Read Regional

Read Regional is an annual campaign to promote North East authors to readers across the region that runs from May until December. It is run by New Writing North, the regional agency for developing reading and writing, in conjunction with library authorities from across the region. The events are supported financially by local authorities and by Arts Council England and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

Read Regional aims

• To inform existing readers about North East authors and their books
• To engage new and prospective readers
• To raise the visibility of regional authors through the regional library network
• To identify new ways to sell books by North East authors

Multiple copies of each of the eight chosen Read Regional books will be available to borrow from participating libraries across the region from May onwards. The books will be visible in branded displays in libraries and will also be available to buy at events. The Read Regional authors will be visiting libraries across the region and participating in special events throughout the year.

CIVIC 'READING PICNICS'
During the summer months of July and August we will work to create city centre 'civic reading picnics'. These will take the form of lunchtime promotions with deckchairs, picnic rugs, cushions, mobile bookcases and information points which offer city centre workers and shoppers the chance to take time out to read and relax during their lunchtimes. Free books will be available for browsers as will Scrabble boards, newspapers and other reading materials. Books will also be available to buy. Our aim is to raise the profile of regional literature and activity and to encourage people to use the time that they do have during the day for the pursuit of pleasure through reading. Civic Reading Picnics are planned for Stockton-on-Tees and Newcastle during the summer.

The four poets and their books

Bob Beagrie's The Seer Sung Husband is an epic narrative poem that looks at the pilgrimage of Grace through the personal story of Mother Shipton, the North East's famous soothsayer, whose story is narrated by her husband, Tobias. It's a work of lyricism and beauty but also manages to draws the reader in through its deft storytelling.

The poems in You Are Her by Linda France examine themes of boundaries, identity, damage and absence. Central to the book is a section looking at nature and cultivation through the life and work of Capability Brown. These sensitively drawn poems demonstrate Linda's love of landscape and strong sense of place.

Cynthia Fuller poignantly draws on old photos of her youthful parents as inspiration for her new collection, Background Music. In this delightful book we find poems about a young couple enjoying their freedom before being bogged down by the cares of marriage and child rearing.

In Carolyn Jess-Cooke's first collection, Inroads, we discover an eclectic mix of poems, ranging in subjects from the exhaustion of a young mother to characters in ancient myths being forced to confront Facebook. Inroads demonstrates an experimentation of style and form which makes it an exhilarating collection to dip into.

The four novelists and their books

Angel of Brooklyn by Janette Jenkins is set during World War I and features an exotic stranger coming to a small rural community in Lancashire. Beatrice, a former showgirl, has a secret to hide and this proves to be her undoing. Strongly atmospheric and deeply touching, Angel of Brooklyn moves between locations in America and rural Lancashire with ease.

Set during the Regency period, The Duke's Agent by Rebecca Jenkins is a historical mystery. The hero, Frederick Raphael Jarrett, is a mysterious soldier returning from war. He's sent to sort out a problem on an estate in the North-East but instead gets caught up in a murder. This is a very enjoyable read that is strong on period detail.

The Shadow of a Smile by Kachi Ozumba follows the story of a young student who through no fault of his own is falsely imprisoned in the horror of a Nigerian prison. This is a funny and poignant novel which gives an insight into the corruption at the heart of the Nigerian justice system.

Graham Pears' background in the police force gave him the in-depth knowledge to write his first crime novel, The Myth of Justice. Strong on Newcastle atmosphere, the book features a detective, nicknamed Jet, who we follow through a world of organised crime and corruption.

For more information contact Claire Pratt at claire.pratt@stockton.gov.uk  or check out the Read regional website http://www.readregional.com/