Page 18 - link magazine

18 The Link Magazine • July 2001
Library revamped Flocking to the most populous Lit Fest yet
West Swindon Library at the Link The words are done, the imagination sharpened, and Matt Holland, director of the Swindon Festival of
Centre opened on 23 June after its Literature, is already booking writers, poets and the like for next year and beyond. Here he looks back
first redecoration, sixteen years at Swindon's well known word Pest in early May.
to the day since it opened in 1985. Even though it started on the the curse of communication, in laughing out loud. The latter, mix-
Visitors will note the new exhi- coldest May Day morning on movies and magazines, is that so ing poetry with comedy and anec-
bition area to the left of the front record, the eighth Swindon Festi- many people wish they could be dotes and without a spot of make
door, new shelving and the disap- val of Literature was, in every im- like someone else. In literature up or a single stage prop in sight,
pearance of the popular book den. aginable sense, the hottest yet. made drama, we were reminded was, we all thought, even funnier
A new user friendly children's area The temperature rose daily that spring returns in its time but and more himself than he is as an
will be built later in the year. throughout the 12-day . - impressionist on the box. He
Principal library manager 40-event literary frolic. " thanked the festival publicly
Kristianne Drake said the refur- In fact, the last day of the t • for giving him the chance to
bishment would make a visit to festival, which saw the s`` play this new role.
Swindon's largest library even Castaway Corrigans, is And then there were the
more interesting. land art, books, and all, events for children, with the
"We're bringing the library into answer questions at `"' stormy seas heroics of the
the 21st Century, appealing to all Lower Shaw Farm, was Mousehole Cat keeping
ages and interests. Since it opened a record-breaking day of + I y everyone on the edge of their
all those years ago, the library has sunshine, for Max'.' o "' seats in the Arts Centre, fol-
evolved to keep up with customer Never was the sky so , 9 lowed by best-selling author
requirements. Apart from the ever blue! for all ages Phillip Pullman
changing collection of books, we've And never before, in - pulling no punches. He reck-
introduced a large video collec- the history of this festi- Casta way in Swindon, Julia, Natash fsa Colin Corrigan oned that the best thing to do
tion to hire, CDs, and then DVDs. val at least, had so many people we human beings get no second when asked to write a story in a
And last year Swindon College in- flocked to book talk. This may be chance. And in The Art of Loving school exam was to run away! The
troduced four internet ready com- because book talk is simply good Honourably, a specially-commis- day ended with storytelling under
puters which are free to use if pre- talk about the tricky business of sioned musical poetic performance the stars round the campfire at
booked. living in the modern world, re- and one of the festival highlights, Lower Shaw Farm and a super-
"We have something for every- flecting its difficulties and its de- the poet reminded us that love is duper sold out Slam performance
one, from the youngest to the old- lights. but a second sighting of something poetry competition at the Town
est. We're very excited about the Ironically, many authors• took in ourselves. Hall.
new more prominant exhibition delight in highlighting life's diffi- In providing something for Already plans are afoot for next
space. Do come in and see the new culties. For example, psychiatrist everyone, the festival also had year's festival and an extra big 10th
layout. And if you are an artist, Oliver James told a packed lunch- plenty of lighter touches. Televi- anniversary celebration in 2003. If
crafts person or hobbiest, perhaps time audience that modern life sion personalities Rick Stein and you have any suggestions or ideas
we could display your work." makes winners into losers and that Alistair McGowan had audiences for either, call me on 771080.

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