Your guide to SO: To Speak - Southampton's first ever festival of words

For the next ten days poetry, theatre and music will be taking over Southampton at venues across the city celebrating the power of the spoken and written word with SO: To Speak.

Here is the full programme of events for the Daily Echo-backed festival:

SATURDAY OCTOBER 24

Ali Sparkes Shirley Library, Shirley Precinct, Shirley High Street, SO15 5LL 2pm – 3.30pm FREE Hear award winning children’s author, Ali Sparkes, read from and talk about her novel, ‘Wishful Thinking’, which has recently been re-released. It follows the story of Kevin, who after a seemingly regular trip, returns with some local fudge, a scented candle for his mum and his own personal god; Abandinus – a little-known Celtic deity. With a god on your side, things must get a lot easier right?

Bookbinding Weekend Red Hot Press, The Corn Exchange, Old Cattle Market, Captains Pl, SO14 3FE 10am – 4.30pm £115.00 Join Bookbinder Katherine Anteney and learn how to make several different types of books; varying from sewn soft books and hardback pamphlets, to more complex designs, such as sectioned hardback books. All of the necessary materials will be provided, however, participants may want to bring their own papers for covers. Please note that this event only has a limited number of places available and further details will follow upon booking.

Story Hunt with Theatre in a Bag Starting at Central Library, Civic Centre, S014 7LW 10.30am & 11.30am (The hunt lasts about 50 mins) FREE Calling all story hunters! Join Theatre in a Bag on a brand new adventure to discover a story as yet untold and create an explorer map to help find such tales (which you can take away). There’ll be walking (and talking) and an ever ready supply of imagination. At the end we’ll tell it like it is, was and happy ever after.

Suitable for all families, especially all those aged four and up. Younger siblings welcome as a family group.

Poetry Workshop with Aoife Mannix Central Library, Civic Centre, SO14 7LW 10.30am – 12.30pm Price: £10.00 (JSA £5) A Time to Remember – explore the use of memories in poetry in this practical session with Aoife Mannix, author of four collections of poetry and a novel. Aoife’s credits include poet in residence for BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Gosport Gallery and Portsmouth Museum.

Stories in a flash with Calum Kerr Central Library, Civic Centre, SO14 7LW 1.30pm – 3.30pm Price: £7.50 (JSA £5) Join writer Calum Kerr, for a workshop to help develop your flash fiction writing! If you’re an aspiring writer, come and improve your skillset, hone your ideas and be inspired with this hands on session.

Old haunts: Classic Ghost Stories The Art House, Above Bar Street 7.30 – 10.30pm Price: £9.90 (£7.50 early bird, £12 door) Acclaimed theatre company, Don’t Go into the Cellar, presents, ‘Old Haunts’ – an original one-man show based on the vintage spine-tinglers, ‘Casting the Runes’ and ‘Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad’. Come and experience an atmospheric, tense and unsettling adaptation of these two timeless tales of terror.

Tales of Southampton The Hub, City College 7.30-10pm Price: £10 plus booking fee A world of dragons, knights and giants will come alive this evening when a Southampton storyteller talks about legends in one suburb of the city.

Mike O’Leary will recount legendary tales of Southampton and Bevois Valley, such as Bevis and the Giant Ascupart and Josyan and the terrible dragon, Murdure at City College’s The Hub, in St Mary Street.

Accompanied by music from the Delicious Sounds Choir and the Southampton Folk Orchestra, this is an experience for all ages.

The event also marks the launch of literary medieval scholar Lynn Forest-Hill’s new translation, from the original medieval manuscript, of Sir Bevis of Hampton.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 25

Poetry in Performance with Stewart Taylor Sea City Museum, Havelock Rd, Southampton SO14 7FY 10.30am – 12.30pm Price: £7.50 (JSA £5.00) National Poetry Slam finalist Stewart Taylor offers techniques, skills and tricks of the trade to enliven poetry for audiences in this fun, practical workshop.

Words in the City VARIOUS VENUES – SEE MAP BELOW 12pm - 6pm FREE Performances from poets, storytellers, songwriters, Spoken Word artists, readers, bloggers and more appearing on ten different ‘stages’ from the Red Funnel Terminal to the Orange Rooms and the Guildhall Square, with events for children too. There are opportunities for people to bring their stories and poems and take part in the ‘Open Mic’ sessions. There are also SO: To Speak exhibitions on Show. All the events are free.

