Wrexham's Carnival Of Words highlights for this year's week-long festival of words
provided fans of crime thrillers with a chance to see Tim Weaver, Conrad Jones and Jenny Blackhurst, while Glenda Young provided a traditional cosy crime approach with her Seaview Hotel series of books. Author Bernard Cornwell, author of The Last Kingdom series of books – recently adapted into a televised drama – made an exclusive pre-recorded interview, shown as part of Historical Fiction Night, featuring Matthew Harffy and Angus Donald...
But this literary festival celebrates Wrexham’s very own writers. Local favourite Peter Read shared his memories of supporting Wrexham football club. There was Storytelling for Families during which poets Rachel Harris and Paul Clifton, with children’s author Jude Lennon, engaged with younger audience members by actively getting them involved in a Poetry is Cool session. Renowned local poet Aled Lewis Evans shared readings from his latest two collections Harvest Tide and After Glow, and the ever-popular Viva Voce open mic events joined with Voicebox, providing additional poetry at Lle Hapus on Eagles Meadow. The National Poet of Wales, Hanan Issa, rounded off the poetry scene towards the end of the festival.
Elen Cadelcot provided children and families with creative writing workshops, and Welsh character Magi Ann told a few Welsh stories at various Wrexham libraries.
The Carnival of Words published its first book, titled Wrexham Revealed, and hosted a launch event. The pocket-sized book buries deep through Wexham’s rich historical roots, and acts as a self-guided twenty stop tour through Wrexham’s city centre. The book was written by local author David Ebsworth and photographers Nick Roe and Sophia Evans took most of the beautiful snapshots.
The sell-out Murder Mystery Night turned Wrexham Library into a manor house for a whodunit, where the audience became detectives with a script written by Ann Cleaves. Organisers have said for next year’s script, a script-writing competition will take place with the winning entry being performed at the 2024 Wrexham Carnival of Words.
This year's Carnival of Words certainly proved a huge success and next year it will be the Carnival’s 10th year! I and many others wait in anticipation to see what wonderful delights they will have in store for us.
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