Saturday 15th June
The Big Book
Humberstone Gate
12pm and 2pm
FREE
Drop by Humberstone Gate and take a look at our ten foot book. A play created by Soft Touch Community Arts and children from Highfields will get Everybody’s Reading off to a flying start…
Funded by Awards for All
Information: 0116 270 2706
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Sunday 16th June
HENRY V (PG)
Phoenix Arts, Newarke St
3pm
£4.40/£3.40
Laurence Olivier puts the fizz back in Shakespeare with an imaginative treatment of the events leading up to the Battle of Agincourt.
Box Office: 0116 255 4854
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Celebrity Song Recital
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery

6.45pm - 7.15pm
John Florance "Off The Record" discussion with the performers
(Free to ticket holders)

Concert: 7.30pm
£14 /£10

Emma Kirkby (soprano) & James Lisney (piano) bring us songs set to the words of writers such as Shakespeare, Mayrhofer and Goethe.
A Leicester International Music Festival event.
Box Office: 0116 255 4854
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Monday 17th June
The Maltese Falcon (PG)
Phoenix Arts, Newarke St
1pm
£4.40/£3.40

The defining Hollywood thriller based on Dashiell Hammett’s pulp-fiction original sees private eye Humphrey Bogart on the trail of the priceless black bird.
Box Office: 0116 255 4854
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Bali Rai
Fosse Library, Mantle Road
4.30pm - 6pm
FREE
Bali Rai, author of (Un)arranged Marriage (long-listed for Leicester’s Book of the Year Award 2002), talks about what Leicester means to him and how it has influenced his writing.
Information: 0116 225 4995
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Saffron Writers’ Group Reading
Haymarket Theatre Bar, Belgrave Gate
7.30pm
FREE
Launching Saffron Arts Forum’s annual exhibition, Saffron Writers Group read from their original work, which often reflects issues relevant to life on Saffron Lane.
Information: 0116 283 2335 (Robin, Jenni or Jackie)
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Tuesday 18th June
Helen Boynton
Fosse Library, Mantle Road
2pm
FREE
Author of local history books, including The Changing Face of London Road, Helen Boynton talks about Leicester in days gone by.
Information: 0116 225 4995
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Lynda Page
Age Concern, Humberstone Gate
2pm – 4pm
50p - tickets in advance from Age Concern Library or on the door (refreshments included)
Best-selling local writer, Lynda Page, talks about her life as a writer and how Leicester has influenced her work.
www.lyndapage.com
Information: 0116 253 1995
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Wednesday 19th June
The ‘Top Ten’ of popular poetry - Soundbites
Richard Attenborough Centre (RAC), Lancaster Rd
12.45pm -1.45pm
FREE (refreshments for sale)
Richard Gill and RAC literature students present readings of favourite poems that have stood the test of time, and ask: "Why are they popular?"
Information: 0116 252 2455 (Steven Pegg)
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Thursday 20th June
Look and Listen Creative Workshop
27A Access Artspace, 27A Belvoir Street
10am – 12pm
FREE (coffee provided)
An open writing workshop with the Outreach Writers group – all welcome.
Information: 0116 222 9030
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Multilingual storytelling with music
Leicester Adult Education College, Wellington Street
10am-12pm
FREE
Leicester Adult Education College’s ESOL students bring us a wealth of world stories with musical accompaniment.
Part of Leicester’s celebrations of National Refugee Week
Information: 0116 233 4343 (Catherine Gwinnett)
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Lavinia Greenlaw
Phoenix Bar, Newarke Street
12.30pm – 1.30pm
FREE
Established poet, Lavinia Greenlaw talks about her first novel, Mary George of Allnorthover.
"A terrific novel" – Evening Standard
Information: 0116 252 7347
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SoundsWrite Workshop with Lavinia Greenlaw
7.15pm - 9.30 pm
Vaughan College, St. Nicholas Circle
£2 on the door (only 20 places available, phone 270 2661 to book a place)
Join SoundsWrite, a Leicester-based women's poetry group, for an evening of poetic exploration, writing and reading. The workshop will be led by the poet Lavinia Greenlaw. Bring pen, paper and an open mind!
Information: 0116 270 2661
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Leicester and Literature – guided walk
Starts 2.30pm from Town Hall Square (approx. 1.5hrs)
FREE, limited places - advance booking recommended.
Leicester features in books more often than you think - discover our city through the words and writings of many well-known authors.
Information: 0116 299 5405
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Poetry from England to Asia
St. Barnabas Library, French Road
7pm - -8.30pm
FREE (refreshments provided)
An evening of poetry in English and Asian languages
Information: 0116 299 5450
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Talking Writers
Leicester Adult Education College, Wellington Street
7pm - 9pm
£3 (includes wine and nibbles) Tickets available on the door.
The Leicester Writers' Club presents an array of Leicester writers. Be amongst the first to hear work hot off the press. Find out how we do it and how you can do it too.
Information: 0116 233 4343 (Ros Adam)
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The Road to McCarthy - Pete McCarthy
Phoenix Arts, Newarke Street
8pm
£9/£7
"The funniest book I’ve read this year" John Walsh.
Comedian Pete McCarthy is now a no.1 best-selling author who can’t resist adventure, danger and stout. His new book, The Road to McCarthy, takes Pete from Cork & Belfast to Gibraltar, Morocco, New York, Tasmania, and Alaska on an epic pilgrimage in pursuit of far-flung Irish connections. A funny, engaging and warm-hearted evening.
Supported by Leicester City Libraries. Book signing follows the show. Box Office: 0116 255 4854
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Friday 21st June
Salsa Day at Central Lending Library
Salsa Workshop with El Nico
Central Lending Library, Belvoir Street
12.30pm – 1.30pm
FREE - Limited places available, tickets in advance from the library.
Come along in your lunch hour and learn to Salsa!

