The Fitzwilliam will be welcoming poet Adrian Mitchell to unify the Wordfest with the opening of the new Egyptian Gallery. © Fitzwilliam Museum
The highly regarded annual literary festival Wordfest arrives in Cambridge from April 21–23 2006, with preview events from April 18 and this year, one of the city’s museums is getting in on the act.
On April 20 the Fitzwilliam Museum will play host to the famous Liverpool poet, dramatist and storyteller Adrian Mitchell, who will be launching a competition for 14-17 year olds and over-18s.
The task will be for the young writers to construct a fairytale or write the ending to an ancient Egyptian tale. The beginning of the original story, about a prince doomed to die in one of three ways, is recorded on a piece of papyrus in the British Museum.
This will soon be on show at The Fitzwilliam, but the ending of the story has never been found - which is where the public and the competition come in.
The mummy case of Nakhtefmut now on display in the Fitzwilliam's Egyptian Gallery. © Fitzwilliam Museum
Helen Strudwick, Outreach Officer for Ancient Egypt at the Fitzwilliam, and Helen Taylor, the council’s literature development officer, devised the idea for finishing the story.
“This has turned out to be perfect partnership project, generating new writing and new visitors to libraries and museums," said Helen Taylor. "This is a unique project."
The competition ties in with the re-opening of the in May and is a partnership project between the Fitzwilliam and County Literature Development.
Prizes for the competition have been donated by Egypt Air, Heffers Books and British Museum Press.
Cambridge Wordfest arrives in the city from April 21–23 2006 with preview events from April 18. © Wordfest
Cambridge Wordfest will be launched on Friday April 21 when poet Carol Ann Duffy, this year’s TS Eliot prize winner, will read from her winning collection Rapture.
First-time authors will be reading and discussing their books, workshops will cover all aspects of writing for fun and profit and established writers like Kate Adie and Justine Picardie will make appearances.
If you thought poetry was all about angst and black polo necks then go and see poetry group 'Joy of 6' on April 23 or 'Being Alive', which presents poetry as theatre on April 22.
Full details and events listings can be found on www.cambridgewordfest.co.uk
