The John Hewitt Spring Festival

the

John Hewitt Society

Spring Festival Regionalism: The Last Chance?

Local Identity in a Shrinking World Region: ‘an area which possesses geographical and economic coherence… some sort of traditional and historical identity and…demonstrates cultural and linguistic individuality.’

– John Hewitt, Regionalism, the last chance.

Featuring: Robert Crawford | Paula Cunningham | C.L. Dallat Anne-Marie Fyfe | John Glenday | Joanne Harris | Damian Smyth Joyce McMillan | Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch

Friday 16th May & Saturday 17th May 2014 The Londonderry Arms Hotel Carnlough

Book tickets: www.johnhewittsociety.org

Regionalism: The Last Chance? Local Identity in a Shrinking World Is Hewitt’s mid-twentieth century view of regionalism – based on shared local history and revitalised regional traditions in the creative arts – still valid in the face of subsequent demographic and political changes?

Are we seeing, as in the Scottish independence debate, a regeneration of interest in regionalism?

We explore and debate these themes at the 12th John Hewitt Spring Festival.

Friday 16th May 7pm ~ Creative Writing with John Glenday Novel £12 Writer's Block vs Reader's Block: John Glenday leads this intimate writing workshop, looking at strategies for increasing creativity and output & how to hone poetry to appeal to readers. No advanced preparation is required.

Saturday 17th May 11.15am ~ The Great Scottish Novel £8 Our annual Great Northern Novel panel debate takes on a Scottish flavour in light of the upcoming Scottish Independence referendum. Poet John Glenday, theatre critic & cultural observer Joyce McMillan and Lagan Press poet Damian Smyth debate the merits of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped, James Hogg’s Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner and Alexander Trocchi’s Young Adam.

2.15pm ~ Tae Think Again! With Robert Crawford & Joyce McMillan £8 Have Scotland’s writers signed-up to cultural independence? Or like Scotland’s footballers, are they playing on a UK-wide pitch? Join Joyce McMillan, theatre critic for The Scotsman, and Robert Crawford, author of Bannockburns: Scottish Independence and the Literary Imagination, 13142014 in discussion with poet and broadcaster C.L. Dallat.

4pm ~ Children of the Devolution! £8

Book online at www.johnhewittsociety.org Festival Ticket Offers including dining available: see www.johnhewittsocity.org for details Accommodation & Venue Partners: Londonderry Arms Hotel, Carnlough To book accommodation: Call: +44 (0)28 2888 5255 or book online: www.glensofantrim.com Booksales provided by No Alibis www.noalibis.com For ticketing queries, please email us: admin@johnhewittsociety.org phone: +44 (0)7835073616

Poetry from across the dis-United Kingdom, representing nations that have defined their own political & imaginative independence. John Glenday (Scotland) will be joined by Paula Cunningham (Northern Ireland) and Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch (Wales).

5.30pm ~ Robert Crawford & Joanne Harris £8 A poet with a strong regional voice reads alongside a best-selling novelist who has made provincial France her fictional heartland. Robert Crawford has published six poetry collections, with a seventh due in Autumn 2014.

Joanne Harris is the author of 18 novels, including the No.1 bestseller Chocolat and her most recent, The Gospel of Loki (Feb 2014). Introduced by Anne-Marie Fyfe.

The John Hewitt Society, c/o The Market Place Theatre & Arts Centre, Market Street, Armagh, Co Armagh BT61 7BW Company No NI 41294 Charity Reg No XR 52617