Yesterday Ray Foulk, James Harrison, Andy Severn and I celebrated the launch of the first Oxford Indie Book Fair which will take place April 4 10.30am -5pm @ Wesley Memorial Halls New Inn Hall Street Oxford. (next to St Peter’s College)
Oxford is blessed with an internationally celebrated literary festival which runs from 27 March to April 5 .The Financial Times sponsored festival is now in its twenty fourth year and locals have noticed it grow and change. The line-ups for the festival tend to be famous established authors, media celebrities and politicians and so the tickets have inevitably risen in price.
Oxford is a major city of arts and letters, renowned for writing and publishing and we felt it is time for the ever-growing indie sector to have a stronger voice. If the Oxford Indie Book Fair on April 4 is a success we see it as a spring board to a fringe festival next year. The event itself is not only about selling books although there will be 40 exhibitors, it will include performance art, performance poetry, as well as a fascinating diversity of talks.
Joanna Harrison the director of Going on a Bear Hunt and the script writer for the latest Channel 4 Christmas film The Tiger who Came to Tea will give a presentation on animation. The ever popular Korky Paul will present Magic Moments with Winnie and Wilbur to under 8s. The aim is to have something for everyone of all ages and backgrounds. Go to https://www.oxfordindiebookfair.co.uk and click on What’s On. I’ll be talking about why mixed relationships inspired Sculpting the Elephant.
We are working on a logo. Here is one idea? Opinions welcome . Oxfordfolio published Bill Heine’s book Hunting the Shark . I sent Bill Heine the owner and John Buckley the artist who made it to Oxtopia and like Picasso’s Desmoiselles d ‘Avignon its was pretty radical at the time so I think it is appropriate. OxfordIndieBookFair Logo 3
Food will be provided by Puks and they will donate 10% of the profits to Asylum Welcome. It is one of the chosen charities of Lord Mayor of Oxford Cllr Craig Simmon’s who the organisers are delighted has agreed to open the event. The Oxford Mail has just flagged up the event and used a pic they used of me in a previous article.
https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/18216095.indie-book-fair-planned-oxford/