September 2019
Ideas into Stories: Writing Workshop with Beth Miller
Struggling to get decent ideas for stories? Or perhaps you’re sorted for ideas but aren’t sure how to turn them into a story that works?
Find out more »Flash Fiction workshop with Vanessa Gebbie
Find out how flash techniques can help bust the dreaded writers’ block, and what can we do with them when we’ve made them?
Find out more »Finding Another Voice – poetry workshop with Catherine Smith
This workshop will encourage writers to ‘find another voice’ so that the default setting of autobiography can be challenged
Find out more »Poetry and Music Open Mic – no tickets required, this is an open event in a local pub
A P Staunton, past winner of the Wordfest Slam, has established a monthly spoken word event with poetry, music and a lively pub crowd
Find out more »An Introduction to the Poetry of Elizabeth Bishop with John McCullough
This small group session John McCullough will discuss some of her best-known poems by Elizabeth Bishop
Find out more »Lynne Truss – The Man That Got Away
Popular author, Lynne Truss, will discuss the latest novel in her new series, The Constable Twitten Mysteries, set in Brighton
Find out more »Children’s Creative Writing Workshop with Tess Jolly
Tess is an award-winning poet who runs Tiger’s Eye Writers, a regular creative writing class for children
Find out more »Tales by the Riverbank – an evening of story-telling
An invitation to tell a story, or listen to, in the perfect setting of the Verda Houseboat on the River Adur
Find out more »The Barber of Seville – performed by Barefoot Opera
Barefoot Opera bring their inventive, exuberant ensemble style to Rossini’s comic masterpiece of bribery, deception and disguise.
Find out more »A Walk Along the River Adur with Dr. Geoffrey Mead
Dr Mead will lead a guided ramble along the banks of the River Adur, explaining how the estuary has changed and been shaped over time
Find out more »Shoreham Writers’ Day: Working With Young People
Developing creative projects with young people through schools and community groups is a valuable market for writers.
Find out more »Shoreham Writers’ Day: The Power of Research
Uncovering personal histories and unexpected stories can provide exciting inspiration for writers.
Find out more »Shoreham Writers’ Day: Preparing and Pitching Your Work
Presenting and marketing yourself and your work is a crucial part of being a writer.
Find out more »The Freya Connection – with Umi Sinha and Elizabeth Scott
Umi and Elizabeth tell an extraordinary and inspiring true story of heroism and adventure.
Find out more »Shoreham Writers’ Day: The Future of Publishing
Non-traditional publishing routes are on the rise. New trends in crowd-funding, online, hybrid and self-publishing have expanded the publishing parameters for writers.
Find out more »Science Fiction – Visions of the Future with Professor Roger Luckhurst
In this talk he will discuss current trends in science fiction writing and the impact it has had on the way we, in the 2010s, imagine our future
Find out more »Wordfest Open Mic evening: poetry, prose and flash fiction
Our Creative Writing Tutors, Beth Miller and Catherine Smith, both published writers, will share some of their own writing along with participants from their workshops
Find out more »After Cezanne by Maitreyabandhu
After Cezanne is a series of 56 poems inspired by the life and work of post-impressionist painter Paul Cezanne
Find out more »October 2019
Dorothy Koomson – Tell Me Your Secret
Join us for an evening with award-winning, global bestselling author Dorothy Koomson as she discusses her new gripping emotional thriller Tell Me Your Secret
Find out more »Stanley Johnson – Rewilding our Countryside
Broadcaster, journalist, author, conservationist, and now reality TV star, Stanley Johnson’s achievements are numerous.
Find out more »A Coach Tour of Shoreham Port
Tony Parker, Director of Infrastructure and Climate Change, will lead a guided coach tour of Shoreham Port
Find out more »National Poetry Day – Poetry Pharmacy – Free Event
Come and consult our Poetry Pharmacy. Poetic remedies for the trials and tribulations of life.
Find out more »The Long Man and the Bleeding Nun – A talk on the poetry of Andrew Young by Keith Massey
Admired by C.S.Lewis and Philip Larkin, Andrew Young lived in Sussex for fifty years, and much of his accessible and illuminating poetry celebrates its iconic landscapes.
