book Archives - Blackpool Social Club

14 Sep

Blackpool to host Word Fest Literature Festival

Linda Hampton0 CommentsLiterature & Spoken Word, Theatre, Dance & PerformanceBlackpool, book, books, bookshop, celebrity, children, Comedy, entertainment, families, literature, podcast, Spoken Word, Winter Gardens

Blackpool is getting its very own literature festival this autumn in Word Fest, a weekend of literary events and spoken word where literary heavyweights and popular authors host events side by side with celebrity writers. Running between Friday 7th until Monday 10th October 2022, the festival takes the form of a series of ticketed events to hear authors talk about their love of writing and their books, answer questions and sign books for fans. Most ticket prices include a copy of the latest publication by the author. Hosted and held in the Winter Gardens and co-produced by Kirkham's independent coffee…

25 May

Author interview: Katie Clapham

Linda Hampton0 CommentsLiterature & Spoken Wordbook, books, bookshop, children, fiction, library, local author, teenage fiction, teens, young adult fiction

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]St Anne’s bookseller and author Katie Clapham chatted to Linda Hampton about her latest YA book, Three Girls. As I walk into Storytellers Inc., the delightful independent bookshop on The Crescent in St Annes, co-owner and author Katie Clapham is happily sorting new books to display. The bookshop, opened with her mother in 2010, was named Vintage Independent Bookshop of the Year in 2013 amongst other industry awards, while Katie has won several awards for her own bookselling achievements. But Katie is also a writer. I’m here to interview her about her latest novel for young adults entitled Three Girls.…

12 May

Review: Three Girls by Katie Clapham – a novel of friendship, changing lives and running

David Simper0 CommentsLiterature & Spoken Word@publishing uclan, book, fiction, literature, local author, three girls, young adult fiction

In Katie Clapham's first young adult novel, the three girls of the title are thrown together in a school brochure photo shoot and at that time are not actually friends. This changes as events develop, presenting a realistic picture of how lives alter as we approach adulthood. The characters' ages are not mentioned but they appear to be year 11 and around 16 by the time of the book's events. Clapham is an independent bookseller at Storytellers Inc in St Annes. Her three main characters are: Minnie, ace netballer and general athlete; Lena, ace runner but feels overshadowed by Minnie;…

25 Mar

Ensuites Available: Fancy fonts on the seafront

Stephen Dunstan0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsbook, hotel, photographer, photography

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] When Sarah Horn began photographing hotel frontages in Blackpool, little did she know that her collection would result in a unique archive of coastal architecture, vernacular typography and unconscious poetry. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Sarah has made a mission of photographing the B&Bs and independent hotels of Blackpool. The results of her efforts have now been published in En-Suites Available. The title is an affectionate nod to the fact that rooms with their own bathrooms are seen as a selling point, when it might be expected they’d be standard in a hotel stay in the twenty first century.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]Other than an index of…

03 Mar

World Book Day with Streetlife: Stories from the Street

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsLiterature & Spoken Wordbook, Streetlife

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Stories from the Street explores the experiences and lives of what it might be like to find yourself homeless as a young person. As world book day draws to a close we find out more. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As you snuggle down for the evening, most of us will enjoy a warm duvet, hot water for a comforting brew, and freshwater to wash and brush our teeth. But what if those things most of us take for granted were suddenly not there anymore. The face of homelessness for most of us is the sight of a disheveled duvet in a doorway or…

01 Aug

Blackpool nature writers showcased this Wednesday

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsEnvironment and Nature, Literature & Spoken Wordauthor, book, books, environment, literature, nature, writers, writing

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Litfest’s New Writing Northwest has given emerging talent the opportunity to work with established writers over the spring and summer. There were four strands including Poetry, Fiction and Translation. The final one, Nature & Environment Writing, comes to a conclusion with a free reading this Wednesday featuring two authors with a Blackpool connection. Michelle Allwood was born in the resort, before moving to London. After working for the BBC, she is now at the BFI. She is dyslexic and neuro-diverse, and holds a BA and MA in Literature & Creative Writing. She is currently planning a PhD, focussing on…

09 Oct

Linda Hampton and The Art Worms on Imagination Street

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsLiterature & Spoken Word, Local NewsArt, book, childrens books

In these times where creatives are urged to look for more viable options. Blackpool based Actor and Writer Linda Hampton chats about her collaboration with long term friend artist and illustrator Francis Charlton and their forthcoming book: The Art Worms on Imagination Street. The Art Worms on Imagination Street is a unique work about art, artists, and creativity. Author Linda Hampton has taken well-known artists and reimagined them, as her unique invention-namely Art Worms - in a quirky and absurdist style. She has collaborated with artist Francis Charlton who has designed and created 18 full colour eccentric original illustrations. This…

11 Sep

Local author Nigel Stewart launches his second novel

Linda Hampton0 CommentsLiterature & Spoken Word, Local NewsBlackpool, book, written word

Linda Hampton reports the launch of local author Nigel Stewart’s second novel, The Lines Between Lies. When you read the blurb for local author Nigel Stewart’s new novel The Lines Between Lies, the story is clearly a contemporary one set in the almost present day in a world that feels uncomfortably less like fiction and more like harsh reality. Kirkham based Nigel’s latest novel is a thriller set in Britain in 2017, with events taking place in Lancaster, Arnside and the Lake District, and London. It explores a divided, fractured society, and how those fissures extend into relationships, marriage, friendship,…

17 Aug

Guest Blog: Ashley Lister’s new book Blackstone Towers – My self-publishing journey

David Simper0 CommentsLiterature & Spoken Word, Local Newsauthor, book, fiction, horror, local, lockdown, self-publishing, supernatural

By way of introduction, I should begin by saying my name is Ashley Lister: I lecture at Blackpool & Fylde college; I write horror fiction and some exceptionally ribald poetry. When the UK lockdown occurred, I was in a fortunate position. I lecture in creative writing and this was something I could continue to do remotely, from home, without the worry of contributing to the rising death rates. I was also fortunate in that working from home meant I had extra time on my hands because I didn’t have to commute to work, or worry about socialising, or do a…

10 Aug

Twitter Book Club: Book of the Month

Catherine Mugonyi0 CommentsLiterature & Spoken Word, Local Newsauthor, book, fiction, library

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Blackpool Libraries have been having fun with their weekly online book club, but now they're trying something a little bit different. Later this month, they will be hosting a ‘Book of the Month’ event. This monthly Twitter Book Club will be based on a single book, and it'll be accompanied with a live online author event. Now you’ll be able to read the book, discuss it with other readers, and then hear the author’s perspective and ask them your questions.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Online book club Blackpool Libraries' Twitter Book Club was born on World Book Night in 2014, inspired by a fervent desire…