Brilliant news from the organisers of the Borderlines Carlisle Book festival this week – the popular literary event is moving on to the BBC!
Despite the cancellation of this year’s festival, Team Borderlines have been able to keep it’s spirit alive by running their annual competitions and organising a series of daily literary interviews on BBC Radio Cumbria next week.
Organisers received over 150 entries from all around the world for their annual Poetry & Photography competitions, all inspired by this year’s theme of ‘Hope’.
Award-winning poet Helen Mort judged this year’s poetry competition and was highly impressed by the standard of entries. Helen chose ‘Tea in the Garden’ by Patrick Bridgman of High Hesket, Carlisle as the 2020 winner.
Helen comments: “‘Tea in the Garden’ did not announce itself loudly: its subject is an everyday ritual, sharing tea outdoors. But as soon as I had read it, I needed to go back to the beginning immediately and enter the world of the piece again. With every subsequent reading, my admiration deepened. This piece is a timely celebration of the things we have: the ‘blue novelty’ of a gas flame, the ‘acceptable sweetness’ of herbs, the sound of a forgotten song. Together, these humble possessions form an account of ‘what we lose or live in’. This is such a subtle and nuanced piece of writing and it moved me deeply.”
Kerry Darbishire of Whinfell, Kendal was chosen as runner up, with Kelly Davies of Maryport and Maria Castro Dominquez of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria both highly commended.
The winner will be announced live on BBC Radio Cumbria during Caroline Roberston’s 10am – 2pm show on Thursday 1 October (World Poetry Day) by Helen Mort and Patrick will read out his prize-winning composition.
The photography competition was judged by award-winning photographer Phil Rigby. This year’s winning entry ‘Colours of Hope: Rainbows’ was taken by Dr Geetanjali Verma.
Phil says: “Rainbows are the symbol of hope in many cultures. It is a super picture of a full rainbow with a storm in the background and reminds us of the children’s painted rainbows that popped up in windows around the world at the start of lockdown.”
The winning photo and poem will be shown at Tullie House Museum in their Community Case, as well as being on display in Bookends Bookshop’s Cakes & Ale Café during October. They will also be available to view online at www.borderlinescarlisle.co.uk from Friday 2 October.
A number of authors who would have been speaking to festival-goers in person will be appearing on BBC Radio Cumbria on Caroline Robertson’s mid-morning show. All the authors have a Cumbrian connection and will entertain listeners each day, in what would have been the festival week.
The line-up will be:
Monday 5 October – Jenny Landreth – discussing her new book on amateur dramatics
Tuesday 6 October – Lindsay McRae – renowned wildlife cameraman
Wednesday 7 October – Polly Toynbee – on her book examining the 2010s
Thursday 8 October – Grace Dent – discussing her new memoir ‘Hungry’
Friday 9 October – Marie Elsa Bragg – discussing her book ‘Sleeping Letters’
Interviews are planned for around 1.15pm (it’s live radio so this is subject to change!) but if you can’t listen live, all of the shows will be available online or via the BBC Sounds App.
A spokesperson for the Festival said: “We are so pleased that we’ve been able to bring a slice of Borderlines Festival to you this October and are delighted that we’ve been able to work together with BBC Radio Cumbria to make this happen.”
