There’s a fantastic treat in store for book lovers in Hartlepool with the return of the Crossing The Tees Book Festival.
This popular event – a collaboration between the library services of Hartlepool, Stockton, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Darlington Borough Councils supported by funding from Arts Council England – runs from Thursday 11 to Monday 29 June.
It brings together some of the brightest and best authors from around the country in special events across the Tees Valley. Enjoy a vibrant programme of stories, ideas and inspiration, from author events and lively talks to hands-on workshops and even a murder mystery!
The Hartlepool events are:
Thursday 11 June - An Evening with Ben Kane. Community Hub Central, York Road, 6.30pm.
Ben Kane is the bestselling author of more than twenty historical adventure novels. Join us as Ben presents an exciting talk about the fourth book in the Hannibal series, A Land Aflame.
211 BC: Hannibal’s struggle against the Romans in Italy continues, but the Carthaginians have been utterly defeated on Sicily. Fleeing the island to Spain, Hanno and Aurelia are shipwrecked and taken prisoner by local tribesmen. Unless they escape, a life of slavery and brutal treatment awaits. Aurelia’s brother Quintus is posted with his comrades to Spain, where a new commander – Scipio – has been given the task of defeating the Carthaginian generals who hold sway over most of the peninsula.
The very outcome of the war hangs in the balance.
Who will emerge victorious - Rome or Carthage? Only the gods can tell!
Tickets cost £6, or £4 for concessions.
Thursday 18 June - Her Secret Service with Claire Hubbard-Hall. Seaton Carew Community Hub, Station Lane, 6.30pm (with BSL interpreter)
Since the inception of the Secret Service Bureau back in 1909, women have worked at the very heart of British secret intelligence – yet their contributions have been all but written out of history.
From encoding orders and decrypting enemy messages, to penning propaganda and infiltrating organisations, the women of British intelligence played a pivotal role in both the First and Second World Wars.
Drawing on private and previously classified documents, Claire Hubbard-Hall rescues these women from obscurity, bringing their gripping stories to life to provide a definitive account of women’s contributions to the history of the intelligence services.
Tickets cost £6, or £4 for concessions.
Friday 19 June - Between the Salt and the Ash with Jake Morris-Campbell. Community Hub Central, York Road, 2pm
After inheriting the miner’s safety lamp that belonged to his great-grandfather, Jake Morris-Campbell sets out on a pilgrimage across his homeland.
Travelling from the Holy Island of Lindisfarne to Durham Cathedral, he asks what new ways might be made through the old north.
Jake’s book Between the Salt and the Ash asks what stories the North East can tell about itself in the wake of Christianity and coal.
Rejecting the damaging trope of ‘left behind’ communities, Jake uncovers neglected seams of culture and history, while offering a heartfelt celebration of the place he calls “hyem.”
Tickets cost £6, or £4 for concessions.
Tuesday 23 June - Planting Poetry Workshop. Seaton Carew Community Hub, Station Lane, 10.30am-2.30pm
Grow your words in this ‘Plantable Poetry’ workshop.
Create your own seed filled plantable paper out of recycled materials and create short lyrical verses with the support of Lizzie Lovejoy from the STRIKE collective.
Admission FREE.
Friday 26 June – Crumbs, presented by Badapple Theatre. Community Hub South, Wynyard Road, 6.30pm
Badapple Theatre presents the long-awaited sequel to their hit show The Daily Bread! Crumbs is a laugh-out-loud one-woman comedy from Kate Bramley, blending clowning, criminal conspiracy, and live-baking.
Our ex-TV baking star Petronella Parfait is out of a job and out of her depth, trying to reinvent herself in the cut-throat world of social media influencers. Can she keep the lights – and the oven – on as her live come-back show descends into delicious disaster?
Expect big laughs, bold flavours and a tasty treat for the audience at the end!
Tickets cost £10, or £7 for concessions.
Places at the above events must be booked in advance (a small booking fee applies to paid events).
For details of the whole Tees-wide programme and to book tickets, visit www.crossingthetees.org/whats-on.
Gemma Ptak, Hartlepool Borough Council's Director of Housing, Communities and Growth, said: “Whether you're an avid reader or an aspiring writer, Crossing The Tees is an unmissable celebration of the written word.
“A key highlight of Hartlepool’s vibrant creative scene, it offers a unique chance to meet acclaimed authors, hear their work brought to life, and gain fascinating insight into the inspiration behind their stories."