Foreword Festival UK
@forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
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Welcome to the Foreword Festival – the first literary fringe festival in the UK! Join us for year-round literary events: http://forewordfestival.uk
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forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
As we pay our final bills and tie up all the loose ends from this year's festival, the @forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social team is sending a huge THANK YOU to our brilliant sponsors for their generous support. We couldn't have done it all without you!

#ForewordFestival #Booksky #AlternativeLitFest
The Foreword Festival logo on a white background, with sponsors' logos underneath: Softwood Books, Mid Suffolk District Council, The Friends of Stowmarket Library, Gudgeons Prentice Solicitors, Taller Books, QuirkHouse Theatre Company, East of England Co-op.

Text: A huge thank you to our brilliant sponsors!
forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
Yesterday we thanked our brilliant sponsors for their generous support. Today, the @forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
team is sending a huge THANK YOU to our supporters and partner organisations! We could not have run the festival without you.

#ForewordFestival #Booksky #AlternativeLitFest
The Foreword Festival logo on a white background, with sponsors' logos underneath: Gipping Press, Keep Governance and Safeguarding, The John Peel Centre for Creative Arts, The Regal Cinema, Suffolk Community Libraries (especially Stowmarket Library), the Food Museum, Roughacre Brewery, Stowmarket Town Council, Fox Yard Studio.

Text: A huge thank you to our amazing supporters and partners!
forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
As we pay our final bills and tie up all the loose ends from this year's festival, the @forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social team is sending a huge THANK YOU to our brilliant sponsors for their generous support. We couldn't have done it all without you!

#ForewordFestival #Booksky #AlternativeLitFest
The Foreword Festival logo on a white background, with sponsors' logos underneath: Softwood Books, Mid Suffolk District Council, The Friends of Stowmarket Library, Gudgeons Prentice Solicitors, Taller Books, QuirkHouse Theatre Company, East of England Co-op.

Text: A huge thank you to our brilliant sponsors!
forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
Hi Gabrielle. I'm sorry you feel that way about our sponsor. Softwood is a multi-award-winning provider of services to indie authors. They are featured in the Writers and Artists Yearbook, and their services are tailored to the needs of each book and author. We wouldn't work with a vanity press!
forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
We're in the press again! Thank you to the Bury St Edmunds Flyer for this fantastic coverage of last month's Foreword Festival UK!

e-magazine.flyeronline.co.uk/p/bury-st-ed...

#booksky #alternativelitfest #stowmarket #suffolk
A graphic of the article in the Bury Flyer. For the full article, follow the link in the post.
forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
What an opening weekend we had!

Here's to the next five days!

#ForewordFestival #books #fringe #festival #literature
Larry Lamb, Camilla Barnes, Paul Bryars talking on stage Storytellers about to set off on the story trail Jenni Keer, Heidi Swain, Clare Marchant and Rachel Hore in the 1939 café at the Regal
forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
It's going to be a blast!

#books #literature #fringe #festival #fair #suffolk #stowmarket #forewordfestival
forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
Foreword Festival opens TOMORROW!

And what's on a week today, Friday, 15th August?

Book now for the Performance Poetry Night at the John Peel Centre! An evening of funny, poignant, and hard-hitting words.

Plus, a writing workshop for teenagers at Stowmarket Library!

forewordfestival.uk
Foreword Festival
Saturday 9th August

Love Your Local Author book fair
St Peter's Hall, 11am-4pm

Fast Foreword flash fiction adult-friendly storytelling trail
Starts at the John Peel Centre, 12pm

Both FREE events!
Reposted by Foreword Festival UK
eastangliabylines.co.uk
What do you do when your town has no bookshop?
Start a book festival, obviously.
And it’s about to start, with lots of free events for adults and children! Jackie Carreira enthuses
📖✨
How one crazy idea became an epic town-wide book festival
A wild idea in a pandemic sparked a nomadic fringe book festival – this time in a town without a bookshop
eastangliabylines.co.uk
forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
A week today, 14th August!

Two more FANTASTIC author events!

Don't miss the #ForewordFestival, starting on Saturday!

forewordfestival.uk
Foreword Festival
Thursday 14th August

3pm, Stowmarket Library
All Things Hedgehog! with Lynda Brignall
Free! Suitable for ages 3-7

7pm, John Peel Café, Stowmarket
Author talk and book signing
Free! (Donations to Foreword Festival welcome)
forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
Soon...!
rachelchurcher.bsky.social
Don't miss our first Foreword Festival events THIS SATURDAY!

And what's on at the Foreword Festival NEXT Wednesday, 13th August?

Two BRILLIANT author events, hosted by Stowmarket Library!

forewordfestival.uk/
forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
Don't miss our co-founder Jackie Carreira in conversation with #BabsMichel on BBC Radio Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Northampton, and Three Counties tonight, sometime from now to 8pm.

#ForewordFestival begins Saturday, and Jackie will have the information you need to plan your visit!