Writing for Radio with John Foster Sea City Museum, Havelock Rd, Southampton SO14 7FY 1.30pm – 3.30pm Price £7.50 (JSA £5) Find out all you need to know about writing for radio, including the role of sound effects and soundscapes, through practical writing exercises that lead towards the completion of a short radio script. Led by John Foster, whose credits include Emmerdale Farm, Z-Cars, and Juliet Bravo.

Penny Legg’s ‘Military Wives’ Book Launch Royal Southampton Yacht Club, Ocean Village 6pm – 8pm £5 Join distinguished author, Penny Legg, in the launch of her new book, ‘Military Wives: From the First World War to Afghanistan’. The piece masterfully depicts the domestic side of warfare; detailing the experiences of numerous military families over the last 100 years. This event offers you the chance to discover how Penny put together this work – revealing her inspirations and challenges, whilst uncovering the daily struggles of military wives throughout history. Penny will be joined for the launch by the TS Alacrity Military Cadet Band.

Jason Manford’s Comedy Club The Stage Door, 78 West Marlands Rd, SO14 7FW 7pm - 10pm £12.50 To hear Jason tell it: “There is a circuit of brilliant comics in this country who haven’t been on telly for a number of reasons. Maybe they’re up and coming, maybe they were on a late-night stand up show in the 80′s, or maybe they just have a severe drinking problem… Either way, there are funny people out there who thrive in the live arena and want to make you laugh on a regular basis”.

Marvin B. Naylor: The Diary of a Busker Mettricks Tea and Coffee House, High street 7.30pm – 9.30pm Price: £6 ‘The Diary of a Busker’ is Marvin B. Naylor’s much-loved daily blog of the struggles and triumphs of a street musician. Reading from this, and performing some of his most praised songs, Marvin will bring his soulful voice, emotive lyrics, sharp wit, passion and charisma to this intimate local venue.

MONDAY OCTOBER 26

Authors on the Water Red Funnel Ferries to and from Town Quay All day FREE Travellers between Southampton and the Isle of Wight are in for a treat, as SO: To Speak boards the ferry! In partnership with Writing Buddies, Red Funnel ferries are hosting readings, book signings and Q&A sessions with Southampton authors on daytime crossings.

The authors on the Water are children’s author Jacqueline Pye and James Marsh. Christine Donovan, Richard Hardie, Tracy Gorman, Ann Victoria Roberts, Carol Burns, Eileen Long, Geoff Parkes, Alan Scouse.

Kids: Minion Money Boxes Southampton City Art Gallery, Civic Centre, Commercial Rd, 10am – 12pm or 1pm – 3pm Price: £6 for the morning session (afternoon session Southampton Families SO postcodes Only – £2 per child) Have you got plenty of pennies? Join us for a fun workshop creating a minion to store your millions. Ages 4 and over.

Haiku Poetry Workshop Central Library, Civic Centre, Southampton, SO14 7LW 11am – 12pm FREE Consisting of just three lines, Haiku is an excellent way to hone your writing skills, express yourself and develop your poetry range. Join experienced Haiku poet, Pearl Elizabeth Dell May and learn how to write in this ancient Japanese form with this practical workshop.

Stories in Art Southampton City Art Gallery, Central Library, Civic Centre, S014 7LW 1.00pm – 2.30pm Price: £5 plus booking fee Join Les Buckingham in a guided tour of the Art Gallery and discover the narratives behind the paintings. The tour will end with the series of famous Burne-Jones paintings, ‘The Legend of Perseus’.

High Tea and Poetry Creative Writing Workshop for Women The Stage Door, West Marlands Road, SO14 7FW 2pm-4pm FREE You’re a woman in Southampton. Whether you have been here for 50 years or 5 minutes, we need to hear your stories. From first impressions to tales from local history or a lifetime here, where is your Southampton? Join local poets and performers Angela Chicken (organiser of Stories Worth Telling, women’s poetry events) and Anna Carr (actor and theatrical producer), in a creative writing workshop exploring what Southampton means TO: you. Warning: There will be tea and cake. There may be laughter. And there will be poems.

IMMIGRATION JOURNEYS Third Age Centre, Cranbury Terrace, SO14 0LH 7pm FREE Ali Beg, of AWAAZFM Radio, has been collecting the stories of how people came to Southampton from Pakistan.

