Thirty-one writers from Hartlepool and across Tees Valley will gather at Community Hub Central on Saturday 24 October for the town's first Author Showcase, a free event combining books, conversation and practical creative sessions.
The showcase runs from 10am to 1pm at the hub in York Road. Hartlepool Borough Council says the programme will include author panels, signings and book sales, alongside workshops, children's storytelling, crafts, zine-making and creative writing drop-ins. A free prize draw for a book basket is also planned.
Thirty-one writers, many kinds of book
The attending list ranges from Alan Pilkington, Beryl Robinson and C. J. Grayson to Fiona Erskine, Harry Man, Polly Ludgate and Tony Stamp. Rather than centring the morning on one style of writing, the council says the authors work across adult fiction, non-fiction, poetry, young adult fiction and children's novels. The full line-up contains 31 names, offering a wider view of the area's writing scene than a single-author appearance.
That range shapes the event's format. Readers can meet writers and browse books, while people interested in making their own work can try a writing drop-in or zine activity. Children's storytelling and crafts give families a separate route into the programme without turning the whole event into a formal literary talk.
Entry is free, the activities are suitable for all ages and no advance booking is required. That makes the showcase useful both for people planning to attend a panel and for visitors who want to call in during the three-hour session.
A library setting with room to make
Community Hub Central operates as both a library and a wider community facility. Its usual services include children's and adult lending areas, The Den library space for teenagers, public computers, space and a Fab Lab with equipment for creative technology. The building also hosts activities for children, families and adults throughout the year.
The choice of venue puts books and making in the same place. The programme moves between reading, conversation, craft and writing, while the hub already has spaces designed for different ages and forms of learning. Hartlepool Borough Council's community-hubs page is also promoting the showcase as its first event of this kind.
Councillor Rob Darby, chair of the council's Housing, Growth and Communities Committee, said the aim was to recognise literary work being produced in Hartlepool and the wider Tees Valley. also linked the event with the council's support for creativity, literacy, learning and culture in local communities.
Plan your visit
The Hartlepool Author Showcase takes place from 10am to 1pm on Saturday 24 October at Community Hub Central, 124 York Road, Hartlepool, TS26 9DE. The venue's published information lists an accessible entrance, disabled toilet and baby-changing facilities. Saturday is one of the hub's normal opening days.
No ticket or booking is needed for the showcase. Anyone who wants to check access arrangements or other venue details before travelling can contact Community Hub Central on 01429 242909 or email community.hubs@hartlepool.gov.uk. The council lists nearby pay-and-display parking at West Side, Waldon Street, Roker Street and Middleton Grange Multi Storey.