CityLife

Oldham Literature Festival 2009

Helen Walsh

OLDHAM Literature Festival is well underway and and will run until Thursday 1 October. This year's lineup features a range of authors, from emerging thriller writers to prizewinning literary novelists, appearing across eight libraries all around the city from Royton to Failsworth and beyond.

On Wednesday 23 September there will be readings from author Clare Allan, whose first novel Poppy Shakespeare was longlisted for the Orange Prize and adapted into a major Channel 4 drama, and the novelist Anne Zouroudi. Zouroudi writes the popular Mysteries of the Greek Detective novels and will be reading from her latest work, The Doctor of Thessaly.

Official cheerleeder for the north Stuart Maconie will appear on Thursday 24 September at Oldham Library. Maconie is a broadcaster, journalist and author who wrote the bestselling northern travelogue Pies and Prejudice and will be introducing his latest book Adventures on the High Teas, a journey into the world of middle England.

Also on Thursday, there's a chance to catch local bestselling author Helen Walsh. Walsh shot to fame in 2004 with her raw debut novel Brass and will be reading from her follow up Once Upon A Time In England, a unique snapshot of northern life that led to a coveted Somerset Maugham Award.

On Wednesday 30 September acclaimed storyteller and screenwriter Sadie Jones will be reading from her second novel Small Wars, which chronicles the devastating consequences of a marriage put under pressure. Jones' debut, The Outcast, was nominated for the Orange Prize.

And on Thursday 1 October two promising young thriller writers Mandasue Heller and Matt Hilton will be reading from their work. Heller's hard-hitting tales have seen her touted as Manchester's answer to Martina Cole and Hilton is an emerging talent whose second book Judgement and Wrath is due later this year.

For more information and tickets visit the link to the right of the page