NPF 2024: Fred D’Aguiar and Jackie Kay
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Overview
The Festival ends by welcoming back two poets with long connections with Newcastle, to read from their new collections and to talk with each other about poetry, politics and activism.
Jackie Kay was for many years Professor of Creative Writing at Newcastle University, having first been Northern Arts Literary Fellow. She went on to be the third modern Makar, the National Poet of Scotland, from 2016-21, and has since become Professor of Creative Writing at Salford University. She has published a novel, Trumpet, which won the Guardian Fiction prize, three collections of stories from Picador, and a memoir Red Dust Road which was Scottish Book of the Year. Her poetry collections include The Adoption Papers and Darling from Bloodaxe, and more recently Fiere and Bantam from Picador. May Day is the new collection, hot off the press from Picador, which is a personal chronicle of activism over six decades. It also includes poems of grief at the recent losses of Kay’s parents, poems which are also infused with love and celebration.
Fred D’Aguiar, like Kay, was Northern Arts Literary Fellow. He also held a Leverhulme visiting professorship at Newcastle University. Born in London, of Guyanese parents, he grew up in Guyana and returned to the UK as a teenager. Now emigrated to the USA, he is currently Professor of English at UCLA. Like Kay he is also a distinguished writer in multiple genres, including novels – he has written six, the most recent of which is Children of Paradise (Granta 2015) – and a non-fiction book, The Year of Plagues (Carcanet, 2021), which recounts a time of both protest and personal survival. He has written eight poetry collections, including Mama Dot, his first, Continental Shelf, which was shortlisted for the T.S Eliot prize in 2009 and Letters from America, which was a PBS choice. His latest collection is For the Unnamed (Carcanet, 2023), which recovers and reimagines the story of the anonymous black jockey, who won a famous race in 1854.
This event is supported by the Newcastle University Institute of Creative Practice.
There are two entrances to the theatre, Kings Road Entrance (this is the taxi drop-off/collection point) and the Main Entrance.
Both level entrances have automated doors. These lead into the foyer area where you will find the Restaurant, Bar, Box Office and entrances to Stages 1, 2 and 3.
STEP FREE ACCESS
Northern Stage is fully accessible. The theatre has three lifts providing access to all parts of the building, including the accessible toilets, baby changing facilities, stages 2 & 3 and the backstage area. Buggy parking is available
WHEELCHAIR SPACES
There are five wheelchair positions in Stage 1, two positions in Stage 2 and all seats are removeable in Stage 3.
TOILETS
We have a Changing Places toilet in the Stage 1 lobby and accessible toilets in Stage 3 and Stage 2 lower entrance lobby. Gender neutral toilets are situated in the Stage 2 lower entrance lobby.
HEARING ENHANCEMENT
Induction loop system in all public spaces, and an infra-red system in all three stages. (In Stage 1 the induction loop is best covered in rows E – L).
ASSISTANCE
One free ticket for the assistant of a disabled person who is not able to attend unaccompanied.
BOOKING COMPANION SEATING
To book a free ticket for a wheelchair companion or an assistant, contact our Box Office on 0191 230 5151, via email at boxoffice@northernstage.co.uk or by visiting our Box Office in person.
GUIDE DOGS
Guide, hearing and all working dogs are welcome here.
SEAT ACCESSIBILITY
Stage 1: Seats are 43 cm wide, 41cm deep, with 46cm between arm rests. The aisleway is 51cm deep from the seat back. Arm rests cannot be removed.
Stage 2: Seats are 40cm wide, 41cm deep. The aisleway is 64cm deep from the seat back. There are no arm rests.
Our seats are rated to British Standards at installation and are guaranteed to hold up to 110kg.
More Information
To discuss any access needs, take a look at our access page or please call our Box Office on 0191 230 5151.