To kick off the 25th anniversary celebrations with a massive boot up the proverbial, we’re delighted to bring you Irvine Welsh, who paid WoW the greatest compliment, stating, ‘There isn’t another writing festival in England as good as Writing on the Wall.’ Famed for his iconic novels, not least of all the ground-breaking Trainspotting, Irvine joins us to discuss Resolution, the third of his novels featuring Ray Lennox. A night with Irvine Welsh is always fun, a bit gritty, entertaining, and always gets you thinking. In Resolution, Welsh drags Ray Lennox back into the murky world he’s been desperate to escape. A series of violent attacks and disappearances force him to ask what he must sacrifice to expose the truth. Irvine Welsh will be in conversation with author, visual artists and musician Zoë Howe. Join us in welcoming back one of our earliest and most favourite WoW guests, Irvine Welsh, for the chance to get inside the mind of the man who created such iconic characters as Renton, Sick Boy, and Spud.
Irvine Welsh was born and raised in Edinburgh. His debut novel Trainspotting sold over one million copies in the UK and was adapted into an era-defining film. He has written thirteen further novels, including Ecstasy, Glue, Porno, Filth, Marabou Stork Nightmares, The Acid House, If You Liked School, You’ll Love Work, The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs, Reheated Cabbage, and Crime, which has been turned into a TV series, the number one bestseller Dead Men’s Trousers, four books of shorter fiction, and numerous plays and screenplays.
Zoë Howe has produced acclaimed biographies of The Slits, Poly Styrene, the Jesus & Mary Chain, Wilko Johnson, Stevie Nicks, Lee Brilleaux and others. Zoë was part of the team behind award-winning documentary Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché, and she has made radio programmes for Absolute Radio, Resonance FM and Soho Radio amongst others; she currently presents the Rock ’n’ Roll Witch show on Soho Radio. Musically, Zoë has worked with Viv Albertine, Helen McCookeryBook, Steve Beresford, Mick Jones & others. Zoë is a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow currently in residence at UCLH working with NHS staff, and with NHS Recovery Colleges nationwide. Her debut novel Shine On, Marquee Moon was shortlisted for the Virginia Prize in 2016, and her latest book, The Jam: 1982, co-authored with the late Jam drummer Rick Buckler, was published in 2023 (Omnibus).
We encourage people to use public transport to travel to events where possible.
Public Transport:
Bus: 300, 487, 55D, 79, 80A
Nearest bus stop(s): College Lane (Stop HA) (Approx. 2 min walk), School Lane (Stop HB) (Approx. 2 min walk), Gradwell Street (Approx. 3 min walk)
Nearest train station(s): Liverpool Central (Approx. 4 min walk), Liverpool Lime Street (Approx. 8 min walk)
*These are difficult times. We know some people may struggle to afford full price tickets. If you would like to attend this event but can’t afford to, please contact info@writingonthewall.org.uk. All queries will be treated in confidence.
Rough Trade 54-56 Hanover St, Liverpool L1 3DY
£10.00
Date: May 2, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm
Ends: 9:00 pm
To kick off the WoWFEST 25th anniversary celebrations with a massive boot up the proverbial, we’re delighted to bring you Irvine Welsh: Resolution!
Date: May 2, 2025
7:00 pm
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Writing on the Wall’s 25th Birthday Party with Special Guest Frank Cottrell Boyce
Date: May 4, 2025
1:00 pm
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From 1979 to today, Phil Scraton’s research exposes decades of institutional abuse and the challenge of turning cases into issues.
Date: May 6, 2025
7:00 pm
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Environmental writers and activist Mike Berners-Lee and Simon O’Brien plus guests from the Liverpool Shift Sustainability Network, invite you to join with them continue raising our voices to highlight the ongoing Climate Emergency, and share ways we can continue to force action.
Date: May 7, 2025
7:00 pm
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Spycops is a powerful talk exposing decades of state-sanctioned abuse, where undercover police officers infiltrated activist groups and deceived women into intimate relationships
Date: May 8, 2025
7:00 pm
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the RIBA Writing Academy has become one of the most important institutions of our times, empowering Ukrainians all over the world to preserve their language, culture, literary heritage and to document and archive the war through poetry, prose, novels and non-fiction.
Date: May 8, 2025
5:00 pm
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Join us for a special performance by internationally acclaimed poet and urban griot Levi Tafari, as he performs from his new powerful new collection, Being Human.
Date: May 9, 2025
7:00 pm
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Dive into the raw, untamed heart of storytelling with 'Wild Writing,' a festival exploration of memoir, fiction, and the spaces in between.
Date: May 12, 2025
7:00 pm
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Beyond Black America: Insights from Brazilian History is the focus of this compelling online talk by friend of WoW Professor Stephen Small, urging us to look beyond familiar narratives of the Black experience.
Date: May 12, 2025
6:00 pm
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We're welcoming Kit de Waal back to WoWFEST to discuss her new novel The Best of Everything
Date: May 13, 2025
6:00 pm
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Join our panel to reflecting on our shared experiences and learn from the evolving story of Ireland. It's more than just a conversation — it's about connecting the dots between communities and cultures.
Date: May 13, 2025
7:00 pm
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Brian Bilston and Henry Normal appear together for the first time in a show which one critic has described as “two people reading some poems."
