Preview: Book a place for Wordpool extravaganza

Blackpool’s very own festival of words begins on 2 July – and this year’s Wordpool is jam-packed with events guaranteed to tickle the literary tastebuds.

It opens on 2 July at 7pm with a unique launch event at Stanley Park’s lovely Art Deco Cafe. Murder, Mystery and Martinis features best-selling authors Ann Cleeves and Peter Robinson in an evening of crime writing revelations. There is a full programme of entertainment, including singer Rosie Harrison, mystery themes quizzes and a book signing. Oh, and there will be complimentary cocktails and canapés too! Tickets are £15 – or £12 if you are a library member – and they must be booked in advance.

Other top authors at Wordpool include international bestselling crime fiction writer Sophie Hannah, who is hosting a lunch event at Central Library at 12.30pm on Thursday, 3 July (tickets £5, £4 for library members, including a buffet lunch). On the same day, award-winning historical novelist Lindsey Davis will talk about her best-selling Flavia Alba series at Layton Library from 3pm (tickets £3, £2 library members, including a cream tea).

Friday sees debut author Emma Healey at the Central Library at 1pm, talking about her much-acclaimed novel Elizabeth is Missing. The book was the subject of a bidding war and was snapped up for TV before it even reached the shelves. Tickets for Emma’s talk are £2, including refreshments.

Another debutante is Jon Wallace, whose dystopian novel Barricade is causing a stir in the world of science fiction. He is at Palatine Library on Friday from 2.30pm – tickets £2, including refreshments.

In a late change to the published programme, poet Terry Caffrey has stepped in to rescue the Friday brunch event at 11am in the Central Library.

Poet in residence for England’s National Football Museum, Terry is just back from a poetry tour of Vietnam, Cambodia and Jordan. During the Olympics his composition ‘Chase Down the Sun’, a collaboration with the Halle Orchestra, was sung by 80,000 children.

Terry says he loves coming to Blackpool and can’t wait to scramble some words over brunch. Tickets are £2 and include brunch.

Festival director Clancy Mason is thrilled with this year’s programme: “We have a fantastic mix of rising talent and well-established names this year,” she said. “It begins with a red carpet gala event which promises to be a super evening in the company of top authors Ann Cleeves and Peter Robinson.”

She added: “I’ve just finished Elizabeth is Missing which I loved, and I’m looking forward to hearing her talk about her varied career and her inspiration for the book.”

Wordpool will also be hitting Twitter on Thursday, 3 July between 8 and 9pm, when the Palatine Library’s Twitter Book Club discusses Emma Healey’s Elizabeth is Missing. Follow @BpoolLibraries or use the hashtag #Bookpool to get involved.

Tired of all the chat? How about trying a little bookmaking of your own? Lisa Wigham will be running a DIY publishing workshop at Palatine Library on Thursday, 3 July from 4.30 to 7pm. The event is suitable for age 16 plus and tickets are £3, including materials.

Wordpool is also the place for the launch of an exciting new poetry competition – look out for more details on altBlackpool soon!

The festival ends on Saturday, 5 July with a free Family Fun Day at Stanley Park which is truly of giant proportions. There will be lots of Giant Lands for visitors of all ages to explore – and a giant map will guide you around, so be sure to collect yours at one of the registration points – by the Visitors’ Centre, the Clock Tower and the Lake. Registration is from 12.30pm.

Festival director Lynne Pattinson is really excited about the family event:

“The family day is going to be amazing, and I’m particularly looking forward to seeing the work of local school children, who have been making giant heads with artists Jane Blackburn and Vanessa Card,” she said.

“The performances by Wooden Spoon Theatre and the giant Gruffalo Trail with the Grand Theatre also promise to be lots of fun.”