Tuesday 20 March
Taking the Plunge
Partnership event with local WEA creative writing groups
Once again we are delighted to welcome three local groups of creative writers - one from Headingley and two from the Osmondthorpe Hub - to take the plunge and share their work with us. Dark tales? Wry poems? A drama? Short stories with a twist? Or an entertaining excerpt from life writing? An eclectic selection of pieces to fascinate, amuse and arouse your curiosity. We also have a short introduction with local poets who share a snippet to whet your appetite.
11.00am - 1.30pm HEART Centre, Bennett Road
Free. Donations invited for refreshments

Headingley LitFest is indebted once again to have the support of the councillors and others on the Inner North West Leeds area management committee to fund their work with a wide range of schools. Our councillors have been consistent supporters of the interventions we make in the schools in our ‘patch’.
The grants support the work with primary school groups to develop confidence in writing and presentation through poetry, spoken word and short stories. Each young poet gets to perform their work and some have their original work included in a book or e-book as a further legacy of their work. Our work in schools starts in the late autumn and runs through the winter to early spring, so it is a large commitment from our volunteers and our poets. However, we are all passionate that developing original writing, using poetry as a genre, encourages a love of words, a curiosity about poetry and literature and an increased self-confidence in both writing and performing.
This year we have commissioned work with professional poets Malika Booker and James Nash. Schools in our 2017/18 programme so far have been: Brudenell, Ireland Wood, Quarry Mount, Shire Oak, and Spring Bank.
We are also working once again with the disabled writers from the Osmondthorpe Hub, in partnership with some of the Headingley creative writers, both WEA groups.
The LitFest has been organised this year by the following volunteers - Sally Bavage, Sheila Chapman, Mary Francis, Rachel Harkess, Doug Sandle and Richard Wilcocks.