Summer Festival: Fly on the Wall Press

A Zoom festival from 23 Fly on the Wall authors: a series of workshops, prompts, readings and Q and As.
(Via Zoom. Every 20 minutes there will be a new session from our international performers)

Attendees can join the Zoom room at any time throughout the day.

Donation only, (pay as you feel able), recording also will be circulated to viewers after. An attendee discount for all Fly on the Wall books will also be circulated. All donations will go to our performers and our book production schedule, as an unfunded press. Thank you!

Suggestion donations:

Adult: Full day £15/half day £10

Concession: Full day £10/half day £7

Fly on the Wall Summer Festival Programme

Opening 11:00

1. Dr. David Hartley 11.05am – 11.25 am

Dr. David Hartley will perform an exclusive story from his soon to be published ‘vegan noir’ ‘Fauna’ (September 10th) – a series of short stories in which animals and humans clash in dystopian worlds. With guinea pigs in the underworld, human trophies in bird kingdoms and robotic dogs, Hartley is here to let you indulge in imagination. (Disclaimer – may give bad dreams. Do not consume with cheese.)

2. Louise Finnigan 11.25 -11.45 am

Manchester writer Louise Finnigan will be bringing to life her debut short story, ‘Muscle and Mouth’ with live actors and a Q and A. This one is ‘dark with energy’ and will make you feel the heart of Manchester deep within your gut!

3. Jiye Lee 11.45 am – 12.05pm

Jiye Lee will be reading from her debut poetry chapbook, ‘Aftereffects’, and encouraging you to write your own poetry about healing and grief, based on writing prompts provided by Lee. Bring a pen!

4. Claire HM 12.05pm – 12.25pm

Claire HM will be reading an extract from her debut novella, ‘How To Bring Him Back’ out in October 2021 as part of the Shorts season. Claire will transport us to the grime and grunge of 90s Birmingham, and encourages all listeners to ask questions after!

5. Rachel Bower 12.25pm – 12.45pm

Sheffield-based poet Rachel Bower will perform from her debut full collection, ‘These Mothers of Gods’, released July 16th. With heartfelt lyricism, Bower weaves stories of labour and love. In moments of fear and determination for survival, this collection is a hymn to the people and places which shape us. Listeners encouraged to ask questions after!

6. Katy Wimhurst 12.45pm – 1.05pm

Katy Wimhurst and friends will read an early preview from her playful dystopian January 2022 short story collection, ‘Snapshots of the Apocalypse’. There will also be an interactive exercise with viewers to invent magical realist imagery. Bring a pen!

7. Thomas McColl 1.05pm – 1.25pm

London-based performer Thomas McColl will be reading from his explosive poetry collection, ‘Grenade Genie’, which takes a look at societal corruption and coercion, with a healthy serving of dark humour. Come along for the fireworks, questions much encouraged!

8. Ruth Brandt 1.25pm – 1.45pm

Surrey-based writer and workshop leader Ruth Brandt will read a story from her full collection out in November 2021, ‘No One Has Any Intention Of Building A Wall’ and invite questions from the audience. Expect memorable characters and carefully-sculpted worlds…

9. Sam Love 1.45pm – 2.05pm

Build a larger audience for your poetry with video: a talk and Q and A. Sam Love has a background as an award-winning film and video producer. He now applies his experience to producing poetry videos to build a larger audience for his printed poems. In this session we will see:

Some examples of videos produced from poems.

o Where you can publish the videos and the site requirements.

o What tools you need to record and produce a poetry video.

o How to move beyond the talking head.

o Copyright issues for music and visual images.

o How to access public domain images to illustrate your printed images.

o Sites that can showcase your video poems.

Sam Love is the author of Ecopoetry chapbook, ‘Awakening’.

10. Bethany Rivers 2.05pm – 2.25pm

Shropshire-based poet and workshop leader Bethany Rivers will perform from her chapbook, ‘the sea refuses no river’, and other new works. Expect healing words of grief, belonging and love.

