Headingley LitFest: Launch of STRIX 3

Monday, 19 March 2018

Launch of STRIX 3 - Hyde Park Book Club


Andrew Lambeth and Ian Harker

The launch of the third issue of Strix took place in the still ramshackle basement of the ever-expanding Hyde Park Book Club, but there was nothing ramshackle about what was delivered by those whose work is featured in it. The diversity of the talent is truly astonishing: Andrew Lambeth, one of the two editors, said as much, remarking on the many different approaches of the writers, who range in age from the twenties to much older. One of them, Anna Sutcliffe, is ninety! Some of them are steadfast and familiar contributors to local readings, others had traveled to Leeds from many miles away. All of them delivered something fresh and new, a fact which becomes clear when their words are read: some meanings and nuances were lost during the evening because of a background of muffled laughter from the comedy club on the floor above.

Ian Harker spoke of early fears and uncertainties about going ahead with a printed magazine after warnings from those who thought an online version might be a better bet, and about how these had now evaporated, because Strix has, to date, been a great success, approbation flowing in from far and wide. It was harder work than either of the editors had realised (Andrew developed a repetitive strain injury from folding covers) but worth it. The editors' taste and discretion, along with attractive design, has brought brilliant results.

The next Strix will be published in June this year. You can submit for it on any day in May.

Strix is available online at www.strixleeds.com
Facebook: @strixleeds
Twitter: @StrixLeeds
Email: strixleeds@gmail.com

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LITERARY HEADINGLEY

Headingley is just the place for it! Don't expect a big circus with marquees, though: we're not at that stage yet. We're all volunteers as well.

Our venues include the HEART Centre on Bennett Road, the New Headingley Club on St Michael's Road, friendly cafés, historic local cinemas, Headingley Library, people's houses and the historic Leeds Library in Commercial Street, city centre.

Headingley's Literary Links

Headingley has strong connections with many writers:

Arthur Ransome was born in Headingley, J R R Tolkien lived at 5 Holly Bank and also at 2 Darnley Road, West Park when he was reader in English Language at the University of Leeds 1920 - 25, Alan Bennett lived over a butcher's shop opposite the Three Horseshoes, now Royale Dry Cleaners.

Lucy Newlyn has published poetry about her early life in Headingley, George Orwell stayed at 21 Estcourt Avenue with his sister Marjorie and her husband Humphrey 'Humpy' Dakin (with whom he visited the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth), T S Eliot used to visit his mother-in-law in Weetwood Lane, William Fryer Harvey was brought up in Spring Bank, Trevor Griffiths lived just off Victoria Road on Winstanley Terrace, Jon Silkin's first office of STAND magazine was his flat at 144 Otley Road, Sir Geoffrey Hill lived in Shire Oak Road, Peter Redgrove lived in Headingley between 1962 and 1965 when he was Gregory Fellow of Poetry at the University of Leeds, and playwright Kay Mellor still lives near The Hollies in Far Headingley.

Wilson Barrett, the charismatic first manager of the Grand Theatre, Leeds (a prolific playwright as well), lived in Beech Grove Terrace, Woodhouse in the 1870s. His house was a meeting place for many writers, artists and visitors to Leeds - such as W. S. Gilbert, George Grossmith and Atkinson Grimshaw.

Headingley LitFest 2020 was the thirteenth. The fourteenth will take place from March 2021 and will be adapted to the rules of the Covid pandemic. We are now a proud part of the annual Leeds Lit Fest.