Lucy and literature – singing star gives festival the x-factor

Pop star Lucy Spraggan will be amongst the famous names taking part in Rochdale Literature & Ideas Festival this autumn.

The 3-day festival will feature the soulful singer-songwriter who shot to fame after making it to the live shows of ITV1’s ‘The X Factor’ in 2012. Spraggan’s memorable performance of her own song ‘Tea and Toast’, received a standing ovation and over 28 million views on YouTube. She was forced to quit the series midway through the live shows after falling ill but had already made her mark and in 2013 had two top 40 singles – ‘Lighthouse’ and ‘Last Night.’

22 year old Lucy, who describes her music as a mixture of acoustic, folk and hip-hop, has received rave reviews for her live shows and last year completed a sell out UK tour. She will be appearing in Rochdale on Saturday 25 October. As well as performing a live set, she’ll be talking about the art of songwriting and meeting fans.

The festival will run from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 October, with organisers promising a feast of events and another stellar line up covering drama, comedy, dance, music, theatre, films, visual arts and children’s shows. Preview events will also be held across the borough earlier in October.

The festival will include special guest speakers, authors, writers and local arts organisations and is aimed at encouraging more people to engage in thought, reading and philosophy. It will include events at venues in Rochdale town centre and boroughwide, with the full programme due to be revealed in May, aimed at all ages.

More authors, acts, performers and workshops will start to be confirmed in the coming weeks. Tickets go on sale in early June.

Councillor Peter Williams, Cabinet Member for Customer Services and Economic Development at Rochdale Borough Council said the festival will give people of all ages the opportunity to learn something new and do something a little different:

“Following last year’s superb debut we are putting together another fantastic programme and we are looking forward to welcoming Lucy … a very talented musician whose appearance in Rochdale will be eagerly awaited.”

Last year thousands attended the festival, which featured over 40 events. The festival is due to the generosity of Annie and Frank Maskew, a Rochdale couple who shared a passion for reading and thinking, and originally met in Rochdale Library. They left a sum of money to be used on resources and events related to literature, and philosophy to ensure classic works are available for future generations.

For information about appearing at the festival or getting involved, email rochdalelitfest@rochdale.gov.uk

Take a look back at last year’s event at www.rochdaleliteraturefestival.co.uk, and follow @RochdaleLitFest on Twitter for the latest festival updates.

The festival is organised by Rochdale Borough Council, funded by the Maskew Bequest.