Abdoulie Sanneh came from the Gambia, and now works to support and develop the Pan Afican community in the city – an immigration journey that continues for many years after people actually arrive and build new lives in the city.

There will be discussion, people will be invited to share their story and their experiences that make up the modern fabric of the city Apples and Snakes presents a 451 special PUBLIC ADDRESS: THE SOAPBOX TOUR Nuffield Theatre, University of Southampton Main Campus 7pm £5/£3 concessions Apples and Snakes presents, ‘451’, a showcase of national spoken word talent! Featuring Jasmine Gardosi, Justin Coe,Shagufta Iqbal, A. J. McKenna and Helen Seymour, these 5 spoken word artists have been hand-selected from all over the country to write on the theme of ‘soapbox’. With their keen wit and unique styles, this cast will be sure entertain, move and inspire you. Some open mic places available.

FILM: Diplomacy The Phoenix presents Diplomacy (2014) Solent University Cinema, E Park Terrace, SO14 0YN 7.30pm £8 non-members As the Allies march toward Paris in the summer of 1944, Hitler gives orders that the French capital should not fall into enemy hands, or if it does, then ‘only as a field of rubble’.

The person assigned to carry out this barbaric act is Wehrmacht commander of Greater Paris, General Dietrich von Choltitz, who already has mines planted on the Eiffel Tower, in the Louvre and Notre Dame and on the bridges over the Seine.

Nothing should be left as a reminder of the city’s former glory. The film follows the drama of efforts to save the city in Volker Schlöndorff’s film adapted from the original stage play by Cyril Gely.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 27

Tudor Plagues and Potions Tudor House Museum, Bugle St, Southampton, SO14 2AD 10am – 12pm or 1pm – 3pm Price: £5 Discover the horrible history of health and sickness in Tudor times. Handle real artifacts, get mucky creating medicines using natural ingredients and make a plague mask. Ages 5-11 PHONE: 023 8083 4536 or book places for art gallery and museum activities, at City Art Gallery, Sea City Museum or Tudor House.

Mo Foster at the Art House The Art House 3.00-4.30pm £5 plus booking fee Hear author, poet and playwright, Mo Foster, talk about her novel, ‘A Blues for Shindig’. The book throws you into the volatile post-war streets of Soho, London and has received rave reviews on Amazon; praising her masterful use of language and dialogue to capture the scene. At this event, discover the inspirations behind the work, uncover Mo’s personal experiences in 1950s London and get the chance to learn more about the world of playwriting.

Haunted Southampton The Red Lion, High Street 7pm – 8.30pm Price: £6 plus booking fee Author Penny Legg investigated the city’s paranormal goings-on for her book, ‘Haunted Southampton’, and lives to tell the tale in Southampton’s most famously haunted hostelry, the Red Lion.

Amanda Prowse - novelist Northguild Lecture Theatre, Central Library, Civic Centre, S014 7LW 7:30pm- 9pm Price: £5 plus booking fee Hear best-selling author Amanda Prowse talk about her new book ‘Three and a half Heartbeats’ launched only in September dealing with family tragedy as three become two.

It is the latest from this prolific and incredibly popular writer whose fiction addresses the very real and personal issues that affect our lives.

Her novel Poppy Day in 2014 led on to her becoming ITV’s This Morning’ Writer in Residence, and her most recent book has been published in 15 countries and 12 different languages.

Amanda will read excerpts from her work, answer questions and examine how the written word can be used to explore difficult and complicated issues.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 28

Far From the Madding Crowd (1967) University of Southampton Students Union 7.30pm £8 non-members The phoenix presents the original classic film adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s famous novel starring Julie Christie, Alan Bates and Terence Stamp. Accept no imitations!

Exposure Filmmakers at the Art House The Art House, Above Bart Street, Southampton 8pm – 10pm FREE with donations To celebrate SO: To Speak, this month the group will be focusing on screen writing. Enthusiasts are welcome.

Claire Fuller: Confessions of a Debut Author Bitterne Library, Bitterne Road East, SO18 5EG 7.30pm – 9pm Price: £5 plus booking fee Getting published is hard enough, and by Penguin near enough impossible, but after excellent reviews, Claire Fuller‘s debut novel, ‘Our Endless Numbered Days’, has gone on to win the prestigious Desmond Elliott Prize, surpassing top class competition. You will have the chance to hear Claire read excerpts, discuss her inspirations and offer advice to aspiring authors from her experience.

