This November, Newcastle University and Seven Stories: The National Centre for Children’s Books are busy preparing for an amazing programme of free events as part of the Being Human Festival 2018. Find out more in this blog post…
Two years ago, we dipped our toes in the waters of the Being Human Festival, a national festival of the humanities. And this year, Newcastle University’s Humanities Research Institute is one of the national festival hubs! So, I’m currently immersed in planning five events in partnership with Seven Stories… all inspired by our hub’s theme, From the Source to the Sea!
On Saturday 17th November, there are two opportunities for all the family to explore the rivers, seas and oceans in the Seven Stories Collection in a special hands-on experience, Once Upon a Tyne. Led by staff and research postgraduates from Newcastle University’s Children’s Literature Unit and the Seven Stories Collection team, see original manuscripts by Robert Westall, and illustrations by Judith Kerr and Polly Dunbar…
Later that afternoon, join author and Lecturer in Creative Writing, Ann Coburn, for our creative writing workshop for adults, Undiscovered Land: Write Like David Almond. Start your own story incorporating elements of memory, history, magic and transformation. I can’t wait to see what our writers come up with!
On Sunday 18th November, come and take part in our Wavering Boundaries walking tour, led by Dr Tom Schofield from Digital Cultures in Culture Lab. Magical realism, augmented reality and literary archives come together in this guided walk around the Ouseburn Valley, and you’ll be one of the very first to try out our Magical Reality app.
“My work explores the frontier between rationalism and superstition and the wavering boundary between the two.” David Almond
And, if you want to find out more about David Almond’s stories of the North East, come to Dr Lucy Pearson’s Tales of the Tyne talk and tour of the Seven Stories Where Your Wings Were exhibition later that afternoon!
Seven Stories are also supporting Newcastle University’s final festival event, Songs from the Dam, with Kathryn Tickell, David Almond and Amy Thatcher. This special musical performance will present local songs and folk tales, and celebrates David Almond’s new book The Dam, beautifully illustrated by Levi Pinfold, which tells the story of the flooding of Kielder Water.
And that’s not all: there are lots of other fascinating events as part of Newcastle University’s Being Human Festival hub – from foodbank histories, to quantum tunnelling… and from the source to the sea!
Being Human is the UK’s only national festival of the humanities and took place this year between 15th – 24th November 2018. The festival is led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. Visit the Humanities Research Institute website for full details of Newcastle University’s events and to book: www.ncl.ac.uk/nuhri/events
