The Philip Larkin Centre for Poetry and Creative Writing
Director, Professor Martin
Goodman
To be added to the mailing list, please write to larkin@hull.ac.uk
For tickets, email larkin@hull.ac.uk
Tel: 01482 462045
Most events £5 / £3 concessions: free for staff / students /
unwaged until December
The Philip Larkin Centre exists to promote cultural events
within the University of Hull, to invite visiting writers of
national and international eminence to give readings of their work,
and to organise conferences on topics of literary importance. It is
staffed by members of the University's thriving Creative Writing
Department: Professor Martin Goodman, Dr Cliff Forshaw, Dr David
Kennedy, Simon Kerr, and Dr David Wheatley.
Larkin Centre Visiting Writers Series
Spring 2010
 |
January 21st, 7pm -
A Larkin About event - The London
Review Bookshop
The veteran master-novelist Francis
King in conversation with Martin Godman about his
illustrious career, and his new novel Cold Snap
|
February 10th 2010, Staff House,
7pm
A Master of Stage and Screen –
Christopher Hampton
One of the world’s very top dramatists,
Christopher Hampton has won an Academy Award, a
BAFTA, and a sweep of best play awards. From plays to movies to
musicals, prize-winning adaptations (Atonement a recent
screenplay) to blazingly original works, he has achieved one of the
most stimulating writing careers in Europe. As his translation of
Enemy of the People opens at the Crucible in Sheffield, he
comes to Hull to be ‘in conversation’ about his life and work.
February 17th – Art Link 7pm (date, time
tbc)
Our Very Own – Cliff Forshaw and David
Wheatley
We’re delighted to bring you the Hull launch
of books by two of our own Larkin Centre team – the poets
Cliff Forshaw and David Wheatley.
Cliff will be reading from his new collection Wake (winner
of Flarestack Poets Pamphlets Competition, 2009). David
will offer poems of his own, as well as translations from
Selected Poems of Samuel Beckett (Faber), “edited
masterfully by David Wheatley ... an ideal introduction to Beckett
the poet” – The Irish Times
March 2nd, Staff House
7pm
Edna O’Brien presents Byron in
Love - with readings from Byron by the actor Greg
Wise
Edna O’Brien’s first novel
Country Girls kickstarted a writing career never shy of
controversy, with a singing and lyrical prose, and portrayals of
life at its most vibrant. One of the true literary greats of our
time, she has brought us her tale of an earlier passionate genius.
Byron in Love focuses on the love triangle between the
poet, his sister and his half-sister. The actor Greg
Wise brings his own dash of romance, reading Edna
O’Brien’s favourites among Byron’s verse.
March 16th – Staff House
7pm
Crime and the City –
Allan Guthrie, voted Theakston’s Crimewriter
of the Year, finds weird relish in the seamy sides of
Edinburgh. Robert Edric traces high crime through
Hull and the East Riding in his ‘Song’ trilogy – ‘like being
gripped by a police-issue leather driving glove’ – Mail on
Sunday. How does the energy of a city feed crime fiction? With
special guest appearance by Nick Quantrill
launching his debut novel Broken Dreams, featuring Hull’s
private investigator Joe Geraghty.
 |
April 22nd Staff house,
7pm
The Poetry and the Prose – Graham
Mort
Graham Mort has
established himself as one of our finest poets. To that
award-winning side of his writing life, he now brings his first
short-story collection, Touch, which includes his Bridport
International Short Story Prizewinner. Poetry, short stories
and radio drama – come and see how a writer dances between
forms.
A Case for the Word
Writers and students from the Philip Larkin Centre collaborated
with actors and musicians on a performance project. A Case for the
Word was successfully performed at the Festival in June 2006. We
plan to develop further collaborations between Creative Writing and
Drama.
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Conference
Philip Larkin's Elsewheres
The Larkin Society in conjunction with the newly founded
University of Hull Philip Larkin Centre for Poetry and Creative
Writing is currently making plans for the Third Hull International
Conference on the Work of Philip Larkin to be held in the Lawns
Centre, Hull, on Friday to Saturday 29-30 June and Sunday 1 July
this year. The keynote speaker will be Craig Raine.