Lit & Phil: Thursday 2 April, 7pm
Conceptual poet Ira Lightman launches his debut book Duetcetera, featuring his double column poems. Ira also makes public art and enjoys performance pieces. Admission free, but please reserve your seat by calling 0191 232 0192, emailing library@litandphil.org.uk or by calling in to the Lit & Phil.

Gosforth Library: Saturday 4 April, 2pm-3.30pm
Beautiful American Beatrice Lyle arrives in England on the arm of her spouse, Jonathan Crane, to find herself a foreign oddity in a cold grey, Lancashire town. When Jonathan signs up and leaves for the front, Beatrice is abandoned and dreams of her former life as a minor celebrity and nude exhibit in a peep show: the Angel of Brooklyn. Admission free: tickets from Newcastle Libraries Contact Centre Central Arcade, phone 0845 0020336 or email information@newcastle.gov.uk

mima, Thursday 16 April, 7.30pm-9pm
Join us for a one-off event to celebrate the publication of Richard Milward’s new novel, Ten Storey Love Song. On the night, mima’s atrium will be transformed into a lavish, lysergic-laced living room in which we will be showcasing the finest in new Northern literary talent. Richard will be reading from his novel and will be joined by Michael Smith (author of The Giro Playboy, and star of BBC4’s Citizen Smith and Drivetime), Joe Stretch (author of novels Friction and Wildlife) and Chris Killen (author of novel The Bird Room). Animations from Warped World will accompany the readings. This is a free event, but please reserve a ticket: RSVP to booking@newwritingnorth.com.

ARC, Stockton: Wednesday 22 April, 7.30pm
Take a guided tour deep into the dark but intriguing world of the UK’s favourite book genre: crime writing. Four of Britain’s leading writers, including Sue Walker and Danuta Reah, bring a lively mix of rehearsed readings, discussion and debate atmospherically underscored by guitar and vocals. Tickets: £8 (£6 concs). For more information, contact ciara.johnson@arconline.co.uk or visit www.arconline.co.uk.

St Robert's Church Hall, Oldgate, Morpeth: Saturday 18 April, 12 noon-5pm
Competitions for live recitation of local North East dialect and storytelling, plus results of the Gathering's writing and composing competitions. Also talks by Keith Gregson and Sid Calderbank on NE and Lancashire dialects. Competition audience: £2 (£1.50 concs). Talks free but donations welcome. Tickets available from Morpeth TIC, tel 01670 500700, or queries to 01670 513308. For more information, see www.northumbriana.org.uk.

Lit & Phil: Thursday 23 April, 7pm
Sheree Mack reads from her debut collection, Like the Wind Over a Secret, in an event rescheduled from January. Admission free, but please reserve your seat by calling 0191 232 0192, emailing library@litandphil.org.uk or by calling in to the Lit & Phil.

Queen’s Hall, Hexham: Thursday 23 April, 10am-4pm
A day of writing, led by poet Linda France, in response to the WATER exhibition of photographs from Hexam Photographic Group. Cost: £12 for the day. For more information, contact Queen’s Hall box office on 01434 652 477.

Morpeth Library: Friday 3 April
Amanda Baker will be taking part in a week of writing events at Morpeth library to celebrate its reopening after the floods of September 2008. The event will feature excerpts from Amanda's comic verse show Random Ramblings; her current novel, The Companion Contract, will be on sale and there will be readings from her forthcoming publication, Eating the Vinyl. For more information, contact Northumberland Libraries on 01670 502218.

Waterstone’s, Newcastle: Thursday 9 April, 6.30pm-8pm
Richard Walker-Hardwick's debut novel Kicked Out is narrated by 16-year-old Danny, who gets kicked out of his home and ends up in an emergency access hostel for homeless young people. Kicked Out is Danny's story (in his language) and the story of others like him. Free entry, no need to book.

Lit & Phil: Thursday 16 April, 7pm
Kevin Cadwallender makes a welcome return to the North East to launch his latest book of poems, Dances with Vowels, which collects the best of his poetry over the last 25 years. Admission free, but please reserve your seat by calling 0191 232 0192, emailing library@litandphil.org.uk or by calling in to the Lit & Phil.

Waterstone’s, Sunderland: Saturday 18 April, 11.30am-12.30pm
Tony Kerr signs copies of his newly-published children’s book Super Maxwell and the Last Heroes. This is a free event, open to all. For more information, contact Waterstones on 01915674331, or email manager@sunderland.waterstones.com.

Theatre Royal Newcastle Learning Space: Saturday 18 April, 12.30pm-1.20pm
Join David Wood, the director and playwright of Judith Kerr’s The Tiger Who Came to Tea, as he takes us through the many challenges and delights in adapting a classic children’s picture book for the stage. Recommended for writers, students and other interested adults. Please book through the Theatre Royal box office, tel 08448 112121.

Bishop Auckland Town Hall: Wednesday 22 April, 7.30pm
Knives is a collection of stories inspired by Wendy Robertson’s roots in the North East and her recent experience as writer in residence in a woman’s prison. Free event, but booking essential. For more information, see www.bishopaucklandtownhall.org.uk or contact Bishop Auckland Town Hall on 01388 602601 or bath@durham.gov.uk.

The Nursery Inn, Hopps St, off Hart Lane, Hartlepool: Thursday 30 April, 8pm-11pm (doors open at 7pm)
Spoken word and live music event and magazine launch with free buffet. Performances from Wordlab and Teesside’s top performance poets Bob Beagrie and Andy Willoughby plus music from master didj player Kev Howard. For more information, contact wordlab@hotmail.co.uk.