South American Disco
Central Lending Library, Belvoir Street
8pm – 10.30pm
£2 (includes glass of sangria)
Tickets in advance from the library or on the door.
Dance away your midsummer blues!
Information: 0116 299 5447 (Lindsay)
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The Pillow Book (15)
Phoenix Arts, Newarke Street
6.05pm
£4.40/£3.40
A passion for writing and sex powers this tale of a Chinese woman who uses the bodies of her lovers to scribble her erotic desires.
Phoenix Box Office: 0116 255 4854
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The Sweet Smell of Temptation
The Guildhall, Guildhall Lane
8pm
£7.50 /£6 (including wine or juice)
An evening of stories & music, with Liza Watts (storyteller) & Sarah Fawcett (musician). Stories of the lust for power and love from around the world.
A Leicester International Music Festival Event.
Box Office: 0116 255 4854.
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Saturday 22nd June
Alternative Therapy drop-in day
Beaumont Leys Library
10.30am - 3pm
FREE
Drop in and pamper yourself with a whole range of alternative therapies.
Information: 0116 299 5460
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Welcome Home
The City Gallery, Granby Street
Workshop 1: 10.30am -12pm
Workshop 2: 1.30pm-2.30pm
£2.50 per child (accompanying adults free) Booking essential.

Art workshops for the family. Performance artist Dave ‘Stickman’ Higgins will take you on a journey through words, sounds, objects, rhythms and aromas, to create a cloth memory map of personal identity.
Information: 0116 254 0595
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A trio of local talent
LOROS Bookshop, Queens Road
12pm - 4pm
FREE
Drop in and meet local writers, Helen Boynton, Derek Seaton and Doug Smith, whose books focus on Leicester past and present.
Information: 0116 270 9955
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Music & Sweet Poetry
Leicester Adult Education College, Wellington Street
3pm – 4pm
£4/3.50 from Phoenix Arts or Leicester Adult Education College
John Florance looks at the relationship between words and music – with musical excerpts.
A Leicester International Music Festival Event
Box Office: 0116 255 4854
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Cabaret poetry night
The Ale Wagon, Charles Street
8.30pm
£3 from Little Thorn Book Shop, Humberstone Gate, or on the door
Acoustic music, poetry and stand-up comedy, hosted by the Little Thorn Book Co-operative.
Information: 0116 251 2002
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Sunday 23rd June
Belgrave Hall Book and Craft Club
Belgrave Hall & Gardens, Church Road, Belgrave
1pm - 3.30pm
FREE (Suitable for 4-11 year olds – children must be accompanied by an adult)
Come along and enjoy an afternoon of storytelling, craft activities and trails.
Information: 0116 266 6590
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A Taste of Bengali Literature
Bangladesh Youth and Cultural Shomiti, 30-32 Biddulph Street
2pm – 5pm
FREE
Readings of works by Bengali poets Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam and others, including modern writers and local published poets.
Part of ‘Confluence’, a literature and music project of BYCS supported by East Midlands Arts.
Information: 0116 275 5855 (Dr Shofiqul Islam Chowdhury)
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Flora Poetica
Redland Garden of the Senses, Abbey Park
3pm
£2.50/1.50 available from Browsers Bookshop or on the door
Join Sarah Maguire, Mimi Khalvati and Moniza Alvi for an afternoon of poetry with a floral twist, A delicious combination of writers, originating from England, Iran and Pakistan, introduce you to Flora Poetica, a new anthology of botanical verse. Followed by book signings with Browsers Bookshop.
Part of the 120th anniversary celebrations of Abbey Park.
Sponsored by Leicester City Libraries and Browsers Bookshop.
Information: 0116 252 7347
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The Playroom
Y Bar at the YMCA, East Street
Doors open at 7.00pm. Starts at 7.30pm
£3/£2 in advance from the Y Theatre, or on the door
A poetry and prose performance event, aiming to present new work and provide a platform for local performance artists.
