Interest area: Literature

Tony Schumacher in Conversation

It is The Reader’s great pleasure to welcome Liverpool author and screenwriter Tony Schumacher to this year’s Gravity festival.

Tony’s ground-breaking BBC1 drama, The Responder, featured a bravura performance from Martin Freeman as Chris, an unhappily corrupt police officer who wants to be a good man. Tony drew on his experience of breakdown to show the pressures on a man unable to talk about what he was going through.

The Reader’s Young Person’s Mentor, Greg Harwood-Jenkins has experienced tough times of his own, and might easily have previously been one of the characters in Tony’s drama. In this intimate and frank conversation, Tony and Greg will select some scenes to show and discuss, while opening up about what it is like to be a man with something on his mind that needs talking about.

If you have any extra requirements, please let them know by emailing tickets@thereader.org.uk. Free essential companion tickets are available upon request.

Rescuing Socrates with Roosevelt Monta...

Roosevelt Montás arrived in the US as a teenage immigrant from the Dominican Republic, and now teaches at Columbia University, where, in 2000, he won the Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Graduate Student.

His book Rescuing Socrates makes the case for the personal value of great literature, and argues for the continued teaching of Great Books, Classics and Philosophy perhaps especially for those to whom they may seem to have little immediate relevance.

Join hosts Pranav Sood and Neil Atkinson – trustees of The Reader and ardent Classics fans – live in the Mansion House as they talk to Roosevelt who will be joining from New York via Zoom.

If you have any extra requirements, please let them know by emailing tickets@thereader.org.uk. Free essential companion tickets are available upon request.

Shared Reading from The Reader Bookshe...

Experience Shared Reading in this one-hour session, where we make a start to this great book.

This first novel by Alice Walker plots the lives of several generations of a southern Black sharecropping family. Alice Walker has described how painful it was to write, and it’s not easy to read. But it’s still wonderful and worthwhile, a moving, powerful novel full of complex truths.

Copies of the book will be provided for reading, and may be bought on the day. No need to read in advance.

Meet the Authors: Frank Cottrell Boyce...

BAFTA-winning television producer and author of novels for both adults and children, Lissa Evans joins Bootle-born author, screenwriter and Reader Patron, Frank Cottrell-Boyce to chat all things children’s books; their writing, their favourite reads from way back when and the power of the imagination.

They’ll be talking about how they tackle the most raw and painful experiences of being human when writing for children and the important role that humour plays when considering those parts of life that feel almost too overwhelming to put down on paper.

There will be readings, reflections and plenty of opportunities for questions from the audience.

If you have any extra requirements, please let them know by emailing tickets@thereader.org.uk. Free essential companion tickets are available upon request.

Books and Banter

Books and Banter is an opportunity to talk about books guided by theme, with no specific book set to read. Discussions around the subject are facilitated but not restricted, and tangents are welcome.

Take a look at the list of books discussed in June’s session.

Books and Banter returns on Thursday 14th July, 6:30-8:30pm. The theme is The Big Jubilee Read – take a look through the list online and see what you’d like to read or discuss! https://readinggroups.org/big-jubilee-read

Places are free but limited, and must be booked in advance on Eventbrite.

Café will be open and alcohol and soft drinks available to buy.

Henry Normal

Armed only with a chair and a mic, stories, jokes and poetry Henry Normal takes on the world looking for a win-win situation.

Henry is a writer, poet, TV and film producer, founder of the Manchester Poetry Festival (now the Literature festival) and co-founder of the Nottingham Poetry Festival.

Henry co-wrote and script-edited the multi-award winning The Mrs Merton Show and the spin off series Mrs Merton and Malcolm. He also co-wrote the first series of The Royle Family and the BAFTA award-winning Paul and Pauline Calf Video Diaries, Coogan’s Run, Tony Ferrino, Doctor Terrible, all three of Steve Coogan’s live tours and the film The Parole Officer.

Henry set up Baby Cow Productions Ltd in the 90s, which have produced highlights such as Philomena, I Believe in Miracles, Gavin and Stacey, Moone Boy, Uncle, Marion and Geof, Nighty Night, The Mighty Boosh, Red Dwarf, Hunderby, Camping and Alan Partridge.

Since retiring in April 2016, Henry has written and performed eight BBC Radio 4 shows A Normal Family,  A Normal Life, A Normal Love, A Normal Creativity and A Normal Nature combining comedy, poetry and stories about his family. His ninth show A Normal Community will be recorded in June 2022 for transmission in the summer.

Now Henry Normal returns to the Music Room with his show Sit Down Poetry – it’s like stand up poetry, but more thoughtful and relaxed and easier on the legs!

Don’t Fear Shakespeare- online s...

As The HandleBards prepare to make a welcome return to The Reader at Calderstones in Shakespeare’s fast-paced romantic comedy – fear not, this online Shared Reading workshop will help you sort your soliloquies from your silly sayings in no time.

Their friendly team will tell you everything you need to know ahead of The HandleBards’ performance of Twelfth Night this July, leaving you to sit back and enjoy the show happy in the knowledge that you won’t miss a single pun or plot twist.

No experience of Shakespeare necessary. This is a relaxed online workshop, which will take place over Zoom.

Don’t Fear Shakespeare- in perso...

As The HandleBards prepare to make a welcome return to The Reader at Calderstones in Shakespeare’s fast-paced romantic comedy – fear not, this Shared Reading workshop will help you sort your soliloquies from your silly sayings in no time.

Their friendly team will tell you everything you need to know ahead of The HandleBards’ performance of Twelfth Night this July, leaving you to sit back and enjoy the show happy in the knowledge that you won’t miss a single pun or plot twist.

No experience of Shakespeare necessary.

BLAST! (6) – A Spoken Word Extra...

BLAST! is an excellent spoken word evening and for their sixth edition they’re at the Old Bank Ale House in Aigburth.

Some very lovely people indeed. And it’s free! Head along and enjoy a great night of spoken word.

The night features…

Saint Vespaluus

Louise Fitzsimons

Louise Evans

Cath Holland

Sally Porter

Eve Howlett

Laura Ferries

Jamie Yates

Queer Icons – Poetry Showcase

Hosted by Day Mattar and Auntie Climax this one-of performance poetry event will profile 15 North west based queer poets exploring Queer Icons through the lens of celebrity, fetish, the symbolic and the sacred.

They’ll also be celebrating the end of the ‘Queer Icons’ course with the Queer Icons Pamphlet available to pre-order through Broken Sleep Books.

Access information:

BSL interpretation will be available and the venue is wheelchair accessible.

Please message queerbodiespoetry@gmail.com with any specific access requests / information.