Festival of stories, books and writing coming to coalville

Award winning author Joanne Harris will headline the first Coalville Writes festival as a wealth of workshops, performance and films celebrating the written word comes to town.

During the festival, which runs from Thursday 8 March to Saturday 10 March, a giant metal whale will host live theatre in the town centre, shoppers will have poems written just for them on the spot and children will enjoy learning how to write comic books.

The festival, which has been organised by Mantle Arts and is sponsored by North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC), the National Forest and the Arts Council has something for all ages.

Joanne Harris, the award-winning author of the novel Chocolat which was adapted for Hollywood, will be joined by other acclaimed writers including Emma Pass and Emma Bamford to pass on their wisdom and tips at a number of workshops.

Dave Wood, better known as Dr Rhyme, will create on the spot poems about everything and anything depending on the requests of each person that pays him a visit.

Meanwhile, children will be inspired by a story-telling performance that takes place inside a giant, portable, aluminium whale that will inhabit the Belvoir Shopping Centre.

Other highlights include:

• Workshops and talks with authors Joanne Harris, Emma Pass and Emma Bamford
• A pop-up book fair
• Poetry workshops
• Comic book workshops for schoolchildren
• Various films shown at Coalville’s Century Theatre.

See the full programme of events on the Coalville Writes website

Matthew Pegg from Mantle Arts, said: “We hope that anyone interested in books, stories or writing will find something to excite them here, from a workshop for people wanting to write a memoir, to Joanne Harris's performance #Storytime, with live music and projections, to a poetry writing workshop based on a walk in the hidden woods of Coalville."

Councillor Alison Smith MBE, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Community Services at NWLDC, said: “It’s great to see something different coming to Coalville and this should certainly get the creative juices flowing.

“The council’s Choose Coalville project is aiming to regenerate the town but also make it a better place to live, work and visit. Providing funding for a festival like this is just one small way of helping to make this happen.

“There’s something for everyone over the three days, take a look at the schedule, and come out to support this excellent festival.”