Tuesday 18 September 2012

Be Afraid, VERY (David Gatward is coming to play)






We have made a monster...ScareFEST was a simple idea of Tommy Donbavand's and added to by me 2 years ago, all was good
(sweets in eyeballs aside).
 Then we went a bit bigger and better with some stage props and drop banners
 and all sorts of raffled goodies...
NOW..it is BACK!

Saturday 6th October and it goes
 Beyond the Book (literally)



We start with an exclusive Writers Workshop with two super cool dudes

10.30am at Crosby Civic Hall, Crosby Road North L22 OLQ

Jon Mayhew who has won several awards inc our regional one Sefton Super Reads

 He will be joined by awesome and indeed extraordinaire wordsmith
 with ooze and apparently a penchant for badgers now! 
David Gatward. They will indulge your curiosity and grab your inner imaginings and help you shape it

 (or maybe subtly plant seeds of their own to grow and fester away til Halloween) 
This is a bargain at just £3 book via info@formbybooks.co.uk or ring 01704 830130
You almost certainly can just turn up and bring a pencil and paper (saves me forgetting)

We have tried to get hings arranged to allow younger readers something to enjoy
 without being TOO frightened, although no promises...
Tommy Donbavand will unleash his zombie roadshow that is 'Scream Street: The Game Show'
volunteers will be sacrificed (errmm needed onstage)
and a huge welcome to first lady of scream Ruth Symes
she will have her witches coven gather onstage and will aroma-read from Bella Donna

This Junior Experience  is 1-3.30 and is £5.50/£3.50 or £15 for a set of four

Ahem an exclusive and mega massive news
Joseph Delaney has been busy writing a special play of Spook's Apprentice with his son Stephen
we have some super keen teens putting a workshop production together
It will be published and no doubt tour next year, maybe this is an audition!
His film 'Seventh Son' has finished filming and we hope news beckons when he hits the stage
He will have his latest episode of the ever tenser and scary
 Spook's Tales 'Slither' with him (evening show).
David Gatward can then be unleashed to cause Doom and Destruction and Mayhem and Mirth, he really makes things seem larger than life and is a whirlwind of activity and so funny..watch out for his baggage of devices and props..we are insured though!
all this runs 4-5.30 and is again £5.50/£3.50 and a set of four for £15

then we have smoke,lasers,lights,electric chair,a guillotine maybe...
Music to chill the soul and wake the dead which will hit the stage and assist..

Seven Authors on One Stage

We have an extract of Spook's Play-Blood Cakes included
Scream Street and Teacher Ate My Brains with Tommy D
My Mayhew's Pandemonium of Gothical Creative Nastiness with Jonny
Philip Movie Maniacs Caveney and his Devlin in Dire Perils
Joseph Delaney's Slithering Spooks Tales and film news
David Doom Rider Dude Gatward again if alive still
Barry Hutchison with train lag and haggis in tow and his seriously Scary Imaginary Fiends

Lastly as he literally lands from a visit to a festival in Warwick..
The Bling Man himself, he with a crayon and a Were-d sense of thrills
Curtis 'Bob/Frankenstein/RaaRaa' Jobling
he will doodle and make us shiver as Bob goes rogue and becomes a Wraithy Were-creature

whew..all for only £7.50/£5.50 or only £20 for a foursome of fun

we hope that a special production of short stories will be floating around for fans to sample
Books will be available to be signed and you can preorder anything by getting in touch via
info@formbybooks.co.uk


Saturday 8 September 2012

Stuff and Nonsense

Dear Blog Followers,

Can you start signing up more followers, I am ever thirsty for new eyes and minds to encourage to read more and see the joyous things we do connected with Culture and Books in and around Formby.

www.formbybooks.co.uk is ONE Today!

We are near the Iron Men of Crosby and plan a reading of a 'Dark Place to Die' by ed Chatterton there in December when he is over from Oz!

We have a 25 Years of 'THE Culture' on Friday 12th October
 with Iain M Banks, he will sign backlist and Hydrogen Sonata.
We have booked Liverpool Town Hall and will have use of the red leathered Council Chambers and the Lord Mayor in attendance, she is a lovely lady and it will add a regal touch to proceedings.

Tickets are only £5 and we have them on the website just type the words in and download. Or pop by and grab one of us mere real peeps.

We also have a new initiative which is in conjunction with Formby Pool and their lovely 'Cafe in the Park'
it is called 'Dips into Culture' and is a random collection of lectures or interactive talks.

Thursday 13th September we have 'Bonesetters' to Bionic Men' a look at the development of Liverpool's wonderful hospitals and the pioneering work of the Charnley Trust who celebrate 50 years as we type.
Paul Hughes has amassed a huge collection of bizarre medical implements and will display them and even ask us to try them...and will entertain us with his 'Horrible Medical Histories'
Tickets are only £3 and the cafe is open or you can bring a bottle of wine and relax, doors at 7.30pm

Thursday 20th September sees 200 years since a key battle in the Duke of Wellington's Peninsular Campaign as Professor Charles Esdaile tells us all about 'The Battle of Burgos'. Charles is a world expert on the Napoleonic Period and this is akin to a Christmas Lecture. At Only £5 (£3 under 16s) it is unmissable.
Again a cafe open and a bottle brought is allowed.
 Doors 7.30 for an interactive show.


We have more to come...Poetry, Crime and a stunning Dickensian Christmas special with Professor Ken Pye.

Our key note authors are Lesley Pearse 9th November, Andy McNab 5th November and Dorothy Koomson 15th October..get in touch and book to come and meet them.

For Football fans..we have Everton and Wales Legend Neville Southall on Saturday 29th September doing a meet and greet and signing his memoirs at Cafe D'Art 6.30pm. Great bar and we will have some nice nibbles too.

Please circulate this on as we don't always get media exposure in the press, it is in my opinion shameful but they seem to plead the lack of room to fit this in..I personally think more of us need to express our concerns about it and point out that we live and work in Formby and want to make anything happening here seen and easily accessed by the public.

If you want some great reads for all ages drop by and ask for advice, we can post most things for free so use the website and add any delivery details required.