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Tice Cin, Inua Ellams and Marianne Tatepo to appear at Deptford Literature Festival
Plans for next month’s Deptford Literature Festival have been revealed, under the theme "Unheard Histories, Untold Stories", with speakers including Square Peg’s Marianne Tatepo and writers Inua Ellams and Tice Cin.
Taking place from 15th–16th March and funded by Arts Council England, it aims to celebrate the diversity and creativity of Deptford and Lewisham through words, stories and performance. It is organised by Spread the Word, London’s literature development organisation based at the Albany in Deptford, in a collaboration with independent producer Tom MacAndrew.
The festival has commissioned 38 local writers from Deptford and Lewisham, with 80% of the festival artists coming from south London. Almost all events (33 of 34) are free.
At this year’s festival, Spread the Word will be launching a campaign to see Lewisham declared the UK’s first "Borough of Literature". Writers and readers of all ages are encouraged to come along and take part.
The winners of the 2024 Disabled Poets Prize will be announced during the festival. Deaf and disabled writers’ commissions and the CRIPtic x Spread the Word salon will also take place.
Deptford Literature Festival will launch on 15th March with "Soft Soft", described by organisers as “an evening of soundscapes, self-care offerings and immersive musical poetic sharings from a host of international artists, presented by interdisciplinary discovery vehicle Neoprene Genie and curated "with love" by Cin, the project’s founder.
The festival will continue with a full programme on 16th March across a few festival venues in Deptford.
Writers and artists taking part in the festival include local authors Aniefiok ’Neef’ Ekpoudom, Emma Warren and Fire Rush (Jonathan Cape) novelist Jacqueline Crooks in a session chaired by writer and broadcaster Natty Kasambala about the connection between music and story, and south London’s hidden and untold music scene. There will also be various workshops including a poetry session run by Ellams, a poet and playwright.
The festival continues its partnership with Deptford-based publisher Fitzcarraldo Editions with a co-publication with Open City on the second updated and expanded edition of London Feeds Itself, which considers how the food culture of Deptford has changed over the past 15 years.
In response to audience feedback from 2023, this year’s programme includes opportunities for local writers to meet publishers and understand the industry. Aliya Gulamani, commissioning editor at Unbound, Eishar Brar, editorial director at Knights Of, and Tatepo, publishing director at Square Peg, will talk about their jobs.
Spread the Word director Ruth Harrison said: “We’re thrilled to present a programme under the title ’Unheard Histories, Untold Stories’, continuing Spread the Word’s commitment to furthering equity and inclusion in literature and in our home borough of Lewisham. We’re also delighted to be launching the campaign to make Lewisham ’Borough of Literature’, inviting people to come and meet us at the festival and online to find out more."
Producer Tom MacAndrew says: “We’re working with 38 local writers to create events, workshops and new commissions for the festival this year. There are some really exciting authors taking part, both well-known and up-and-coming, so I hope everyone in the borough will join us to celebrate local talent and find something new in their local area.”
Deptford Literature Festival is funded by Arts Council England, National Lottery Awards for All and the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society, with support from the Albany and Deptford Lounge.
Free tickets for the only paid-for event will be available for Lewisham residents on low incomes. There will also be online resources to enable people to join the festival from home.