Philip Hoare: The Sea Inside Northguild Lecture Theatre, Central Library, Civic Centre, SO14 7LW 7pm – 8:30pm Price: £8.00 plus booking fee From the Southampton beach he knew as a boy – and where he still swims every day – Philip Hoare ventures on a mystical trip into the sea, and its vivid grip on our imagination.

Diving from oystercatchers to giant whales, from human culture to natural history, he asks why we all have the sea inside us, and why it remains our last resort.

Philip Hoare is the author of ‘Spike Island’, ‘Leviathan or, The Whale’ and ‘The Sea Inside’. He is professor of creative writing at the University of Southampton.

Writing Buddies Competition Awards The Stage Door, West Marlands Road, SO14 7FW 2.30pm FREE Prize-giving ceremony for the ‘My Southampton’ writing competition. Winners from the four categories: fiction, non-fiction, flash fiction and poetry, will be receiving their awards and reading from their prize-winning entries Storytime with Sandra Horn October Books, Portswood Road 2pm FREE Come a long to hear children’s author, Sandra Horn, tell her magical stories, using toys, music and activities. The session will be suitable for children aged 4-8.

No booking required.

Monster Mash-Up Southampton City Art Gallery, Civic Centre, Commercial Rd, Southampton, SO14 7LY 10.30am – 3pm Price: £18 From Greek Myths and Frankenstein, to the modern day Toy Story, all the best books and films have a monster or two. Let your creativity flow during this fun sculpture workshop and join us to dissect and reassemble some old toys into truly horrific hybrids! Children aged 7 or under must be accompanied by an adult.

Phone 023 8083 4536 or book places for art gallery and museum activities, at City Art Gallery, Sea City Museum or Tudor House.

Frozen Castles Sea City Museum, Havelock Rd, Southampton, SO14 7FY 10am – 12pm or 1pm – 3pm Price: £5 (PM session Southampton Families SO postcodes Only – £2 per child) Love Disney’s ‘Frozen’? Join us for a sing-a-long and then create a wonderful Frozen-inspired castle. Ages 2+ Phone 023 8083 4536 or book places for art gallery and museum activities, at City Art Gallery, Sea City Museum or Tudor House.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 29

Horrific Halloween T-Shirts Southampton City Art Gallery, Civic Centre, Commercial Rd, Southampton, SO14 7LY 10am – 12pm Price: £7 Come and create some frightening fashion for your Halloween Party or Trick or Treat adventures. One t-shirt supplied per child. Suitable for ages 5+ Phone 023 8083 4536 or book places for art gallery and museum activities, at City Art Gallery, Sea City Museum or Tudor House.

Toddler Time – Spooky Halloween Sea City Museum, Havelock Rd, Southampton, SO14 7FY 10.30am – 11.30pm Price: £3.50 Calling all active and curious toddlers! Join us for exciting stories and rhymes, discover museum objects and be mini-explorers around the museum. Ages 18 months – 4 years.

Phone 023 8083 4536 or book places for art gallery and museum activities, at City Art Gallery, Sea City Museum or Tudor House.

Do Your Thing !

Mettricks Tea and Coffee Co. 117 High Street 7pm FREE Mettricks regular Open Mic evening, along woith the best brew in town. Tonight, for SO: To Speak they are holding the door open especially for Spoken Word artists. But as always, everyone is welcome.

Steph Hillier on M.G. Neal’s WW1 Diaries ‘It’s a long way to Tipperary?’ Boulangerie Victor Hugo, 50 High Street, SO14 2NS 3pm – 4.30pm Price: £5 plus booking fee Maurice Graffet Neal’s beautifully written and illustrated WWI diaries are now held at the Imperial War Museum. Brought to publication by his granddaughter Steph Hillier in 2014, they provide a harrowing account of his time in the trenches, his wounding, and subsequent recovery at Netley Hospital and his life after at Netley Abbey.

‘Writing Southampton’ – Rebecca Smith Portswood Library, Portswood Road, SO17 2NG 7pm FREE As part of its centenary celebrations, literary expert Rebecca Smith will be giving a talk on ‘Writing Southampton’.

Seagulls and Spitfires Solent Sky Museum, Albert Rd S, SO14 3FR 7pm – 9pm Price: £10 plus booking fee Come celebrate the Spitfire in an evening of entertainment with Matt West, Alison Hill, and the Spitfire Sisters at the Solent Sky Museum.