Find out more »Entries and Exits – Simon Brett
Wordfest patron, Simon Brett, performs one of his hilarious one-man plays, Entries and Exits.
Find out more »A Coach Tour of Shoreham Port
Tony Parker, Director of Infrastructure and Climate Change, will lead a guided coach tour of Shoreham Port
Find out more »Chalkscape – The Shaping of the South Downs in Prehistory
Matthew Pope is Principal Research Fellow in Palaeolithic Archaeology at the UCL Institute of Archaeology.
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Climate Emergency Summit
Peter Owen-Jones, TV presenter, explorer and ecological thinker, will start the day with a hard-hitting call for action
Find out more »The Takeover Twins bring a charming show to Lancing Parish Hall
Molly isn’t an ordinary girl, and Munch isn’t an ordinary dinosaur - come and see for yourself!
Find out more »Roger Stevens – Poetry for Children
Roger Stevens will be performing some of his most popular poems.
Find out more »The Takeover Twins bring a charming show to Eastbrook Manor Community centre
Molly isn’t an ordinary girl, and Munch isn’t an ordinary dinosaur - come and see for yourself!
Find out more »The Leylines – Folk Rock Band
The Leylines are a west-country collective with a genre-defying, eclectic sound that ranges from traditional folk to full blown festival rock.
Find out more »When Trees Could Speak – Brambledash Theatre
Fern the Folklorogist lives in the woods and has secrets and stories to tell. This is a magical immersive storytelling show about trees, friendship and the importance of nature in our lives.
Find out more »When Trees Could Speak – Brambledash Theatre 2PM – 3PM
Fern the Folklorogist lives in the woods and has secrets and stories to tell. This is a magical immersive storytelling show about trees, friendship and the importance of nature in our lives.
Find out more »Our Future, Our Climate. Our World! – a workshop for young people
A day of gaming and discussion for young people aged 13-18. , to explore issues relating to climate change
Find out more »Changing Landscapes
The Sussex Landscape has evolved over millions of years through natural processes of tectonic movements, periglacial activity and the constant weathering of rain, wind and sun, river and wave action.
Find out more »Weatherland – Alexandra Harris
Alexandra is Professor of English at the University of Birmingham, a literary critic, cultural historian and self-confessed lover of buildings, landscapes, seasons and stories.
Find out more »Cohere – Writing in Response to Dislocation
Cohere is a writing project from North-East England, curated by Brighton-based photographer Nina Emett of FotoDocument.
Find out more »Why Shouldn’t I Go? By Janet Behan
Writer/actor Janet Behan, author of the celebrated biographical Brendan at the Chelsea, brings her funny and poignant triple bill to Wordfest 2019.
Find out more »Artificial Intelligence: Service or Master?
Dr. Frederique Bone and Dr. Simone Vannuccini, researchers at the Science Policy Research Unit of the University of Sussex, will offer a ‘guided tour’ into the opportunities and challenges of Artificial Intelligence.
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An Audience with John Humphrys
John Humphrys, broadcaster and author, launches his new book – details of which are a closely guarded secret.
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The World Turned Upside Down – a discussion with Polly Toynbee, Isabel Hardman and Paul Johnson
Ivor Gaber, Professor of Political Journalism at the University of Sussex will be discussing the current, and future, prospects for Britain's politics, economy and society with Polly Toynbee of the Guardian, author of Dismembered
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We Choose to Go to the Moon – Dallas Campbell. A Brief History of Human Spaceflight
2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, one of human history’s defining moments.
Find out more »H.G.Wells – An Illustrated talk by Janet Pressley
H.G. Wells: scientist, political visionary, lover and one of the great literary figures of the twentieth century.
Find out more »Sea Fever – The Pleasures and The Perils a film and talk with David Parker
Surrounded by water as we are, with the tide ebbing and flowing, both drawn to the sea and yet at the same time terrified by its awesome, destructive power.
Find out more »Michael Morpurgo’s I Believe in Unicorns – magical theatre from Wizard Presents with Danyah Miller
This intimate show is set in a library full of books that hold more than stories within their pages. It is a tale of the power of books, and the bravery of a young boy called Tomas.
Find out more »The Golden Age of Canals – David Parker
The inland waterways were the life-blood of the first industrial revolution until the railways came along.
