Chorlton Book Festival 2010

Us Chorltonites like to think we're a bit boho and bookish, and, as if to prove it, yesterday saw the start of the sixth annual Chorlton Book Festival, which runs all the way through two weeks until Sunday 21 November. The Manchester Lit List has an online brochure for you to flick through in a virtual manner, and there's an event preview on Didsbury Life.

As well as prose readings and poetry slams and all kinds of book-based events (including a Cracking Good Food cook-off in the library), there are a couple of writing workshops which might well be worth a look-in.


The first is this Saturday (13 November, 11am-1pm, Lloyds Hotel, Wilbraham Road) and run by Chorlton-based MMU Creative Writing lecturer and author of Holy Joe and The Only Living Boy, Robert Graham. I've been to one of Robert's workshops before, and he is very warm and welcoming so you don't feel too apprehensive about sharing the wonderful words you come up with as a result of the different exercises you get to try out.

The second is the following Saturday (20 November, 11am-1pm, Chorlton Central Church, Barlow Moor Road) with prize-winning poet Sarah L Dixon. Taking books by festival authors as a starting point, she will also get the creative juices flowing using tried-and-tested writing exercises. I've been in a Paper Planes workshop with Sarah, but not actually been to one she's run (more here), so it could well be interesting.

For both, places are free, but limited and booking is recommended: call the Chorlton Book Festival organisers Chorlton Library on 0161 227 3700 to put your name down.