Brighton indies launch book festival

Two independent bookshop owners are launching a book festival in Brighton this summer to amplify "a wide spectrum of voices" and connect readers with authors. 

The idea was conceived by Carolynn Bain of Afrori Books, the first Black-owned bookshop in Sussex, and Ruth Wainwright of The Feminist Bookshop. Both bookshops have fostered communities of socially engaged readers in their local area since they opened their doors in 2020 and 2019 respectively.

Comprising 15 to 20 events at selected venues, the three-day literary celebration will take place from 24th to 26th June 2022, showcasing the literary scene in Brighton and Hove.

"Our aim is to inspire and enable writers at every stage in their careers to share their work and to champion the power of the written word to enrich and change lives," the founders said in a joint statement. 

"We seek to amplify a wide spectrum of voices, to connect readers and authors in new ways and to promote compelling and challenging writing, with special attention to work that engages with pressing social issues or that might otherwise be excluded or marginalised."

There will be panels on topics such as "Masculinities" and "the Myth of the Mainstream", workshops including "Pitching Your Novel" and "Adapting Book to Film", children’s book events and interactive sessions on graphic novels and creating soundtracks inspired by literature. 

The festival committee also includes Kate Appleton, head of publicity at Head of Zeus, Amy Hall, co-editor of New Internationalist magazine, Dr Nicola Streeten, graphic novelist and director of LD Comics, Rose Tomaszewska, editorial director at Virago, and Emma Topping, owner of Viv Loves Film—a Brighton-based literary, development and production agency.