Date: May 14, 2025
8:00 pm
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Join author Stephen May for an evening exploring Green Ink, a gripping reimagining of Victor Grayson's mysterious disappearance amid scandal, secrets, and post-war political intrigue.
Date: May 14, 2025
7:00 pm
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This event sees John Finucane MP, in conversation with Prof Paddy Hillyard of Queens University, Belfast to discuss the impact of MI5’s secret intelligence-led counter-insurgency strategy in the context of both the Stalker investigation and the killing of John’s father Patrick.
Date: May 15, 2025
7:00 pm
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A poetic exploration of Oglet Shore, a fragile green edgeland clinging to the Mersey that is being threatened by local industry.
Date: May 15, 2025
6:30 pm
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Gary Younge returns to WoWFEST to highlight how black people, despite the huge role that they played in WW11, have been written out of the story.
Date: May 16, 2025
7:00 pm
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Come together for an unforgettable night of music and spoken word, celebrating diversity and combating racism in one of Liverpool’s most iconic venues.
Date: May 17, 2025
7:00 pm
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The Singh Twins. 'Slaves of Fashion' explores diverse histories and legacies of empire and colonialism through the history of Indian textiles.
Date: May 18, 2025
2:00 pm
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WoWFEST’s panel, featuring Chris Nineham, Niheer Dasandi, and Roger Hill, discusses democracy under attack—and how we can fight back.
Date: May 19, 2025
7:00 pm
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WoWFEST’s panel, featuring Chris Nineham, Niheer Dasandi, and Roger Hill, discusses democracy under attack—and how we can fight back.
Date: May 19, 2025
5:00 pm
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Anthony Anaxagorou, lisa luxx, and Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah explore the Palestinian crisis through poetry and discussion, amplifying marginalized voices and advocating for justice and peace.
Date: May 20, 2025
7:00 pm
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Sam Wetherell discusses his critically acclaimed work Liverpool and the Unmaking of Britain, a profound exploration of the city’s role in shaping the narrative of modern Britain.
Date: May 21, 2025
8:00 pm
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At this special hybrid event we will be joining all schools together for a sharing performance event, as well as announcing competition winners.
Date: May 22, 2025
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When more than ever before politics feels like parody, what role does satire have left to play? Can laughter still challenge authority, expose hypocrisy, and spark change — or has the joke already worn thin?
Date: May 22, 2025
8:00 pm
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Whether it be the amazing professional artists and writers we’ve worked with, some of our thousands of project and festival participants, or our dedicated staff, we want to raise a glass to all that women have achieved through Writing on the Wall.
Date: May 23, 2025
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WoW are delighted to welcome back historian John Rees to present his compelling work of narrative history, The Fiery Spirits: Popular Protest, Parliament and the English Revolution.
Date: May 27, 2025
7:00 pm
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Against All Odds brings together a stellar panel of artists and writers who have challenged barriers and defied expectations.
Date: May 27, 2025
6:00 pm
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‘From Spellow to Southport…with Love’ is a day for all families, young people and children, featuring three of the UK’s best, and best-loved poets, lyricists and performers, Michael Rosen, Jackie Kay and Jordan Stephens,
Date: May 28, 2025
12:00 pm
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Join us for a special evening of remembrance, reflection, and resistance, as we celebrate the life and work of Refaat Alareer
Date: May 29, 2025
7:00 pm
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Join us for a special evening of conversation and performance with English performance poet Dr. John Cooper Clarke.
Date: May 30, 2025
7:30 pm
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Calling creatives, commissioners, health providers, community/voluntary sector organisations and individuals with lived experience connected to arts and health. Health inequities are on our doorstep – avoidable and unfair differences in health across the Liverpool City Region which, if left unaddressed, will only get worse, resulting in poorer health outcomes for the most vulnerable people in our region. Whilst these …
Date: March 18, 2025
10:00 am
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Writing on the Wall’s Pulp Idol 2025 Grand Final is Here! For seventeen years the Pulp Idol competition has uncovered the best new novelists the city of Liverpool has to offer and 2025 is no different. Many new novelists, including Ariel Khan (Raising Sparks, Bluemoose Books), James Rice (Alice and the Fly, Walk, Hodder and Stoughton …
Date: February 21, 2025
7:30 pm
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Join us for the launch of Silent Victims: Part One by Gary Millar! In 1958 Thalidomide, marketed as a new ‘wonder drug’, was first used in the UK, promising relief from morning sickness for expectant mothers. It’s impact was devastating, leading to countless miscarriages and causing over 10,000 children to be born with a range of severe …
Date: February 27, 2025
6:30 pm
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The Great War to Race Riots tour, delivered since our first Black History Month festival in 2016, explores anti-black race riots that occurred in Liverpool and other seaports across the country in 1919.
Date: October 6, 2024
11:00 am
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The Dorothy Kuya Walking Tour explores the impact of Dorothy Kuya's anti-racist activism in modern Britain as we explore the Liverpool and the L8 area.
Date: October 13, 2024
11:00 am
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We're thrilled to welcome Diane Abbott and Gary Younge to BHM 24 to discuss Diane's new book: A Woman Like Me
Date: October 23, 2024
7:00 pm
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Join us in remembering and celebrating the impact and legacy of sound system culture in Liverpool, with an evening of discussion, deejays and dancing. Featuring music from the original Strugglers' Sound System, from the days of The Frontline.
Date: November 23, 2024
6:30 pm
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