#booksky
Foreword Festival Director Jackie Carreira meets Babs Michel tonight on BBC Radio Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Northampton, and Three Counties Radio! Listen between 6 and 8pm to find out more about next week's festival...
forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
Less than a week to go until the Foreword Festival opens on Saturday, including our art exhibition!

#ForewordFestival #art #exhibition

forewordfestival.uk
Foreword Festival
A Window on a Word
Special art display for one week only
9th-16th August
Art Exhibition at Fox Yard Studio
6 Old Fox Yard, Stowmarket, IP14 1AB
forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
Just one week to go!

What's on at the Foreword Festival on Sunday 10th August?

Two AMAZING author talks, live at the Regal Cinema in Stowmarket!

Romance authors Heidi Swain, Clare Marchant, Jenni Keer and Rachel Hore in conversation.

LARRY LAMB talking about his new book!

forewordfestival.uk
Foreword Festival
Sunday 10th August
Regals Cinema Stowmarket

12:30pm
A Writing Room with a View
Four best-selling authors in conversation £10

3pm
Larry Lamb and Camilla Barnes in conversation £12.50

Tickets available from the Regal Cinema
forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
In three weeks' time, we'll be into the second weekend of Foreword Festival!

Here's the weekday events running up to it (see wwe.forewordfestival.uk for the full programme)!

#festival #fringe #literature #books
Foreword Festival Presents
Author Talk and Book Signing
1pm, Wednesday 13th August
Stowmarket Library

Have you ever wondered what makes someone start writing a book? Retired firefighter Russell Webb tells his personal story of writing, healing, and mental health in this inspiring free lunchtime talk.

Book tickets free via the library! Foreword Festival Presents
Powtry Playhouse with Elisabeth Sheriff
3pm, Wednesday 13th August
Stowmarket Library

Join author Elisabeth in this fun workshop to create your own wild and wonderful words, be it on your pet, doughnuts, or your fave dinosaur. Your imagination is the limit!

Suitable for children of any ability aged 5 to 10, including those on the autism spectrum.

Book tickets FREE via the library! Foreword Festival Presents
Author Talk and Book Signing
7pm, Thursday 14th August
John Peel Centre Café

Jackie Carreira, author, playwright, and musician, will be talking about her latest book, 'Notebook Number Nine' - the first novel to be set in Stowmarket for 120 years!

Free entry but donations to Foreword Festival welcome! Foreword Festival Presents
All Things Hedgehog! Workshop
3pm, Thursday 14th August
Stowmarket Library

In this special workshop, author Lynda Brignall will be talking about hedgehogs, and promises that it will be interesting, fun, and you won't leave without learning something new!

FREE event, but donations welcome!
forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
In just three weeks' time, we'll be enjoying the first weekend of the Foreword Festival, in Stowmarket!

Here's what's happening *just* that weekend.
(see www.forewordfestival.uk for the full programme)

Hope to see you there!

#ForewordFestival #books #literature #fringe
Foreword Festival presents
Love Your Local Authors Book Fair
Saturday 9th August 11am-4pm
St Peter's Hall (next to the library)

Your chance to meet amazing authors from across East Anglia, discover crime fiction, romance, folk tales, historical fiction, fantasy, contemporary stories, non-fiction and more.

Pick up signed and special editions, chat to the authors, meet the Foreword Festival team, and discover our home-grown writing talent!
Foreword Festival presents
Fast Foreword Flash Fiction Competition 2025
Adult-friendly storytelling trail
Saturday 9th August 12-2.15pm

12pm John Peel Centre
The Cottage by Des Lavender
The Guest by Helen Cross

12:30pm Food Museum
Fed & Watered by Rory Griffin
Inside My Gate by Chris Teather

1pm Regal Cinema
In the End, the Love You Take by Patrick Bell
The Choice by Morag Clarke

1:30 Royal Oak Pub Garden
The Highwayman by Mai Black
The Rollercoaster Life of a Hiccup by Sarah D.

2pm St Peter's Hall
The Saviour of Camford Row by Gary Milsom
The Sorting of Susan Jones by Julia Blake Foreword Festival

TV legend, star of Gavin & Stacey, Eastenders, & the Feud
Larry Lamb

In conversation with Camilla Barnes, author of 'The Usual Desire to Kill'

August 10th, 3pm
Regal Cinema
Stowmarket
Tickets: £12.50, from www.regalstowmarket.co.uk Foreword Festival presents
Heidi Swain Clare Marchant Jenni Keer Rachel Hore
A Writing Room with a View
Four of East Anglia's best-loved authors of Romantic and Historical Fiction, in conversation about their lives in literature.

Sunday 10th August, 12:30 (doors open 12pm)
Tickets £10, available from www.regalstowmarket.co.uk
forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
Just four weeks until the Foreword Festival Poetry Night at the John Peel Centre, Friday 15th August 2025!

