25 September 2008

What’s your reading footprint?

We all know it, we hear it all the time: buying and using local products, whatever they may be, is good for our communities, and good for the environment. But while you might have been thinking about buying local, have you been reading local?

Friday 26 September will see Newcastle Central Station turned into New Writing North’s virtual living room for the day, as we encourage North East commuters to sample some local literary produce. We’ll have a real living room set up on the station concourse (complete with comfy sofa and chairs) and a well-stocked bookcase.

The event is supported by a wider campaign, Read Regional, which is promoting the following 10 books across bookshops and libraries in the North East:

Life Class, Pat Barker,
Sputnik Caledonia, Andrew Crumey
Before I Knew Him, Anna Ralph
Sandie Shaw and the Millionth Marvell Cooker, Wendy Robertson
Being Normal, Stephen Shieber
The Sinking Road, Paul Batchelor
The Glass Swarm, Peter Bennet
Self-Portrait In The Dark, Colette Bryce
Weeping For The Lovely Phantoms, Jo Colley
Stone Milk, Anne Stevenson

Some of the authors will be dropping into our station living room during the day to sign copies of their books and meet passers by.

We’ve also teamed up with local publisher Tonto Books to give away free copies of two of their most recent publications: Being Normal by Stephen Shieber, and Everything You Ever Wanted by Rosalind Wyllie.

We'll also be introducing North East commuters to BookCrossing to celebrate the National Year of Reading. BookCrossing is a fantastic way of sharing books by leaving them in public places for other people to pick up, read, and then leave somewhere else for the next reader to enjoy. We’ll be giving away some free books on the day from New Writing North’s own overstocked bookshelves.

This event is taking place as part of the Cultural Olympiad’s North East Open Weekend.