Gravity Festival lifts off

Thanks to all of you who joined us earlier this month for Gravity – a new kind of festival where the serious problems of life were spoken about, cried over and laughed at. And shared.

Speakers including Maxine Peake, Jimmy McGovern and Erwin James joined staff, volunteers, trustees and friends of The Reader as we took on the ‘normal problems of gravity’ through literature, laughter and art.

We’re grateful to all the speakers and guests who joined us throughout the weekend, sharing their stories and the literature that’s been helpful to them throughout their lives.

There were many highlights and we’re looking forward to sharing them with you in the podcast and magazine – more details coming soon.

For now, we’ll leave you with the words of one festivalgoer along with some images from our Gravity photo gallery.

‘I loved this festival. There was a great mix of topics and speakers and much to think about afterwards. The venue is fantastic as is the setting - I also went on a poetry walk in the park. Having in-person and online options was great. I attended in person on Saturday and watched online on Sunday but felt I was still part of the event. I felt rejuvenated and inspired after what has been a difficult time for me recently.’

While you’re here … If you’re local to Calderstones, many of the books discussed included in the Gravity programme are still available to purchase in The Reader Shop so why not pop in and pick up your favourite.