What’s On: North East Literature and Book Events in November 2019

The North East is exploding with book events this November. Here's our comprehensive roundup of literary activities in Durham, Newcastle, Teesside, Sunderland and around the region. Share the events that interest you, and help support our amazing organisers. Last month saw five literary festivals happening in the North East. November has (to our knowledge) just...

Navigating the Writer’s Ethical Maze: Review of Colm Tóibín’s Brooklyn, at Durham Book Festival

In his award-winning novel, Brooklyn, Colm Tóibín treats the theme of homesickness with empathy born of personal experience, but also a writer’s detachment. Yurie Watanabe reviews his appearance at Durham Book Festival 2019, for which this novel was the Big Read. Brooklyn is a deceptively powerful story of a young Irish girl who leaves her...

Kate Clanchy: Poems for Durham Lumiere (Poetry reading, 14th November)

When: 14th November, 17.00-18.30 Where: Old Library, Grey College Free, booking not required but let us know you are coming and spread the word via our Facebook event. Celebrate the start of Durham Lumiere 2019 in this free event with poet and teacher, Kate Clanchy. Kate Clanchy will read from and talk about her new...

New Podcast: Future Memory and Circular Time in Charles Dickens’ ‘The Signal-Man’

On June 9th of 1865, sitting comfortably on his train home from Paris, Charles Dickens had a brush with death. Workmen on a bridge had failed to signal that a section of the track was missing. Several of the carriages plunged into the river below, with Dickens’ own carriage left teetering at the top. The...

Earth of Eternity: Shelley and Existence (Seminar, 14th November)

When: 14th November, 17.30-19.00 Where: Seminar Room, Hallgarth House, Durham University Share: Let us know you are coming via the Facebook event. Our next Inventions of the Text seminar is with Dr Madeleine Callaghan (University of Sheffield). This seminar is open to all but spaces may be limited, so please arrive early and let us...

Seal vous play, mairsee: Reading the 1944 Pocket Guide to France

Today's tourists to Europe might pick up a Lonely Planet or browse Tripadvisor for travel advice - but in 1944 allied personnel heading to the continent as part of the liberation campaign needed their own specially-written advice books. Guy Woodward of our Political Warface Executive project takes a look at the pocket guide to France,...