Speakers
We are proud to announce that Poet, Broadcaster and Comedian, Ian McMillan, Author Bernard Ashley, and Author Elizabeth Laird will be speaking at The Big Book Swap!
Ian McMillan is poet-in-residence for The Academy of Urbanism and Barnsley FC. He’s UK Trade & Investment’s Poet, Yorkshire TV’s Investigative Poet and Humberside Police’s Beat Poet. He is also Visiting Professor at Bolton University and an honorary doctor at three other universities – “You can call me Doctor Doctor Doctor…”
Famous for his hilarious poems and described as “a force of nature” (The Guardian) and “without doubt the funniest, quirkiest, sharpest presenter in the business” (The Observer), we are very lucky to have him attend. For more information on Ian, please go to www.ian-mcmillan.co.uk
Ian McMillan will be at The Big Book Swap to read some of his work and chat to some ‘book-swappers’ starting at 6:30pm. So get there early!
Bernard Ashley, a native Londoner, had his first novel The Trouble with Donovan Croft published in 1974 whilst working as a teacher and has since gone on to write nineteen further novels as well as several acclaimed television and theatre works.
Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal three times, Bernard is described as being “a ‘gritty’ writer in sympathy with the underdog”. Philip Pullman wrote of him “Bernard Ashley’s great gift is to turn what seems to be low-key realism into something much stronger and more resonant…”
We are delighted to have Bernard speaking at the Big Book Swap and he will be taking the floor at 7:00pm.
Elizabeth Laird is winner of the Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year and the Stockport Book Award. Her books have also been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, the Blue Peter Award and the Sheffield Children’s Book Award, to name just a few.
Praise from The Guardian for Elizabeth’s novel ‘The Paradise End’: “it is a dizzying mix of champagne, beauty, ugliness and hatred. Necessary, yet shocking; right, yet tear-inducing; horrible, yet hopeful – that’s clever writing indeed.”
Her current book, ‘The Garbage King’, weaves together the real-life experiences of kids on the streets of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. Their stories, though terrible at times, shine through with pride and hope for the future.
A clearly inspirational and adventurous lady, we are very much looking forward to hearing Elizabeth speak about her book and her time in Africa. Elizabeth will be at The Big Book Swap from 7:15-7:30pm. Don’t miss her!
For more information on Elizabeth, please go to www.elizabethlaird.co.uk
