Market Rasen WordFest
Saturday 6 July 2024
Get ready for WordFest this summer with a great line-up of literature themed events throughout the day!
Spark your inner creative by sharing your stories and passions through language and words. Market Rasen Library will be open from 10am to 4pm and there will be a Bookshop Café at the Advocate Arms where you can browse a book, leave a review, sit and chill with a coffee in a quiet corner and meet like-minded book people. Ride the Ice Cream Line Vintage Book Bus to North Willingham ice-cream parlour. Add a doodle to our 'Doodle Board', try a few lines of poetry with our Poetry on a Roll!
There’s a full day of literary events planned, from author talks and history walks. There's lots going on for all ages.
Take a look at what's on below. You can also download a pdf of the leaflet here - WordFest leaflet. Our interactive map also shows where each event is taking place, plus where you can catch the vintage bus.
Literature Village on the Market Place
10am to 4pm, Market Place, LN8 3HL
Find book related stalls, authors and other traders, children’s entertainment and more. Join us in the Book Barn (under the Auction Shed), from 10am to 1pm, where the Broadbent Theatre will have books, storytelling and fun for children. Children are invited to read their favourite story or poem, or their own writing, from the special Book Chair. Also joining us will be the Ally Pally Story Emporium with their fun and creative crafts, and Oskar will entertain with his magic accordion. There will also be a fabulous vintage carousel for children throughout the day.
Vintage Book Bus Rides - Ride the Ice Cream Line!
10am to 4pm, Leaving from the Market Place on the hour.
A vintage Lincolnshire Bus will be touring the town centre and travelling to North Willingham stopping at Wrights Ice Cream Parlour. Hop on for a free ride down Nostalgia Lane. Drop off points at the Old Police Station, Mill Road car park for the Library. Bus leaves the Market Place on the hour from 10am until 3pm and will depart North Willingham ice cream parlour on the half hour, first departure 10.30am, last departure 3.30pm.
Programme Of Events
This is our programme of events so far. Almost all events are free to attend, however some require you to book in advance (see below). Tickets will also be available on the day, for events with spaces still available, from the booking office on the Market Place.
Written Word Talk with Caroline Foster (Drop In)
10am to 11am, Market Rasen Library, Mill Road, LN8 3BP
Local historian Caroline Foster will be reading from "A Moment in Time" which is a collection of written work by library users who were invited to record significant events and memories about life in Market Rasen. Light refreshments will be served.
Caroline Foster is an authority and well-known local historian, as well as published author. She generously gives her time to support local library users and visitors who want to know more about the past – both family and local history.
Ian Gouge - 'Crash' (Booking Essential)
10.45am to 11.45am, The Old Police Station and Courtroom, Dear Street, LN8 3BH
Ian Gouge performed his poetic monologue Crash at the Ripon Theatre Festival in June 2023, and is excited to be able to bring the performance to Market Rasen.
Please ensure to arrive in a timely manner to be seated. Entry will not be permitted once the performance has started.
Heritage Walk and Talk – Wolds Women of Influence (Booking Essential)
11am to 12pm, meet at the Market Place
Discover the stories about influential women from Market Rasen’s past – women who ran businesses, set up schools. Learn about the Boucherett sisters who influenced national events during their eventful lifetimes. Join Dr Caroline Mogg, principal researcher of the Wolds Women of Influence heritage project. The walk will last approximately 45 minutes with time to hear more about the women who feature in the six stories on the town’s heritage trail.
Marvellous Makers Scrapbook (Drop In)
11am to 1.45pm, Market Rasen Library, Mill Road, LN8 3BP
An interactive and fun craft workshop which will launch this year’s ‘Marvellous Makers’ Summer Reading Challenge. Children are invited to collect their scrapbook and design and decorate the front cover, this will be a handy place to keep their summer diary, mementoes, dates and certificates.
Keith Rylands-Bolton - Author Reading and Discussion (Booking Essential)
11.15am to 12.15pm, The Advocate Arms, Queen Street, LN8 3EH
Keith Rylands-Bolton will discuss nature writing in the context of his work. His published novel 'Trying Times for Sebastian Scattergood' is in part a nature diary, the hero quotes extensively from Gilbert White, Dorothy Wordsworth, Edward Thomas, Roger Deakin.
