Enfield’s cultural and literary heritage will be celebrated at a unique event taking place at Edmonton Green Library on 27 January
- The first Enfield Literary Festival comes to Edmonton Green Library
- The Festival will host a number of speakers and workshops
- Support for Enfield Council’s London Borough of Culture bid growing
The Enfield Literary Festival, funded by Arts Council England, will be filled with lectures and workshops, all taking place in Enfield Council’s newly renovated hub library in the heart of Edmonton.
The schedule includes:
o 10am-12pm A surgery and talk from Catherine Johnson (author and writer for film, TV and radio) talking about and lending advice on, creative writing.
o 1-3pm Workshop and Talk from Alex Woolf (local author). A workshop on creative writing, and a talk about how his passion for history and science has helped shape his fiction.
o 3-4pm Lecture by Dr. Katy Beavers (The Charles Lamb Society) on Charles and Mary Lamb - Idolisation, Inspiration and Insanity.
o 4-5pm Journalism Talk by Martin Russo, (Founder & Editor of Entwo for Enfield) asking whether the rise of digital media, blogs and hyper-local journalism has enriched our local media landscape.
Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Arts & Culture, Cllr Yasemin Brett, said: “This is a wonderful addition to Enfield’s thriving arts and community calendar and we are extremely happy the Festival has chosen Edmonton Green Library for its inaugural celebration. Enfield has a strong literary history and it is truly heart-warming to see the work done by schools, colleges, volunteers and our strong communities to help this tradition persevere. I would like to wish the organisers of this event the best of luck - and happy writing and reading to all who attend!”
The festival has been launched by Martin Russo, the founder and editor of Entwo for Enfield, an independent community news network. Mr Russo said, “I am thrilled to celebrate Enfield’s illustrious literary history with an event that caters to a variety of interests. I hope to continue this festival for years to come.”
The Enfield Literary Festival adds to Enfield’s already rich, cultural offerings. In November 2017, Enfield Council launched its bid to be crowned London’s first Borough of Culture. The competition was introduced by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. The capital's 32 boroughs are bidding for more than £1 million of funding to stage a programme of cultural events and initiatives and will be supported by a grant of £300,000 from City Bridge Trust, part of the City of London Corporation.
Enfield’s bid builds upon the unique characteristics of the borough and the rich cultural diversity of the people that live within it, thereby supporting Enfield Council’s plans to encourage growth and sustainability.
January’s Literary Festival precedes June’s flagship literary event at the Dugdale Centre. For more information, keep an eye on the Dugdale centre’s web page.