Literature North West

29th June 2010

For two weeks from 3rd – 17th July Manchester will be taking part in BookFest, Oxfam’s very own literature festival. Literary prize-winners and big-hitters will be taking part in readings, Q + As and competitions in Oxfam bookshops all across the city from Oldham Street to Macclesfield and everywhere in between and we want the people of Manchester to get involved!

The poet laureate Carol-Ann Duffy will be giving a reading of her poetry on 17th to round off the Didsbury bookshop’s BookFest events programme which also includes horror supremo Conrad Williams, crime writer Cath Stainecliffe and cult comic book scribe Mike Carey.

Oxfam’s Oxford Road shop is hosting a Sci-Fi Bonanza on 8th July featuring not one, but two Doctor Who writers, Steve Lyons and Paul Magrs, who will be taking part in a Q+A session with the audience. There will also be a quiz and the chance to hear the writers read their work. Entry is free and fancy dress strongly encouraged!

Poet Jane Weir will also be giving a reading of her work at Oldham Street’s Oxfam Emporium on 7th. Carol-Ann Duffy has described Weir as “quite simply the most exciting poet I have read since Alice Oswald”. High praise indeed.

Whitworth Park Shop Manager Emma Cooney said: “There are a large range of events for all ages, from writing a song for Oxfam to children’s poetry and short story competitions, judged by authors with prizes for the winners. Pop into your local Oxfam shop and see what’s on!”

BookFest aims to highlight Manchester’s love of books and literature but also raises money about the vital work Oxfam does. For every 5 books bought from Oxfam, 8 schoolbooks can be bought for a developing country school.

771m adults in the world are illiterate, 64% are women. 72m children in the world do not have access to primary education, over two-thirds of these are girls.

Oxfam calls on governments around the world to ensure that they meet the Millennium Development Goals which state that all children shall have access to primary education by 2015.

For more information contact your local Oxfam shop or call Michael Healy on 0161 234 2924.