Tickets available from www.johnpeelcentre.com

#ForewordFestivalUK #UK #Poetry #PunkPoetry #PerformancePoetry #SpokenWord #JohnPeelCentre #Suffolk #BookFair #Books #specpo #PoetryCommunity
Foreword Festival
Poetry & Spoken Word
Friday 15th August, doors 7pm

Joh Peel Centre, Stowmarket, Suffolk

Mark Grist
Multi-award-winning poet, battle-rapper, and star of Channel 4's 'Mr Drew's School for Boys'

James Domestic
Amy Wragg
Sam Marsh
Lorna MacKinnon
Compèred by AJ Deane

£8 in advance / £11 on the door
Reposted by Foreword Festival UK
rachelchurcher.bsky.social
The @forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social‬ isn't just for grown-ups ...

Give your creative writing a glow-up at our FREE writing workshop for teens and young adults aged 12-16!

Join me for a FREE workshop exploring the power of person and tense in your writing.

Booking info in alt text.

#booksky #UKYA
Information on the 'Make it Personal' writing workshop on a yellow background, with the Foreword Festival logo and a photo of the author. Text:

Give your creative writing a glow-up at this free writing workshop for teens and young adults aged 12-16! Join award-winning YA author Rachel Churcher to explore the power of person and tense in your writing, and learn to use these two simple tools to develop your stories and engage your readers.

This event is FREE to attend but booking is advisable. Contact the library on 01449 700549 to book your place.

Rachel Churcher is the author of the Battle Ground YA dystopian series, and the LGBTQ+ standalone YA novel, Angels.

15th August, 2pm, Stowmarket Library. Milton Road, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 1EX
Reposted by Foreword Festival UK
rachelchurcher.bsky.social
The @forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social‬ isn't just for grown-ups! Look out for our exciting events for younger readers.

Join Suffolk author Lynda Brignall for 'All Things Hedgehog' – Thursday August 14th, 3pm, Stowmarket Library. FREE!

Info in alt text.

#booksky #hedgehog #forewordfestivaluk
Information on the 'All Things Hedgehog' event on a yellow background, with the Foreword Festival logo and a photo of the author. Text:

In this special workshop, author Lynda Brignall will be talking about ‘all things hedgehog’ and promises that it will be interesting, fun and you won’t leave without learning something new!

Suitable for children aged 3 to 7, but the whole family is welcome.

This is a FREE event, but advance booking is advised. Book tickets in person at Stowmarket Library or call 01449 700549.

Signed copies of Lynda’s hedgehog books will be available to buy too!

Thursday 14th August, Stowmarket Library, 3-4pm. Milton Road, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 1EX.
forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
Your child can explore their creativity and imagination with the poetry workshop for children aged 5-10, with the brilliant Elisabeth Sheriff!

We'd write about dinosaurs.

Autism-friendly.
FREE

#ForewordFestival #poetry #workshop
Foreword Festival
Poetry Playhouse with Elisabeth Sheriff
13th August, 3pm
Stowmarket Library, Stowmarket Milton Rd, Suffolk IP13 1EX

Join author Elisabeth in this fun workshop to create your own wild and wonderful words, be it your pet, doughnuts, or your favourite dinosaur. Your imagination is the limit!

Suitable for children of any ability aged 5 to 10, including those on the autism spectrum.

This event is FREE but donations are welcome.
Signed copies of Elisabeth's books will be available to buy too!
forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
We are delighted to announce the ten winning stories of our Fast Foreword flash fiction competition, as well as where they will be performed around Stowmarket on the 9th of August!

Well done to all who entered - the quality and quantity were both amazing!

#Flash #fiction #FlashFic #Competition
Foreword Festival
Fast Foreword flash fiction competition 2025
August 9th

The Winners!

12pm - John Peel Centre
The Cottage by Des Lavender
The Guest by Helen Cross

12:30pm - Food Museum
Fed & Watered by Rory Griffin
Inside My Gate by Chris Teather

1pm - Regal Cinema
In the End, the Love You Take... by Patrick Bell
The Choice by Morag Clarke

1:30pm - Royal Oak Pub Garden
The Highwayman by Mai Black
The Rollercoaster Life of a Hiccup by Sarah D

2pm - St Peter's Hall
The Saviour of Canford Row by Gary Milsom
The Sorting of Susan Jones by Julia Blake


www.forewordfestival.uk
forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social
Our co-founder, Rachel, will be in Stowmarket this weekend!

#ForewordFestival #ThePowerOfStorytelling
rachelchurcher.bsky.social
I'm bringing a sneak preview of this year's @forewordfestivaluk.bsky.social‬ to the Stowmarket Food and Drink Festival on Sunday! Head to the town centre for food and drink stalls, family activities, entertainment, pocket-money movies at the Regal Cinema, and find us outside at the Food Museum!‪
Stowmarket Food and Drink Festival logo on a turquoise background. Text: Foreword Festival Bite Size at the Stowmarket Food and Drink Festival, 6th July, 10-4, Stowmarket Town Centre.