11. Morag Anderson 2.25pm – 2.45pm

Aberfeldy- based poet Morag Anderson will perform from her debut chapbook, out in August 2021, ‘Sin Is Due To Open In A Room Above Kitty’s’ and invite any questions. Expect plosive poetry entwining violence and love, sisterhood and motherhood and, ultimately, a quest to find self-love.

12. Kevin Crowe 2.45pm – 3.05pm

Highlands-based writer and former bookseller Kevin Crowe will read two short stories published in “Northwords Now” and “The Haar”, ending with a short passage from Oscar Wilde’s “Soul of Man Under Socialism”, a truly inspirational essay by one of Kevin’s favourite writers. Kevin is the author of short story collection ‘No Home In This World.’

13. Anne Walsh Donnelly 3.05pm – 3.25pm

County Mayo-based playwright and poet Anne Walsh Donnelly will encourage everyone to be odd as f*ck with a reading and Q and A around her new collection ‘Odd as F*ck’. Expect poems about talking therapist’s dogs, menopausal wombs and, ultimately, an uplifting journey of mental health and sexuality.

14. Sarah Wallis 3.25pm – 3.45pm

Dunbar-based Theatre playwright and poet Sarah Wallis will perform from her chapbook, ‘Medusa Retold’, a feminist retelling of the myth & other brand new poems! Come for magic.

15. Martin Grey 3.45pm – 4.05pm

Nottingham-based spoken word performer Martin Grey will perform a combination of his poems and covers of poems that influenced the book, ‘The Prettyboys of Gangster Town’. If you’ve ever fallen short of being the cool kid, this set is for you.

16. Louise McStravick 4.05pm – 4.25pm

Birmingham-based spoken word artist, Louise McStravick will perform from her debut poetry collection, ‘How To Make Curry Goat’, with accompanying workshop prompts surrounding the book. Expect spice, family ties and the smell of coconut in your living room. Bring a pen!

17. Mark Wilson 4.25pm – 4.45pm

Chicago-based illustrator and writer Mark Wilson will reprise the role of CEO over his audience, celebrating the life of Bill Motluck (the star employee of verse novella, ‘PowerPoint Eulogy’) and will have a series of situation-based questions for his employees, we mean, AUDIENCE, to ensure that office protocol is followed. Expect dramatic reading! Come reminisce with us and remind yourselves…literally no one misses the office.

18. Tina Tamsho-Thomas 4.45pm – 5.05pm

Manchester human rights activist and spoken word artist, Tina Tamsho-Thomas will read long-form poem, Yellow Bird Song, and chat about her debut full collection, ‘Someone Is Missing Me’, which celebrates the enduring spiritual relationship between her and her excluded, Nigerian father.

19. Colin Dardis 5.05-5.25pm

Belfast-based poet Colin Dardis will perform from ‘The Dogs Of Humanity’, which looks at mental health through a variety of pawprints and barks. “Wry, melancholy, and wise, Colin Dardis’s The Dogs of Humanity confirms his status as one of Ireland’s most original contemporary voices.” – Jess Traynor

20. Lucía Orellana Damacela 5.25-5.45pm

Lucía will transport us to Ecuador with her poetry from collection ‘Inherent’, which overflows with love for family. Exploring the strong female lineage in her family, expect to be able to be immersed into a particular time and place with Lucía’s poetry.

21. Attracta Fahy 5.45- 6.05

Attracta Fahy will read from her best-selling chapbook, ‘Dinner In The Fields’ and encourage questions from the audience. You can expect Irish folklore, intimate looks at spirituality and mental health and strong sense of community.

22. Janet H Swinney 6.05-6.25pm

Giving life to North East community and dialect, Janet H Swinney will read an extract from the last story from her upcoming short story collection, ‘The House With Two Letter-Boxes’ which is called ‘Black Boy Winnings’ and is currently being commissioned into a short film.

23. Elisabeth Horan 6.25-6.45pm

Vermont-based poet Elisabeth Horan will lead a mini ekphrastic poetry workshop with image prompts based on artwork by or surrounding Frida Kahlo. Horan has 5 poetry collections released and will also give a sample of her intimate and experimental works.