High profile authors and leading poets from Brunel University will appear at Hillingdon's new West London literary festival this month.
Acclaimed author Will Self and award-winning performance poet Benjamin Zephaniah, both professors at Brunel, will open the festival on the weekend of October 16-18.
Benjamin Zephaniah will also co-host a 'Children's Poetry Party' with Joelle Taylor, and perform with local poets at Ruislip's 16th century Great Barn.
Zephaniah said that his events are about “making poetry more accessible and giving people the space to express themselves.”
The other 30 speakers include authors Kate Mosse and Deborah Moggach, New Yorker theatre critic John Lahr and Geoffrey Robertson QC, with a one-man show from Nick Makoha closing the festival.
The event is organised by the Brunel Centre for Contemporary Writing, Waterstones and CultureBite, and celebrates the 50th anniversaries of both Hillingdon and Brunel University.
It also marks the launch of Brunel Arts, which is open for classes, concerts and performances.
Festival Director and Professor of English at Brunel Philip Tew said: “We anticipate that the festival will attract people from the Hillingdon community of all ages, as well as readers, writers and would-be authors.”
To view the programme or book seats visit the festival's website.
