Writeidea Festival

1:00pm

In 2020, Olivia Laing began restoring a walled garden in Suffolk, which led her to explore the concept of paradise through various gardens, both real and imagined. Her journey, inspired by works like Milton’s Paradise Lost and Dereck Jarman’s garden at Dungeness, examines the costs and joys of creating earthly paradises.

Laing is an acclaimed writer and critic, author of seven books including The Lonely City and Funny Weather. Her work, translated into twenty-two languages, earned her the Windham-Campbell Prize for non-fiction in 2018.

1:00pm

Clayton Stumper, abandoned at birth in a commune of puzzle makers, must follow clues to uncover his secret past and find his place in the world. The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers celebrates the wisdom of age and friendships between generations, highlighting that finding one’s place is the biggest puzzle of all.

Local author Samuel Burr, a Westminster Film School graduate and freelance TV executive, was shortlisted for Penguin’s WriteNow scheme and graduated from the Faber Academy in 2021.

1:00pm

Amelia Abraham in conversation with Mazharul Islam

Join journalist Amelia Abraham and queer Bangladeshi activist Mazharul Islam as they discuss LGBTQ+ rights from the UK to Bangladesh. Mazharul will also talk about his organization, The Rainbow Tree, supporting the LGBTQ+ Bangladeshi/British-Bangladeshi community, and his contribution to Amelia’s book We Can Do Better Than This.

2:30pm

This session will explore the realities of developing a career in writing, focussing on how to leverage lived experiences and identity in the journey towards becoming a published author. Jeffrey will talk through his own experiences in writing nine published books (and counting), offering insights and advice along the way. He works widely with schools, libraries, festivals and bookshops to help all children to realise they each have a story to share.

2:30pm

In conversation with Sean Hannam

In the late 1970s, Tiff and her mum, Joan, live at Rockfield, the legendary recording studios. Amidst iconic rock albums being recorded, Tiff’s childhood is a whirlwind of farm adventures and helping out. Despite the chaos, Tiff and Joan build an unconventional family, where encounters with Freddie Mercury or hopes of seeing David Bowie are as normal as hopscotch and homework.

2:30pm

Tasneem Abdur Rashid in conversation with  Dr. Fatima Rajina

A fascinating in-conversation with British Bengali author Tasneem Abdur Rashid and British Bengali academic Dr. Fatima Rajina, where they will be discussing their pathways into their respective industries, writing fact and fiction, and researching the Bangladeshi community. Both writers bring rich narratives that illuminate the complexities of identity, culture, and community within the British Bangladeshi experience.

4:00pm

Join authors Sheela Banerjee and Lucy Fulford in conversation about their books, taking in empire, migration, politics and race.

Sheela Banerjee is a writer, journalist and academic Her debut book, What’s In A Name? is a New Statesman Book of the Year, and won the Eastern Eye Arts and Culture Award for Non-Fiction, 2024.

Lucy Fulford is a journalist and author who focuses on migration and identity, often through the lens of conflict and trauma.

4:00pm

Writing on the Wall is a cultural history of the eighteenth century, told through the graffiti left by its citizens. From London to the Caribbean, Pelling uncovers how ordinary people, from political prisoners to artisans, experienced the world. These marks, found on prisons, latrines, doors, and windows, reveal the real story of Britain’s most transformative century.

4:00pm

In Conversation with Donna McLean

Growing up in rural poverty, Natasha Carthew’s childhood in Cornwall was marked by the contrast between picturesque landscapes and economic hardship. She found solace in nature and escape in her mobile library. In Undercurrent, she retraces her childhood paths, reflecting on political neglect and the beauty of nature. This memoir was shortlisted for the Nero Book Awards 2023.

4:00pm

“The bookshop started as a stall in Whitechapel market.”

In celebration of the publication of the Brick Lane Bookshop’s East End Book Catalogue, we invite you to an extraordinary gathering of stories centred on the history of Tower Hamlets.

This unique event offers a chance to experience the rich tapestry of local history through short talks by a diverse group of storytellers, including authors, social historians, and local residents.

5:30pm

In conversation with music journalist Sean Hannam

In 1979, 2 Tone burst onto the charts with bands like The Specials and Madness, creating a multi-racial movement addressing social issues, racism, and class struggles. Bestselling author Daniel Rachel chronicles the journey of this influential record label, highlighting its rebellious spirit and fight against societal injustices and right-wing extremism.

5:30pm

In the great revolutionary year of 1968, Tony Benn was a respectable Labour minister. While new social movements were shaking up Britain and much of the world, Westminster politics seemed stuck. It was time, he decided, for a different approach. He was joined by four other politicians, who would become comrades, collaborators and rivals: Ken Livingstone, John McDonnell, Diane Abbott and Jeremy Corbyn. This is the untold story of British politics in modern times. A project to create a radically more equal, liberal and democratic Britain, more influential than electoral history might suggest.

5:30pm

A Panel Discussion hosted by Kate Ellis of the Brick Lane Bookshop Short Story Prize (BLBSSP)

If you're interested in writing and publishing short stories, don’t miss this panel discussion featuring BLBSSP judges, an experienced literary agent, a publisher, and an established writer. You'll get insights into what makes a short story stand out in competitions and practical advice on how to craft a story that resonates with readers and judges alike.

The panel will feature publisher and editor Jess Chandler, award-winning author Gurnaik Johal and Kate Ellis, writer and organizer of the Brick Lane Bookshop Short Story Prize.

