Oh to be in England...when the Southbank Centre's Literature and Spoken Word Festival is on. This year's cornucopia of global talent runs from April 6 right through to June 8 and there are riches for every literary palate.
You can access details of all events from the South Bank website, but among the highlights (as far as we're concerned--and feel free to disagree via the usual email address or across the counter) are Jeanette Winterson, Ali Smith, Kamila Shamsie and others who will be joining forces with Liberty on 6 April for an evening of newly commissioned writing; Philip Pullman on 12 April discussing his radical new project retelling the life of Christ in his The Good Man Jesus And The Scoundrel Christ;the incomparable Gil Scott-Heron, one of music's first and last remaining true revolutionary spirits, in conversation with Canongate's Jamie Byng on 19 April; Goal! Match! Victory! Freedom on 21 April at which eight of South Africa's most exciting young authors get off the bench and kick ideas around in the run up to the World Cup; poet Simon Armitage reading from his latest collection, Seeing Stars, on 14 May and on 7 and 8 June the Orange Prize at 15 and Shortlist Readings respectively.
Check the South Bank website, www.southbankcentre.co.uk for full listings, booking details etc.
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