Anyone interested in performing their work contact Dan Shaw: fathouse5@hotmail.com
Presented by FAT HOUSE.
Box Office: 0116 255 7066
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Monday 24th June
Poems from Nicaragua
Caffe Nero, Market Street
12pm – 1pm
FREE
Poetry in Spanish and English celebrating 15 years of Leicester’s Link with Nicaragua. Read by members of the Leicester Masaya Link group.
Information: 0116 254 0955
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Memories of a Leicester Life
2.30pm - 3.30pm
Fosse Library, Mantle Road
FREE
The Outreach Writers Group read from group member, Dorothy K Walton's, ‘Memories of a Leicester Life’.
Information: 0116 225 4995
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The Remains of The Day (12)
Phoenix Arts, Newarke Street
6.05pm
£4.40/£3.40
An exquisite meditation on stifled lives by-passed by history. A gorgeous rendition of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel starring Anthony Hopkins.
Phoenix Box Office: 0116 255 4854
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Food and words from around the world (in Gujarati and English)
Highfields Library, Melbourne Road
7pm
FREE
Join the chef from Indigo Restaurant and library staff for an evening of food and words from around the world.
Information: 0116 299 5494
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Community History Network meeting
City Rooms, Hotel Street
7.30pm (doors open 7.00pm)
FREE
What do children’s books and magazines reveal of their time? A talk by Christine Thornhill of the East Midlands Oral History Archive.
Information: 0116 299 5417
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Tears for the Tortured - Freddy Macha
Y Theatre, East Street
7.30pm
£3/£2 available in advance or on the door
Tanzanian musician and poet, Freddy Macha, brings you rhythms and words to celebrate National Refugee Week and the International Day in support of Victims of Torture. www.author.co.uk/macha
Sponsored by Leicester City Libraries in collaboration with the Leicester local group of Amnesty International.
Box Office 0116 255 7066
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Tuesday 25th June
What makes a good crime novel? - Jane Adams
6.30pm – 8pm
Evington Library, Evington Lane
FREE
Local writer Jane Adams talks about her own work and considers what makes a good crime novel.
Information: 0116 273 9518
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Wednesday 26th June
Looking forward Looking back
Theatre of New College South
3.30-6.30pm
FREE
A Literacy Celebration, showcasing the work of young people and teachers of schools in Leicester South and West Education Action Zone.
The afternoon will include a guest speaker (tbc), a performance of young people's work and displays of literacy work from around the zone. There will be the chance to buy published collections of young people's work.
Information: 0116 249 2080
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Knighton Nibbles
Knighton Library, Clarendon Park Road
5.30 - 8pm
FREE
Bring along your favourite dish to our tasting session and help us create Knighton’s own cookery book.
Information: 0116 299 5477
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Blake’s Relief Etching
Leicester Print Workshop, 50 St. Stephen’s Road,
6.30pm – 9pm
£20/£18 Book your place at Leicester Print Workshop.
In the late 18th Century William Blake pioneered a way of printing text and image at the same time. Come along and find out how!
Information: 0116 255 3634
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The Writing School Open Evening
Leicester Adult Education College, Wellington Street
7pm
FREE tickets in advance from the college
An evening with the Writing School at Leicester Adult Education College: including a programme of readings by students, many of whom have been published and a drop in taster workshop.
Information: 0116 233 4343 (Valerie Moore)
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Modern Love
8pm
African Caribbean Centre (ACC), Maidstone Road
£3/£2 tickets in advance from the ACC or on the door
An evening of cutting edge performance poetry and DJ action; Malika Booker, Charlie Dark and Roger Robinson take a contemporary look at love in the 21st century.

