Carol Ann Duffy replaces Ruth Padel

Thursday, 11 June 2009

Hebden Bridge Arts Festival is pleased to announce that Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy will read from her work on Tuesday 7th July at the Little Theatre.

This event had been scheduled to feature poet Ruth Padel, but, for personal reasons, the descendant of Darwin withdrew earlier this week.

Festival Co-ordinator Rebecca Yorke said, “We were obviously disappointed that Ruth Padel was unable to fulfil her commitment to the Festival. However, we are delighted to have the privilege of welcoming Carol Ann to Hebden Bridge. It’s going to a be a wonderful evening.”

People who have already bought tickets for Ruth Padel will be contacted and offered a refund or tickets for the Carol Ann Duffy performance. Tickets cost £8 and the box office opens for telephone and face to face bookings on Saturday.

"We already have actress Linda Marlowe presenting 'The World's Wife', a stage version of Duffy's poems, on July 10 so there is going to be a lot in this year's Festival for Duffy fans to enjoy."

Duffy became Poet Laureate in May, accepting the post over hotly-tipped Simon Armitage who is also appearing at Hebden Bridge Arts Festival with his band Scaremongers on June 27 at the Trades Club.

Other literature events include writing workshops with David Armstong, author of 'How Not to Write a Novel', at Hebden Bridge Library on June 28, and 'The Virginia Monologues', an entertaining look at being a sexagenarian, by agony aunt Virginia Ironside at the Little Theatre on June 29.

Writers Katie Fforde and Eleanor Moran will talk about their work at a literary lunch at Moyles on July 4 and later at the Artsmill, Linden Road, and multi-award winning writer A L Kennedy, whose next book 'What Becomes' is due out in August, will be at Hebden Bridge Little Theatre on July 11.

The Festival runs from
Friday June 26 to Sunday July 12.  

Look over the Festival website or phone 01422 842684 for more information.