Top talent for Stourbridge literary gala

The very first Stourbridge Literary Festival will be held between April 26 and May 4 at Katie Fitzgerald's pub on Enville Street and Stourbridge Library.

Project organisers are promising 'entertaining and thought-provoking' performances as wordsmiths from far and wide join the week-long event.

Festival organiser Eddy Morton said: "

It won't just be dry, where people will be reading from books, there will be a bit of performing as well."

The festival will feature the theme of 'freedom', which Eddy said is relative in today's world. He added: "There is Brexit, some people see us being free of the European Union, and some people will see freedom as something else, freedom is relevant in general."

On April 27, Welsh artists will be taking to the stage in a line-up titled 'Voices from the Mountain and beyond'.

Writers and poets that will feature include Ben Smith, Niall Griffiths and Andrew Sparke. The performance will take place in the Cellar Bar of Katie Fitzgerald's pub, from 8.30pm, with entry costing £5. The following day – April 28 – will focus on Black Country writers, which will see Dave Reeves , Emma Pursehouse, Rob Francis Paul Mcdonald and Kerry Hadley take to the stage of the Cellar Bar from 8.30pm, with entry £5.

Also at the Cellar Bar, a writing workshop will be held by the New Street Authors from 3pm on April 29. Later in that day, live music will be performed by O'Farrell's Frolics at the same venue from 9pm.

On April 30, a variety of poets from different regions will take to the stage in performances under the name 'Different Voices'. Poets from Worcestershire will feature – alongside Russ Litten , Harry Gallagher, Jane Burn and Keiva – as part of a group called 'Northern Voices'.

Meanwhile, a photography exhibition by Dave Kiteley Lee Benson and Poetry in Vision will be on from April 26 to May 4 at Stourbridge Library.

For a full list of events and times, visit

katiefitzgeralds.moonfruit.com