7:00pm

End the day with some Yiddish song and klezmer dances. The immigrant writers from over a hundred years ago wrote sparky, funny and moving local songs to entertain their East End audiences. With vibrant and feisty introductions in English, expect to laugh, cry and join in, in old music-hall style – before having a knees up to klezmer circle dances led by dance leader, historian and performer, Vivi Lachs, and performed by the well-loved, long-established, and lively band Klezmer Klub - playing tunes you can’t sit down to! No knowledge of Yiddish or dance needed, just come and end the day on a high.

1:00pm

We are living in a waste crisis. Sewage flooding our rivers, plastics in ours oceans, rivers, bodies; rubbish shipped abroad and inflicted on the world’s poor. Why? Why do we think so much about where stuff comes from, but almost never about where it goes after we’re done? Oliver Franklin-Wallis is an award-winning magazine journalist. His first book, Wasteland: The Dirty Truth About What We Throw Away, Where It Goes, And Why It Matters, was named a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week and one of the New Yorker‘s Best Books of 2023.

1:00pm

Dan Carrier will interviewed by Robert Ryan

Sir Michael Palin described Dan Carrier’s Untold London as “a love letter from a Londoner to the streets he calls home.” Written during the lockdown, Carrier’s column in the Camden New Journal explores the histories of London’s people, uncovering stories that link generations. The column evolved into a book and now a history channel, offering endless exploration of the lives that shaped the city

1:00pm

Dina Begum will be interviewed by Saif Osmani

Dina Begum, a British-Bangladeshi author and food writer, is a leading voice in Bangladeshi cuisine. Her book Made in Bangladesh features over 75 recipes, showcasing the country’s cuisine through its six seasons with vibrant photography. A member of the Guild of Food Writers, Dina has been featured in a Great Big Story documentary.

2:30pm

Kwajo will be in conversation with Kieran Yates

Kwajo Tweneboa, a social housing activist, tirelessly campaigns against poor housing conditions across the UK. He exposes hidden issues, rallies his audience to lobby officials, and has met with leaders like Sadiq Khan and Michael Gove. Featured on Sky News, Good Morning Britain, GB News, and in The Guardian and The Independent, Kwajo has been recognized by The Big Issue as a changemaker.

2:30pm

Charlotte Lydia Riley, historian and editor of The Free Speech Wars, argues that claims of cancel culture often fuel a culture war, hindering the necessary calling out of hateful speech. Who gets to exercise free speech, and what happens when powerful voices think they have been silenced? The book, featuring diverse commentators and activists, explores the charged issue of free speech. Charlotte will discuss these themes with award-winning journalist Samira Shackle.

2:30pm

Andrew Whitehead will discuss the sensational Sidney Street shoot-out of January 1911 in Stepney, featuring Latvian anarchists, Scots Guards, the mysterious Peter the Painter, and Winston Churchill. His talk draws on police archives, trial records, contemporary news reports, and oral history interviews. The shoot-outs, blamed on anarchist exiles, sparked concerns about immigration, extremism, and antisemitism, echoing modern controversies. Local history comes to life!

4:00pm

By 1950, around 50,000 people were indefinitely detained under the 1913 Mental Deficiency Act for various reasons, including being unmarried mothers, rebellious teenagers caught shoplifting, or having epilepsy or other conditions. Award-winning historian Sarah Wise, through extensive archival research, reveals this dark chapter and the lives it altered.

4:00pm

Tube Mapper is a photography project by Luke Agbaimoni where he aims to slowly capture moments at every station and stop on the London Underground Tube Map. His work has been featured on BBC news live, the radio and in printed press. His third book has just been released and he also sells calendars and prints. Join Luke as he takes us on a visual journey into the strange world that dwells beneath the city of London, showcasing the stunning sights that we miss on our seemingly mundane commutes.

4:00pm

Since Charles Dickens’s death, tourists have flocked to the landmarks of “Dickensland” featured in his novels. Late Victorians and Edwardians were particularly keen, despite the city’s rapid redevelopment. Over the next century, many Dickens-related sites were demolished, relocated, or reimagined. Lee Jackson, an expert on Victorian London and advisor to the Dickens Museum, will discuss 150 years of Dickensian tourism, covering its history, heritage, and myths.

5:30pm

The Gentle Author presents David Hoffman’s photographs of 1970s Whitechapel from his new book. Hoffman’s bold, humane photography captures a lost era, documenting homelessness, racism, and protests. Living in a squat at Fieldgate Mansions changed his life, and his work offers a vital testimony of resilience. Thanks to the squatters’ efforts, Fieldgate Mansions still provides housing to families in Whitechapel today.

5:30pm

Hundreds of thousands of miles of paths connect communities across England and Wales, but by 2026, 10,000 miles of undiscovered footpaths could be lost. Jack Cornish has spent the last five years walking these forgotten routes. His book, The Lost Paths, explores the deep history of these footways and calls for their preservation. Jack is head of paths at the Ramblers, Britain’s largest walking charity. In 2017, he walked from Land’s End to John O’Groats and is attempting to walk every street in London.

5:30pm

Peter Carty will be talking to Travis Elborough

A visionary curator sets up a gallery in a decaying warehouse, uniting radical young artists at a pivotal moment for British art. As they create new work, gentrification threatens their space. Art is a dark satire about the birth of Young British Artists in the early 1990s. Local author Peter Carty will discuss his journey to becoming an author, writing Art, and offer tips for budding writers. He contributes to the Guardian, Independent, and Financial Times.