One of the Highlights of SO: To Speak is the launch of a specially commissioned set of poems by City Laureate, Matthew West, about the Spitfire; the R.J Mitchell-designed aircraft so closely associated with the city of Southampton. Matt will be joined by Alison Hill, who has produced a poetry collection about the women pilots who delivered the planes. John Webster, the Spitfire expert, will give a talk about the plane and its history, and the wonderful Spitfire Sisters, will perform the musical poetry of the era in their one unique style.

Where else for such an occasion but the Solent Sky Museum, in the company of the historic planes themselves?

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30

Daff Illustration Workshop The Art House, 178 Above Bar St, Southampton, Hampshire SO14 7DW 2pm – 4pm FREE Learn how to create a narrative illustration to accompany a set text. In this workshop, led by artist Caroline Misselbrook of Daff Workshops, you’ll take inspiration from artists and illustrators and complete a range of drawing exercises to build your confidence and help you develop your own unique style. Suitable for total beginners as well as those wanting to brush up their skills.

All materials and tools are provided and you do not need to attend both workshops, they are stand-alone sessions.

Don’t Leave Me Now A play by Brian Daniels Building 02/Room 2077 Highfield Campus, University of Southampton, SO16 1BJ (change of venue) 4pm FREE The play, presented by a cast of five professional actors, explores the impact of early onset dementia and family life.

Don’t Leave Me Now was inspired by two true life stories. Professor Rachel Dixey nursed her partner through dementia for seven years and Cindy Toulman visited her husband every day for ten years in the care home. Playwright Brian Daniels weaves the strands of these two stories to create a drama with authenticity, insight and humour. A ‘script in hand’ performance from a cast of five professional actors.

The performance will be followed by a 20 minute Q & A session led by Dr Ruth Bartlett, Associate Professor in the Centre for Innovation and Leadership, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southampton. She is a researcher and educator with a mental health nursing background and special interest in people with dementia.

Ray Monk on Biographies October Books, Portswood Road 7pm £5 Acclaimed author and academic, Ray Monk, will be talking about his most recent work, ‘Inside the Centre: The Life of J. Robert Oppenheimer’. Discover the life experiences of “the father of the Bomb”, uncover his complicated personality, his role in developing the first atomic bomb and the ramifications of his creation for both himself and the world. Ray will also be discussing his other biographies and answering any questions that you may have.

Godfrey Brandt – Chords & Lyrics 2 Mettricks Tea and Coffee House 7.30pm Price: £5 plus booking fee In Association with Black History Month Join the critically acclaimed poet and author, Godfrey Brandt, for an evening of spoken word poetry with a splash of jazz!

Combining guitar and voice, he will perform some of his most-loved poems, including ‘Freedom of Me’, ‘Bassettois’ and ‘Burger Bathos’.

A number of other poems from his celebrated anthologies, ‘Madiba and Other Poems’ and ‘Barbara al Sole’, will also be featured, along with a few brand new poems written especially for the occasion!

Moving Voices The Art House, Above Bar Street 7.30pm – 10pm Free with donations Let the voices of local talent inspire you at this evening of performance poetry and music! Moving Voices is an open mic space where experienced and new performers can share the songs and poems they’ve written, or just recite the ones they like! This event will move you deeply, make you laugh and bring a tear to your eye whether you are performing or just listening!

SATURDAY OCTOBER 31

Letterpress Day with Red Hot Press Red Hot Press, The Corn Exchange, Old Cattle Market, Captains Pl, SO14 3FE 10am – 4.30pm £60 Make your mark and learn to letterpress! With a huge selection of wooden and lead type and an array of different presses, you can be creative and experiment with overlaying transparent colours under the guidance and expertise of Katherine Anteney. Please note that all of the necessary materials and resources are provided and there are only a limited number of places available.

Fully booked – but new date added on November 8.

Words, Songs and the Dancing Man The Dancing Man, 1 Bugle Street 12pm – 7pm £12 An all-day programme of Spoken Word and Song, with some of the country’s top Spoken Word artists, the city’s leading songwriters and a whole lot more. Hosted by the Dancing Man with its own prize-winning beers, guest German beers, Festival food and unique atmosphere.