Find out more »Michael Morpurgo’s I Believe in Unicorns – magical theatre from Wizard Presents with Danyah Miller
This intimate show is set in a library full of books that hold more than stories within their pages. It is a tale of the power of books, and the bravery of a young boy called Tomas.
Find out more »Wordfest Party with Old Play retro-rock band
Join us in a celebration at the end of our 2019 Wordfest, dance and sing along to OldPlay performing some of the best songs of the 1960’s and 70s.
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A Walk Along the River Adur with Dr. Geoffrey Mead
Dr Mead will lead a guided ramble along the banks of the River Adur, explaining how the estuary has changed and been shaped over time
Find out more »November 2019
Keep Clear – launch of Tom Cutler’s new book
Tom Cutler launches his new book, Keep Clear: my adventures with Asperger’s, a bittersweet account of self-discovery, living with Aspergers
Find out more »Orlando – Sunday 17th November at Ropetackle Arts Centre 8pm
From Dyad Productions, the award-winning creators of Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, Dalloway, The Unremarkable Death of Marilyn Monroe, and Austen’s Women.
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Simon Armitage – Poet Laureate reading from Sandettie Light Vessel Automatic
Described as ‘the Auden of his generation” and “as popular as Philip Larkin.”, Simon Armitage’s well-deserved appointment as UK Poet Laureate puts him in the footsteps of Ted Hughes and Carol Ann Duffy.
Find out more »January 2020
The Feast of Fools
Where medieval and modern times meet! A highly apt ending to our festival of so many transformations, the Feast of Fools originated in 11th-century France and spread throughout Europe until as late as the 16th century when it was finally banned. During this much-loved festival, with its roots deep in antiquity, much of society was inverted; in particular the young were empowered, a child crowned Bishop and the noble ass revered! Join our merry party in the ultimate metamorphosis, and…
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Herbie Flowers & Friends Concert
In aid of the Mighty Magnus Medicine fund The Mighty Magnus Medicine Fund was created to raise funds for 8 year-old Magnus, who has a rare, aggressive and life-threatening cancer, to cover the cost of essential treatment in the USA that is not offered by the NHS. Tickets and Booking: Tickets £12 from Ditchling Post Office Ticket Price: Adult : £12 Box Office: 01273 845361
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West Sussex Writers present: Writing as Healing with Phil Hewitt
Sussex Newspapers group arts editor and marathon runner Phil Hewitt is beating back the demons with a new book which celebrates the massive mental health benefits of running. He will be talking to West Sussex Writers about his experiences writing the book, Outrunning The Demons (Bloomsbury, 2019), on January 9th. Phil suffered serious injuries after a vicious assault when travelling in South Africa. He discovered the healing effect of running, and interviewed over 30 other people who have outrun their…
Find out more »March 2020
International Women’s Day Event
An evening of Women’s empowerment with sparkling speakers and stimulating discussion. Refreshments, Information, Stalls Community Mural activity 5.30-6PM : Talks start at 6PM Come early and join artist Sonjiart at 5:30pm to make a Community Mural project on the theme of Intergenerational stories of Women and girls: ‘Bringing friendship, energy, and history together’ The main event starts at 6pm, Councillors Debbie Kennard, Joss Loader and Lavinia O’Connor will chair speakers and discussions exploring experiences of being female in the 21st century, modern day…
Find out more »Ending the War on Nature
A Series of 5 Talks by Sussex Wildlife Trust February to June 2020 at Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham-by-Sea Dr Tony Whitbread, independent ecologist and President of the Sussex Wildlife Trust will give three talks from February to April on key environmental issues, with an additional talk in May by Henri Brocklebank on marine conservation. There will be a final session in June looking at the overall theme of environmental protection. Wednesday 12 February - Rewilding A discussion about what we…
Find out more »May 2020
Shoreham Wordfest hosts Alexander McCall Smith at the Big Book Festival
Alexander McCall Smith was due to appear at a special Wordfest event on 22 May and we are delighted that he accepted our invitation to appear on behalf of Shoreham Wordfest during the Big Book Weekend (BBW). He recorded his special message and readings at home and will appear on www.myvlf.com My VLF is a new start-up company which has produced a very attractive on-line environment which replicates the sort of experience we might have at a real literary festival, but…
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