Literature festival venues named

Andy Kershaw will be performing at The Flying Horse Hotel

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The venues for Rochdale Literature & Ideas Festival have been announced. Twelve venues will be hosting more than 30 live events during the festival which includes music, readings, comedy, children’s shows, interviews and talks.

The main festival venue will be Rochdale Central Library at Number One Riverside. The library and first floor Hollingworth Conference Suite will stage some performances, including talks by actress Helen Lederer, writer Jackie Kay, playwright Bonnie Greer OBE, comedian Dom Joly and author Jonathan Harvey. Number Ten Gallery on Baille Street, Touchstones Arts and Heritage Centre, Rochdale Town Hall and Bar Vibe Music Venue will also host events.

New venues for 2015 include Hopwood Hall College Theatre in Middleton, the Church of St Edmund and Rochdale Pioneers Museum.

The Flying Horse Hotel hosts Andy Kershaw’s acclaimed one man live show and a Theatre Writing Showcase will be at The Baum.

Warm up events will also be held at Middleton Arena, Rochdale Town Hall, The Baum and Number One Riverside.

The festival will be staged from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October. It will offer people a chance to get together with others to share or discover a passion for reading and books.

Other highlights include author/poet Gervase Phinn, ‘Emmerdale’ star and photographer Bill Ward, the Poet Laureate Dame Carol Ann Duffy, television historian David Starkey CBE and poet Lemn Sissay.

Under the theme ‘expand your mind’ - the programme covers workshops, music, readings, children’s shows, interviews, talks and more from other guests including playwright Ian Townsend, artist Jim Medway, poet Andrew McMillan, plus authors Frances Brody, SF Said and Sathnam Sanghera.

There is a full programme of free events for children and families themed ‘Pirate Adventures'.

The festival celebrates and promotes the Maskew Collection of classic literature and philosophy at Rochdale Central Library, encouraging people to engage in thought and philosophy. It is due to the generosity of Annie and Frank Maskew, a Rochdale couple who shared a passion for reading and thinking, who originally met in Rochdale Library. They left a sum of money to be used on resources and events related to literature, and philosophy to ensure classic works are available for future generations.