All the Wide Border

Aardvark Books is delighted to host this very special day of poetry, prose and music in the barn at The Bookery, with Mike Parker, author of"The Map Addict",  "On The Red Hill", and "All the Wide Border"; also Michael Berkeley, composer and presenter of Radio 3's Private Passions; Hanan Issa, National Poet of Wales; Julie Brominicks, author of "The Edge of Cymru"and contributor to Country Life Magazine, and Simon  Moreton, author of "Where - Life and Death in the Shropshire Hills".

The third, and last, one-day literary festival curated by Anna Dreda at Aardvark Books in Brampton Bryan, will take place on Saturday 16th September this year.

Anna, who has continued to promote and inspire people with her poetry breakfasts and children’s reading events in Shropshire and the borders of Wales since her own bookshop Wenlock Books – which was named independent bookshop of the year in 2006 - closed in 2019, says: “These one-day events at Aardvark Books have been a joy to do, and it is so appropriate that this last one, inspired by Mike Parker’s latest book, “All the Wide Border”, is actually taking place in the borders of Wales itself. Our brilliant guests will give us a day to remember as we travel the borders and the Marches and explore our relationship to the landscape around us and our own sense of belonging ~ or not. Using prose, poetry, music, politics and memoir this will be a day that is entertaining, challenging, stimulating and fun.”

Headliner for the event is author Mike Parker, whose acclaimed new book, “All the Wide Border” is inspiration for the day. It is described as a funny, warm and timely meditation on identity and belonging, and as Mike says, he wanted to "examine “the history and geography of the frontier, the beautiful between-land of the Marches, and its place in our collective psyche”.

Mike Parker will be in excellent company. Fellow speakers are: Michael Berkeley CBE, (Lord Berkeley of Knighton), composer, well-known presenter of Radio 3’s “Private Passions” and passionate advocate for the arts, contemporary music and music education; Hanan Issa, National Poet of Wales, Welsh-Iraqi poet, film-maker and artist, also part of the writers’ room for the Channel 4 award-winning series, “We are Lady Parts”; Julie Brominicks, writer for Country Life whose first book “The Edge of Cymru” tells the story of of her quest of personal discovery as she walked around Wales; and Simon Moreton, artist and writer whose illustrated memoir “Where?” examines his rural childhood in Shropshire and the sudden death of his father in 2017.

Using prose, poetry, politics, music and memoir, and set in English-Welsh border country, this will be a day to remember.

The day will unfold at Aardvark Books from 10am-4.15pm

Tickets cost £40, please contact:  info@wenlockbooks.co.uk to book and for more information.

Refreshments: Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided during the day; if you would like lunch from Aardvark Cafe, it can be booked in advance with Aardvark Cafe for £10.00 (please let us know of any dietary requirements) https://www.aardvark-books.com/contact to book.

Programme for the Day:

Programme ~ All the Wide Border
10 am Arrivals/coffee
10.30 - 11.00 Mike Parker
11.00 - 11.15 Book signings/coffee
11.15 - 11.45 Simon Moreton
11.45 - 12.00 Book signings/coffee
12.00 - 12.30 Hanan Issa
12.30 - 12.45 Book signings/coffee
12.45 - 2.00 lunch
2.00 - 2.30 Julie Brominicks
2.30 - 2.45 Book signings/coffee
2.45 - 3.15 Michael Berkeley
3.15 - 3.30Book signings/coffee
3.30 - 4.00 Group sessio