcome a host of literary stars to Newcastle/Gateshead for the proudWORDS festival. By the time you read this, the title of European City of Culture 2008 may have been announced. If we do win the title, we'll be very happy, it will focus attention on arts in the region and hopefully bring with it more funding. If not, proudWORDS will keep on growing, bringing the best gay literature to the North East. We're still the only gay writing/literature festival in the UK and we're attracting attention from visitors from all over the country. We've tempted Sarah Waters away from her south London garret to talk to us about writing, lesbian Victoriana and her plans for the future. She's joined by Alan Hollinghurst and Patrick Gale, considered to be two of the best Gay writers working in the UK and the prodigiously talented UA Fanthorpe who'll be treating us to her own brand of humorous and thought- provoking poetry. Shaun Levin will be leading a delicious workshop on the theme of food, love and sex (complete with edible substances) and we've got one of cabaret's hottest acts, Clare Summerskill to strut her stuff at the closing finale. With workshops by Cynthia Fuller and Maggie Thacker, this promises to be a superb lineup.

We've got workshops, discussions, performances, readings, quizzes and meet-the-author sessions. Bring your friends, your mam, your boss or alternatively just bring a pencil. Give your mind a creative workout. It doesn't hurt or make you fat and amazingly, all events are free.

FRIDAY 20TH JUNE 8pm Live Theatre
OPENING WORDS EVENT

with Alan Hollinghurst and Patrick Gale. Come celebrate the opening of the fifth proudWORDS writing festival with an interactive evening of literary quizzes, readings and valuable prizes ( not all from Poundland). Alan and Patrick will provide the well-needed sophistication to an evening of raucous hilarity. Readers will choose their favourite extracts from books and we'll also be hearing music from talented duo MUSH.

BOOKING INFORMATION
This event is free but to be sure of getting in, book tickets by ringing Live Theatre on 0191 232 1232 minicom 0191 232 2224 or email tickets@live.org.uk

Saturday 21st June 11am at Le Rivage Room, Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle Quayside
Tales from the Riverbank with Alan Hollinghurst and Julia Darling

Our very own Julia Darling will be hosting a morning discussion on Alan's work and writing, in a plush hotel room overlooking the Tyne and its wonderful bridges. Refreshments are available from the hotel bar.

Alan Hollinghurst's first novel The Swimming- Pool Library was published in 1988 and won a Somerset Maugham Award and the E.M. Forster Award of the American Arts and Letters. He was nominated as one of Granta's Best Young British Novelists in 1993, and his second novel The Folding Star was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. His third novel The Spell was described as 'Jane Austen on ecstasy' His fourth novel The Line of Beauty will be published by Picador in early 2004.

Saturday 21st June 2-5pm at Le Rivage Room, Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle Quayside
'Impossible Love?' workshop with Patrick Gale

Why are there no novels that explore the love and friendship that exists between lesbians and gay men? Lack of Patrick Gale

interest? Plenty of gay writers have written lesbian characters and plenty of lesbian writers have written gay characters so why so few novels about friendship between the two groups? Is this simply a reflection of how things are - two groups with no overlap? Or are writers scared of getting it wrong and breaking the rules of political correctness?

Patrick Gale was born in 1962 on the Isle of Wight. His father was the governor of Camp Hill prison and subsequently Wandsworth prison, where Patrick remembers chatting to prisoners through the windows of the mail-bag workshop. He is the author of eleven novels. His latest, A Sweet Obscurity, was published by Flamingo in April. Apart from writing Patrick enjoys music and playing bridge. He lives with his partner, a farmer, in Cornwall.

Sunday 22nd June 2-5pm at Mesmac 3rd Floor, 11 Nelson St, Newcastle
Poetry for the Fainthearted workshop with Cynthia Fuller

If you would like to try writing poetry but haven't quite dared, this workshop is for you. The emphasis will be on poetry as Cynthia Fuller

fun, as an accessible form for your reflections, your memories, your feelings. We will experiment with different kinds of exercises and you can have a chance to develop a poem from lots of possible beginnings. If you write a journal where you express your feelings, poetry may well be for you. If you're a fiction writer, take a break and try working with a few well chosen words. No previous experience of poetry is required. The workshop will be informal and friendly. All welcome - even poets!

Cynthia Fuller is a poet who teaches literature and creative writing for Leeds University in Middlesbrough and the Open University. She is also involved in research into poetry and health. She has had three books of poems published by Flambard Press: Moving Towards Light, Instructions for the Desert and Only a Small Boat. She is an experienced teacher and enjoys getting people started on writing.

For writers, poets, musicians, composers or lyricists. If you're a writer who's never written a lyric before or you just want to explore the world of songwriting, this workshop is for you. We'll be listening to some songs and discussing what makes them good or bad, looking at songwriting theory and practicing techniques to help you come up with fantastic original lyrics. Bring along an example of a song you love on CD/tape with the lyrics written out, and if you've written songs before that no one has ever heard, take this opportunity to let us hear...

Maggie Thacker teaches Music and Technology at Newcastle College and in schools and community groups. She has been a musician for a long long time and began performing at the age of one when she was caught on film conducting an orchestra. She has written songs and performed with the Friggin Little Bits and the Tulips.

