Worcestershire LitFest 2021: 6th – 11the June 2021
The time has come again for the annual Worcestershire LitFest, our celebration of poetry and the spoken word within Worcestershire. Our spoken word community has proved highly resilient in these unsettling times, and there are as many events happening online as there were in the physical world. They aren’t quite the same, of course – nothing online can replicate the thrill of standing up in front of a live audience, but the scene is still thriving, and there seem to be more enthusiastic writers and readers out there as ever!
The festival’s opening event, at 4pm on Sunday 6th June, will include the finals of the 2021 Worcestershire Poet Laureate competition, as well as the results of the Young Writers and Flash Fiction contests. The outgoing Worcs Poet Laureate, Leena Batchelor, has done a fabulous job despite the lack of physical performances during her tenure, and has spread her passion for poetry wherever she has found the chance, whether online, in shop windows, or on BBC radio. Who knows what challenges and opportunities will await her successor?
On Tuesday 8th June, Leena Batchelor will be curating and presenting an evening of poetry, featuring other current and former Poets Laureate, beginning at 7pm.
Wednesday 9th June is the date for a night at 42 Worcester – the popular monthly event of Gothic Horror, SF, Fantasy and Alternative Genre writing. Expect something strange and dark! Begins 7pm.
LitFest’s own spoken word night SpeakEasy will take place on Thursday June 10th at 7pm, with an eclectic combination of poetry and performance, including a set by the new Worcs Poet Laureate.
The online festival ends on Friday June 11th with the two Slams – Poetry and Flash Fiction. Entries are still being accepted, so if you feel the urge to take part in a competitive spoken word face-off, this could be your chance! The event begins at 6pm.
Further details about the events and how to access them can be found on the Worcestershire LitFest Facebook page and Twitter page, and also on the Worcestershire LitFest website. – worcestershirelitfestfringe.wordpress.com
By: Suz Winspear