Publisher looks to readers for best writing about city

Oxygen Books, publishers of the “city-pick” series which features writing on major cities, is bringing the project to East Yorkshire as part of the Humber Mouth Literature Festival.

The company is inviting readers and writers to send in their selections, whether poetry or prose and to a maximum of 1,000 words per piece, and some will be read at the festival.

“Hull has an amazing number of wonderful writers, from Philip Larkin and Stevie Smith to William Wilberforce and John Godber, as well as brand new writers, and Oxygen Books are keen to hear about your choices,” it said.

Publisher Malcolm Burgess added: “From new and on-line writing to the works of Hull’s most esteemed authors, whether fiction, poetry, drama or non-fiction, we’re expecting some amazing writing about all aspects of the city, past and present.”

The festival will be held at venues across the city from June 25 to July 10 and feature writers, speakers and artists from Hull and further afield.

The full programme of events is expected to be finalised next month but will feature authors and speakers including George Monbiot, Adam Mars-Jones, Jenni Murray, Jon Ronson, John Hegley, Mike Jay and Simon Garfield.

Singer-songwriter Emmy the Great and Faber poet Jack Underwood will be appearing, with other attractions including a new show from performance poet Mab Jones and a new film of Larkin’s Bridge for the Living.

The festival was established in 1993 and celebrates literature, language and text-based arts, combining author events with special commissions and community projects.

Mr Burgess and Heather Reyes from Oxygen Books will work alongside an actor to bring the stories to life at Hull Central Library on Saturday, June 25, from 2.30pm to 4pm.

Entries must be submitted via email to [email protected] by June 1 and include the names of the title, author and sender.

The published city-pick series includes collections on cities including London, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and Dublin, from novelists and journalists to non-fiction writers and bloggers.