Paul Sutherland - Poetry Reading (Drop In)
11.15am to 12.15pm, St Thomas' Church, Market Place,
LN8 3HL
Paul Sutherland is a British-Canadian poet and writer with 20 collections published. He founded Dream Catcher Literary Journal in 1996. Paul will read poems from his books Journeying, New and Selected Poems, and newly published Only Words and The Leopard and The Sea Turtle.', highlighting spiritual bonds with different faiths and his long-standing love of Lincolnshire, its landscape, its people and its history.
Ian Gouge - Author Reading and Discussion (Booking Essential)
12.30pm to 1.30pm, The Advocate Arms, Queen Street, LN8 3EH
Ian Gouge will read a selection of short prose and poetry. He will use these to offer insights into his writing journey from its beginnings when he was a child all the way through to his 2024 publications. The session will be interactive with the audience more than welcome to ask questions along the way. He hopes you will join him!
Readings in Lincolnshire Dialect - Loretta Rivett (Drop In)
12.30 to 1pm & 2pm to 2.30pm, The Old Police Station and Courtroom, Dear Street, LN8 3BH
Join Loretta Rivett, the acclaimed doyen of the Lincolnshire accent and dialect as she reads works written in the Lincolnshire dialect. Enjoy a bit of Linkisheere chitter n’ jabber!
Heritage Walk and Talk – Wolds Women of Influence (Booking Essential)
1.30pm to 2.30pm, meet at the Market Place
Discover the stories about influential women from Market Rasen’s past – women who ran businesses, set up schools. Learn about the Boucherett sisters who influenced national events during their eventful lifetimes. Join Dr Caroline Mogg, principal researcher of the Wolds Women of Influence heritage project. The walk will last approximately 45 minutes with time to hear more about the women who feature in the six stories on the town’s heritage trail.
The Tealby Boggart with author Keith Rylands-Bolton (Booking Essential)
1.30pm to 2.15 pm, Wrights Ice Cream Parlour, North Willingham
A tale of Lincolnshire folklore for children. Take the Ice Cream Line Bus to North Willingham and enjoy this tale of ages gone.
Nick Louth - Writing a Thriller (Booking Essential)
2pm to 3pm, Market Rasen Library, Mill Road, LN8 3BP
Join million-selling author Nick Louth to learn how a nail-biting thriller is constructed. Hear how he conjures up scenes full of menace and twists to throw readers off the scent. A book signing will follow, and all the Louth-based author's 17 thrillers will be available for purchase.
Please book direct with Market Rasen Library. Find their opening hours on the Lincolnshire County Council website.
Gill Blow - Author Reading and Chat (Booking Essential)
2.30pm to 3.30pm, Advocate Arms, Queen Street, LN8 3EH
Gill Blow an award-winning short story writer will read from her recently published collection ‘Ladies of the Soil and other stories’ The title story was broadcast on Radio 4. She will chat about the triggers that spark off a story and ways to keep on writing!
Paul Sutherland - Poetry Reading (Drop In)
2pm to 3pm, St Thomas' Church, Market Place, LN8 3HL
Paul Sutherland is a British-Canadian poet and writer with 20 collections published. He founded Dream Catcher Literary Journal in 1996. Paul will read poems from his books Journeying, New and Selected Poems, and newly published Only Words and The Leopard and The Sea Turtle.', highlighting spiritual bonds with different faiths and his long-standing love of Lincolnshire, its landscape, its people and its history.
Children’s Storytelling with the Broadbent Theatre (Drop In)
3.15pm to 3.45pm The Library, Mill Road, LN8 3BP
Peter Pan The Musical (Booking Essential)
2pm, Market Rasen Leisure Centre, Gainsborough Road, LN8 3JW
Join us for this incredible outdoor theatre experience! Get ready to think happy thoughts and fly high as the mischievous Peter embarks on an awfully big adventure, introducing Wendy Darling to the lost boys, the cheeky Tinkerbell, the hilarious Smee, and a host of other exciting characters before facing the most feared villain of them all, the infamous Captain Hook!
Book tickets starting from £7.
Market Rasen WordFest has been organised by West Lindsey District Council in partnership with Market Rasen Town Council and is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.