Tees book festival returns to Hartlepool

Crossing The Tees is a collaboration between the library services of the Tees Valley councils and Arc Stockton which brings together authors, poets and illustrators with readers from across the Tees Valley.

In Hartlepool there will be author talks and workshops for adults – all of which will take place in Community Hub Central in York Road – plus events at several schools.

The sessions for adults are:

Tuesday 12 June at 2pm – From Journalist To Novelist with Nancy Revell, author of the Shipyard Girls saga series, who will be talking about her leap from national news journalist to novelist.

Wednesday 13 June at 6.30pm – Creative Writing Workshop with last year’s Reader-in-Residence Tracey Iceton.

Thursday 14 June at 7pm – An evening with former policeman turned full-time writer Paul Finch, who cut his literary teeth penning episodes of TV crime drama The Bill and has written extensively for children’s animation and for Dr Who. He is probably best known for his work in thrillers, crime and horror, including his six-novel DS Heckenburg crime series plus the new Lucy Clayburn series.

Wednesday 20 June at 6.30pm – Blogging Workshop with Festival Blogger-in-Residence Alice-May Purkiss.

Friday 22 June – Fifty Not Out - The Six Sixes Revisited, with freelance broadcaster and journalist Grahame Lloyd. West Indian legend Sir Garry Sobers became the first batsman to hit six sixes from six deliveries when he smashed 36 runs off a Malcolm Nash over at Swansea in 1968, but what happened to the battered ball, and was the one sold at auction in 2006 for a world record £26,400 the real deal? Grahame Lloyd investigated in his 2013 book Howzat? The Six Sixes Ball Mystery and his illustrated talk will recall both the feat and the fate of the ball.

Saturday 23 June at 10.30am – Blackout Poetry Workshop with local poet Kirsten Luckins.

Tickets for each of the above are £5 per person, except for the Creative Writing Workshop which is pay what you feel.

To book places (advance booking is highly recommended) and for more details of all the Crossing The Tees events – including a short story writing competition for anyone aged 16 and up – visit www.crossingthetees.org or call Arc Stockton on 01642 525199.

Councillor Kevin Cranney, Chair of Hartlepool Borough Council’s Regeneration Services Committee, said: “It’s great to welcome Crossing The Tees back to Hartlepool – previous years’ events have been really popular.

“Whether your interest is in family stories, history, crime writing, sport or poetry, there’s something for everyone in this year’s exciting and varied programme.”