Larkin Centre Live
This is where the Larkin Centre reaches out from Hull and touches the world. We will be rolling out an ongoing programme of live events, showcasing great writers in conversation. We hope you find something to spur your own writing, or stir you to read a book that’s new to you.
DBC Pierre kicked off the 2011-12 season by visiting the university to talk about his Man Booker prize-winning novel Vernon God Little. The event was in association with the Booker Prize Trust. This film is of the second event of his visit, a public conversation with Matin Goodman on Hull’s Scarborough campus. Scroll down to view it.
The poet Rick Holland is finding new audiences through collaboration with musicians. He talks about his creative life, working with Brian Eno on their joint album Drums Between the Bells, and shares the platform with visual artist Nick Robertson to speak about their Hull-based installation.
Adam Roberts, lauded by many as Britain’s premier science fiction voice, spoke about his work with Martin Goodman. Scroll down to view.
Kate Mosse led us into the world of her international bestellers, the time-warping Labyrith trilogy. Scroll down to view.
Sarah Bakewell spoke with Ray French about researching and writing the life of Montaigne. Scroll down to view.
The novelist Steven Saylor flew in from San Francisco to close our 2010-2011 season. The visit marked the paperback UK publication of his novel Empire which follows generations of one family from the age of Augustus through to Hadrian. He speaks about this, and his compelling series following the detective work through Ancient Rome of Gordanus the Finder. Watch the Conversation with Steven Saylor for a really bright and generous hour of an author sharing his work and what drives him.
Jill Dawson made an Armistice Day appearance, sharing her appreciation of Rupert Brooke who she brought to life in her novel The Great Lover.
Two writers shone different lights on Russia for us, Susan Richards bringing us her travel explorations and David Szalay taking on a journey through recent history in his new novel.
Women’s writing in the Arab world was explored in conversation between Catherine Wynne and the Egyptian novelist Sahar el Mougy
Peter Godwin shared the raw insights of his own perilous journey into a Zimbabwe gripped by election fever.
Our annual children’s writing event was kicked off by Emma Thompson in vivid conversations with a roomful of children about her writing of the Nanny McPhee films. David Almond was our second guest, and shared this conversation with Martin Goodman in the more adult format before facing his own auditoum packed with young enthusiasts.
The novelist Francis King was celebrated by a packed audience in the London Review Bookstore, speaking with Martin Goodman about his career as he published the novel Cold Snap.
Irene Sabatini, the Zimbabwean novelist now resident in Geneva, visited the Larkin Centre to celebrate the 2011 centenary of International Women’s Day. Watch and enjoy this film of her in conversation, talking about her truly wonderful novel The Boy Next Door. Scroll down to view.
In December 2010, fresh from winning the Booker Prize for Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel nobly batted back the volleys of newer invitations to come and speak to us all in Hull. It was a monumentally good evening. Conversation took in Wolf Hall, but ranged across her whole body of work. The video of the event is also available, but is a 400MB download.
Phyllida Law was a guest in 2009. After a long and wondrous career taking the stage as an actress, this was her debut as an author. We were delighted to offer a platform for the launch of her memoir Notes to my Mother-in-law. She speaks about her writing, with reminscences of her acting life.
For poetry aficionados, we have a treat. To kick off our contribution to the Larkin25 festivities, a glorious troupe of poets who featured in the new collection Old City New Rumours gathered for a reading. Ian Gregson, Carol Rumens, Maurice Rutherford, Peter Didsbury, Angela Leighton, David Wheatley, Ian Parks et al. Sup and Feast!
Our own poets Cliff Forshaw and David Wheatley perform their work at Artlink in the city, including David’s translations of Samuel Beckett. For more poetry, listen to readings from Conor O’Callaghan and Robert Gray, one man from Ireland and the other from Australia, sharing a platform in Hull. Graham Mort visited from Lancaster to give a reading and share his experiences of presenting in two different genres, poetry and the short story.
The multi-award-winning playwright and screenwriter Christopher Hampton was in conversation with MartinGoodman at the Hull Truck Theatre, Wed 10 February 2010. Christopher speaks about his Oscar-winning Dangerous Liaisons, adapting Atonement for the big screen, and other classic moments from a magnificent career.