Knowsley Libraries’ first ever Literature Festival has been hailed a resounding success, bringing together hundreds of residents to celebrate reading, writing and storytelling as part of the National Year of Reading.
The festival, which was made possible thanks to National Lottery Project Grants funding from Arts Council England, delivered an ambitious programme of author talks, readings, discussions and creative writing opportunities across libraries in Huyton, Kirkby, Halewood, Prescot and Stockbridge Village.
A total of 452 people attended events during the festival, demonstrating a strong appetite for literary activities across the borough and highlighting the important role libraries continue to play as welcoming community spaces for creativity, learning and cultural engagement.
The festival officially launched in May with an appearance by acclaimed screenwriter Jimmy McGovern at Huyton Library. The event proved particularly popular, selling out all available tickets and attracting the festival’s largest audience. The success followed an earlier sell-out event with screenwriter and author Tony Schumacher, with both events showcasing the growing demand for high-quality literary events in Knowsley’s libraries and helping to build momentum ahead of the borough’s first Literature Festival.
Throughout June, residents enjoyed the opportunity to meet a diverse range of authors and poets close to home. Festival guests included Andrea Christodoulou, Ramsey Campbell, Zoe Richards, Sean Watkin, T M Payne, Sarah Moorehead and Eliza Morton, offering audiences the chance to hear directly from established writers working across a variety of genres.
Here is what some of the audience members had to say:
‘Really enjoyed event, the time has just flown, will definitely be back”
“fantastic event, very well organised. Authors were interesting, informative and fun’’
“Fantastic to hear the stories told by Jimmy McGovern. I feel so privileged to have had the chance to attend. Please keep bringing in more writers, the homegrown talent makes us proud.”
“I’ve been looking forward to the event for a while, and it didn’t disappoint. It was fantastic and the author (Tony Schumacher) is a credit to the city. Home grown talent to be proud of.”
Alongside the public programme, the festival extended its reach into local schools through a series of author visits designed to inspire young readers and writers. In total, 750 children and 73 adults took part in activities delivered across eight school visits. The programme featured authors Piers Torday, Jen Carney, Simon Philip, Serena Patel, Sophie Anderson helping to spark imagination and encourage a lifelong love of reading among pupils across the borough.
Another key strand of the festival has been Write in the Heart of Knowsley, a six-month community creative writing project aimed at nurturing local talent and encouraging more people to explore their own creativity. Led by experienced writers Zoe Richards, JP Maxwell and poet Joseph Roberts, the programme continues to provide free, accessible opportunities for residents to develop their writing skills and connect with others who share a passion for storytelling.
Residents can also continue their creative writing journey through upcoming workshops as part of the Write in the Heart of Knowsley programme. On 14 July, Liverpool poet Joseph Roberts will lead a poetry workshop at Huyton Library from 2pm. Further creative writing workshops will take place on 21 July at 2pm at both Huyton Library, led by Zoe Richards, and Stockbridge Village Library, led by JP Maxwell. The sessions will focus on the theme of turning characters into believable people, helping aspiring writers develop more authentic and engaging storytelling.
Following the success of the inaugural festival, Knowsley Libraries is continuing its programme of literary events throughout the summer. The next author event will take place on Wednesday 16 July at 7pm at Huyton Library, featuring award-winning crime writer Margaret Murphy alongside forensic scientist Helen Pepper. The event promises a fascinating behind-the-scenes insight into the relationship between crime fiction and forensic investigation.
Cllr Jayne Lonergan, Cabinet Member for Resources said:
“The success of our first Literature Festival demonstrates the important role libraries play in bringing people together. Through author talks, workshops and school visits, we have been able to inspire residents of all ages to discover the joy of reading and writing. It’s been wonderful to see our library spaces filled with people learning, creating and connecting with one another, and we’re excited to build on this success with more events in the months ahead.”