Spoken Word from: Matt Harvey, Jess Green, Ross Sutherland, Antosh Wojcik, Emily Harrison, Claire Trevien, Music from: Lucy Kitchen, Grant Sharkey, Vicki Musselwhite Gateway to World Poetry with Hadi Khojinian, Andreea Stan, and more SO: To Speak Festival Poetry Slam Young Poets Showcase MJ Arlidge – The Doll’s House and Other Crimes Northguild Lecture Theatre, Central Library, Civic Centre, S014 7LW 2pm – 3.30pm £5 plus booking fee After overcoming her inner demons and solving the most disturbing and complex of crimes, DI Helen Grace has risen to the top, but In the latest instalment of the series, ‘The Doll’s House’, Arlidge’s tenacious cop is challenged like never before.

Facing an experienced and resourceful killer with no apparent motivation, she must unravel his twisted plan in a desperate race against time.

At this event, MJ Arlidge will be reading excerpts from his latest work, talking about his inspirations and answering any question which may arise.

Mike O’Leary is Telling Tales Central Library, Civic Centre, SO14 7LW 2pm – 3.30pm FREE Enter Mike O’Leary’s world of knights, giants and dragons. With the help of his signature Storybox, he will use his unique combination of music, stories, and artifacts to blur the lines between reality and fantasy. Suitable for all ages.

Horace Walpole’s Gothic Horror with Sarah Siddons Fan Club Departs from Holyrood Church, High Street 7pm – 9pm £5 It is a little known fact that the father of Gothic fiction, Horace Walpole and the poet Thomas Grey visited Southampton in order to inspire their writing by seeking out ghostly apparitions – it turns out that they were terrified by what they found!

Now they have returned in a ghostly form themselves, to reveal what dwells in the shadows of the city. Join us for a stroll around the old town of Southampton to meet past residents, but be warned… Not all of them are friendly!

For tickets call 023 8086 2882.

Kings in the Car Park West Quay Multi-Storey Car Park, Harbour Parade (pedestrian entrance) 7.30pm Sunday November 1 1:30pm, 4.00pm, 7:30pm Price: £10, students £5 Richard III spent many a discontented winter under the tarmac in a Leicester car park. But what if he’s not the only Car Park King? From a boxing King Richard II to an action packed Henry V in camo, discover a Shakespeare story on every storey. Be guided through five completely different worlds and watch a Southampton car park transform before your eyes. Experience battles and romance, and the rise and fall of empires with the experts in shaking up Shakespeare – the Shakesperts!

Attila the Stockbroker Autobiography Launch The Art House, Above Bar Street 8pm Join acclaimed singer, songwriter and poet, Attila the Stockbroker, in the launch of his autobiography, ‘Arguments Yard’; celebrating his 35 years of “ranting verse and thrash mandola”! It details his inspirations, achievements and hilarious experiences.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 1

Barbara Dynes Creative Writing Masterclass 10am – 1pm Price: £20 As the author of ‘Masterclasses in Creative Writing’, Barbara Dynes is one of the country’s top writing tutors. Take your writing one step further with this small group event – learn how to write engaging dialogue and create compelling characters.

Linocutting Workshop Red Hot Press, The Corn Exchange, Old Cattle Market, Captains Place, SO14 3FE 10am – 4:30pm Price: £60 Join Katherine Anteney in a beginner’s introduction to Linocuts. This event will teach you all of the basic skills needed to create simple small scale illustrations; from planning your image and cutting the block, to inking and printing. Please note that all of the necessary materials and resources are provided and there are only a limited number of places available.

Writing for Stage with Deborah Gearing Sea City Museum, Havelock Rd, Southampton SO14 7FY 10.30am – 12.30pm Price: £7.50 (JSA £5) Join Deborah Gearing for an entry-level introduction to stage writing, offering practical skills in a supportive environment to motivate and inspire the creation of new ideas and writing.

Beginners Workshop Sea City Museum, Havelock Rd, Southampton SO14 7FY 1.30pm – 3.30pm Price £5 Always wanted to write? Have things to say but don’t know where to start? This workshop is for you. Matt West will help you take those early steps to become the writer you want to be.

Southampton Persian Festival Westgate Hall, Westgate Street, SO14 2AY 1.30pm-4.30pm £7.00 plus booking fee Southampton’s first celebration of Persian culture through stories, poetry, music and film. Performances in English and Farsi.

Persian language is one of the few languages which has been in existence for a long time and is still living and breathing strongly. It is like an old man of a thousand years ago with experience and knowledge of the natural world, and the elegance he has gained from life. During its long history, it has produced many great poets, but only a few have been introduced to the western world, such as Khayyam and Rumi.

