Books
MP Jess Phillips’ life story to be made into TV drama by Black Mirror producers
MP Jess Phillips‘ light-hearted autobiography Everywoman is to be turned into TV drama by the people behind Years and Years and Black Mirror. The Manchester-based RED production company will “explore how an engaged woman can make a difference in today’s very complicated world” as it captures the life of the outspoken Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley.
15 Awesome Costumes Celebrating World Book Day 2019
When your timeline is flooded with a whole host photo’s of little ones in a range of costumes, you know it is that time of the year … World Book Day! World Book Day is a registered charity on a mission to give every child and young person a book of their own. It is a celebration…
International Women’s Day 2019: What’s on in Birmingham
International Women’s Day is coming up and this year’s campaign theme is ‘Balance for Better‘. The 2019 #BalanceforBetter campaign runs all year long. It doesn’t end on International Women’s Day.
National Storytelling Week: Birmingham authors talk about fiction in all forms
As National Storytelling Week gets underway, Brummies are celebrating storytelling in theatres, schools, and spoken word venues. On the 19th anniversary of National Storytelling Week, members of New Street Authors, David Wake and AA Abbott told us about their journeys into writing and their involvement in spoken storytelling.
Striking new book reveals raw portraits of ‘Invisible Britain’
A brand new book of powerful portrait photography is set for release in November, documenting real stories of people “left behind” by media narratives and isolated by the affects of austerity in today’s Britain. Invisible Britain: Portraits of Hope and Resilience is a series of 40 stories and portraits spanning 120 pages, carefully curated by writer…
INTERVIEW: Author AA Abbott on release of her fourth book, Revenge Trail
We chat with with author AA Abbott, who is about to release her fourth book, The Revenge Trail, the latest part of the ‘Trail‘ series. Author AA Abbott – real name Helen Blenkinsop – moved to Birmingham as a teenager, got her first “proper job” in the city, got married and together they stayed in the city…
Pac-Man’s influence on capitalism revealed in new book
New research into one of the most influential videogame characters of all time reveals as much about contemporary capitalism as it does about the history of gaming. From consumption to addiction, and from dance music to the welfare state, the work by Dr Alex Wade at Birmingham City University offers a guide through the maze…
Jamelia to present ‘Black Girl Bible’ at intimate Birmingham book event
Birmingham music star and television presenter Jamelia will be discussing all things ‘Black Girls Bible’ with writers Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené in Digbeth next week. The musician will be joining the authors to discuss their work ‘Slay In Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible‘, a long-awaited and highly anticipated “guide to life for a generation of…
‘Plastic’ revealed as Children’s Word of the Year by Oxford University Press
Plastic, the ocean, Emmeline Pankhurst, Donald Trump, Brexit, Korea, Grenfell Tower, unicorns, slime and computer game Fortnite are just some of the people and subjects that influence British children’s creativity and use of language, says a report published today by Oxford University Press (OUP). Following OUP’s analysis of the 134,790 short stories submitted to the 2018 BBC…
THUG author Angie Thomas returning to Birmingham to discuss movie adaptation
[THE BELOW EVENT HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED, POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT YEAR] Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give (THUG), comes back to Birmingham to talk about the phenomenal success that has seen her debut novel take the Number One spot in the New York Times Bestseller list for 65 weeks. The Hate U Give is…