Stoke Newington Literary Festival unveils 2011 programme

The Stoke Newington Literary Festival returns for its second year running from 3rd to 5th June across various venues.

Headlined by alternative comedian Alexei Sayle (who once famously joked that there was ‘f*** all’ in Stoke Newington), the event follows on from the success of its inaugural year, which sold out to rave reviews in the press, described by The Times as ‘a litfest apart’.

Festival Director, Liz Vater said: “We’ve made the event bigger and more eclectic, focusing in on some of the area’s most influential residents and trying to keep the spirit of radical thinking, great ideas and debate alive.”

The line up certainly holds promise of eclecticism and varied debate. With Louise Wener discussing her experience of the 90s Britpop scene as a woman, the unveiling of London’s gay neo-nazi scene and John Osbourne’s pre-Edinburgh show about eight years listening to John Peel’s record collection, to name a few- events seek to look at art, creativity and political discourse from a range of angles.

In addition to formal readings and discussion, there is live comedy, a performance of Shakespeare’s Measure For Measure and an eerie screening of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death at the Town Hall on Saturday night.

As a former resident of Stoke Newington, Poe takes a central role throughout the festival, with four events dedicated to him. It is notable that such a small (and at times overlooked) district of London has produced two figures of key significance in Britain’s literary heritage; Poe and Daniel Defoe. This connection is explored on Friday night when an obscure collection short films and animations based on both authors will be screened at Ryans Bar.

Award winning writers, including the likes of Alex Wheatle, Linda Grant and Stella Duffy, are joined by alternative comedian Stuart Lee, Stoke Newington MP Diane Abbott and actress and presenter Emma Kennedy, amongst others.

This year also sees the launch of Stoke Newington Kid’s Literary Festival, curated by The Spare Room Society, which takes place during Friday and Saturday daytime. Featuring poet John Hegley and actor and comedian turned children’s writer, David Walliams, the events will showcase a variety of genres within children’s literature.

For tickets, visit Stoke Newington Literary Festival or call 0207 609 1800. They are also on sale at Stoke Newington Bookshop, 159 Stoke Newington High Street, London N16.