Amongst the many great Persian poets Hafez of Shiraz is considered the god of Persian poetry. Persian poetry standards are measured by his poetic standards. All Persian speakers from Afghanistan, to Iran, to Kurdistan, to Pakistan, to Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, have a copy of his poems in their homes. In Afghanistan, however, Saadi, Ferdowsi, and Bidel are just as popular and praised as Hafiz. In the winter months poetry recital is elevated to a higher level and people pay homage to poems from Ferdowsi and Saadi.

Some of the greatest Persian poets were Indian born such as Bidel and Ghalib. Many others travelled to India from Kabul, Balkh, Isfahan, and Tabriz, and took with them their diverse experiences and imaginative ways. Their influence enriched the world of Indian poetry, which is still evident today in Indian ghazals.

Kings in the Car Park West Quay Multi-Storey Car Park, Harbour Parade (pedestrian entrance) 7.30pm 1:30pm, 4.00pm, 7:30pm Price: £10, students £5 Richard III spent many a discontented winter under the tarmac in a Leicester car park. But what if he’s not the only Car Park King? From a boxing King Richard II to an action packed Henry V in camo, discover a Shakespeare story on every storey. Be guided through five completely different worlds and watch a Southampton car park transform before your eyes. Experience battles and romance, and the rise and fall of empires with the experts in shaking up Shakespeare – the Shakesperts!

Professor Emma Clery: Why Jane Austen preferred Southampton to Bath The Mercure Dolphin Hotel, High Street 2pm – 3.30pm £5 plus booking fee In her unpublished juvenile novel ‘Love and Friendship’, Jane Austen conveyed a less than enticing view of the city – years later she became a resident. Join Emma Clery and discover the author behind the text; uncovering her life, her experiences in the city and her subsequent inspirations. With comprehensive evidence and decisive analysis, this talk will explore the city’s influence on her imaginative worlds, partly by contrasting it with the hollow glamour of Bath.

Horace Walpole’s Gothic Horror with Sarah Siddons Fan Club Departs from Holyrood Church, High Street 7pm – 9pm £5 It is a little known fact that the father of Gothic fiction, Horace Walpole and the poet Thomas Grey visited Southampton in order to inspire their writing by seeking out ghostly apparitions – it turns out that they were terrified by what they found!

Now they have returned in a ghostly form themselves, to reveal what dwells in the shadows of the city. Join us for a stroll around the old town of Southampton to meet past residents, but be warned… Not all of them are friendly!

For tickets call 023 8086 2882.

Voices Appeared: La Passion de Jeanne D’Arc, with Orlando Consort In Association with Southampton Film Week Turner Sims Concert Hall, University of Southampton 7.30pm £20 and concessions When Carl Dreyer’s ‘La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc’ was released in 1928, it caused a minor scandal. Condemned in France, vilified by Catholic authorities and even banned in Britain, it is now recognized as a cinematic masterpiece; regularly appearing in lists of the top 10 greatest ever films and featuring what is generally accepted as one of the finest performances on film, by Renée Jeanne Falconetti in the title role. The superb voices of the Orlando Consort provide live accompaniment for this silent classic with an original medieval score, bringing the sounds of the fifteenth century to life.

Share article All Week SO: To Speak There are three exhibition running during SO: To Speak: Simon Griggs Photography Exhibition at Mettricks by the Bargate of the images of the city used to promote SO: To Speak.

SO: To Speak Illustration Competition entries at the Art House Cafe, 175 Above Bar Street Southampton Sight Writing Salon Exhibition and Audio Zone at Boulangerie Vicor Hugo, 50 High Street showing the work of disabled writers in the city, together with a set of the Salon’s audio podcasts available to listen to over your coffee and wonderful French patisserie.

TRANSPORTED Guildhall Square Saturday October 24 – Sunday November 1 TRANSPORTED, produced by element arts, is a series of installations and performances in shipping containers made possible in collaboration with Willbox and Williams Shipping, and funding support from Arts Council England through Southampton Festivals.

The installations include a large scale piece of temporary art, The Future Museum of Now, which transports people to the year 2515; a select programme of snug performance s for small audiences and a unique exhibition charting the history of Williams Shipping as part of the development of Southampton docks.

“Williams Shipping and Willbox are proud to be working with element arts on this exciting project”, Chris Williams. Element Arts is a Southampton based organisation that produces community arts and heritage projects.