Chester’s major new arts centre Storyhouse has announced that Hollie McNish, winner of this year’s Ted Hughes Prize for Poetry, will join them as guest artistic director for the annual Chester Literature Festival.
Storyhouse is Chester’s new theatre, cinema and library which opened in May. It has a year-round programme of theatre, film, music and literature.
From November 12-19, the Chester Literature Festival will fill its new home at the £37m venue. In this inaugural role, Hollie McNish will curate a weekend of events and installations throughout the building, filling Storyhouse with poetry from November 17-19.
Artistic director Alex Clifton said: “We want Storyhouse to constantly innovate and to keep pushing for the answers to the big questions our communities face.
“There is no better way to do this than by bringing in artists who will generate intriguing ideas and different viewpoints to keep us contemporary and relevant. Hollie McNish is one such writer who represents current issues with a freshness and creativity and I cannot wait to see what she has programmed for her season.”
Hollie McNish said: “Storyhouse is like no other, what a gem! It’s one of the most exciting places I’ve been to in years and I can’t wait to get to work. It’s also making me a little jealous of those who live in Chester! What a genius idea whoever thought up this building!”
Hollie has been writing poetry since she was seven, but she first came to fame in 2011 after winning the UK poetry championship and came third in the World Poetry Slam finals. Fans include Tim Minchin and Benjamin Zephaniah. Kate Tempest supported her last year when she performed at Leicester Square theatre.
Her performance of Embarrassed, about breastfeeding her daughter in a public toilet because of the stigma of feeding in public, has been shared more than a million times.
Hollie has thrilled and entranced audiences the length and breadth of the UK with her compelling and powerful performances and on November 18 she will appear at Storyhouse with her new collection Plum - a wise, rude, sharp poetry collection encompassing a life from childhood to attempted adulthood.
The Chester Literature Festival’s full line up will be announced later in the summer and will include workshops, discussions, poetry, performance and author talks. Plum goes on sale later in June.
To find out more visit storyhouse.com.