SUNDAY 29th June Venue and Time to be confirmed

Tickle Me Pinks Performance Workshop Day.

As part of Pride on Tyne, the new queer cabaret project will be running two workshops hosted by experienced performers looking at performance skills and exploring rap. There'll be a chance for performers to take the stage at the Tickle Me Pinks Pride cabaret on Saturday 19th July. For further details ring Pride on Tyne on 0191 230 2590 or contact Tickle Me Pinks at ticklemepinks@hotmail.com

Thursday July 3rd 7.30 at Caedmon Hall, Prince Consort Road, Gateshead
A poetry reading with UA Fanthorpe and Rosie Bailey
Open to all

We are proud to welcome UA Fanthorpe and partner Rosie Bailey for a rendition of poetry that has been described as ' distinctive and drily compassionate' ( The Times Literary Supplement 1996 ) and 'brave and necessary' (Poetry Book Society Bulletin 2000)

UA Fanthorpe has been a teacher, a hospital clerk and has been working as a full-time poet for a number of years. She's had seven collections of poetry published by Peterloo Poets, her most recent, a Poetry Book Society recommendation, is Consequences (2000)

UA Fanthorpe is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was made CBE in 2001 for services to poetry. In 2003 she received the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry

Friday 4th July 2-5pm at Mesmac 3rd Floor 11 Nelson St, Newcastle
Writing Comedy Workshop with Clare Summerskill

So you think you're funny? Writing comedy is an art and Clare Summerskill has developed the knack . We all know

lesbians, gay men and bisexuals who are funny (or are they just odd?). Can we laugh at ourselves and each other? Does political correctness affect what we allow ourselves to laugh at? Answers on a postcard please. Clare will be inspiring us to have a go at writing comedy,including tips on how to write for radio - it's a good way to end the week.

Clare Summerskill has written for Radio 4's Weekending and A-Z and Radio2's 'Heated Rollers'. She has written widely for the theatre and has worked as an actor, theatre director and workshop leader. Her short stories have been published by Diva Books.

Saturday 5th 11am at Side Cinema, The Side, ( at bottom of Dean St) Quayside
Coffee and Tipping the Velvet with Sarah Waters

We will be showing favourite clips from Tipping the Velvet (please specify when booking which scenes you'd like to see again) and talking to Sarah Waters about writing, life, the universe etc. Coffee and cakes are available at the Side Café.

Sarah Waters is the author of three novels. The first, Tipping the Velvet, won a Betty Trask award in 1999 and prompted The Daily Telegraph to remark 'This could be the most important debut of its kind since that of Jeanette Winterson. It was adapted by Andrew Davies for BBC drama in 2002. Her second novel Affinity was published in May 1999 to great acclaim. A.N. Wilson wrote 'This is such a brilliant writer that her readers would believe anything she told them.' Her third novel Fingersmith was shortlisted for the Orange Prize 2002 and for the Man Booker prize 2002. In January 2003 Sarah was named one of Granta's Best of Young British Writers. She was named Author of the Year at the 2003 British Book Awards.

Saturday 5th 2-5pm Mesmac, 3rd Floor, 11 Nelson St, Newcastle
Writing Sensual Pleasures with Shaun Levin

Explore exciting ways of writing about food, love and sex. Open your senses to new smells and tastes; write a love Shaun Levin

story, tap into your fantasies as a rich source for delicious, moving and surprising prose or poetry: and literally lick the food off your plate (then write about it). Eat, write, and be merry in this inspiring and fun workshop.

Shaun Levin's novella, Seven Sweet Things has just been released. His short stories appear in, amongst others, South African Modern Short Stories, Afterwords, Best Gay Erotica 2000 and 2002 and Harrington gay men's Fiction Quarterly. He has been teaching creative writing for 10 years.

A veritable cornucopia of talent awaits at the festival finale. Sarah Waters and Shaun Levin will be reading from their work. Clare Summerskill, the 'lesbian Victoria Wood', will be performing in her inimitable style and the as yet unnamed stars of proudWORDS workshops will be proudly plying their words. We'll also announce the results of the top three gay books ( see booking details). The night will finish with music and dancing.

BOOKING INFORMATION
All events are FREE, but its essential to book particularly for the workshops.

For all events apart from those at Live Theatre and the Caedmon Hall, please ring proudWORDS on 07973 894912, or email pwcwf@hotmail.com stating your name, contact telephone number and how many tickets you require.

TOP THREE GAY BOOKS
When booking with proudWORDS state your favourite top three gay books and we'll announce the results at the final party on July 5th.

ACCESSIBILITY
All the venues are wheelchair accessible. For further details please ring 07973 894912.
All performance events will be attended by BSL interpreters. If you need an interpreter for a workshop please ring the proudWORDS number or email us and we will endeavour to arrange it.

Newcastle Playhouse is opposite Newcastle Civic Centre, just a short walk away from Haymarket metro

Mesmac Offices on Nelson St is a very short work from Monument metro, off Grainger St.

Caedmon Hall is within Gateshead Central Library on Prince Consort Rd Gateshead, just down from Shipley Art Gallery and Gateshead Leisure Centre.