In association with Renaissance One. Sponsored by Leicester City Libraries and the ACC and supported by LACAF.
Information: 0116 252 7347
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Thursday 27th June
The Usual Suspects (18)
Phoenix Arts, Newarke Street
6.05pm
£4.40/£3.40
Superb thriller about the nature of narrative in which five criminals come unstuck when they start to mess with the ultimate bogeyman of storytelling: Keyser Soze.
Phoenix Box Office: 0116 255 4854
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The Mermaids and the Drunks - Ben Richards
7.30pm – 9.30pm
Central Lending Library, Belvoir Street
FREE (refreshments included)
Ben Richards, acclaimed author of Throwing the house out of the window, talks about his forthcoming novel set in Chile, The mermaid and the drunks.
Information: 0116 299 5447 (Lindsay)
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The Brightside
Bar Gaudi, High St
Doors 8pm, Show 8.30pm
£4/£3 Over 18s only
Leicester’s Brightside brings you a Pandora’s dustbin of distinguished degenerates, plus the regular conglomeration of words, music and fuzziness.
Information: 07980 996 258 (Rob)
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Friday 28th June
Leicester traditional cake event
Highfields Library, Melbourne Road
7pm
FREE
Do you like making cakes? Or just eating them? Come along to Highfields Library and see the results of our traditional cake competition. And why not enter?
Information: 0116 299 5494
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Prize Giving and Poetry Reading - Jackie Kay
Leicester Adult Education College, Wellington Street
7.30pm
£3.50/£2.50, tickets on the door

Renowned poet and novelist Jackie Kay will read from her work and announce the competition results of Leicester Poetry Society’s Open Poetry Competition 2002.
Prize winners and commended poets will read their poems.
Information: 0116 233 8338
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Saturday 29th June
'The House of Poetry’ Poetry Workshop with Jackie Kay
Beaumont Leys Library, Beaumont Way
10am - 12.30pm

£5/£3 (Only 16 places are available. Phone 0116 299 5460 to book a place from Monday 13 May.)
An advanced workshop for people who want to create narrative poetry, with the critically acclaimed poet, Jackie Kay.
Information: 0116 299 5460
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"Everybody’s Shopping"
The Just Shop, Bishop Street (in Town Hall Square)
11am – 3pm
FREE
Making the link between shopping, international trade and fairtrade issues through the spoken word, East Midlands writers add their perspective to the global debate. An informal event with speakers throughout the day. Drop in between 11am and 3pm for a taster. Part of Leicester’s Globeshare Initiative.
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A book by its cover?
New Walk Museum
1pm - 4pm
FREE
They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but now you can! Local children’s writer Pippa Goodhart will be ‘writer-in-residence’ for the afternoon, helping you create a story or poem to put inside your own marbled and decorated book cover.
Information: 0116 255 4100
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Can you tell me a story?
Browsers Bookshop Garden, Allandale Road
2pm – 4pm
FREE (refreshments for sale)
A storytelling event where the children are in control. Members of the Federation of Children’s Book Groups will read on demand. Bring along your favourite book, or ask them to choose one for you.
Information: 0116 270 1684
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Small press exhibition
2pm – 5pm
Little Thorn Book Shop, Humberstone Gate
FREE
An exhibition of work published by small, independent publishers from across the UK.
Information: 0116 251 2002
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Sunday 30th June
Writing on the Wall
3pm - 4pm
Phoenix Arts, Newarke Street
£2/£1
The culmination of an intensive three week project. Presenting a play written against the clock by writer Louise Page, with the help of people with physical and learning difficulties from across Leicester.
See Page xx for details
Box Office: 0116 255 4854
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Silver Tongues
8pm
The Ale Wagon, Charles St.
£1 on the door
Open mike poetry and music session with local poets and musicians. Come and listen or take part.
Information: 0116 262 3330
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